"Move quickly." Naruto whispered with low voice, and without stopping, he pulled Ino towards the rear hall.
They managed to pass through the rear hall without incident, but the loud noise coming from the front drew the attention of the monks guarding the temple. Chiriku and Asuma rushed over and ran into Naruto and Ino.
"What's going on?" Asuma asked.
Seeing Asuma coming, Naruto calmed down a little, then let go of Ino's hand and pushed her over.
"They're here."
'They?' Asuma frowned, obviously not going to ask who they were. After searching for the mission's targets for several days, who else could it be other than the Immortal Duo?
It was unfortunate timing. Night had fallen, putting them at a disadvantage for battle. Still, Asuma trusted his students and wasn't overly worried.
Chiriku ordered all the monks to disperse and find places to hide.
The peace that had lingered over the temple these past few days was instantly shattered. The monks who had survived the last attack were likely still terrified, but Chiriku didn't demand they face death with courage.
"Let's go and take a look first." Asuma said, glancing at the three students behind him.
Shikamaru and Choji had also come out, ready for battle. Their team always relied on teamwork, with Shikamaru and Ino providing disruption and control, while Choji acted as the tank and offensive power, balancing out their low attack and defense capabilities.
Naruto, however, was more of a wildcard. He glanced at Ino, knowing it was impossible for her to stay entirely out of danger. But if she stayed close to Shikamaru and Choji, it would be safer.
Just as Naruto was debating on how to remind everyone to be careful of Hidan's sinister methods, footsteps approached from behind.
"Be careful of one of them, the one with the scythe. Avoid letting him draw blood." Chiriku rushed over, and said in a hushed tone, "According to the information provided by the surviving monks, that man licked another monk's blood, stabbed himself, and the monk died instead of him."
Asuma kept walking, but sweat beaded on his forehead.
"What is that? Some kind of Cursed Technique?"
"Not sure, but it's an evil technique." Chiriku said, kicking open the door to the rear hall with serious face, "In short, it's better to be careful. You should ask your disciples to be more careful too."
The usually gentle Chiriku had transformed into a warrior, leading the charge toward Hidan and Kakuzu.
Hidan, bored, was finishing off another monk with his massive bloodstained scythe. He rested the weapon on his shoulder, shielding his eyes with one hand as if looking off into the distance, toward the rear hall.
With a loud crack, the door split open, and Chiriku, in his half-sleeved robe, strode out, glaring at Hidan and Kakuzu, who had once slaughtered his temple. With the knowledge he had gained, he no longer underestimated them.
With a sharp whoosh, kunai attached to explosive tags flew through the air, hurtling toward Hidan and Kakuzu.
"Hidan." Kakuzu called out in a low voice.
The moment Kakuzu called out Hidan's name, Hidan reacted instantly, and the two of them jumped away in perfect sync.
With a bang, a massive explosion lit up the night, and smoke billowed into the air. Asuma, wielding his Chakra Blade, leaped high into the air, slashing at Kakuzu just before he landed.
Chiriku, surrounded by a golden aura, charged straight at Hidan. There were no threats exchanged, no buildup, just the sound of rushing wind, angry shouts, and the instant onset of battle.
Naruto ran in an arc, throwing two Flying Thunder God Kunai to his left and right. Meanwhile, Shikamaru and Ino's kunai whizzed through the air, aiming at the spots where Hidan would land after his jump.
In that instant, even the night breeze seemed to freeze, making the atmosphere around the fight even more terrifying. Kakuzu and Hidan, with their numerous survival capabilities, showed no fear at all.
Kakuzu clashed with Asuma, the clang of his hardened body meeting the Chakra Blades resounding through the temple. With a massive shockwave, Kakuzu was sent flying, crashing into the temple's broken wall. His arm snapped, twisting at an unnatural angle.
On the other side, Hidan was sent flying by a punch from Chiriku, his body flung like a kite with a broken string, smashing into a stone pillar. Cracks immediately spread across the pillar, and it collapsed on top of him. Hidan finally couldn't hold it in anymore and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing this, Naruto was slightly taken aback. Asuma and Chiriku were clearly no ordinary characters. Both of them had the strength of Elite Jonin. Though they weren't quite at Kakashi's level, they were about seventy percent of his strength.
If Kakashi became the standard unit of measurement in the Shinobi World, ninety-nine percent of people wouldn't even qualify.
Bang!
The Flying Thunder God Kunai arrived simultaneously behind both Hidan and Kakuzu. Naruto's pupils dilated as he charged forward, with each hand holding a Rasengan. The strange red Chakra infused the Rasengan, dyeing it crimson as the fierce wind swirled upward, and he dove down like a beast.
The move was sharp, unstoppable, pressing down on Kakuzu with savage intensity. The Chakra within the Rasengan rotated at high speed like a meat grinder, striking Kakuzu with a chilling blow.
Kakuzu screamed in pain as half of his chest caved in, and blood spurting from his mouth. One of his hearts shattered instantly, and he lost one of his five lives.
Obviously, Kakuzu was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of Flying Thunder God Technique. After all, the Nidaime and Yondaime Hokage had been dead for a long time, so Kakuzu did not expect that someone would still be able to use such a Forbidden Technique.
But Kakuzu wasn't called the immortal monster for nothing. He had lived from the time of the Shodaime to the Godaime Hokage, a century-old immortal. He quickly realized that this was the signature move of the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash: the Flying Thunder God Technique combined with Rasengan.
As time seemed to slow, Naruto's figure disappeared in a blink, giving Kakuzu no time to warn Hidan. Meanwhile, Hidan had just crawled out from under the collapsed pillar, but the Flying Thunder God Kunai had already reached him.
A moment ago, Chiriku's punch had bent his body like a shrimp, finally making Hidan realize how terrifying the strength of this bald man worth 30 million was. Although he would not die, he would still feel the pain.
Hidan's face twisted in pain, and his anger reached the boiling point at this moment. His face was slightly pale, and the Akatsuki Cloak on his chest was stained black with blood. The punch was a bit too powerful, and his stomach felt like it was churning and he felt a little nauseous.
Just when he was about to show his true strength to kill Chiriku, a strong sense of danger swept over him. He instinctively dodged to the side, but half of his body was instantly caught by the Rasengan.
Boom!
Hidan was sent flying again, and his arm bones twisted grotesquely out of place. Once again, he was sent flying. As he was launched through the air, he caught sight of his attacker's face.
'Damn it! It's just a brat!'
He was in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. If he had been knocked away by Chiriku's punch, it would have been fine. But to be injured by a mere kid?