Inside Ryūchi Cave.
Madara and Obito sat together, laughing and chatting like a pair of old friends.
In the past, they had gone on wild adventures together.
You could say, after the recent war, the bond between these two had skyrocketed.
"Ah…"
On the side, Sasori was silently repairing his puppets.
The battle had cost him nearly 90% of his treasured collection. The remaining 10%? Missing arms, legs… utterly wrecked.
Though Sasori didn't say it out loud, deep down, he was devastated.
Minutes passed.
A loud, arrogant voice suddenly boomed through the cave.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep—guess who's back!"
Obito turned around, looking slightly exasperated.
"Hidan, can't you speak properly without throwing in a string of curse words?"
To everyone's surprise, Hidan didn't snap back. Instead, he grinned like a madman, his excitement practically radiating off him.
"Leader! I owe you one for this! Seriously, big thanks!"
He gestured dramatically, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
"Thanks to offering the White Snake Sage's soul as a sacrifice, Lord Jashin personally blessed me!"
Obito raised a brow.
So it's as I suspected.
Motivational incentives like this are everywhere, huh? Work hard, get rewarded, and let the boss enjoy an even better life!
Obito glanced at Hidan, who looked so thrilled he might explode. An absurd thought popped into his mind.
'What if Hidan tried using the Reaper Death Seal? Would the Shinigami and Jashin end up fighting? If they did… who would win?'
Obito's curiosity flared, his gaze toward Hidan becoming strangely intense.
Should I… test it out?
Sasori, meanwhile, packed up his tools and casually tossed a small vial toward Hidan.
"Hidan, catch."
Hidan caught it mid-air, frowning in confusion.
"What's this?"
"Blood from my previous opponents," Sasori explained coolly, inserting four scrolls into his back.
"Use it for your rituals."
Obito nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up and get to it, Hidan, while it's still fresh!"
Hidan's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
He eagerly popped the vial open and downed its contents in one go.
"Delicious! It even has a hint of their essence…"
Hidan stepped into the ritual circle, but just as he began, he smacked his forehead.
"Wait, where's my Scythe?"
Sasori replied flatly, "Still where you left it. You didn't bring it."
Obito reached into his Kamui space and pulled out a long sword, tossing it toward Hidan.
"Here, use this for now."
Hidan caught the sword, gave it a few experimental swings, and sighed.
"Beep, beep. Guess I'll have to make do."
"To honor Lord Jashin as quickly as possible, I'll reluctantly manage with this!"
Without warning, Hidan drove the sword straight through his own skull.
"…What the—?!"
No buildup, no warning—just straight to the point!
Even Obito, who had seen plenty, was taken aback.
Hidan, unfazed, twisted the blade in his skull for good measure. Thanks to his newfound blessing, he could now perform his rituals with even more enthusiasm.
After some truly jaw-dropping antics, Hidan yanked the sword from his head and stabbed himself in the chest, collapsing onto the ground.
He lay there peacefully, eyes shut, and began praying with devout sincerity.
Several minutes passed.
When it became clear Hidan wasn't getting up anytime soon, Obito frowned.
"Hidan, what are you doing?"
Eyes still closed, Hidan replied calmly.
"Leader, I'm conducting the ritual. It'll take at least another hour."
Obito groaned. He didn't have the patience for this.
"Fine, you stay here. You can't die anyway."
Turning to the others, he added, "Sasori, Grandpa Madara, let's go. Time to pay a visit to the last remaining priestess."
Madara raised a brow, his expression a mix of amusement and mischief.
"Oh, Obito. Are you sure you want us to come along? Perhaps you'd rather go alone?"
Sasori nodded slightly.
"I still need to repair my puppets. Just make sure to bring back the snake's corpse for me, Leader."
Obito blinked, feeling like he'd missed some hidden implication in their words.
"…Fine. You two stay here. I'll handle it myself."
Madara waved him off with a smile.
"No rush, Obito. Grandpa could use some rest anyway. Take your time."
"…Right."
Obito left, his expression growing more bewildered as he headed off on his "hunt for the loli."
...
A few minutes earlier.
On the other side of Ryūchi Cave…
Ichikishimahime huddled into a corner, her voice trembling with fear.
"Tagorihime… do you think the White Snake Sage…?"
"Ridiculous!"
Tagorihime interrupted coldly, her tone sharp and decisive.
"The White Snake Sage has ruled Ryūchi Cave for a millennium. How could she possibly fall to mere mortals?"
But Ichikishimahime's unease didn't fade.
"But… what about Tagitsuhime…?"
"I said enough!" Tagorihime snapped, clearly irritable. "There's no 'but'! Be quiet for a moment!"
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"In a few minutes at most, the White Snake Sage will return… carrying the heads of those intruders."
Before she could finish, a bloodied hole appeared in her head.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Ichikishimahime screamed in terror as she witnessed the scene.
Petrified, she shrank further into the corner, too scared to make a sound.
But it wasn't long before footsteps echoed through the chamber.
Obito stepped into view, his smile utterly devilish.
"Ah, so this is where you were hiding. You made me search high and low."
Ichikishimahime fainted on the spot.
"Oi, you're kidding me. Fainted already?"
Obito sighed, exasperated.
"I'm not even the brutish type… Did you really have to overreact like this?"
...
In Iwagakure.
Deidara stood frozen, staring at the layers of Iwa-nin surrounding him. His mind blanked out.
I'm screwed. Totally screwed.
I can't drag Sasori-senpai into this mess—I have to escape on my own!
Deidara scanned his surroundings frantically, searching for an opening.
"Don't even think about running, Deidara."
A graceful figure leapt down from a high perch, landing effortlessly in front of him.
It was Kurotsuchi.
Her long, toned legs flexed as she steadied herself, blocking his path.
"You're surrounded. Even Grandpa's on his way here."
"Old man… is coming?"
Deidara stiffened. His escape plan was as good as dead.
Should I go for the ultimate art? Hmm?
But…
His eyes flicked toward Kurotsuchi and the Iwa-nin around him—old friends, familiar faces from his past.
Deidara sighed softly.
So this is where my art journey ends, hmm…
Kurotsuchi crossed her arms, shaking her head in exasperation.
"Deidara, you're impossible."
"Turns out, it's not Lightning Style—it's your obsession with art that's your real weakness."
[Deidara's relationship with Kurotsuchi and Ōnoki is full of regrets. Let's make sure to explore this further. Also, the Ten-Tails arc is coming soon]
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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