Ninjas, as tenacious beings, benefit from chakra—a miraculous energy—that generally enhances all aspects of their physical abilities. However, individuals like Hidan and Kakuzu, whose bodies have almost no vital spots, are extremely rare.
Hidan, who hit the ground hard, struggled to rise painfully, then manually reset multiple fractures across his body. After testing his mobility and confirming it didn't impact his battle power significantly, he picked up his Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe, making an exaggerated face as he spoke:
"Damn that hurt! Can't you give a warning before attacking? You're definitely getting cursed later..."
Still catching his breath while continuously cursing under his breath, Hidan failed to notice Mizuki silently tailing behind the Air Bullet. By the time Hidan noticed, it was already too late for any meaningful reaction.
Moving swiftly, Mizuki's fist—wrapped in natural energy—bluntly smashed into Hidan's left shoulder without holding back. Truthfully, Mizuki had no problem targeting Hidan's weak points. But with Hidan's Immortal Body, even attacking vital spots like the heart was hardly more effective than striking other parts. It made far more sense to destroy his limbs first—once Hidan lost combat ability, finishing him off would be effortless.
Unfortunately, although Hidan clearly had weaknesses, he wasn't famous just for show. When dodging completely proved impossible, the experienced warrior understood instantly that retreat wasn't an option now. Urgently, he lifted his Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe, extending it forward toward his right, using his right hand to brace the weapon's upper shaft while tilting his body sideways, placing the weapon directly in front of himself defensively.
In a flash, Mizuki's fist slammed powerfully into the middle of the scythe's shaft, unleashing terrifying force. Hidan twisted his body quickly at the same time, skillfully redirecting the attack's power through his steel weapon.
"I'll admit… that was decent. But seriously, you should thank this weapon—it's made from top-notch stuff."
The close-combat precision techniques and improvisational skills displayed by Hidan were precisely what Mizuki lacked. Mizuki never deluded himself—he was just an isekai traveler with a bit of wit. The environment he grew up in predetermined that both his behavioral patterns and thinking style fundamentally couldn't support him becoming a Taijutsu master (martial arts expert). Even though he inherited the former Mizuki's experiences and memories, they weren't entirely his own. "Someone else's" experience, unverified by personal training, always felt unreliable. The refined skills built over years by martial artists or the fighting will honed since youth by Taijutsu practitioners just couldn't be matched by reading manuals or toughening your body.
Using incredibly precise maneuvering, barely avoiding Mizuki's powerful punch, Hidan finally managed to evade the strike. Still, he was blown backward by the immense force transmitted through his weapon. While retreating, Hidan even attempted to press down suddenly with his Bloodstained Triple-Bladed Scythe, aiming to slash Mizuki's body.
But Mizuki, who had long been deeply wary of Hidan, would never allow such an opportunity. Fully prepared, Mizuki easily blocked Hidan's slash with a Chakra Shield. Granted, Hidan's Immortal Body gave him immense power, but if even casual attacks could break through the Chakra Shield in Sage Mode, Mizuki would've died countless times already.
Caught off guard and standing still, Hidan became a perfect target. Although his initial strike failed, Mizuki hadn't expected a fully combat-ready Hidan to be as helpless as the Red Sand of the Desert. Even so, pressing forward aggressively was only natural.
Just as Mizuki relentlessly prepared to throw another punch at Hidan, Kakuzu suddenly rushed toward him from behind at high speed, launching a fist accompanied by a piercing whistling sound.
["Surrounded? Seems I got a bit too confident..."]
Kakuzu and Hidan didn't have a good relationship—they often had one fighting while the other simply watched without helping. But that didn't mean they were foolish; when facing tough opponents, the right move was to unite rather than stubbornly cause trouble themselves.
At this moment, Mizuki wasn't particularly afraid of Kakuzu holding back his full strength. Power struggles? Like that'd actually work on Mizuki?
Facing the attack, Mizuki neither dodged nor avoided it. He clenched his right hand into a fist again, swinging it fully to directly meet Kakuzu's incoming punch.
With a loud dull bang, Kakuzu was immediately sent flying backward, rolling across the ground for quite a distance before finally stopping.
["In Sage Mode, I'm like a weaker miniature version of a tailed beast. Daring to match physical strength with me—that's truly overestimating yourself. But that's not all..."]
Mizuki opened his palm, turning it over to examine where he'd made contact with Kakuzu's fist. Unexpected wounds appeared there.
["Earth Release — Tumo? Quite an impressive jutsu indeed..."]
Mastering the nature transformation of Earth Attribute chakra to such an effortless level not only provided extraordinary defensive capability—hardening the body like diamond, significantly enhancing defense—but also allowed instant conversion of that defensive power into offensive force upon contact, catching enemies completely off-guard with devastating counterattacks. This tricky Ninjutsu was tough to handle unless you used Lightning Attribute chakra. Any other attacks would prove inefficient.
Earlier, having overwhelmed the Red Sand of the Desert through sheer numbers, Mizuki fully understood that unless one reached Pain's, Madara Uchiha's, or Obito Uchiha's level—strong enough to single-handedly take on the entire world—it was better to stay cautious. Unlike Sasori, Mizuki believed his chances of actually killing them were actually quite low.
["Besides, it's still early. It's not time for our final confrontation yet. No need to risk everything recklessly. The primary mission is to make them back off. Killing someone with an Immortal Body seems like nothing but trouble."]
Overall, in this first round of confrontation, Mizuki gained overwhelming advantage through sheer strength, overpowering both Hidan and Kakuzu. Yet all of this wasn't really important—it was merely a test to gauge the enemy's strength.
As Kakuzu and Hidan barely managed to regain their footing, Mizuki also seized the moment to catch his breath. The Immortal Duo surged forward again, aiming to encircle their target. At that moment, a violent surge of chakra erupted nearby, and yet another Air Bullet was hurtling toward them.
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