Early morning.
Hidan tugged on the Anbu combat uniform, the black cloth clinging to his lean frame.
Over his face, he slipped on the mask that once belonged to his cult's former leader, a hideous red tengu mask, sharp nose jutting out, covering all but a streak of his silver hair.
On his back hung the Bloody March Scythe, its triple blades glinting faintly in the dawn light.
He looked like some edgy festival cosplayer who got lost on his way to Comic Con... except, no, this was real, and his weapon was very much designed to carve people apart.
Stretching his shoulders, he stepped out of the hut and broke into a jog, heading toward the surface world and the coordinates his mission scroll had given him.
"I'm a man in a mission, oops...man on a mission," he hummed, mangling the tune into something vaguely resembling music.
"Shining eyes for a gift, shining eyes for a gift I need… hmm hmm hm."
Yes. Hidan Uchiha… no, correction, Hidan the silver-haired weirdo with a scythe… was now apparently a morning singer too.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Konoha
"Itachi, long time no see. How's the Anbu treating you?"
Shisui Uchiha had just stepped out of his door, ready to head out on his own mission, when he caught sight of his best friend. His partner in countless drills, his near-brother.
"…Yes. Long time no see." Itachi's voice carried its usual calm, but his eyes softened. Since he'd joined the Anbu Division, he hadn't seen Shisui as much. Duty weighed heavier on both of them.
"You're heading out?" Itachi's gaze moved to Shisui's gear...the armor, the kunai pouch, the subtle tension in his shoulders.
"Yes." Shisui forced a small smile, though unease gnawed at him. "Just a mission. But… today feels strange. My heart's not calm."
Itachi tilted his head. "Something happened? Do you need me to come along?"
Shisui waved it off, gratitude in his eyes. "It's nothing. Just instinct. I'll see you tomorrow, Itachi."
And with that, his body blurred, faster than even Itachi's Sharingan could fully follow. Shisui's mastery of the Body Flicker Technique was at a level few shinobi could dream of.
"…I must be overthinking." Itachi exhaled softly. Shisui was a genius, a wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had always been Itachi's guide, his anchor, his sail against the storm. Surely, nothing would happen.
But what Itachi didn't realize was that this "goodbye" carried the weight of a farewell neither of them expected.
By a small lake, Shisui crouched on the damp grass, watching the rippling water. Morning dew dripped from the leaves, tiny droplets landing on the surface with soft plinks.
This was his rendezvous point.
The mission: assassinate a traitor of the Anbu.
The target's name? Hidan.
Shisui didn't know much about him beyond the file... a silver-haired kid with a record of suspicious behavior. It didn't matter.
Orders were orders, and Shisui's loyalty to Konoha was ironclad. He trusted the mission scrolls. He trusted the chain of command.
At least… he always had.
A shadow stepped into view.
Slim figure. Tengu mask. Bloody scythe strapped across his back.
"Yo. Hello, Shisui Uchiha," Hidan greeted cheerfully, like this was a tea party.
Shisui's eyes narrowed. He shouldn't know my name.
According to the mission briefing, this boy was supposed to disguise himself as Shisui's partner.
In truth, Danzō had arranged for them to "work together," only so one could eliminate the other.
Hidan, oblivious as he was, assumed he could use this to sneak attack Shisui.
What he didn't realize was that Danzō had already surrounded the area with Root operatives. To Root, Hidan was nothing but disposable bait.
Still, Shisui played along. "Are you my partner for this mission?"
"Hah! Damn right. Name's Hidan," the boy said, puffing himself up.
"…Then let's work well together," Shisui replied flatly, extending his hand.
Their palms met.
Clang!
In the same instant, Hidan whipped out his scythe, chakra flooding his body, aiming for Shisui's throat.
Shisui's kunai intercepted with a spark.
The metal rang out across the silent lake.
"…Seems like we've been played," Hidan muttered, pretending as if he didn't just try to cut Shisui in half.
Both men sprang back, eyes locked.
This wasn't a mission. This was a setup.
Hidan clicked his tongue. His plan had been simple... catch Shisui off guard like Danzō once did in the anime, score the win, then strut away.
Easy. Except, yeah, turns out reality wasn't that cooperative.
Shisui wasn't some background character. He had the Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo, and the dreaded Kotoamatsukami in his back pocket.
Facing him head-on was like trying to wrestle a lion with a sword.
For Hidan, that meant one thing: if this dragged on, Itachi would show up, and then Danzō's plan would succeed in wiping them both out.
And Hidan? He had no intention of dying just because some wrinkly old schemer wanted him gone.
Shisui's eyes narrowed. He'd already pieced it together. This wasn't about some traitor named Hidan. This was about him. Danzō had lured him here, using the silver-haired boy as bait.
The Mangekyō spun, its pattern shifting into four-pointed shuriken. The power of Kotoamatsukami pulsed faintly.
Hidan froze. Crap. If he makes eye contact, I'm done.
"Wait! Shisui!" Hidan shouted, lowering his scythe. "I'm Itachi's new Anbu partner! Danzō's behind this! He's playing us both. You don't really wanna fight me, right?"
Shisui hesitated. The words landed, though his Sharingan still burned. He searched for lies in Hidan's eyes.
"Listen," Hidan pressed on quickly, "pretend we're fighting, then break through the encirclement with me. Once we meet up with Itachi, I'll explain everything. You'll see I'm not lying!"
Shisui remained silent for a beat… then nodded slightly. "Fine."
Green chakra flared to life around Shisui, Susanoo's skeletal ribs taking form. Bone-like arms rose, a guardian ready to crush anything in its path.
Hidan grinned. "Perfect! Time for some real fireworks."
He stomped the ground. "Eight Gates Release Formation—Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain, open!"
Unlike Guy or Lee, Hidan's activation didn't dye his skin red or blue. Instead, raw chakra swirled around him like a storm, his muscles tightening, speed and strength skyrocketing.
Together, the two launched forward.
To Root, it must have looked like a genuine deathmatch: Hidan roaring with his scythe, Shisui's Susanoo smashing down with skeletal fists.
But in truth, their attacks angled toward the surrounding shadows where Root agents lurked.
Steel clashed. Trees splintered. The lake rippled with shockwaves.
And through it all, two shinobi... one loyal to Konoha, one loyal only to himself, sprinted side by side toward freedom, knowing that once Itachi appeared, the truth would finally be revealed.
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