At this moment, Hidan and Kakuzu traversed a dense forest together.
Hidan, agitated, turned to Kakuzu and snapped, "Hey! This is all on you! You had to go find some monk, and now the boss orders us to head to Konoha for intel!"
Kakuzu didn't bother looking his way. Calm and collected, he replied, "The monk you're whining about is worth thirty million ryo. You couldn't earn that even by selling your soul."
"Tch! What good is money when I devote everything to Lord God of Evil?" Hidan retorted loudly.
Kakuzu steeled himself and pushed forward. Without money, everything remained empty talk—an idea these two barely grasped.
As they neared Konoha, they prepared to fulfill Nagato's mission—gather intel first, Chiriku's head later.
Inside the Hokage Building, Chiga rested in his chair until his eyes shot open, startling Yugao, who had been observing him for some time.
Chiga grinned at her teasingly, "As the Hokage's personal bodyguard, Yugao, you jump at everything."
Yugao blushed, murmuring, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, I got distracted."
Chiga shook his head gently. "Only kidding. You've been watching for a while. I've got business to take care of."
With a stretch, he rose, and in an instant, vanished from the office.
Outside Konoha, Kakuzu and Hidan debated their infiltration strategy. Nagato's decision seemed suspect—sending a "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix" duo to gather intel was hardly wise.
Kakuzu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, while Hidan, scythe in hand, boasted, "What are we waiting for? I could just grab a couple of Konoha shinobi and interrogate them."
Kakuzu glared. "Don't underestimate Konoha. If we're spotted, retreat will be impossible."
Hidan scoffed, "With Lord Jashin on my side, what's there to fear? Just make sure you don't run out of hearts."
A vein throbbed visibly on Kakuzu's temple. He longed to toss Hidan into the nearest garbage bin.
Suddenly a voice drifted from behind: "Since you're both here... why not come in for a visit?"
"Who's there!?" they shouted in unison, turning to see Chiga standing calmly with a smile.
Hidan cocked a brow. "Who are you?"
Kakuzu's face turned grim. He recognized the face, and said, "That's the Sixth Hokage of Konoha, Uchiha Chiga!"
"Huh? The Hokage?" Hidan looked ecstatic. "We just ran into the Hokage! Kakuzu, his head must be worth a fortune—we can get rich!"
Kakuzu, however, showed no excitement. Nagato had briefed him—Chiga had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Madara himself wielded Mangekyō power—he would not underestimate anyone with that ability.
Chiga met Kakuzu's appraisal coolly. "You're Kakuzu, correct? I hear you're quite adept with finances."
Kakuzu hesitated—was the compliment sincere? Beside him, Hidan burst into laughter. "Haha! That's so true! When it comes to money, no one's better than Kakuzu!"
Chiga glanced toward Hidan. "And you... an idiot?"
"Nani!?" Hidan's grin froze in shock. Rage flared in his eyes. He swung his scythe and charged at Chiga, yelling, "How dare you insult me, the great Hidan?!"
Kakuzu cursed silently, thinking Hidan would serve as a test subject.
Hidan lunged and swung with all force, aiming to sever Chiga in half. But Chiga shifted his weight and simply blocked with one leg against the scythe. It snapped like brittle wood.
Before Hidan could recover, Chiga punched him square in the face, sending him flying. Hidan smashed through several trees before slamming into the ground, writhing in pain.
Shouting, "Pain! It hurts even this great me!", he tried to push himself up.
Chiga raised an eyebrow and used a pulling force to yank Hidan back. Though his Rinnegan remained inactive, he tapped the Gravity Fruit's power—yet Kakuzu saw managing top-level force from it.
Hidan's protest ended abruptly as Chiga seized him by the neck. Hidan struggled violently, even tried to bite—but only shattered a few teeth. Chiga's hand was unblemished.
Kakuzu interjected, "Hidan, stop being reckless! This guy's body is strange—your attacks won't work!"
Inside Kakuzu, a thought whispered: Is there anyone in this world weirder than you?
He knew he had to act. Even Hidan's immortality couldn't save him if he remained torn apart. He activated his black threads weaponized with Earth Release: Earth Spear and lashed out toward Chiga.
Chiga barely moved. He grabbed Kakuzu's fist. Kakuzu's jaw dropped in disbelief. That punch—hardened by his strongest jutsu—should've shattered bones. Instead, he was simply stopped.
Purple lightning erupted from Chiga's hand, spreading through Kakuzu's black threads, burning him. With crackling intensity, the electricity charred Kakuzu completely. He collapsed, lifeless.
______
Thanks for the Power stones.