The sea breeze carried a salty and damp scent as the waves crashed in.It made Hidan yawn, his eyes tearing up slightly.
"No intel from Zetsu yet?" he asked impatiently, swinging his scythe and smashing it against the reef.
Kakuzu grinned, "The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki can sense Zetsu.""He doesn't dare get too close—gathering intel isn't that easy."
"Tch, coward," Hidan clicked his tongue, even more annoyed. "He's still dragging his feet trying to track the Jinchūriki?"
A pitcher plant emerged on the beach. "Not everyone is like you, with an immortal body.""But the intel has been gathered.""Uzumaki Naruto has returned to the mainland. He left Kumogakure just yesterday, heading southwest.""They're quite recognizable."
Kakuzu tilted his head. "Southwest? Heading toward the Land of Fire?""We wasted almost a month here. We could've taken on a few more missions instead."
"There you go again!" Hidan rolled his eyes in disdain, about to launch into a rant.
The plant-faced figure cut him off, "Enough. Go find the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.""Intercept them before they reach the Land of Fire.""Even Konoha is probing for our intel now.""To curry favor with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki…""They might even come to his aid proactively.""They may even wage war against us.""That is the one thing we must avoid!"
The two nodded and vanished from the beach in a flash.
Naruto and Karin continued their journey. The Land of Lightning held the most fervent belief in the Sage of Six Paths among all nations.
In comparison, shrines worshiping "gods" or "great demons" were much fewer.Perhaps it was evidence that the Sage had been more active in the Land of Lightning during his lifetime?
At the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning,the terrain began to level out, leading into fertile plains.
Naruto suddenly turned around. "Someone's coming."
Karin followed his gaze. "Kumo shinobi?"
"No," Naruto shook his head. "I was in their village before—I didn't sense these chakras there."
"Kumo got wrecked that badly, and someone still has the nerve to mess with us?" Kurama (Yang side) grinned, stepping on Naruto's shoulder. "How many?"
"Six, I think," Naruto replied, frowning.
The chakra feedback felt strange.
Five of them were extremely close together—almost overlapping.There shouldn't be anyone in the shinobi world who could bypass his sensory abilities.And they were definitely five distinct, living beings.So close together…Were they traveling in some kind of "human centipede" formation?
"I can leave with Kurama?" Karin asked, grabbing Yin Kurama into her arms.
Naruto shook his head. "No need. They're not strong—just jōnin level."
Karin nodded.Yin Kurama squirmed out of her arms and jumped back onto Naruto's shoulder.
"Jōnin?" Kurama scoffed. "How dare they."
Naruto didn't reply. He stared toward the direction of the chakra.He was curious too—who still had the nerve to come after them?
Before long, two figures appeared in a flash, landing on the tree branches.Tall figures, clad in black cloaks with red clouds.
"Akatsuki," Kurama narrowed his eyes, immediately recognizing them. "But only two? Where are the other four?"
Naruto's gaze fixed on one of them.The "five overlapping chakras" were all radiating from that person.What was going on?Was this "one person" made up of "five people"?
On the branch, the spiky-haired man wielding a scythe grinned arrogantly. "Told you it was pointless. Of course the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki would sense us.""See? Told ya."
The other man remained silent.
"I was just about to find you," Naruto said quietly. "Didn't expect you'd come to me first."
"Just as our leader predicted—you've taken an interest in us," said the scythe-wielding man seriously. "But for taking you down, the two of us are more than enough."
"Arrogant," Kurama sneered. "Haven't you heard what happened to Kumo?"
The man crouched on the branch. "Exactly because we heard,""our leader sent us."
"Allow me to introduce myself."He grabbed the pendant around his neck. "My name is Hidan. Just an ordinary ninja."
Naruto narrowed his eyes.He could sense traces of "natural energy" from this man.A Sage Art user—like Jiraiya?
Hidan continued, "But the one beside me—maybe you haven't heard his name, but his background is pretty incredible.""Since you're from Konoha…""You should be familiar with the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, right?"
Hidan pointed to the silent man beside him. "His name is Kakuzu.""He once fought the First Hokage."
As his words dropped—Kakuzu finally spoke, his tone lofty and proud. "I heard about your victory over Kumo.""Impressive and bold.""Let me measure how far you still have to go to match the God of Shinobi."
He raised his hands and began forming hand seals.
Rustle, rustle—
His shoulders puffed up like a startled cat, making his body swell unnaturally.
Then—rip!His robe tore open, revealing a torso stitched together by dense black threads.The threads squirmed like they had a life of their own, tearing open Kakuzu's body.They sprang out and landed, transforming into four dark monsters with masks, their bodies made of those black threads.
"So that's where the five overlapping chakras came from?" Naruto tilted his head, puzzled. "But…"There wasn't much of a qualitative difference. Just five elite jōnin.
Kakuzu said nothing and kept forming hand signs rapidly.
One of the masked monsters opened its thread body like a frilled lizard, and its mouth gaped open.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."
Simultaneously—Another mask opened its mouth.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine."
Flames surged out like a crashing tide.With the wind amplifying the fire, a lake-sized wall of fire rose to the sky in an instant—overwhelming.
Naruto stayed calm and clapped his hands.Chakra expanded outward.
The fire raged, but could not breach his barrier.
But—That wasn't Kakuzu's real goal.The firestorm was a smokescreen.A means to conceal the true jutsu being formed behind it.
Wind, fire, lightning—three chakra natures merged in his arms.With forceful fusion, pale blue chakra trembled—then fired like a laser beam.
The recoil made Kakuzu stagger.
Blue light pierced the inferno, aiming for the blond youth.
Naruto raised his hand."Bakudō #39: Enkōsen (Round Lock Fan)."
A spinning yellow shield formed in front of him, absorbing the blast.
Kakuzu's pupils dilated in disbelief.He had expected ordinary jutsu wouldn't work.But that last attack—A jutsu he had honed for decades, inspired by the Tsuchikage's Kekkei Tōta.Three chakra natures fused—a technique beyond even Kekkei Genkai.
"You really fought the First Hokage?" Naruto asked, raising his hand.
One of the mask monsters lunged from the fire with a massive, sharp stone spear aimed at Naruto's throat.
But—flash of lightning."Hadō #4: Byakurai (White Lightning)."
The mask shattered.Its life force faded, but inertia carried it forward.It collapsed mere steps from Naruto, and the stone spear pierced its own skull.
Beneath the mask, Naruto sensed a faint chakra signature—well-hidden."This jutsu is interesting," Naruto noted, but turned back to Kakuzu. "As a jōnin, it's impressive.""But I've met the First Hokage—even the chakra in his soul far surpasses yours."
Kakuzu stayed silent.
Suddenly—A burst of crazed laughter overpowered the crackling flames.
"You fell for it!"Wind howled. Hidan shouted,"Kakuzu was just the distraction. I'm the main attacker!"
"I've never offered someone like you to Lord Jashin before. You'll definitely please Him!"
He hadn't approached earlier—hiding behind the earth-element mask monster.He now swung his blood-red triple-bladed scythe with a metallic clang, hurling it forward.
Naruto raised a hand—Two fingers caught the blade mid-air.
Hidan grinned—His other hand suddenly reached from his sleeve, holding a black rod.Before chakra even flowed into it, it extended into a spear aimed at Naruto's leg.
He grinned wildly, euphoric.
But when the black spear stabbed into Naruto's leg—He didn't feel the softness of flesh—He felt unbreakable hardness, numbing his hand.
His expression changed.
Naruto looked down, pointing."You went through all that effort to avoid my sensory perception…""Just to try injuring me with this thing.""You think just hurting me will let you take me down?"
As he spoke—"Bakudō #4: Hainawa (Crawling Rope)."
Golden ropes shot from his fingers and bound Hidan tightly.
Kakuzu saw this and turned to flee—But a small fox blocked his way, biting a golden short blade.
He froze.That tiny fox might seem weak—But it was the Nine-Tails—the strongest of the Tailed Beasts.
Escape was no longer an option.
"Is this about pleasing that so-called god?" Naruto grabbed Hidan and lifted him to eye level. "You've gathered so much intel on me—you should know I'm quite interested in gods and spirits.""Of course, I'm even more interested in your organization.""Tell me everything you know."
Hidan clicked his tongue.Even while restrained, his face remained calm.
"You want to know? I can tell you," he said plainly, agreeing without hesitation.
Karin blinked in surprise.That change in attitude…Wasn't that a little too sudden?
(End of Chapter)