Information related to Naruto held top priority in Konoha.
Especially since this matter involved the "Rinnegan."
Konoha, High Council Meeting.
Kakashi was deeply troubled.
This intelligence brought him a massive headache.
"This is outrageous!" Koharu Utatane slammed the table. "Who does he think he is?"
"He even wants this to spread to the Five Great Nations."
"This is…"
Kakashi spoke calmly, "The information from the Land of Lightning—Naruto defeated the Hidden Cloud so thoroughly that they've begun preparations to isolate their village and reduce contact with the outside world."
"However…"
"If Naruto hands them this intel, I think they'll be more than willing to spread it across all five nations."
Koharu was stunned, lips pursed tight.
A small smirk tugged at Kakashi's masked lips.
Being Hokage had brought him little joy—constantly suppressed by the elders, unable to act freely. Only when Naruto was mentioned did their silence bring him rare satisfaction.
"But this news… it's far too abrupt," Danzo spoke, shaking his head in rejection. "Unverified intel, recklessly released like this, will damage Konoha's reputation."
He paused, eyes and tone turning sinister.
"And besides, he's no longer a ninja, is he? Speaking to us in such a commanding tone…"
He didn't get to finish.
The doors burst open.
"No, we must do exactly as Naruto says," Jiraiya stormed in, full of fire. "I'll take responsibility for this personally."
Danzo turned to look.
Homura Mitokado frowned. "Jiraiya, you know the weight of your words."
"The Rinnegan may be considered one of the three great Dojutsu, but no one has ever…" Koharu shook her head.
Jiraiya replied firmly, "It exists."
"I saw it with my own eyes."
"And it matches the intel we received about Naruto—it happened in the Hidden Rain Village."
Danzo stood sharply, his single eye flashing. His mind worked fastest in moments like this. "During the Second Great Ninja War?"
"Why didn't you—"
Jiraiya snapped, glaring, "Shut up, Danzo!"
"This isn't the time for that."
Danzo sat back down, subdued.
"Inform the other villages," Jiraiya turned to Kakashi. "Lord Hokage, please issue the order."
Kakashi stood and walked over to Jiraiya. "Then as Hokage, I assign you full authority over this mission."
Jiraiya nodded solemnly.
Kakashi took a deep breath.
For the first time…
He had taken a sliver of control from those old relics.
He looked out the window. Rain fell in a steady stream.
As if the endless rain from the Hidden Rain had drifted all the way to Konoha.
A few days later.
Naruto arrived at the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire.
He stood atop a tree.
Crossing his hands, he used a jutsu he hadn't activated in a long time.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Poof! Multiple Narutos appeared in succession.
With a cheerful smile, Naruto waved his hand. "Begin."
The clones shouted their agreement and scattered in all directions with swift steps.
Kakuzu stared in disbelief. "What do you intend to do?"
Naruto looked at him but didn't explain.
It was a simple math problem. Given the border length of the Land of Rain and the 50-kilometer range of Kagura's Mind Eye, how many clones were needed to monitor the entire border?
After completing the arrangement—
Naruto jumped down from the tree.
"Uzumaki Naruto, are you ready to receive the teachings of a god now?" Hidan eagerly poked his head out as Naruto entered the temporary shelter. "You've stalled long enough—it's time to decide!"
"I think you'd be perfect for our religion."
Naruto pressed down on his head.
After spending time with him, Naruto confirmed that this guy had a very special physique.
An extremely powerful regenerative ability—the wound caused by the Hadō spell "Push" on his face had healed completely in just a few days, even regrowing teeth.
Comparable to the Uzumaki Clan's vitality.
But—
Naruto was certain: this guy wasn't part of the Uzumaki clan. He shared no blood ties with him or Karin.
So this ability—was it a "blessing" from that so-called evil god?
"Don't be so rough." Hidan's voice softened. "We can talk things through, can't we?"
"What was that technique you tried to use on me the other day?" Naruto asked. "The two of you tried so hard just to deal minor, seemingly harmless injuries to me."
Hidan's eyes lit up. "Ah, that has to do with my faith!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes, expression dangerous.
Hidan quickly added, "It's true!"
"It's the blessing given to me by Lord Jashin!"
Naruto released him.
Hidan began rambling, explaining for over two hours.
The two nine-tails had no patience and ran off.
Karin forced herself to stay by Naruto's side, enduring it all.
Most of it was nonsense.
Summarizing the useful parts—
Hidan had joined a hidden religious cult in the Hidden Hot Water Village and undergone their experiments. He was the only person blessed by the evil god and granted the ability of "immortality."
Their plan had been to draw even a single drop of Naruto's blood.
With just "a drop of blood," Hidan could perform his curse technique called "Curse of Pain through Shared Blood."
Both parties would suffer equal damage.
"Impressed? The power Lord Jashin gave me is awesome," Hidan said proudly. "Even if I'm weak overall, no one can kill me!"
"Except you, you freak of nature—your skin was too tough for me to pierce."
"But otherwise, no matter how strong someone is—"
"If I get even a little blood, they'll die without a trace."
Karin's scalp tingled. The writing on her scroll trembled as she recorded.
What a grotesque, horrifying ability.
"You really can't die?" Naruto scrutinized him.
Hidan nodded confidently. "Of course!"
"No matter what kind of attack, even if my head is cut off or my heart crushed—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
A flash of red light.
"Snap!" His head fell to the ground.
No blood spurted from the severed neck, so Naruto's prepared technique didn't activate.
The decapitated head shouted, "I'm still alive!"
"But it hurts like hell!"
"You could've at least warned me—you scared the life out of me!"
"It really hurts!"
Naruto picked up the head, lifting it to eye level. "Still alive."
"Don't pull my hair! It takes effort to style it!" Hidan yelled, his tone less forceful. "And that hurts too—my scalp is tearing! Put me down already!"
Naruto ignored him, sensing his energy, deep in thought.
There was no strange chakra connection between the head and body.
"Can you control your body?" he asked.
Hidan scoffed, "What kind of question is that? How could anyone move their body without a head?"
"Of course not!"
"Sew it back on! It'll be fully healed in a few days."
Naruto nodded.
So the head was the key.
He tossed the head aside and touched the body.
"Can you still feel this?" Naruto slashed the arm.
Hidan screamed, "Of course not!"
"My head's off, remember?!"
So—
The brain is the core.
Naruto thought for a moment and took out a severed Eight-Tails tail, placing it on Hidan's torso.
"What are you doing?" Hidan's eyes widened with fear.
Naruto whispered, "Testing the limits of your immortality, of course."
"Even just a tail piece is enough to turn you into a Jinchūriki."
He extended his hand, chakra surging.
Four Symbols Seal twisted— and sealed the tail into Hidan's body.
Karin brought his head over, carefully stitched it back with needle and thread from her rarely used ninja pouch.
Once the head reconnected with the body, it quickly reintegrated.
Hidan tried to resist, but Adamantine Chains bound his body tightly.
"Stay still," Naruto's voice was gentle. "It's my first time performing human experimentation."
"It makes me nervous."
Hidan grumbled.
This time, he didn't care anymore.
Naruto released the Four Symbols Seal, removing the Eight-Tails tail.
Hidan's life force plummeted—his body shriveled and dried up before their eyes.
But—
His head remained intact. Though weak, he was still alive, barely able to curse.
Naruto stared.
Even like this, he doesn't die?
Karin was shocked, documenting every vital sign, collecting tissue for later analysis.
So—
This was a power akin to a "rule"?
No matter the condition of his body, "Hidan cannot die"—like "the sun rises in the east"—a fundamental law of the world.
Had Naruto finally found real traces of a divine being?
He focused on the research.
Meanwhile, Hidden Rain Village.
Unlike other villages, the architecture here was coated in iron plating, steeped in rust and the stench of stagnant mud.
At the center of the village stood a tall building.
Atop it sat a massive sculpture of a head with its tongue sticking out.
A figure with orange hair sat upon it, gazing down over the village.
"Zetsu just informed me—Naruto has revealed the intel to the Five Great Nations," said a woman with light purple hair, approaching softly. Her voice was barely audible in the rain. "He also reached the Rain-Fire border, but hasn't tried to enter."
"He even used Shadow Clones to seal the entire border."
The orange-haired man turned. His face was pierced with metal studs like a puppet. "Konan, I see."
"This is a most unexpected move."
Konan murmured, "It complicates things."
The man said nothing, continuing to stare into the distance.
(End of Chapter)