Satoru stood with his chin resting on one hand, his pale blue eyes lazily blinking as he pondered his situation.
His white hair swayed slightly in the breeze as he muttered to himself, "So my ten strings of dango are wasted, huh? Tsk, this guy… cursing a rabbit of all things."
The Konoha shinobi exchanged uncertain glances, silently watching Satoru's "serious" expression.
"Did he really not plan this?" Shikamaru muttered under his breath.
"Seems a bit too convenient," Ino added, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm not buying it," Choji agreed.
Even Kakashi, who had spent years perfecting his poker face, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Satoru's antics.
"I'm starting to think he did this on purpose," Kakashi said quietly, glancing at the rabbit still cradled in Satoru's arm.
On the other side, Hidan's disbelief had turned into fury.
"You cursed a rabbit?!" he growled.
His grip on his scythe tightened, and his body trembled with barely contained rage.
"Do you think this is funny?! Mocking Lord Jashin like this is unforgivable!"
Hidan lunged forward, his scythe slicing through the air with deadly intent.
Satoru didn't even flinch.
"Ah, you're mad about the rabbit? My bad," he said casually, dodging Hidan's attack with minimal effort.
"But honestly, this is boring. Fighting you is like sparring with a kid who only knows one trick."
Hidan's anger boiled over. "I'll make you regret those words!"
Satoru sighed, turning his attention to Shikamaru.
"Well, since he's so passionate, why don't you spar with him for a bit?"
Before Shikamaru could react, Satoru grabbed the back of his coat and tossed him forward.
"Wait, what?!" Shikamaru yelped as he stumbled toward the enraged Hidan.
Hidan grinned maliciously. "You're sending this little brat to fight me? Pathetic!"
Shikamaru barely managed to dodge the first swing of Hidan's scythe, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Hey!" he shouted, glaring back at Satoru. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Giving you an opportunity," Satoru replied, leaning against a tree with a faint smirk.
"You're a smart kid. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Kakashi shook his head, understanding Satoru's ploy immediately.
"Shikamaru, this might actually be a good chance to test your strategy," he said, backing Satoru up.
Shikamaru sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.
"Why do I feel like I'm the only one taking this seriously?" he muttered.
Still, he had observed enough of Hidan's behavior to piece together a plan.
"Alright," Shikamaru said begrudgingly. "Let's get this over with."
Hidan snarled, his eyes burning with hatred.
"You think you can beat me, kid?!"
Shikamaru dodged another scythe swing, his mind already calculating the distance between Hidan and the surrounding trees.
He extended his shadow, testing how close he needed to be to catch Hidan off guard.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu kept his eyes locked on Satoru.
This man was dangerous—not just because of his spatial ninjutsu, but because of his unpredictable nature.
Kakuzu frowned, reassessing his approach.
This mission had already deviated from its original scope.
"Dealing with Konoha ninjas was unnecessary," he thought bitterly. "But now we're stuck with them."
Kakuzu's gaze hardened as he made a decision.
"If I can just find an opening in Satoru's technique… one pause is all I need."
His mind raced with strategies, his focus narrowing on Satoru.
"A space ninja's heart," Kakuzu muttered to himself. "That would be a fine addition to my collection."
Back in the clearing, Satoru's relaxed demeanor hadn't wavered.
"You're staring a lot, Kakuzu," he said, his voice light and teasing. "What are you plotting?"
Kakuzu didn't reply, his expression stoic.
"Alright," Satoru continued with a shrug, "I'll let you think you've got a chance. But if you're planning something, make it interesting, okay?"
Hidan's frustration grew as Shikamaru continued to evade his attacks, his shadow creeping closer with each passing moment.
"You're starting to annoy me, kid!" Hidan bellowed, his scythe crashing into the ground where Shikamaru had stood seconds before.
Shikamaru smirked faintly, his confidence growing.
"You talk too much," he retorted, his shadow finally connecting with Hidan's legs.
Hidan froze, his movements restricted by Shikamaru's technique.
"What the hell?!" Hidan shouted, struggling against the shadow binding him.
Satoru clapped his hands softly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Well done, Shikamaru," he said, his pale blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
"See? I told you this would be a good exercise."
Shikamaru glared at him, his exhaustion evident.
"I'm starting to think you just like making things difficult for me."
"Maybe," Satoru replied with a grin.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the scene.
Satoru hadn't moved once since the fight began.
"He's too calm," Kakuzu thought. "Either he's underestimating us… or he's baiting us."
Regardless, Kakuzu knew he couldn't afford to wait any longer.
"Let's see how you handle this," he muttered, launching his attack.
Black tendrils shot toward Satoru with deadly precision, aiming to exploit any moment of hesitation.
Satoru sighed dramatically, casually sidestepping the attack.
"Really, Kakuzu? That's it?"
His tone was light, almost disappointed.
"Guess I'll have to show you why patience is important."
To be continued…