"From the earlier footage of the Valley of the End battle, it was obvious that Uchiha Madara wasn't Hashirama's match."
"But you know what? Even someone like Senju Hashirama wouldn't stand a chance against Kakuzu-senpai."
"So tell me… do you really think a mere Uchiha Madara can protect you from us?"
"Let me give it to you straight—Kakuzu-senpai could easily crush Uchiha Madara like an insect!"
"Hahahaha!"
As Hidan laughed, his head tilted arrogantly high, his eyes brimming with utter disdain as he looked at Uchiha Obito.
Beside him, Kakuzu looked like he'd been put in an impossible situation.
Expressionless, he chose to say nothing.
But deep down?
He was panicking like crazy.
Forget Uchiha Madara—
he wasn't even confident he could defeat the man standing before them now: Uchiha Obito.
After all—
They'd all seen the footage featuring Kakashi.
Everyone now knew exactly how terrifying Obito's powers really were.
Of course—
Panicked or not, what was done was done.
He had no choice but to keep up the act.
Yes.
For Kakuzu, bluffing was the only option left.
Obito, however, had a different reaction.
Hearing Hidan's absurd claims, a series of black lines popped up over his head.
He looked at Hidan like he was staring at a complete moron.
Crush Hashirama? Easily kill Madara?
What kind of delusional nonsense is this guy spewing?
Then, turning to Kakuzu, he saw the man sweating nervously,
but still choosing not to refute Hidan's wild claims.
That made Obito even more speechless.
As the hidden boss of Akatsuki, he was fully aware of the capabilities of every member.
So where the hell is Hidan getting this insane confidence?
And why isn't Kakuzu denying it?!
Suddenly—
Obito's eyes lit up.
He understood.
Hidan and Kakuzu must be pretending to be powerful on purpose—
trying to intimidate him through sheer bravado.
Which could only mean one thing:
They're afraid of me.
And if they feared him—
Why should he be nervous?
All he needed to do was play along.
Keep bluffing.
Maybe he could scare them off.
With that thought in mind, Obito straightened his back and sneered.
"You? Kakuzu?"
"I don't even need Madara to deal with you—I could destroy you effortlessly."
"And all of you—"
"You really think numbers make a difference?"
"Let me teach you something—"
"Clustering together is what the weak do."
"True strength is about standing alone."
"Hmph!"
"Weren't you going to kill me?"
"Go ahead! Let's see who dies today—me, Uchiha Obito, or all of Akatsuki!"
Obito finished his monologue and placed both hands behind his back,
acting completely fearless.
The Akatsuki members wavered.
Because—
Obito's attitude was just too calm. Too confident.
And they had seen what he was capable of, from the footage shown in the Kakashi segment.
Sure, his true strength mainly came from his intangibility technique.
And if they had a way to counter that, defeating him wasn't impossible.
But still—
Obito wasn't an idiot.
If he was acting this boldly, he must have a backup plan.
They started to suspect—
Could Madara's delay in reviving himself be due to needing a specific location?
Maybe Madara was simply waiting for the right place to activate the Revival Talisman.
And now, Obito's boldness could mean he already planned everything out with Madara.
Maybe if they made a move, Madara would instantly revive—right here in Akatsuki's base!
Dealing with Obito alone was manageable.
But if Madara joined the fight?
Everyone—except maybe Hidan—knew they didn't stand a chance.
So they froze.
No one moved.
Except…
Hidan.
The lunatic pulled out his massive scythe.
"Kakuzu-senpai! Don't worry!
With you around, I have nothing to fear!"
"Leader! Just say the word—I'll be the first to strike!"
"Kakuzu-senpai, you better cover me!"
Seeing Hidan's reckless provocation, Nagato and the rest of Akatsuki all panicked internally.
Is this maniac actually about to go for it?!
Obito also panicked.
Why isn't Hidan falling for the bluff?!
If Nagato gave the order, and Hidan really attacked—
And Madara couldn't revive in time—
He might actually die here today!
Is this lunatic seriously going to throw away everything just to start a fight?!
Still, Obito didn't back down.
He couldn't afford to.
If he showed even the slightest hint of fear, it would be over.
"Hmph! You cowards!"
"Aren't you here to kill me?"
"Come on then! Who's going to be the first to throw their life away?!"
Outwardly, Obito was all bravado.
Inside, he was sweating bullets.
Nagato finally stepped in.
"The entire ninja world already sees us as enemies.
I think we should all calm down for now."
He gave Kakuzu a subtle look.
Kakuzu instantly understood and turned to Hidan.
"Hidan, we don't need to strike right now!"
Seeing Hidan look at him in confusion, Kakuzu held back his anxiety and kept explaining.
"With me here, defeating Obito is a piece of cake.
Even if Madara shows up, we won't panic."
"So why rush? We can kill Obito anytime we want.
Why not enjoy the show for now?"
Hearing Kakuzu's words, Hidan raised his scythe and pointed it at Obito.
"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard."
The rest of Akatsuki gulped.
Did… did we fail to fool Hidan?
To Be Continued...
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