As Hidan prepared to attack, Kakuzu and Uchiha Itachi appeared from the forest, swiftly landing on either side of Konan in unspoken coordination. Kakuzu, long intrigued by the mysterious man, stepped forward with a scoff. "Let's see if you're really unkillable…"
Hidan looked at the trio before him—two men and a woman, all dressed in strange attire—and laughed in realization. "Oh, I get it! With matching outfits, you must be in a band! The masked guy with the sour expression must be the bassist!"
His eyes shifted to Konan. "And you, the only girl—you must be the lead singer and keyboardist!" He hesitated, eyeing Itachi with a puzzled expression before continuing, "Or wait… this pretty boy could be the lead singer, right?"
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed in anger as he took a slow step toward Hidan, his fists clenched. "Green bean eyes? Do I look like a bassist to you?" he growled, his voice laced with fury. "And we're no band, you fool. Is something wrong with your brain?"
"Hmph, say what you want," Hidan chuckled. "A good sacrifice will make my god very pleased."
With that, he swung his weapon, a deadly scythe, toward Kakuzu. Yet Kakuzu dodged with practiced ease, choosing to observe rather than strike back. Hidan laughed and leapt into the air, raising his scythe for a powerful downward blow. Kakuzu watched with a frown, already tiring of the display.
Then, he shot out his iron-hard fists, piercing Hidan's chest. Hidan dropped heavily to the ground, coughing blood.
"Hmph, so much for immortality," Kakuzu muttered, his tone one of disappointment.
But Hidan wasn't finished. Barely seconds passed before he was back on his feet, screaming at Kakuzu. "You! That hurt, you jerk!"
Kakuzu's curiosity grew as he eyed Hidan. Few had ever survived such a wound, and none without a scar.
"Then I'll show you the real power of my god," Hidan threatened, though he had taken a moment, while Kakuzu was distracted, to scrape up a bit of Kakuzu's blood from the wound. It was subtle, but Uchiha Itachi caught the motion, his sharp gaze missing nothing.
A wicked grin spread across Hidan's face as he started to prepare his ritual, drawing the symbol of his god in blood on the ground. Kakuzu raised an eyebrow at Hidan's theatrics, unimpressed by the display. When Hidan drove a spear through his own chest, Kakuzu murmured in disbelief, "What sort of self-harming ritual is this supposed to be?"
But he didn't get a chance to ponder long. A fierce pain shot through his own heart, as though Hidan's spear had pierced him instead.
"You… you cursed lunatic…" Kakuzu groaned, clutching his chest in agony.
Hidan's face lit with maniacal glee, and he laughed as Kakuzu writhed in pain. "Yes! Sharing the pain of others—it's the truest bliss! My god shall be praised forever!"
Konan turned to Itachi, her eyes calculating. "Do you understand his power?" she asked quietly.
"It appears he connects himself to his target's body through blood, so any injury he inflicts on himself will transfer to the other." Itachi's calm analysis drew a nod from Konan, though he added, "But why he remains unharmed despite such wounds… I can't say."
Just then, Kakuzu's body began to twitch, and to everyone's surprise, a masked creature emerged from his chest before dissolving into black liquid. A moment later, Kakuzu stood, alive as ever.
"Why aren't you dead?" Hidan shouted in disbelief. Kakuzu glared back, his own fury building. "You dare damage one of my hearts! I'll kill you for that!"
Hidan's taunting smirk widened as he watched Kakuzu with amusement. "Think you can?"
As they prepared to clash again, Konan's gaze shifted to Itachi. "Stop them," she ordered.
Itachi hesitated. "Do we need him?"
"He could be a valuable asset," she replied, her gaze returning to the confrontation.
Hidan and Kakuzu were on a collision course when a murder of crows swooped down, surrounding them. When the crows parted, Itachi's shadowy form emerged between the two.
"Kakuzu, what do you think you're doing?" Itachi's calm tone did little to soothe Kakuzu's frustration.
"He broke my heart!" Kakuzu snapped.
But Itachi only raised an eyebrow. "Hidan, we're extending you an invitation to join our Akatsuki."
Hidan snorted, unimpressed. "Why would I want to join? I serve my god!"
Konan interjected, "We're a group dedicated to destruction. If it's bloodshed and mayhem you want, Akatsuki has it in abundance."
Hidan considered, eyeing each of them suspiciously. After a moment, he shrugged. "Fine. I'll join, as long as I'm free to spread the word of my god."
Just as Hidan was about to seal his agreement, Konan suddenly doubled over, clutching her stomach with a pained expression.
"Ow… it hurts… what's going on?" she whimpered.
Kakuzu and Itachi turned to Hidan, their expressions accusatory. "Did you do this?" Kakuzu demanded, advancing on him.
Hidan looked bewildered, holding up his hands in protest. "Hey! Don't pin this on me! I didn't even touch her blood."
Itachi's calm gaze fell on Konan, and he began to realize something was amiss. This wasn't a tactic to test Hidan's powers—it was real pain.
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