Mosquitoes and bats fluttered through the thick mist.
Before long, they returned—each one drenched in fresh blood. Blood dripped from their tiny bodies, trailing into Hidan's open mouth like an eerie communion ritual.
Bored, Hidan pulled out a dagger and lazily slashed his own neck. One after another, muffled thuds echoed through the fog—ninja and samurai collapsing to the ground.
Standing calmly within the Evil God's formation, Hidan frowned.
Was this still considered fighting?
It felt more like factory work—automated, repetitive, and dull. There was no thrill, no art, no joy in sending people to death like this.
As Hidan debated whether to dismiss his summoned creatures and fight directly, the desperate cries of the enemy reached his ears.
> "People are dying! What kind of trick is this?!"
> "They're cutting our necks in silence—protect your necks! Watch out!"
The panic and confusion sparked a flicker of excitement in Hidan's eyes. He was just about to carve himself again for fun when Kakuzu grabbed his wrist.
> "It's the mist."
Kakuzu's voice was grim.
The consortium had warned him—Terumi Mei had obtained the legendary summoning beast, Mirage, on her way to Kyoto.
> "Mosquitoes and bats have small brains—just like you," Kakuzu muttered. "In this fog, all it takes is a little genjutsu and they'll start attacking allies."
If Terumi Mei had fully mastered Mirage, she could have unleashed illusions rivaling the power of the Second Mizukage. Even Kakuzu and Hidan would have no choice but to retreat before Logan arrived.
Thankfully, she hadn't yet unlocked Mirage's true potential.
> "Wind Style: Suppression!"
Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Wind-Style Masked Monster released a high-pressure wind sphere. It tore through the mist, swirling into a series of violent whirlpools that exploded outward, clearing the battlefield and exposing Terumi Mei's group.
But that was exactly what Terumi Mei had been waiting for.
Within the cover of fog, she had been silently weaving her seals. As the mist cleared, Kakuzu, Hidan, and the hundreds of ninja behind them looked up—
And saw a shadow growing rapidly overhead.
A massive red cloud of molten acid, steaming and bubbling, eclipsed the moon and sky.
> "Lava Style: Lava Technique!"
A torrent of highly corrosive acid—strong enough to melt Susanoo in the original lore—descended from the heavens.
Kakuzu wasted no time. He released another technique to blow open an escape route and leapt out of the encirclement.
Hidan, of course, handled things differently.
He simply grinned.
If he could dodge it, great. If not, he'd just enjoy the pain.
Getting hurt at work might seem irresponsible—but hey, bringing hobbies into your job is a great way to stay motivated.
> "Where do you think you're going?"
A cold voice cut through the chaos.
Zabuza suddenly appeared behind Hidan, having used the dissipating mist and his Mist Instant Technique to sneak up unnoticed. With surgical precision, he plunged a kunai straight through Hidan's heart.
But at the same time, Hidan's partially corroded scythe slashed horizontally—
Slice!
Zabuza's body exploded into a splash of water.
> Water Clone.
The liquid coiled around Hidan, forming a man-sized sphere. The real Zabuza emerged from the last traces of mist and slammed his hand into the orb, sealing the technique.
> "Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"
Hidan was trapped.
But he smiled wider than ever.
Dark black particles began forming around him inside the prison—his Death Curse. If any of those particles touched Zabuza, the curse would activate and kill him.
But then Hidan's smile froze.
He saw something inside Zabuza's hand—a small jar, sealed with an explosive tag.
Zabuza stared at him coldly.
> "You think I'd just stand here and maintain a Water Prison in a one-against-many battlefield? You think I'm here to die?"
He released the orb and leapt backward.
The Water Prison shattered, but a stream of oil from the jar had already mixed with the water.
> "Ignite."
Boom!
A raging inferno consumed Hidan.
Even if the flames couldn't kill him outright, he wouldn't be able to drink any more blood. It would all evaporate in the heat.
As Hidan burned, Zabuza retreated, leaving Terumi Mei and Kakuzu exchanging powerful large-scale ninjutsu. Their battle was like two artillery units going head to head.
Zabuza, who needed time to prepare jutsu like Water Dragon Bomb, had no opportunity to join in.
But then—
> Wait!
Zabuza's instincts flared.
Something was off.
He narrowed his eyes at Kakuzu.
> "Where's his right hand?"
Was it melted by the Lava Style?
Just as the thought formed—
Boom!
The ground behind Zabuza exploded.
A limb stitched with black tendrils erupted from the earth, grabbed Oda Ieyasu, and flung him toward Kakuzu.
> "It's over."
Kakuzu's Lightning Mask rotated into position.
> "Lightning Style: Pseudo-Dark!"
A spear of crackling lightning surged forward, aiming straight for the airborne daimyo.
> "You dirty bastard!" Kanhara Hayato shouted.
Terumi Mei tried to form a seal, but she was too late. Instead, she jumped into the air herself, ready to shield Ieyasu with her body.
But Ieyasu acted first.
With a flick of his sleeves, two scrolls dropped into his hands.
Who said daimyos were poor?
He activated the first scroll—a sealing charm—which surged forward and swallowed the lightning spear, neutralizing it.
The second scroll unleashed a gleaming sword.
Oda Ieyasu had trained in both martial and literary arts since childhood.
He grabbed the sword, twisted mid-air, and with one clean stroke, beheaded the samurai holding his unconscious son.
Then, he caught Hideyoshi in his arms.
Zabuza arrived just in time to cover them.
Terumi Mei exhaled.
That had been far too close.
If Oda Ieyasu had died under their protection, there would be no way to hold out until Logan returned. It would've been a disgrace.
But now, they had retrieved both the daimyo and his son. They had lasted nearly four minutes. If the enemy had any sense, they should begin retreating.
Then—
Hideyoshi stirred.
Still cradled in Ieyasu's arms, the boy slowly opened his eyes.
And raised a shining kunai.
> "Careful!!" Terumi Mei screamed.
Too late.
The kunai pierced Oda Ieyasu's abdomen.
A voice, calm and cold, echoed through the stunned silence.
> "I didn't want to cause you pain. But this body is too small… and you just had a heart transplant. I couldn't stab too deep."
> "Don't worry. The blade is coated with poison."
Yamanaka Feng.
Using the Heart-Transforming Puppet Curse Technique, he had sealed Hideyoshi's soul into a scarecrow and taken over the boy's body himself.
> "Who… are you?!"
Oda Ieyasu gritted his teeth and raised his blade, ready to strike.
But he hesitated.
> "Dad…?"
The clarity in Hideyoshi's eyes returned.
Yamanaka Feng had lifted the curse, returning Hideyoshi's soul to his body.
The boy looked around, confused and terrified. His eyes welled with tears.
> "Don't be afraid," Ieyasu whispered, forcing a smile. "Daddy's fine."
He tossed the sword aside and hugged his son tightly.
Then he saw it—
A fresh surgical seam across Hideyoshi's chest.
> "You… stole my son's heart?!"
Terumi Mei injected an antidote into Ieyasu's body. But this kind of targeted poison required a specialist. They had to find a doctor—fast.
Her and Zabuza's faces turned grim.
If this had started as a battle, it had now become personal.
This wasn't about fame.
This was about Logan's trust.
Hidan, charred but still grinning, casually walked over.
> "No hard feelings, Brother Daimyo. Work is work. Embrace the Evil God—you'll find peace. Come on, give dying a try."
Oda Ieyasu picked up the dropped sword.
He shoved Zabuza's supporting arm aside, stood up, and stared at the two Akatsuki.
> "F**k your mother."
"...Huh?"
Everyone froze.
The ever-polite daimyo, known for his gentle demeanor, had just shouted the crudest curse imaginable.
> "Didn't hear me?"
He gripped the sword with both hands. His face twisted in rage.
> "I SAID—F**K YOUR MOTHER!!"
What etiquette? What diplomacy?
All that remained was wrath.
He wanted them all dead.
Oda Ieyasu took a step forward—but a firm hand landed on his shoulder.
A calm voice followed.
> "Let me go first."
The battlefield fell silent.
Overhead, thunder rumbled.
From the distant sky, golden clouds drifted forward—glowing brighter than the sun and burning into the eyes of everyone present.
---
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