The sea breeze whipped up by the waves carried a salty moisture, making Hidan yawn, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes.
"Hasn't Zetsu relayed any information yet?" he asked impatiently, swinging his scythe to slam it heavily against the rocks.
Kakuzu grinned, "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki can sense Zetsu."
"He doesn't dare to get too close; gathering intel is not that easy."
"What a coward, that guy." Hidan clicked his tongue, his face full of increased impatience, "Taking forever to just figure out the Jinchuriki's movements."
On the beach, a head of a pitcher plant surfaced, "Not everyone is like you, possessing immortality."
"The intel has been gathered."
"Naruto Uzumaki has returned to the mainland, having just left Cloud Village yesterday, heading southwest."
"They are quite recognizable."
Kakuzu tilted his head, "Southwest, going towards the Land of Fire?"
"We've been waiting here for almost a month in vain. Knowing this earlier, it would have been better to complete more missions."
"You're at it again!" Hidan looked disdainful, just about to launch into a long speech.
The Yin-Yang voice of Zetsu interrupted, "That's enough. Go find the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Stop them before they enter the Land of Fire."
"Even the current Konoha is probing into our intel."
"To please the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki,"
"If they discover our tracks, they might offer aid proactively."
"It could even lead to them declaring war against us."
"This is... the worst-case scenario!"
The two of them agreed, vanishing quickly from the beach.
Naruto and Karin were making their way slowly. The Land of Lightning's devotion to the Sage of Six Paths is the strongest among the nations. In contrast, there are much fewer shrines dedicated to 'gods' and 'great monsters.'
Was this a sign that the Sage of Six Paths was 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 here leveled out, leading to fertile plains ahead.
Naruto suddenly turned his head, "Someone's coming."
Karin followed his gaze, "Cloud Village ninja?"
"No." Naruto shook his head, "I didn't sense these auras when I was at their village."
"Cloud Village was hit so hard. Who would dare to mess with us?" The Yang Kurama grinned, tapping Naruto's shoulder, "How many are coming?"
"It should be six." Naruto replied, frowning.
There was something odd about the sensory feedback.
Among the six people, their auras were very close, almost overlapping.
There shouldn't be anything in the ninja world that can hide from his senses.
These were indeed five living individuals.
But how could they be so close, traveling in a formation like a "human centipede"?
"Should I and the Nine-Tails leave?" Karin suggested, reaching out to grasp Yin Kurama, cuddling it in her arms.
Naruto shook his head: "No need. They're not strong, just about the level of a Jonin."
Karin nodded slightly.
Hearing this, Yin Kurama wriggled free from her grasp and leapt onto Naruto's shoulder.
"Jonin?" Yang Kurama scoffed, "How dare they!"
Naruto remained silent, staring in that direction.
He was curious too, who exactly had the audacity these days.
In no time, two figures appeared in a flash, landing on a tree.
Both were tall, wearing identical black cloaks with red clouds.
"It's the Akatsuki." Yang Kurama squinted, recognizing them immediately, "But there are only two, where are the other four?"
Naruto focused on one of them.
The "five life auras" emanated from him.
What was going on here?
A "single person" composed of "five people"?
On the tree, a man with his hair slicked back, carrying a scythe, grinned maniacally: "I told you it wouldn't work. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would definitely notice us."
"See? Just like that, right?"
The other man remained silent.
"I've been looking for you." Naruto murmured, "I didn't expect you to just deliver yourselves like this."
"Just as our leader said, you indeed have intentions towards us," the scythe-wielding man spoke seriously, "But to deal with you, the two of us are sufficient."
"What a joke." Yang Kurama scoffed, "Haven't you heard about what happened in the Cloud Village?"
The scythe-wielding man crouched on a branch: "Precisely because we have."
"That's why our leader sent us."
"Let me introduce ourselves."
He reached out with his other hand, holding onto the necklace around his neck, saying, "My name is Hidan, just an ordinary ninja."
Naruto squinted his eyes.
On this person, he could sense a trace of "natural energy."
Yes, similar to Jiraiya, a "sage practitioner"?
Hidan continued to introduce, "However, the person beside me, you might not know his name, but his background is quite impressive."
"Since you're from the Leaf Village,"
"You should be familiar with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, right?"
Hidan gestured towards his silent companion. "He's called Kakuzu."
"He once fought against the First Hokage."
With those words, Kakuzu finally spoke, adopting a superior, veteran demeanor, "I have heard of your conquest in the Cloud Village."
"Indeed, you are capable and courageous."
"Let me measure how far you still stand from the God of Shinobi."
He brought his hands together, forming seals.
Whispering
His shoulders suddenly rose high, akin to how a cat's fur stands on end, stretching his figure open, making it appear larger.
But with a "pop,"
His robe tore apart, revealing his upper body, densely stitched with black threads.
They seemed alive, writhing and crawling, tearing Kakuzu's body apart, and then emerging onto the ground, forming four dark figures, each wearing different masks, their bodies constructed by these threads.
"I'm sensing five layered life forces coming from this, is this the source?" Naruto tilted his head, looking at him in confusion, "However."
There wasn't any qualitative change, just five elite Jonin.
One masked creature, resembling a frilled lizard, opened its tangled mouth and jaws.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."
At the same time, Another mask also opened its mouth.
"Fire Release: Head Engulfed."
Flames surged, like a small tide, crashing in.
Wind boosted the flames, causing a sea of fire, as large as a lake, to rise monstrously in an instant, creating an overwhelming momentum.
Naruto, with a calm demeanor, reached out to pat.
Chakra unfolded.
The fierce flames, however, couldn't penetrate his proximity.
Kakuzu's intentions seemed to go beyond the obvious.
The flames obscured the view, as if he intended to use the enormous mix of Fire and Wind chakra to conceal his current technique.
Wind, Fire, and Lightning chakras converged on his arm, merging with difficulty.
The pale blue chakra vibrated, then shot out like a laser.
The recoil sent Kakuzu stumbling.
A blue light pierced through the sea of flames, heading straight for the blond-haired youth.
Naruto raised his hand.
"Bakudō #39: Enzarāsengan."
A rapidly rotating light yellow shield unfolded in front of him, absorbing the attack.
Kakuzu's pupils dilated in disbelief.
He had anticipated that ordinary techniques wouldn't affect Naruto, but the last jutsu he used was something he had honed over decades, inspired by the Tsuchikage's "Kekkei Tōta."
A fusion of three chakra elements, a technique surpassing "Kekkei Genkai."
"Did you truly face the First Hokage?" Naruto asked, raising his hand.
A masked creature leapt from the flames, clenching a thick, sharp earth spear in its mouth, aiming for the throat.
But a flash of electricity split through.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
The mask shattered, draining the creature's life force. It continued its momentum, collapsing just two or three steps from Naruto, its own spear piercing its head.
Beneath the mask lay a faint, cautiously hidden presence.
"This jutsu is intriguing," Naruto noted, but continued speaking to Kakuzu, "As a Jonin, you're quite impressive."
"But I've seen the First Hokage, and even the chakra contained within his spirit far surpasses yours now."
Kakuzu did not respond.
Instead, hysterical laughter erupted, drowning out the crackling flames burning the trees.
"You've been fooled!" Hidan shouted, the gale whistling.
"Kakuzu was just a distraction. I'm the one who's the main attacker."
"I've never offered someone as skilled as you to Lord Jashin before. I'm sure you'll please Him greatly!"
He didn't get too close to Naruto, staying concealed beneath the earth-bending mask monster. With a swing of his arm, the blood-red triple-bladed scythe whirred from its handle, extending to strike.
Naruto raised his hand.
He caught the blade between two fingers.
Hidan smirked.
Another hand suddenly extended from his sleeve, grasping a black short rod. Before his chakra could flow, it elongated into a spear, aiming for Naruto's foot.
He smirked malevolently, feeling the thrill.
Yet as the black spear pierced through clothing and hit Naruto's leg, the sensation wasn't what was expected—it didn't meet anything soft.
It was incredibly hard, sending tingles down to his fingers.
This unexpected feeling changed his expression.
Naruto looked down, pointing a finger.
"You went to great pains to try and deceive my senses."
"Only to use this thing in the hopes of harming me."
"Do you think that just hurting me will be enough to take me down?"
As he spoke, "Binding Spell Number Four: This Rope."
Golden ropes surged from his fingertips, securely binding Hidan.
Kakuzu, sensing danger, turned to flee.
But when he looked around, a fox holding a small golden sword in its mouth stood in his path.
He stopped immediately.
This small fox seemed weak and vulnerable, but it was the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts—the "Nine-Tails."
There was no escape.
"Does this have something to do with pleasing that evil god?" Naruto reached out and lifted Hidan to eye level, "Since you gathered so much information on me, you must know I'm quite interested in these deity-like beings."
"Naturally, I'm more interested in your organization."
"Can you tell me everything you know?"
Hidan clicked his tongue.
Even caught, he showed no trace of panic on his face.
"If you want to know, I can tell you." He spoke calmly, agreeing without hesitation.
Karin was taken aback.
The change from one moment to the next was quite stark.
(End of Chapter)