"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
A blade of compressed air tore across the battlefield like a finger of steel, ripping through the air with deadly precision. In the blink of an eye, it was already upon Hidan.
"You nasty motherfucker!" Hidan roared, twisting his body at the last second, trying to force himself just out of the line of fire.
Phew—!
The razor-sharp wind sliced clean through his shoulder, blood spraying into the air before the jutsu vanished into the distant trees.
"Gh...damn it!" Hidan hissed, clutching at the wound as hot blood ran freely down his arm.
He hadn't expected Danzō to be this shameless.
A sneak attack from the shadows and not just any attack, but a lethal, pinpoint assassination jutsu like Wind Release: Vacuum Wave.
The cut wasn't fatal, but it was vicious. His shoulder throbbed, every movement now heavier and slower.
Torune and Fū pressed in immediately, merciless in their coordination.
Steel clashed, insects hissed, and psychic pressure surged from every angle.
The once cocky, sharp-tongued brat, silver hair flashing and scythe spinning was now smeared in his own blood, his body battered and beaten down.
In that moment, the proud, handsome boy who had swaggered at Konoha's gates looked more like a beggar drenched in red.
And yet, even in that state, his eyes still burned with defiance.
"Since I'm dying anyway… then let's take some of you down with me too!" Hidan said, his face unnervingly calm.
He knew the end might be near, but instead of fear, a strange clarity settled in.
Not because he accepted death...no, he wanted to stay calm so he could exploit his hidden ability.
The power to curse others through their blood. If he was going down, he'd make sure they came with him.
He lunged forward recklessly, trading wounds for wounds. Fū's shuriken tore into his side, but Hidan's scythe carved straight across Fū's abdomen.
"Fū! Are you okay?!" Torune shouted in shock. He hadn't expected Hidan to fight with such madness...injuring himself just to hurt his enemy.
Seeing Fū, his comrade of many years, take a direct blow left him worried, but beneath the worry was a creeping unease. Something about this boy wasn't normal.
"Hahaha… Then I'll kill one first. There's always time for the rest! Death never arrives late…"
Hidan laughed manically. He ripped the shuriken out of his stomach and tossed it to the ground.
Blood streamed freely, pumping faster with every beat of his heart. The sight of his own blood didn't slow him...it excited him, driving him into frenzy. His killing intent spilled out like a storm.
Danzō's eyes narrowed. He studied Hidan coldly.
This brat should have been crippled by his wounds already. And yet, even with such serious injuries, he still pressed on. It only slowed him, never stopped him.
Danzō's frown deepened. Strange. Very strange.
If this continues… something unexpected may happen here today.
Hidan laughed, dragging his tongue across the blood staining the edge of the Bloody March Scythe. His eyes glowed with manic delight as he whispered:
"Death… is coming."
Danzō's heart jolted. He didn't know what technique the boy was preparing, but the oppressive unease in his chest screamed at him.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Without hesitation, Danzō unleashed his signature jutsu. Blades of wind burst forth like bullets, ripping through the air in a deadly barrage aimed to silence Hidan before he could act.
But Hidan didn't even flinch. He ignored the storm of vacuum blades, his focus consumed entirely by the thought of blood, curses, and dragging someone down to death with him.
And then...
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
A stern, aged voice rang out.
Countless shuriken whirled through the air, multiplying mid-flight into a storm of steel.
They tore apart the vacuum blades in a dazzling spray of sparks, scattering the deadly wind jutsu before it could reach Hidan.
"Huh…?" Hidan blinked, his manic grin faltering. He lowered his scythe, pausing the curse he was about to cast, and looked forward.
There, stepping into view, stood an old man cloaked in white.
The long robes of the Hokage, and the trailing cloak emblazoned with the single, burning kanji—"Fire."
The one who had arrived was none other than the Third Hokage himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Whew… old geezer, you finally showed up!"
Hidan let out a long breath. He'd been waiting for this moment, Sarutobi's arrival meant Danzō's little scheme had failed. With the Hokage here, that nasty old fucker wouldn't dare move openly against him.
"Little kid," Hiruzen turned his head with a faint smile, his tone half-joking, "I just saved your life. Is that really how you greet me?"
"Damn it…" Danzō cursed inwardly, his face darkening. Still a step too late, the Third Hokage had arrived in time.
Behind him, Torune Aburame and Fū Yamanaka immediately withdrew, slipping back into silence, their earlier aggression vanishing.
"Tch… who lives and who dies today isn't certain yet. Still...thanks, old geezer!" Hidan scoffed, though his thoughts ran wild.
If you'd been a second late, Fū would've been a dead man for sure. But if you hadn't shown up at all… then maybe I'd have been the corpse instead.
Not that he truly believed it. This was right at Konoha's gate. Even if the Hokage hadn't come, other shinobi would have. And with Danzō's reputation? Things could've turned ugly real quick.
"Hahahaha! What a funny little brat." Hiruzen chuckled, amusement in his voice, but his eyes soon shifted elsewhere.
He turned his gaze on Danzō, and the warmth drained from his expression. His eyes hardened, sharp and cold.
"Danzo, what's the meaning of this? Since when did the gates of Konoha become a place for you to pick fights?"
Danzō's face was dark, his eyes burning with unconcealed killing intent as he said coldly:
"This brat tried to break into Konoha and obtain information under Tsunade's name."
He knew he had to stick to this excuse. If he faltered, Hiruzen would seize the opportunity to suppress him even further.
The Third Hokage had long been dissatisfied with his methods, if this incident slipped through his fingers, it would be another crack in his power.
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised a brow, turning to Hidan with curiosity. Truthfully, he had rushed here after sensing Danzō's chakra and the clash at the village gate, he hadn't known what exactly was happening.
Hidan didn't waste words. Instead, he calmly pulled out the letter and offered it directly.
"This is a letter of recommendation from Tsunade-neechan. Please, take a look."
He was confident. With Tsunade's connection to the Hokage, there shouldn't be any issue for him to enter Konoha.
Hiruzen accepted the letter, unfolding it carefully.
His eyes softened as he read the familiar handwriting. His expression gradually warmed, his voice carrying genuine concern as he looked back to Hidan.
"Tsunade… is she well?"
The tone was so thick with worry that even Hidan felt it's thickness. The title of "the kindest old man in Konoha" really did fit.
Sarutobi's affection for his people was real except when it came to this viper, Danzō, and maybe… Naruto. Ahem, kidding.
"Tsunade-neechan asked me to pass on her greetings," Hidan said with a small smile. "And to tell you not to worry about them all the time."
As he spoke her name, a flicker of warmth passed through his heart, pulling up memories of those recent days and that unforgettable night.
Stand down, Dick-kun. Now's not the time, Hidan thought, forcing his body to stay composed.
"Hm…" Hiruzen nodded softly. His eyes fell on the blood covering Hidan's body, and he quickly realized this bold little brat wasn't just scratched he was seriously injured.
"Shouldn't you go to the medical team first?" Sarutobi asked with genuine concern. "It looks like those wounds aren't light…"
After all, this was someone recommended by his beloved pupil. If anything happened to Hidan, Tsunade would have his old beard pulled out for sure.
From the letter, it was clear Tsunade cared a lot about this kid, she mentioned him again and again, almost every line carrying his name.
The Third Hokage felt it strange, but brushed it off as Tsunade's way of showing concern.
"I'm fine," Hidan replied smoothly. "I have a special Kekkei Genkai. My recovery is strong. These little injuries are nothing."
He chose his words deliberately. Revealing part of his abilities now would make things easier down the road.
Eventually, he'd have to use them anyway. Better to plant the seed early than draw suspicion later.
And besides, his true trump card wasn't just his curse-by-blood ability, his real foundation was the Killing System.
As long as he kept growing stronger, no matter who knew what, they would never be able to stop him.
"That's good, that's good." Hiruzen let out a sigh of relief, clearly pleased with Hidan's sincerity.
His eyes softened even more, carrying the warmth of someone looking at family.
"Kekkei Genkai…" Danzō muttered darkly on the side. His expression sank further, his gaze sharpening like a knife.
By acting on impulse, he had not only failed to crush Hidan, but also attracted someone with a Kekkei Genkai into Sarutobi's camp.
The thought made his head throb. This boy… was already becoming a headache.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 100 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.