Jashinism

Jashinism is a religion born from the death and destruction inflicted by the many wars fought in the history of shinobi. It is built upon the fundamental belief that an evil god called Jashin is the root cause of war and seeks an end to all life by stimulating the hearts of mankind to destroy each other.

Jashin – meaning “wicked heart” – first existed within the mythos of numerous religions as the embodiment of evil, reflecting the worst aspects of humanity. The general populace may have only heard of him in passing but priests and priestesses of every nation are familiar with his tales and detest him for them. There has been speculation on whether such a being might really exist but it is commonly accepted that Jashin is only a fictional character from darker eras rather than a real entity.

But some priests would instead grow to worship Jashin as a real god and hold him up as an example they should follow. Not because they interpreted him as something other than evil but because they believed that evil was the real nature of the world. They were the ones who only paid lip service to their vows without believing in the good they preached, instead feeling darker desires more keenly than their brethren. So they broke off from their convents and chose to venerate Jashin as one who represents what the world truly is and the ruin it will inevitably become.

“Thou shalt kill thy neighbour.”

The Way of Jashin is to believe in killing all living things and that every kill is a prayer and sacrifice to their god. It was inevitable that the cult would become a home to the cruelest and most depraved of individuals. The cultists kept their monasteries and actions hidden away from the spotlight, operating in remote locations to avoid attention but would nevertheless draw the worst of society to join their cause. And yet it was a religion that followed strict philosophical guidelines as if to contrast the heinous nature of its beliefs.

Unlike other religious orders where weapons are prohibited are restricted, Jashinists gladly arm themselves with any weapon meant for killing, particularly those forged with the intent to cause as much pain as possible.

The Jashinists utilize a style of ninjutsu based on the ninshu practiced by shinobi priests, the art of connecting one’s spirit with another through their chakra. Using blood, they can create a connection between the caster and the victim that allows one to cause a malignant effect in the other regardless of distance.

Their deadliest technique is the Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessing Blood which causes any injury, no matter how great or small, inflicted upon the Jashinist’s body to be suffered by the victim as well. It requires them to stand within a boundary line made from their own blood and the ingestion of the victim’s which transforms their appearance to into a skeletal figure of death to reflect the curse. It was a technique that corrupted their minds as they practiced self-mutilation, torture and genocide as acts of worship.

The Jashinists’ beliefs spurred them to invent immortality ninjutsu so they could abuse that power to its utmost without dying and revel in ecstasy of murder on the battlefield. The cult used the bodies of believers in kinjutsu rituals in pursuit of this goal. When their kinjutsu had been completed, one particular believer was chosen above the rest to test it.

Hidan had single-handedly destroyed Yugakure, known as the Village That Forgot War, before ever following the Way of Jashin and then committed many more massacres in his god’s name. He was the first success of the immortality experiments.

Said success made him exalted among his fellow Jashinists as they saw him as the avatar of their god’s will. He was given a cursed scythe forged for drawing an enemy’s blood rather than killing them. The wounds it creates cannot heal naturally, instead only worsening over time and fight against any attempts to restore them.

Hidan’s immortality means that he cannot be killed by blood loss, damaged organs, dismembered limbs, disembowelment, suffocation, poison, illness and even decapitation.

His body is able to endure any injury inflicted upon it, even resist most forms of damage outright, without losing his life force though he is still susceptible to pain. He can even recover from any injury inflicted on his body but, while much faster than other human beings and capable of healing injuries impossible for others, it isn’t a fast process in itself. Fortunately for him, he can continue function regardless of most injuries.

The only ways Hidan can die is through starvation, old age, the removal of his soul or the destruction of his body. Hidan’s body will slowly but surely wither away without sustenance even though he is capable of surviving such a state far beyond any other human being, his body still ages like normal so he is able to reach a point where he could die a natural death, and if his body is damaged to the point that he cannot endure or regenerate then it is simply impossible for his life force to continue to exist.

The easiest method of dealing with Hidan is not to kill him but to incapacitate him; loss of limb may not kill him but he would still limit his mobility, especially if his head is detached from the rest of his body. He would still be alive in that state but unable to control his body, leaving him completely helpless.

His defeat at the hands of Nara Shikamaru ensured his death as he slowly withered away, unable to move with his body scattered underground and unable to heal without sustenance. It took time but even if he could cling to life for only so long.

The Way of Jashin, however, lived long past his death.