"Woman, you've finally managed to piss me off!"
Freed once more, Hidan roared in impotent fury, swinging his crimson scythe again as he charged towards Guren.
Seeing Hidan rush at her with his weapon whirling, a cold glint flashed in Guren's eyes, and she quickly retreated. The previous two encounters had allowed her to analyze her opponents somewhat. This talkative one seemed to rely primarily on close-range taijutsu. Although he had survived two Crystal Release attacks without dying, his offensive methods seemed limited. Once restrained by her crystal techniques, he struggled to break free on his own.
Guren wasn't overly worried about facing such an opponent alone. However, the man behind him, Kakuzu, exerted immense pressure on her.
Bringing her hands together in a seal before her chest, Guren uttered a low command:
"Crystal Release: Crystal Dragon Technique!"
As Guren poured chakra into the technique, a massive dragon composed entirely of purple crystal began to form. She leaped onto the dragon's head and urged it forward, flying rapidly deeper into the forest.
"Hey! Kakuzu, hurry up and do something! The woman's getting away!" Hidan yelled at his partner, watching Guren escape atop the crystalline dragon.
Even as Hidan shouted, Kakuzu, seeing his quarry about to escape, had already sprung into action. He ripped the cloth away from his right shoulder, revealing one of his grotesque thread-stitched masks. The mask creature opened its mouth wide, and a sphere of highly pressurized wind instantly blasted forth.
Several meters in front of Kakuzu, the wind coalesced into a swirling vortex, a storm that surged forward, tearing through everything in its path.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
"Oi, oi! Kakuzu, you bastard, you're attacking me too!" Hidan yelled, scrambling to dodge as he felt the powerful wind jutsu closing in from behind.
However, he was just a fraction too slow. As Hidan tried to duck behind a large tree, the intense gale swept over him, blasting him and the tree away violently. Countless wind blades embedded within the storm sliced across Hidan's body, leaving innumerable small cuts.
Further ahead, Guren's expression changed drastically as the storm bore down on her. She tried to maneuver the crystal dragon out of the way, but the wind was simply too fast. The blast struck her, sending her tumbling through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The violent hurricane collided with the purple crystal dragon, producing a cacophony of sounds like metal striking metal.
A few moments later, the storm dissipated, leaving behind a large, empty clearing ripped violently into the dense forest. The scene was one of utter devastation.
Rustle~ Rustle~
Figures flickered, and Hidan and Kakuzu landed on the branches of a large, surviving tree. Surveying the wreckage, neither could spot Guren.
"Hey, hey! Kakuzu, don't tell me your jutsu blasted that woman into dust!" Hidan shouted again, punctuating his words by swinging his scythe irritably a few times. He had completely lost face in this fight. Not only had he been suppressed by a woman, but Kakuzu had also treated him like collateral damage, blasting him along with her. If he weren't genuinely outmatched in terms of raw power, Hidan would have loved to give Kakuzu a piece of his mind—or rather, his scythe.
Beside him, Kakuzu didn't respond. His eyes scanned the devastated area for several moments before his figure blurred, heading off in a specific direction.
Though still fuming, Hidan quickly followed.
Their pursuit led them to the entrance of an underground cave. Peering into the gloomy depths, both Kakuzu and Hidan wore grave expressions. What lay hidden within this cavern?
After exchanging a brief glance, they leaped down together.
The cave was deep and surprisingly spacious inside. Following a mix of old and fresh tracks, Kakuzu and Hidan ventured deeper into the cavern.
Soon, they arrived beside an underground hot spring. The water was a pale blue, its depths impossible to gauge.
"Well? Should we go down?" Hidan crouched by the edge of the spring, peered into the water, then looked back at Kakuzu.
"There's something under the water," Kakuzu stated flatly after a moment's silence.
"Something? Is it that woman?" Hidan immediately perked up, sounding excited.
"No," Kakuzu shook his head. Without further explanation, he jumped into the spring.
"Oi! Oi! Kakuzu, wait for me!" Hidan quickly followed him into the water.
Roughly ten minutes later, Kakuzu and Hidan leaped out of the hot spring one after the other, both looking rather dishevelled. Without pausing, they immediately turned and rapidly retraced their steps, exiting the underground cave.
Several minutes after the Akatsuki pair had departed, Guren emerged cautiously from a hidden alcove near the hot spring. She studied the now calm surface of the water, her face etched with hesitation and contemplation.
Clearly, those two Akatsuki members encountered something down there! Otherwise, they wouldn't have left looking so rough.
After a moment's deliberation, Guren decided against risking a dive into the spring herself. She remained hidden in the underground cavern—referred to in some old local maps as 'Red Snow Cave'—for another half hour before finally leaving.
Half an hour later, back in the devastated section of the forest where the earlier battle took place…
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A series of sounds cut through the air as Takami, Miki, and Genkei arrived, accompanied by another shinobi. They landed on branches at the edge of the ravaged clearing.
Seeing the extent of the destruction, Takami's face went deathly pale. The others looked equally grim. The sheer scale of the area affected by the Wind Release: Pressure Damage was terrifying. From the power of that single jutsu, everyone present could gauge the strength of the Akatsuki members. Only a shinobi bordering on Kage-level could unleash a technique of such magnitude.
Their eyes anxiously scanned the battlefield. After a few moments of finding no trace of their captain, Takami and Miki swayed unsteadily. If Guren had sacrificed herself covering their escape, the guilt would haunt them forever.
Just as despair threatened to overwhelm the two women, the man accompanying them spoke up. "Don't panic. Guren escaped that way."
The speaker was a middle-aged man – Kazuhiko, one of Tatsuya's clones. The area where Guren had fought the Immortal Duo happened to be near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers. Kazuhiko had been stationed in this region, responsible for gathering intelligence for the Divine Court. After Miki, Takami, and Genkei had escaped, they had immediately sent out word about Guren's encounter with the Akatsuki duo. Kazuhiko had rushed over as soon as he received the message.
Without waiting for Takami and Miki's reactions, Kazuhiko immediately took off, following the faint traces left by Guren's escape. The other three quickly followed suit.
They hadn't traveled far before they stopped. Ahead, not far from them, stood Guren.
"Captain!" Takami and Miki rushed forward immediately, relief washing over them. Genkei, beside them, also showed a clear look of joy.
Kazuhiko, however, remained impassive, his expression unreadable.
Once the five had regrouped and exchanged brief greetings, Kazuhiko asked Guren about what had transpired. When Guren mentioned the underground cave and the mysterious hot spring, a strange look flickered across Kazuhiko's face.
An underground hot spring? Why does that sound familiar? Kazuhiko pondered internally.