Meanwhile, Hidan and Kakuzu collected the bounty on Chiriku's head and turned over the corpse as proof.
At the bounty station, Kakuzu explained to Zangei that Hidan, an immortal, was the only ninja capable of surviving Kakuzu's indiscriminate attack strategies. This was the reason for their partnership, despite their ideological differences and dislike for one another.
As Asuma's group moved toward the bounty station, Asuma explained that he and Chiriku had both belonged to the Twelve Guardian Ninja and that their relationship was akin to Shikamaru's relationship with Chōji. Asuma stopped smoking because he needed no distractions if he was to fight Chiriku's killers.
Elsewhere, Obito alone confronted the Three-Tails. Using his mangekyō, he easily subdued the immense aquatic beast.
...
On the other hand, Naruto was training with his clones, trying to infuse the Rasengan with wind chakra.
Unfortunately, the jutsu consistently exploded, frustrating him to such degrees that a clone would start drawing upon the Nine-Tails' chakra. Yamato reversed the transformations, and Kakashi reminded him that success or failure rested on Yamato's ability to control the Nine-Tails.
...
At the bounty station, Asuma's team attacked Hidan. Izumo and Kotetsu stabbed him in the chest with their large kunai; however, Hidan was merely annoyed by the attack.
Asuma's team quickly realized that Hidan couldn't be killed by normal means. Kakuzu appeared and prepared to join the fight, but Hidan told him to stay out of it.
Asuma proceeded to fight Hidan alone.
Hidan managed to cut Asuma's cheek and licked the blood off his scythe just as the latter used a fire jutsu. Hidan drew a seal beneath him just as the technique hit. It burned Hidan's robe, but he emerged unscathed. Instead, Asuma's right arm was badly burned; the damage meant for
Hidan had somehow been turned back on himself. Hidan had also physically transformed; his skin was black with white accents, giving him the appearance of a Grim Reaper. Hidan told Asuma that any pain he felt was transferred to Asuma. Since he was immortal, Hidan needed only to inflict a fatal wound on himself to kill Asuma.
At this moment, another team member started attacking Hidan. Shikamaru prevented him from attacking using his shadow binding, and others took advantage and attacked him.
Soon, an epic clash occurred.
Finally, after struggling against Kukazu and Hidan, Asuma collapsed upon Hidan's fetal suicidal strike as his team looked on helplessly.
Hidan reverted to his normal form as Kakuzu prepared to finish off the others.
"Well, it seems you need my help." Instantly, an untimely voice sounded, startling everyone. Kukazu and Hidan jumped away alertly, looking at the source.
Shikamaru, Choji, and others grabbing Asuma's seriously injured body turned and glanced at Aoi sitting on a tree branch, looking at them intriguingly.
"Uchiha Aoi," Kukazu said with a solemn expression. Kuzan also smiled crazily and said, "So this is the guy who killed Kisame and Itachi; he is just a kid."
"Don't underestimate him; he can use wood style along with Mangekyō Sharingan. I have once fought with the first Hokage Hashirama; I know the horror of wood style." Kakuzu said seriously,
"What wood style?" Ino and Choji exclaimed, while Shikamaru glanced at Aoi deeply, 'Uchiha clan, Uchiha Aoi.'
"Are you joking? What can he do to me? I am immortal. I want to taste his blood." Hidan said crazily,
Aoi glanced at the Asuma and others, then ignored them, turned and glanced at Hidan, and said with a smile, "I also want to do some experiments on your body; whether you are really immortal, burning, melting, and grinding each of your body parts will resurrect you or not."
Instantly, he released his chakra; a chakra layer appeared on Aoi's body with horrible suppression spread around, and he landed on the ground.
Boom!!!
The whole ground cracked below, and as he stepped toward Kukazu and Hidan, more and more cracks appeared under his every step.
"Hey, are you joking? What kind of beast is he?" Hidan said with a twitching mouth, feeling the chakra suppression from Aoi. Also, listening to his words, he felt a chill, as if he would truly die if his body was experimented with like that.
Firewave!!!
Instantly, Kokazu used his flame mask and attacked. A huge fire beam spread toward Aoi.
"Run away!" Kukazu exclaimed and turned around. Hidan also turned around and ran away.
Great forest!!!
Aoi clasped, Instantly, bud sprouts appeared under their footsteps, covering a wide area; branches and vines emerged, attacking them both.
While they avoided Shikamaru and others, Aoi let them retreat into the forest range.
Kukazu's face changed, and he said, "Hurry up and get out of this wooden forest range."
Swoosh!!!
Instantly, Aoi appeared beside him and punched; Kakuzu's face changed looking at the fist, which expanded in his vision.
Boom!!!
Kukazu, face-dented, flew back toward the ground. A huge crater appeared; branches expanded, tying him up and suppressing him, leaving Hidan alone, dodging and slashing the wooden branches and vines.
Instantly, Aoi appeared in front of him, Hidan's face changed, and he attacked using the scythe.
Aoi backed away a little, dodged the scythe, and raised his hand. Purple lightning flickered on his arm.
Chidori!!!
The Chidori extended and pierced the Hidan heart and protruded out from the back.
"Ahhhh, it hurts, damn you bastard." Hidan exclaimed painfully and cursed.
Swoosh!!!
Aoi's figure then flickered and appeared in front of him, grabbing his face expressionlessly.
Mercury burial!!!
Instantly, a silver layer of mercury liquid shrouded Hidan's face; it invaded his mouth, eyes, and ears.
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Hidan's eyes turned red because of suffocation; feeling heavy liquid invading his whole body, he felt extreme pain as if his veins and whole body were going to burst next moment.
Aoi then sensed the movement underground; Kakuzu was running away below the ground surface using his threads.