Intel related to Naruto is given top priority within the Leaf Village.
Not to mention this issue is connected to the "Rinnegan."
Leaf Village, high-level meeting.
Kakashi was quite troubled.
This piece of information has brought a huge headache for him.
"Ridiculous!" Koharu Utatane slammed the table, "What does he think he's doing?"
"He even wants it spread across the Five Great Nations."
"This is..."
Kakashi spoke up, his tone calm: "The intel from the Land of Lightning reports that the Cloud Village has been completely subdued by Naruto, and they are preparing to seal off the village to reduce interaction with the outside world."
"However."
"If Naruto delivers this intel to them, I'm sure they'd gladly spread it throughout the Five Great Nations."
Koharu hesitated, pursing her lips.
The corners of Kakashi's mouth curved upwards beneath his mask.
Being Hokage wasn't satisfying at all, especially being constrained by these old folks, feeling powerless. The only enjoyment was watching their speechless expressions whenever Naruto was mentioned.
"But this message is still too abrupt," Danzo opened his mouth, shaking his head in disapproval, "Releasing unverified intel so recklessly would damage Konoha's reputation."
He paused, his expression and tone becoming more somber.
"Furthermore, isn't he no longer a ninja? Using such a commanding tone to direct us."
He didn't finish his sentence.
The door swung open.
"No, it must be done as Naruto says." Jiraiya burst in, "I personally vouch for this matter."
Danzo turned his head to look.
Homura Mitokado frowned, "Jiraiya, you need to be clear about what you're saying."
"The Rinnegan, though lauded as one of the Three Great Dojutsu, has never been..." Koharu Utatane shook her head.
Jiraiya said gravely, "It does exist."
"I saw it with my own eyes."
"And it ties in with Naruto's information, right there in the Hidden Rain Village."
Danzo stood up abruptly, his single eye fierce, his mind racing at times like these: "During the Second Shinobi World War?"
"Why not bring..."
Jiraiya turned his head, glaring: "Shut up, Danzo!"
"Now is not the time to discuss such matters."
Danzo sat back down.
"Notify the other villages," Jiraiya looked at Kakashi. "Lord Hokage, please issue the order."
Kakashi rose and approached Jiraiya. "Then I, as the Hokage, order you, Jiraiya, to take full responsibility for this matter."
Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
Kakashi took a deep breath.
For the first time.
He managed to seize some initiative from these old relics.
He gazed out the window at the incessant rain pouring down.
It felt as if the never-ending rain of Amegakure had drifted over to Konoha.
A few days later.
Naruto arrived at the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire.
Standing atop a tree, he crossed his hands, employing a jutsu he hadn't used in a while.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
With several popping sounds, countless "Naruto" clones appeared in succession.
Naruto, grinning, waved his hand, "Begin!"
The clones acknowledged with a shout and dispersed swiftly in all directions.
Kakuzu stared incredulously at him, "What are you planning to do?"
Naruto glanced at him without explanation.
It was a simple math problem: knowing the border length of the Land of Rain and the range of his sensing at "fifty kilometers," how many shadow clones were needed to monitor every inch of the border?
After completing all these arrangements, Naruto jumped down from the tree.
"Naruto Uzumaki, are you ready to hear the divine sermon now?"
Just as he entered the temporary residence, Hidan eagerly leaned his head over. "You've been putting me off for so many days; it's time to make a decision."
"I think you'd suit our sect very well."
Naruto pressed down on his head.
Through their time together, he confirmed that this guy had a very special constitution.
He possessed an incredible self-healing ability.
The scar from a kido spell "pierce" on his face had healed completely in just a few days, even his teeth had regrown.
Comparable to the Uzumaki Clan's resilience.
It is certain that this guy is not from the Uzumaki clan and has no blood relation to me or Karin.
Could this ability come from a "blessing" bestowed by that evil god?
"Let's not be so rough." Hidan's voice softened a bit. "We can have a good talk."
"What technique did you plan to use on me that day?" Naruto asked him. "Two people exerting so much effort just to inflict some seemingly painless and insignificant harm."
Hidan's eyes lit up, "This has to do with my faith!"
Naruto squinted, his expression dangerous.
Hidan quickly explained, "It's true!"
"It relates to the blessing given to me by the evil god."
Naruto let go of him.
Hidan rambled on for over two hours.
Both Nine-Tails lost patience and went out to enjoy themselves.
Karin forced herself to endure and stayed by Naruto's side.
A large portion of it was nonsense.
Extracting useful information, it turns out Hidan joined a secret religious organization from Mist Village and underwent their experiments, becoming the only person favored by the evil god and mastering the ability of an "immortal body."
As long as there's a single drop of blood, Hidan can use his curse technique called "Jashin Ritual."
Both parties have to endure the same damage.
"Well, isn't the power given by the evil god impressive?" Hidan's eyes sparkled. "Though my actual strength is weak, with this ability, no one can kill me!"
"And you, a monster of sorts, my attacks can't even pierce your skin."
"Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, so what?"
"As long as I get some of your blood, you'll meet a miserable end."
Karin felt a chill down her spine, and the words she inscribed on the scroll trembled slightly.
It's indeed an extremely evil and bizarre ability.
"Can you really be completely unkillable?" Naruto scrutinized him.
Hidan nodded with pride, "Of course!"
"No attack can kill me, not even cutting off my head or crushing my heart."
He hadn't finished speaking.
A red streak flashed before him.
"Snap!" Hidan's head hit the ground.
At the severed neck, there wasn't any blood spurting out, making Naruto's prepared jutsu ineffective.
The head on the ground yelled out, "I'm not going to die like this."
"But it hurts a lot!"
"Even if you want to experiment, give me a heads-up so I can prepare myself."
"It really hurts a lot!"
Naruto picked up the head, holding it level with his eyes, "You're truly still alive."
"Don't pull my hair, it's hard to style!" Hidan continued to grumble, though less imposing to Naruto, "And it also really hurts, my scalp is tearing, put me down."
Naruto ignored his plea, contemplating the sensation he sensed from Hidan, both in the head and the body.
There wasn't any unusual aura connecting them. "Can you control your body?" Naruto asked.
Hidan pouted, "What kind of question is that? How could anyone control their body after losing their head?"
"Of course not!"
"Sew my head back, it will heal in a few days."
Naruto nodded.
He can't control his body, huh.
He tossed the head aside and touched the body.
"Can you still feel this?" Naruto swung a knife, slicing a wound on Hidan's arm.
Hidan screamed, "Of course not."
"My head is already separated from my body, alright!"
That means the head is the key.
Naruto thought for a while and pulled out a piece of the Eight-Tails' tail, placing it on the headless torso's stomach.
"What are you planning to do?" Hidan looked terrified.
Naruto whispered, "I just want to test the limits of your immortality."
"Even though it's just a piece of tail, it's enough to make you a Jinchuriki."
He stretched out his hand, chakra surging forth.
The Four Symbols Seal twisted, sealing this piece of tailed beast's power within Hidan's body.
Karin gently cradled his head and took out her rarely-used ninja tool kit, carefully retrieving a needle and thread to stitch up the wound.
As soon as the head made contact with the body, it instantly became whole again. Hidan attempted to struggle, but the adamantine chains immediately restrained him completely.
"Don't struggle," Naruto's tone was gentle, infused with chakra, "This is my first time conducting human experiments as well."
"This is making me really nervous," Hidan grumbled.
This time, nothing mattered anymore.
Naruto fully unlocked the Four Symbols Seal, extracting the Eight-Tails' power anew.
Life quickly drained from Hidan's body, visibly withering away.
Yet, his head remained intact, though fatigue left him too weak to curse effectively.
Naruto observed him intently.
Even in this state, he wouldn't die?
Karin was equally astonished, documenting every life sign from Hidan, preparing to analyze tissue samples later.
So, is this akin to a "law" of nature?
Regardless of his physical condition, "Hidan is immortal," just like "the sun rises in the east," it's one of this world's 'laws.'
Had Naruto finally discovered traces of true divine existence?
He focused deeply on his research.
Meanwhile, in the Rain Village.
The construction here starkly contrasted with other villages, each building encased in metal, where the scent of rust mingled with permeating mud.
In the village center lay a towering structure, crowned by a massive head sculpture, tongue lolling outward.
Upon it sat an orange-haired figure, surveying the entire village.
"Zetsu reported that Naruto has informed the Five Nations," a woman with light purple hair approached, speaking softly. Amidst the rain, her voice was barely discernible. "He also rushed to the border of the Land of Rain, but seemed to have no intention of entering."
"He even used Shadow Clones to completely seal off the border."
The orange-haired man turned; his face riddled with piercings, puppet-like: "Konan, I understand."
"This is quite an unexpected decision."
Konan murmured, "This could be troublesome."
The orange-haired man said nothing more, gazing into the distance.
(End of Chapter)