At dusk, the squad made camp by the roadside. According to Shikamaru's plan, they left only ten people visible, with Utakata acting as bait, while the rest, led by Kakashi, lay hidden nearby in ambush.
It didn't take long before two figures appeared on the distant horizon—Kakuzu and Hidan, swaggering openly down the main road without a care in the world.
"They're just up ahead," Kakuzu muttered. He could sense them clearly—a group of shinobi from the Five Great Nations, and judging by their positions, they'd laid out a trap just for him.
Still, Kakuzu didn't so much as blink. He kept walking toward the camp with steady, deliberate steps, the picture of unshakable calm—as if even a mountain collapsing in front of him wouldn't faze him.
"Kill them all!" Hidan screamed maniacally, charging ahead with his bloodthirsty scythe. He could barely contain his eagerness for slaughter.
Kakuzu made no move to stop him. After all, Hidan was immortal. Even if he got his head chopped off, Kakuzu could stitch him back together again. If anything, this was a good chance to gather intel.
Hidan tore into the camp like a lunatic, swinging his scythe wildly and shouting at the top of his lungs.
Shikamaru, seeing this, sprang into action and began executing the plan. He taunted Hidan loudly, drawing his attention.
"Hah! Your so-called evil god? Pathetic. That thing's not even worthy of being called a deity—it's nothing but a spoiled brat. And you? Just a gullible, brainwashed follower."
As he spoke, Shikamaru tossed a freshly carved idol of the evil god into the fire. The flames leapt higher as the wooden statue caught fire and began to burn.
The sight sent Hidan into a frenzy. His eyes turned blood-red, and he lunged straight at Shikamaru in a blind rage.
"You dare blaspheme Lord Jashin?! I'll make you pay for that with your life!" he roared.
Shikamaru deftly evaded Hidan's attacks, all while directing the others to continue with the operation.
As Hidan was drawn further away from Kakuzu, Kakashi and his team emerged from the shadows and quickly encircled Kakuzu.
Kakashi, Naruto, Chōjūrō, Akatsuchi, and Omoi surrounded him in a tight formation.
Kakuzu's expression darkened slightly as he realized he'd walked into an ambush—but he remained calm.
"Smart plan. That guy's a Nara, isn't he?" Kakuzu said evenly. "With the intel you've got, I'm guessing you've already figured out Hidan's abilities."
A veteran of countless battles, Kakuzu immediately saw through Shikamaru's tactics.
"Lure Hidan out first, neutralize him, then focus on me. Clever—but naive."
Kakuzu's hands flew through a sequence of signs. He unleashed a barrage of jutsu in an attempt to break the encirclement. His arms morphed into black tendrils, snaking out like tentacles in all directions as he tried to grab his attackers.
But Kakashi's team was ready. They dodged skillfully and launched counterattacks.
Naruto created multiple shadow clones, each attacking from a different direction.
Chōjūrō closed in with his twin blades, engaging Kakuzu in close combat. Akatsuchi and Omoi unleashed their own techniques, supporting Kakashi and keeping the pressure on.
Realizing brute force wasn't working, Kakuzu quickly shifted tactics. He hardened his body with black threads for defense, then reshaped them into weapons, switching fluidly between offense and defense.
The clash escalated into an all-out brawl, neither side gaining a clear upper hand.
…
Meanwhile, Hidan was now isolated and overwhelmed.
Using his Shadow Imitation Technique, Shikamaru locked Hidan's movements in place, preventing him from performing his rituals. The others took the opportunity to strike, trying to subdue him once and for all.
Though Hidan was immortal, the team's coordination left him struggling to gain any ground.
He thrashed and shouted, trying to break free of Shikamaru's hold—but to no avail.
As Hidan began to tire, Shikamaru prepared the final blow. He activated the Shadow Strangle Jutsu, wrapping Hidan in a grip so tight he couldn't move an inch.
"It's over, Hidan," Shikamaru said coldly.
The others stepped in and dismembered him, leaving only his head intact. Even then, the severed head kept screaming threats about how Jashin would curse them all.
Shikamaru gathered firewood and stacked it around the mutilated Hidan, then poured accelerant over the pile.
Realizing what was about to happen, Hidan howled,
"You'll pay for this! Lord Jashin will never forgive you! I'll crawl back from the depths of hell to kill you myself—Jashin is almighty!"
Shikamaru pulled out a lighter—Asuma-sensei's old lighter. He smirked.
"Look at you now. Your 'almighty god' can't even save you from a campfire."
He tossed the lighter.
Flames surged, engulfing Hidan's body. His endless tirade finally fell silent as even his immortal flesh turned to ash. That was the end of Hidan—killed by fire, finally and utterly.
Shikamaru stood still, dazed. "Asuma-sensei… I've avenged you."
…
There was no time for mourning. Back on the battlefield, Kakuzu had entered his monstrous final form. Four masked beasts, each representing a heart, had emerged from his body, putting immense pressure on Kakashi's team.
Some of them were already injured. They needed backup.
Shikamaru snapped back into focus. Assessing the situation, he quickly devised a new plan. He had already figured out Kakuzu's ability—each mask was a separate heart, a separate life.
The only way to defeat him was to destroy every single mask.
He ordered the team to divide their efforts: some would keep the mask beasts occupied, while others would trap Kakuzu in a barrier and destroy the heart inside his main body. With that one gone, the remaining hearts wouldn't be able to return.
The plan worked perfectly. Inside the barrier, the final heart was shattered. The other hearts, unable to reunite with the main body, were intercepted and destroyed one by one.
Even when Kakuzu realized what they were doing, it was too late. The numerical disadvantage was too much to overcome.
Thus ended the tale of the immortal duo—in a pathetically ironic fashion. Still, they had fulfilled their purpose: buying time for Nagato and Konan.
…
Just as the team was catching its breath, a figure descended slowly from the sky.
That familiar cloak, embroidered with crimson clouds—everyone recognized it instantly. Fear flashed in their eyes, but they forced themselves to stand and prepare for another fight.
This battle would be different. They were exhausted. They had no more detailed intel. And now they were facing a far more dangerous foe.
"You were careless, Kakuzu," Pain said, looking down at the corpse. He wasn't surprised. The duo's reckless arrogance had sealed their fate.
But his mission was done. Pain was here now—and the outcome of the next battle was no longer in doubt.
"Hand over the Six-Tails," he said calmly. "I have no intention of killing more than I need to."
"You're insane if you think I'm just going to let that happen!" Naruto shouted angrily.
…
"Gotta say," said Hyuga Gakuya from the sky, munching on popcorn as he hovered above the battlefield. "For an early-stage boss, Nagato's got some serious presence."
He watched the chaos unfold below, as if enjoying the latest episode of a high-budget anime.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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