"Old man, you're pretty damn strong!"
"You can actually keep up with my speed!"
The blood-red scythe and the Vajra Staff clashed repeatedly, each impact throwing off a burst of sparks—like a storm of fury and fire between them.
"Young man," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smirk, "I think it's time I sped up!"
"Let's see if you can keep up."
Even as he swung his staff, Hiruzen formed a one-handed seal—and with a puff of smoke, two shadow clones appeared on either side of him.
Now there were three Vajra Staffs spinning through the air.
Hidan found himself surrounded, his spinning form caught between the triple assault.
One man alone couldn't overpower three in synchronized motion.
Though he tried to ramp up his speed and use his flying scythe to intercept the strikes, he couldn't keep up.
All three Hiruzen figures struck simultaneously at the same opening—
BANG!!!
Hidan cried out as searing pain shot through his waist.
"AHHH! 凸(艹皿艹)!!"
"You senile bastard! No honor at all!"
"AGHH!"
Hidan crashed to the ground. His left hand gripped the chain of his scythe, and his right clutched his waist. His eyes were bloodshot—he looked like a deranged Uchiha at that moment.
"You old geezer! You broke my damn kidneys!"
"You're dead!"
Still cursing, Hidan smeared the blood from his wound across both hands, then grasped his scythe once more, spinning it viciously as he charged at Sarutobi Hiruzen again.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu, locked in battle with Orochimaru, glanced sideways at Hidan's mad charge and let out a low sigh.
"Let the idiot do whatever he wants. He's immortal anyway."
Orochimaru noticed Kakuzu's momentary distraction and struck.
His neck suddenly stretched outward like a whip, his head lunging forward.
Kakuzu flinched—he hadn't expected the attack to be so sudden.
He instinctively leapt back to increase distance, but the strike was too fast to fully avoid. After all, a snake's strike is hard to evade—and Orochimaru was no ordinary snake.
Orochimaru's mouth unhinged, exposing sharp, gleaming fangs.
He lunged, aiming to sink his teeth into Kakuzu's shoulder—
But beneath Kakuzu's black mask, a smug grin appeared.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear."
CLANG!
The sound of teeth on metal echoed sharply.
Orochimaru felt like he had just bitten solid steel. The force of the impact reverberated through his skull.
His mind buzzed.
Kakuzu didn't waste the moment. His right hand morphed into a spear and thrust toward Orochimaru's exposed neck.
Orochimaru instantly recoiled with a whoosh, his snake-like neck snapping back into place.
The strike missed.
"Tch... weirder than even me," Kakuzu muttered.
Their distance reset. It was back to ranged jutsu—a classic shinobi showdown.
Kakuzu raised both arms.
All four of his Earth Grudge Fear masked creatures emerged, lined up like a firing squad.
"Water Style: Water Curtain Tent!"
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!"
Water, wind, fire, and lightning-style chakra exploded outward—converging into a massive, multicolored shockwave of destructive power. Wind pressure propelled the entire storm forward like a missile.
Orochimaru quickly crossed his arms and brought them to his mouth—biting down hard on both thumbs.
With my chakra reserves right now... this should be fine!
He rapidly formed hand seals—so fast they blurred.
Then he slammed his palms onto the ground.
"Reveal your true form!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Fivefold Rashomon!"
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
Five massive demonic gates—red, green, blue, white, and yellow—rose before Orochimaru, roaring up from the earth like guardians from the underworld.
The incoming chakra shockwave collided with Rashomon.
The first gate shattered.
The second cracked and splintered.
Kakuzu increased his chakra output—the wave doubled in size, ripping forward.
The third gate cracked—then shattered.
But Orochimaru had vanished. All that remained behind the gates was a perfectly round hole in the ground...
"RAAAHHH!"
Kakuzu roared, pumping more chakra.
Just as the shockwave reached the fourth gate—
Puff!
All five Rashomon gates vanished in clouds of smoke.
Only then did Kakuzu realize—
"...It was a summoned decoy."
Too late.
A sharp pain exploded in his chest.
Kakuzu staggered back, eyes wide, mouth open in shock.
Orochimaru rose from the earth behind him, the Kusanagi Sword withdrawing from his body and sliding back into his throat.
Kakuzu collapsed backward, unmoving—his eyes frozen open in disbelief.
Orochimaru turned calmly, ready to assist Hiruzen, who was still locked in battle with Hidan.
But he missed the movement behind him.
The Earth Grudge Fear creature Kakuzu had deployed—"Earth Wrath"—was dissolving into thick black threads. The threads snaked across the ground, converging on Kakuzu's fallen body...
"Sarutobi-sensei!"
Orochimaru's voice rang out sharply.
Sarutobi Hiruzen heard him. Their eyes met—and in an instant, both understood.
Hiruzen flipped backward repeatedly, creating distance from Hidan's spinning assault.
Then, teacher and student began weaving hand signs simultaneously.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Dozens of shuriken multiplied in the air, carried by a howling gale.
"Compound Jutsu: Earth Dragon Fire Style!"
A mudslide surged forward—then erupted into flames, transforming into a dragon-shaped inferno.
Their combined jutsu merged, creating a colossal vortex of mud, fire, and wind that devoured Hidan.
Shuriken whipped through the air, slicing into his flesh.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH—"
"AHH~ KIMOCHIII~"
"SO HOT—AHHHHH~"
"KKKKMJ~!"
Hidan's body was wrapped in molten earth, hardened by fire and scorched by gales. He couldn't move.
The heat evaporated the moisture in his body. His blood began to burn.
For the first time in his life—Hidan felt fear.
He wouldn't die. But there was a limit—
Even an immortal could burn forever and wish for death.
Suddenly, a black arm, veined with chakra threads, punched through the wall of flame and earth.
It shattered the crusted dirt off Hidan's body with one blow.
The threads wrapped around him—yanking him free from the inferno.
The tendrils retracted.
Both Orochimaru and Hiruzen turned at the same time—tracking the line back to its source.
"His heart was pierced... and he's still alive," Hiruzen muttered.
Hidan landed on Kakuzu's shoulder, his entire body still radiating heat like a furnace.
Kakuzu grimaced.
Without a word, he threw Hidan off his shoulder, scooped him under one arm, and turned to flee.
"You know what?" Kakuzu said as he ran. "The Mizukage's pay isn't worth this crap."
"Let's do business another time, Orochimaru!"
And just like that—they vanished into the trees.
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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