Chapter 15: The immortal and the Artist
Thud!
A punch superheated to 700 degrees Celsius shattered half of Hidan's torso in an instant.
Hidan's eyes widened in disbelief before a heart-rending, agonized scream tore from his throat.
"GYAAAAAH!!!"
He crumpled to the ground, writhing uncontrollably, blood gushing from the catastrophic wound and dyeing the earth a deep, shocking crimson.
"That's it…?" The voice from within Hiruko sounded thoroughly unimpressed and confused. "This level of weakness is what caused so much slaughter in Yugakure?" Sasori felt almost insulted.
"According to the intelligence, he possesses an immortal body. If that's true, then his apparent weakness shouldn't be underestimated," Uchiha Naoki countered, his eyes never leaving the thrashing Hidan. "Besides, for Yugakure to directly commission us to eliminate him, he must have something extraordinary about him."
Sasori grunted in acknowledgment. "Let's see what remarkable abilities he possesses, then."
As they spoke, the screaming Hidan on the ground suddenly pushed himself upright. The fatal wound on his body seemed to have no lasting effect on his mobility.
"It hurts, you bastard!" he roared, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. "I'll enact divine punishment upon you!"
A sharp, black rod appeared in his hand. With a sudden, explosive charge, he closed the distance to Uchiha Naoki in a flash and slashed out.
"His speed is decent," Sasori commented aloud.
Of course, Naoki thought. This guy was able to go toe-to-toe with a master like Asuma Sarutobi in the future. He's no pushover.
His body dissolved into lava, allowing the rod to pass through him harmlessly. As he reformed, his eyes swirled into the deep red of his two-tomoe Sharingan, locking onto Hidan's gaze. "Genjutsu: Gold Binding Technique!"
Hidan's eyes bulged in shock. "Two-Tomoe Sharingan?! You're the Konoha rogue, Uchiha Naoki?!"
His body locked up, completely paralyzed, transforming him from a raging fanatic into a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"Some nicknames aren't worth remembering," Uchiha Naoki said, stepping back calmly. He looked at the immobilized Hidan with intense playfulness. "But if you're hoping to get a sample of my blood to use in your ritual, 'Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood,' to inflict damage on me, I think you can save yourself the trouble. I won't give you that chance. After all, your ability is genuinely troublesome. I might actually get hurt."
Upon hearing this, Hidan's eyes widened to an almost comical degree, shock overriding his fury. "Who the hell are you?! How do you know the core secret of my faith?!" This was his ultimate trump card, the reason he feared no one in the ninja world. He had never told a soul, and now this stranger was casually revealing it. It was impossible! How could he not be terrified of someone who knew his abilities so intimately?
Sasori also looked at Uchiha Naoki with a fresh wave of surprise. How did he know the ultimate technique of someone he had never met before? The image of Uchiha Naoki in his mind grew even more enigmatic.
"How I know is none of your concern," Uchiha Naoki dismissed, signaling to Sasori to use his poison to subdue Hidan completely.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Several poison-tipped needles shot out, embedding themselves in Hidan's paralyzed form. He lost all capacity for movement, his lips turning a faint purple, his vision blurring at the edges.
"You invited me to join the Jashin faith earlier," Uchiha Naoki said, his tone light and teasing. "So how about I extend an invitation in return? The Akatsuki organization is recruiting you. What do you say?"
Hidan immediately roared, his voice strained through his paralyzed jaw. "Stop joking with me, you bastard! I'd never join your damn Akatsuki! Just kill me if you have the guts!"
A fanatic never surrenders!
"You think I can't kill you just because you're immortal?" Uchiha Naoki's lips curled into a smirk. He walked up to the defiant Hidan, his palm opening. Hot, gurgling magma immediately began to drip from it. "Care to guess if your immortal body can survive being submerged in my 700-degree lava? When you're burned down to not even a speck of ash, what good will your physical immortality be then?"
As he spoke, a single drop of magma fell onto Hidan's chest, sizzling violently and instantly vaporizing a large chunk of flesh and muscle.
"AAAAAGH!!!" Hidan screamed, his eyes bloodshot with a new kind of agony. "IT BURNS! YOU SON OF A—!"
But what terrified him more than the pain was the realization that the vaporized flesh was gone. Completely. It wasn't like a wound from a blade that would eventually heal. If this continued, he would truly be melted away to nothing.
The thought of dying like this, leaving no one to spread the glorious teachings of Lord Jashin, forced a blasphemous decision from Hidan's lips.
"STOP!" he yelled, watching Uchiha Naoki—who looked like a demon from hell—prepare to drip more lava onto him. His vision was blurry, but his fear was crystal clear. "Fine! I agree! I'll join your stupid Akatsuki organization!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Naoki's smile became genuinely pleased. His body returned to normal. "Mr. Hidan. A wise choice. There was no need for all this life-and-death drama."
These words made Hidan suddenly feel the overwhelming urge to curse again. Who was the one orchestrating the life-and-death drama just moments ago?!
After Sasori administered the antidote, Hidan looked at Uchiha Naoki's excessively youthful face, a deep-seated fear still lingering in his heart. "Uchiha… they're really not to be messed with."
Sasori, his curiosity piqued, asked, "Naoki, what is this 'Curse Technique' you mentioned? You seemed quite wary of it." Hidan's panicked reaction upon its mention had not gone unnoticed. It was clearly an unusual ability.
Hidan, naturally, had no intention of explaining. Just because he obeyed Uchiha Naoki didn't mean he answered to this 'old man' in a puppet. If he asked, was he supposed to just answer? Where was the dignity in that?
But Uchiha Naoki just smiled mysteriously at Sasori. "Brother Sasori, you'll witness this ability for yourself soon enough, once we return."
This puzzled Sasori. Why would he see it only after returning? Couldn't it be demonstrated now?
When Uchiha Naoki, Sasori, and a thoroughly cowed Hidan returned to the Akatsuki base, they found Uchiha Itachi and his partner, Jūzō Biwa, had also just arrived. With them was a young man with long, dark blond hair and a covered left eye.
Both parties were slightly surprised to see the other returning at the same time. Their eyes immediately went to the new recruit each team had brought back.
Deidara of Iwagakure, Uchiha Naoki thought, glancing at the curious young man behind Itachi. The youngest member of the organization has arrived.
The Jashin cultist, 'Hidan,' Uchiha Itachi thought, his mind growing heavy. To recruit such a bizarre character so quickly… Naoki, your capabilities are indeed not to be underestimated. A more pressing worry surfaced. I wonder if he will pose a threat to Sasuke in the future? He was deeply wary of Uchiha Naoki's mysterious Kekkei Genkai. He had never heard of an Uchiha awakening such a strange, elemental power.
Ten Minutes Later - Akatsuki Base
The members of the Akatsuki were assembled once more via their projections.
The Deva Path, Pain, looked mildly surprised to see both teams return from their recruitment missions simultaneously. When he inquired about the specific processes, the coincidence deepened. Hidan had been subdued into compliance by Uchiha Naoki. Deidara had been persuaded to join by Uchiha Itachi.
Two of the most notoriously rebellious and unorthodox individuals in the ninja world had been brought into the fold by the two Uchiha prodigies.