In the dense forest, the wind howled as the Konoha team moved swiftly through the trees.
"Kakashi-sensei, are we really going to leave Granny Chiyo behind like this?"
Halfway through, Sakura Haruno asked worriedly, frequently glancing back as if to check on the battle.
Chiyo had confronted the Third Kazekage alone, and since she was being restrained, it was hard not to worry.
"Don't think too much, Sakura," Kakashi said in a low voice, his eyes locked straight ahead. "If we stop here, it would be a waste of the opportunity Chiyo created for us."
"Wait, stop!"
Suddenly, at the rear of the group, Hyuga Neji's veins bulged around his eyes as if he sensed something.
At the same time, in the middle of the team, Sasuke's gaze shifted toward a shadow-covered side.
She immediately responded to Neji's call, drawing her sword and leaping forward, swinging it horizontally like a flash of lightning.
Clang!
The sparks from the clashing blades burst out among the trees.
A strange figure, appearing from nowhere, was forced out by Sasuke's strike.
Kakashi threw a shuriken at the same time and formed hand signs with both hands. "Shuriken: Shadow Clone Technique!"
The flying shuriken suddenly split into dozens midair, striking like a storm toward the retreating strange figure.
With a gust of wind, the odd figure wielded a dramatically shaped scythe, knocking all the shuriken away.
Then, it landed steadily on a tree trunk across from them, scanning them up and down.
"Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Neji. Looks like I'm lucky after all."
"Again?!"
Sakura couldn't help but shout.
"Looks like it's another enemy sent by the Aurora Order to block us!" Tenten said from the side.
The figure was wrapped in a similar black robe, radiating a sinister aura. Its shadow twisted like a living creature, swallowing all nearby light.
"One, two, three, four… missing one."
The man in the black robe pulled back his hood, revealing an arrogant face. He licked his lips with excitement. "Whatever. You five are all my prey!"
Looking at the opponent's strange weapon — a blood-red triple-section scythe — Kakashi's eyes flickered as he warned his team:
"Be careful. This guy's weapon is unusual, probably favors taijutsu. That scythe gives me a bad feeling. Avoid getting hit!"
The scythe's design was neither light nor flexible. Hyuga Neji pondered, "Maybe it has a special purpose?"
"Before we officially fight, let me introduce myself~"
The man grinned widely. "I'm a member of the Aurora Order, codename 'Z'. But you can call me Lord Hidan!"
The shadowy canopy of dense leaves twisted like a living thing and suddenly dragged Hidan into it.
"Watch out for the shadows around you!"
Kakashi, having experienced the methods of the Aurora Order, immediately shouted to warn the nearby team members.
But above them, the thick forest canopy cast deep shadows over everyone, making it impossible to stay alert.
At that moment, Hidan appeared like a ghost behind Sakura and Tenten. His enormous scythe swung wildly.
"Let's start with you two trash!" he sneered.
The cold, sharp scythe was about to strike their skin when Neji Hyuga stepped forward with a swift lunge and slammed his palm out.
"Eight Trigrams Palm!"
Using gentle fist techniques, Neji released an ultra-fast palm strike that compressed the air like a cannonball, smashing directly against Hidan's scythe.
Clang!
The huge scythe shifted several inches off course.
Taking advantage of the moment, Sasuke's sword blade slashed like a swimming dragon, skillfully aiming at Hidan's wrist.
Shing!
The blade pierced the wrist, drawing a handful of fresh blood.
With a twist of her wrist, Sasuke sliced upward, severing Hidan's hand.
"Tch, that hurts, you bastard!" Hidan sneered viciously. He spun a full 180 degrees and kicked the severed hand toward the group.
Seeing the flying severed hand, Kakashi quickly came up with a bad idea.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Suddenly, a fierce windstorm exploded between Hidan and the others. The strong whirlwind swept Sakura and Tenten away.
Sasuke and Neji sensed the danger early and retreated rapidly.
Boom!
The severed hand transformed into a horrifying blood and flesh storm.
This gruesome storm corroded all the trees and organic matter within several meters.
Seeing the devastation shocked everyone deeply.
In an instant, Hidan burst out from the blood and flesh storm, laughing madly with a savage face.
His bizarre three-sectioned scythe swung violently, the sharp gusts cutting through the air with piercing shrieks.
"Word Soul: Time Zero!"
Sasuke's pupils burned like molten gold, and a temporal domain spread around her.
The next moment, Hidan's movements slowed down dozens of times. She slightly lowered her center of gravity, sheathed her sword, and took a stance ready to draw the blade again.
With each breath, power pulsed rhythmically—from her calves up to her spine—as if an endless stream of energy converged into a single point.
Clang!
As the blade left the scabbard, it seemed like a thousand strikes were made in an instant!
From everyone else's view, Hidan lunged toward Sasuke, only to be immediately engulfed by a brilliant flash of sword light—like a cascading waterfall of stars from the Milky Way.
The fierce sword aura roared wildly, mixing with thunderous rumbling!
The lightning-infused blade effortlessly sliced through Hidan's body, shredding him into pieces in less than a single breath.
One moment, Hidan was still whole; the next, he was torn into chunks of flesh!
Kakashi's face showed shock—he hadn't even been able to clearly see how many strikes Sasuke had made in that instant.
Huu...
Sasuke held her sword-drawing stance, but the breath she exhaled carried the crackle of thunder and burning heat.
This scene stunned Sakura, Tenten, and Neji.
It had only been two years since they last met, but Sasuke seemed like a completely different person.
Though everyone knew she had been training with Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, this was just unbelievable!
Yet after defeating Hidan, Sasuke showed no joy. Her golden eyes, burning bright, slowly rotated the three crimson tomoe: "Chakra is still present, could it be…"
Boom!
In an instant, a crimson storm engulfed the area within dozens of meters.
The overwhelming blood rain, driven by the storm's fury, ruthlessly corroded and melted everything around.
If not for Sasuke's swift teleportation technique, anyone caught in the storm would suffer a terrible fate.
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much!"
The scattered chunks of flesh surprisingly reassembled once more, reforming into Hidan's grotesque figure. He growled through a twisted grin, "You bastard, this really hurts like hell!"
"Lying, right?"
Sakura and Tenten stared in horror at the 'resurrected' Hidan.
"Just as I suspected," Kakashi sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on the revived Hidan. "He has the same immortal body as 'Mr. A.'"
*******
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/c/Unique_Writer