"Heh heh, success!"
An arrogant laugh echoed through the entire underground cavern. After landing his strike, Hidan didn't waste a second—he turned and ran, bounding up and down like a monkey who had just stolen a banana.
Jigen's face darkened in fury. He was about to deliver a killing blow to Hidan.
"Banshō Ten'in."
At the critical moment, it was Nagato's true body who intervened. Pouring all his strength into the Rinnegan, he redirected Jigen's attack away.
"I'll leave holding this guy off to you all," Hidan shouted as he retreated behind the others, quickly sketching strange symbols onto the ground.
"We'll do what we can," Sasori replied in a deep voice. Countless chakra threads shot out from his chest, summoning hundreds of puppets before their eyes.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
"This opponent… looks like we'll have to risk our lives this time," Kakuzu muttered. His body writhed grotesquely, sprouting multiple masked, tentacled monstrosities at his side.
"Say, why aren't you all running away like the other half of Zetsu?" Deidara asked curiously. His hands, however, didn't pause, constantly kneading explosive clay.
"Run? Run where? The world is full of lies anyway." Kisame grinned, his Samehada blade fusing into his body. In the next instant, he had transformed into a towering half-man, half-shark monster. "Instead of fleeing into that false world, I'd rather fight to the bitter end right here."
He bared his sharp teeth at Deidara with a wide grin. "At least if someone goes with me to hell, I won't be lonely by the banks of the Sanzu River."
"Hahahaha, well said!" Deidara laughed back. "I always thought you were just a goofy guy, but turns out you're surprisingly reliable."
Kisame: …
I'll just take that as a compliment.
"…I think I might actually like you."
"Relax. Even if I fall to hell, I'll drag him down with me. I've still got a trump card up my sleeve."
Konan said nothing, but countless sheets of paper rained from the sky, coalescing into a massive paper dragon.
"Let this man witness the might of Akatsuki."
Nagato's true body stepped forward, pushing his chakra output to the limit. The Rinnegan in his eyes radiated with awe-inspiring power.
"To be honest, this is my first time seeing the boss's real body." Even while performing his ritual, Hidan couldn't resist inserting himself into the conversation.
Deidara burst out laughing. "Didn't expect the leader to be a handsome redhead!"
"Oh, and you too, Sasori-uncle. No, wait, now I should call you Sasori-little-brother. Hm!"
Sasori's voice turned chilling. "Deidara… do you want me to make you into a puppet?"
"Whoa, whoa, Sasori-brother, just kidding!" Deidara said quickly.
In just a few seconds, he had already called Sasori by three different titles.
"This bunch is so noisy."
Sasuke muttered, Susanoo already towering behind him as his Mangekyō Sharingan spun. Then, under his breath—words only he could hear—he added: "…but not bad."
"Heh." Neji chuckled softly, shaking his head. He seemed to enjoy this atmosphere.
For men, friendship often came down to nothing more than: sharing the same dorm, carrying the same guns, splitting the same loot.
Because of Naruto's presence, the Akatsuki members had been through multiple missions together, giving them far more interaction than in the original timeline. By now, they were truly comrades in life and death.
"Mere ants, no matter how many gather, remain ants."
With a single gesture from Jigen, countless massive black seals descended from the heavens, smashing Sasori's puppets to pieces.
Before Sasori could even mourn their loss, Jigen appeared right in front of him, thrusting another finger forward.
Sasori hurriedly moved the Third Kazekage puppet to block. Even with Magnet Release at full force, he couldn't scratch Jigen. His treasured Third Kazekage puppet was instantly reduced to fragments.
"Stop!"
Kakuzu, the closest one to Sasori, rushed to his aid. These two had not only carried guns together, but split loot as well.
"Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear – Tentacle Fist!"
Countless black tendrils lashed toward Jigen.
But he didn't dodge. Instead, he simply extended his hand and clenched his fist toward Kakuzu.
"Puuh!"
Blood spurted from Kakuzu's mouth as he was hurled backward.
One of his five hearts burst instantly. If not for Nagato quickly using Shinra Tensei to pull him to safety, even more of his hearts might have been destroyed.
"Paper Dragon Technique!"
"Explosive Clay – Twin-Headed Serpent!"
Konan and Deidara's attacks followed in tandem. Yet Jigen's palm manifested a black vortex, swallowing the blasts whole.
"Damn it… Looks like I'll have to use my strongest C4 if we're going to take this guy down."
But Jigen had no intention of giving Deidara that chance. In the blink of an eye, he was already right in front of him.
"You'll have to go through me first."
Shark-shaped and fused with Samehada, Kisame blocked Jigen's path. At the same time, Sasuke and Neji's coordinated attacks came crashing in.
"This ability…!"
The moment Jigen made contact with Kisame, a portion of his chakra was absorbed. That absorption ability countered him perfectly.
Just as he prepared to go all out, a sudden jolt ran through his heart.
Whipping his head around, his gaze locked onto the altar.
"Someone's undone my jutsu!"
The ground trembled, and faint bestial roars echoed in his ears.
"The Ten-Tails!"
Sensing something amiss with the Ten-Tails, Jigen abandoned the fight. The beast was the key to restoring his body—he couldn't risk anything happening to it.
"Trying to leave? Not so easy."
The Akatsuki wouldn't let him escape, especially now that Hidan had finished his preparations.
Hidan's body was now painted in black and white, his skin marked with skeletal patterns.
He slowly drew a black spear, raising it high as he burst into maniacal laughter. He looked every bit the fanatical high priest of a mad religion.
"Hahahaha! You'll be my offering to Lord Jashin!"
"I'm sure he'll love it."
With that, he thrust the spear straight into his own heart.
"Curse Technique: Death Possession Blood!"
Jigen suddenly felt a searing pain in his chest. He staggered to one knee, blood flooding his throat and spraying from his mouth.
"Blood?!"
He clutched his chest and pulled his hand away—his palm was covered in crimson.
A gaping hole had appeared in his chest.
The certain kill—Death Possession Blood!
"Hahahaha!" Hidan laughed wildly again. "How's it feel to have your heart pierced?"
"Just a mere curse technique!"
Danger glinted in Jigen's eyes. Even with his heart punctured, his monstrous vitality allowed him to keep moving. He resolved to kill Hidan even if it was the last thing he did with this body.
But before he could act, a wave of dizziness slammed into his brain.
"Feeling numbness in your limbs? Hands and feet not listening to you? Head getting heavier?"
"Heh heh, it's poison. I laced the spear with Sasori's special toxins."
Even poison can be transferred through his ritual?!
"This poison was made specifically for guys like you."
"Now—enjoy it!"