Satoru stood leisurely on a tree branch, his chin resting in his hand as he calmly observed the battle below.
His pale blue eyes scanned the chaos with mild curiosity.
Suddenly, he let out a soft chuckle.
"Huh? Kakashi?"
The sight of the usually composed Copy Ninja struggling against Kakuzu's attacks was almost comical.
"Well, well," Satoru muttered, a trace of merciless amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Kakashi, you're a mess today. What happened to your usual cool-headed demeanor?"
A quiet laugh escaped him as he reached into his jacket, his hand brushing against a familiar object.
With a flick of his wrist, Satoru hurled a chakra-enhanced shuriken toward the black threads binding the Konoha shinobi.
But in his distracted state, he forgot about the rabbit he was holding.
Before he realized it, the fat rabbit tumbled from the branch, landing unceremoniously on the ground below.
"Huh? Huh?"
Satoru blinked at his now-empty hand, momentarily stunned into silence.
On the battlefield…
The sharp whistle of the spinning shuriken sliced through the air, severing the black threads binding Kakashi and his team in a single motion.
The Konoha shinobi gasped as their sudden release freed them from the suffocating grip of Kakuzu's technique.
Kakuzu's expression darkened as his gaze snapped toward the source of the interference.
"Who's there?"
Following the shuriken's trajectory, Kakuzu's eyes landed on a white-haired ninja descending gracefully from the trees, a rabbit dangling from one hand.
Satoru's tone was nonchalant as he addressed the group.
"Ah, that was close," he said, glancing at the rabbit. "Almost lost a good meal."
He dropped to the ground, his pale blue eyes locking onto the stunned faces around him.
"Yo," he said casually. "Long time no see."
Kakuzu's reaction was immediate. His expression grew wary, his body tensing as he recognized the newcomer.
"It's you… Satoru."
Kakuzu's mind raced. While Satoru's relaxed demeanor made him seem unserious, Kakuzu knew better than to underestimate him.
This was the man who had escaped a confrontation with six Akatsuki members unscathed.
He was not to be taken lightly.
"Be on guard," Kakuzu murmured to Hidan, his tone deadly serious.
But Hidan was anything but cautious.
His grin widened with manic glee as he pointed his scythe at Satoru.
"Finally! I've been looking for you!"
Hidan's voice dripped with excitement.
"Come on, Satoru! Let's fight!"
Unlike Kakuzu, Hidan wasn't concerned about Satoru's reputation or abilities.
With his immortality granted by Jashin, Hidan was confident that no attack, no matter how unique, could kill him.
"You're going to make a great offering to the god of death!" Hidan declared, his eyes blazing with fanaticism.
The Konoha team, now freed, took a moment to recover.
Kakashi, Sakura, Ino, and Chōji all felt the sting of their earlier battle as they removed the last remnants of the corrosive black threads from their bodies.
Their gazes turned to the figure under the tree.
"It's him?"
The mysterious white-haired ninja who had appeared during the Chūnin Exams now stood before them.
Kakashi's expression was a mix of suspicion and relief.
Though he didn't fully trust Satoru, there was something about his presence that felt oddly reassuring.
"Why is he here?" Kakashi murmured to himself.
Sakura's thoughts were more conflicted.
Her mind raced as she recalled how Satoru had helped them against Orochimaru, only to later capture Sasuke.
And now he was here, saving them again.
"Who is he, really?" Sakura wondered, her emotions swirling with confusion.
Ino, meanwhile, couldn't hide her surprise.
"It's him!" she whispered excitedly. "That guy from the Chūnin Exams!"
Her memory flashed to his battle with Neji, a fight that had left a lasting impression.
"I didn't think he'd show up here…"
Satoru, oblivious to their inner turmoil, focused on the rabbit in his hands.
"Ah, it's bleeding," he muttered.
"What a shame. Should I make it spicy?"
Hidan's patience snapped.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?!"
Satoru's lack of reaction sent Hidan into a fit of rage.
"You dare ignore a servant of Jashin?!"
Hidan's murderous aura spiked as he charged forward, his scythe gleaming ominously.
Satoru barely glanced up as Hidan's attack came hurtling toward him.
"Today's a holiday," Satoru said lightly, sidestepping the scythe with ease.
"I don't feel like fighting."
Hidan growled in frustration, swinging his weapon again.
"A holiday? Who gave you the day off?!"
"My gut," Satoru replied with mock seriousness.
Hidan's attacks grew more frenzied as Satoru effortlessly dodged each one, his movements almost playful.
"Almost," Satoru said calmly, ducking under a wild swing.
"Close, but not quite."
Each miss only fueled Hidan's fury.
"You're infuriating!" Hidan snarled, his eyes darkening.
"You'll regret mocking me!"
With a sudden burst of speed, Hidan adjusted the length of his scythe, extending its range.
The blade curved toward Satoru in a deadly arc, its edge aimed squarely at his chest.
Satoru's calm facade faltered for a split second.
"Well," he muttered, "this might be interesting after all."
The scythe's blade gleamed as it closed in.
To be continued…
>>>>>
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