"Hahahahahaha! Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"
Just as silence had settled over the heart of Kirigakure, Hidan suddenly burst into manic laughter.
His voice sounded like the screech of a night owl.
Hoarse.
Grating.
He clutched his stomach and laughed so hard that he nearly doubled over, tears almost streaming from his eyes.
He nearly dropped the bloodstained triple-bladed scythe in his hand.
The scene immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Including Uchiha Kai, who had been preparing to deal with the Three-Tails.
"Submission?"
"The dignified candidate for Fifth Mizukage?!"
"One of the most famous beauties in the ninja world?!"
"Actually kneeling before a brat whose balls haven't even dropped yet and pledging loyalty?! She even offered up a damn rag as tribute?!"
Hidan screamed in an exaggerated tone while wildly gesturing.
One hand pointed at the pale-faced Mei Terumi kneeling beside Kai.
The other pointed at Kai, whose face was full of impatience.
"By the glorious Lord Jashin!"
"I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've ever seen something this hilarious!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Wooo!"
"If Kirigakure has no capable people, fine!"
"But does Konoha not have anyone left either?!"
"Of all people, you picked a milk-drinking brat as your backer?!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Trash! A bunch of trash!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became.
Saliva flew everywhere from his gradually whitening face.
A twisted ecstasy began to appear in his eyes.
"Oi, brat!"
"Has your body hair even grown in yet?"
"And you're already recruiting followers?"
"What unifying the ninja world?"
"What turning guns on other villages?"
"What chasing dogs and catching chickens?"
"You don't actually think you're some kind of savior, do you?"
"How about Uncle Hidan teaches you how to use that little thing of yours, huh?"
"Hahahahaha!"
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Hidan's expression instantly became cold.
His face turned solemn and sacred.
"Since that's the case..."
"I'll offer you as a sacrifice to Lord Jashin myself."
"Let's see whether that little thing of yours is actually useful."
"Or perhaps—"
"I'll have Shark Face personally find out what a little bug like you tastes like."
Kisame: ???
"HIDAN, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"
"SHUT UP!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!"
At that moment, Kisame—who had only just processed what Hidan was shouting—turned completely green.
His voice cracked from panic.
He abruptly sat upright from the pile of rubble.
Veins bulged across his blue shark-like face.
He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to rush over and smash Hidan's suicidal mouth shut.
You want to die?
Fine!
Just don't drag me down with you!
Unfortunately, Hidan wasn't listening.
After activating Jashin's ritual, the madness of a Jashinist believer had completely overwhelmed his rational mind.
Seeing Kisame's terrified appearance, contempt flashed through his eyes.
"Shark Face!"
"You're actually scared?"
"I never thought a giant bastard over six feet tall would be frightened by some little brat!"
"Trash!"
"All of you are trash!"
"If you don't dare!"
"If you're afraid!"
"Then I'll teach all of you a lesson today!"
"Once I sacrifice this brat to Lord Jashin, you'll understand he's nothing more than a little kid!"
After speaking, Hidan swung his bloody triple-bladed scythe.
Dark-red Jashin chakra poured into it frantically.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzzzzz.
An eerie aura gradually spread through the air.
Against the overwhelming pressure of the Three-Tails' chakra, it forcibly carved out a small independent space.
Then he prepared to charge straight toward Uchiha Kai.
"That's enough, you fucking idiot!"
The instant Hidan moved, Kisame's eyes nearly split apart.
He lunged forward to stop him.
Boom!
Rumble!
Crack!!!
"The fuck, Shark Face?!"
"You actually dared hit me?!"
"I'm hitting you because you're a moron!"
"If I don't kill you today, I'll take your damn surname!"
"Looking for death?!"
"Taste my scythe!"
"Taste my—"
Rumble! Rumble!
No one had expected the two Akatsuki members to start fighting because of Uchiha Kai.
And not some half-hearted exchange, either.
They were genuinely trying to kill each other.
The shockwaves from their battle quickly spread everywhere.
"Th-The village..."
Mei Terumi's heart tightened.
She was about to speak when she suddenly saw the small man before her move.
"You two..."
Kai began walking forward.
His voice carried unquestionable authority.
He didn't even bother raising his eyelids.
He merely glanced casually in Kisame's direction.
Thump!
In an instant, Kisame's entire body stiffened.
It felt as though an invisible beast had locked onto him.
The strike he had been about to swing froze in midair.
Especially after seeing Kai's completely expressionless face.
Then he glanced sideways at the crazed Hidan.
In his tiny shark eyes...
Only endless resignation remained.
Forget it.
Forget it.
Everyone has their own fate.
Respect it.
Sigh.
He let out a long, heavy sigh.
Just as he sheathed his blade and prepared to retreat—
A flash of cold light appeared before him.
Then a sharp pain shot through his waist.
Kisame froze.
Instinctively, he looked up.
Across from him, Hidan stood with his scythe in hand, laughing arrogantly with his hands on his hips.
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Shark Face!"
"I've never liked you!"
"Now your blood is in my hands!"
His laughter abruptly stopped.
His face became unbearably smug.
It looked as though the words "I've got you by the balls now" were written directly across his forehead.
"You!"
"What are you trying to do?!"
Kisame's face darkened.
Naturally, he knew Hidan's specialty.
But he genuinely couldn't understand it.
They were members of the same organization.
Where did Hidan get the courage to pull something like this?
Most importantly—
Kisame had only stopped Hidan in order to save Hidan's life!
"What am I trying to do?"
"Shark Face!"
Hidan exhaled slowly.
His expression grew even more arrogant.
"I'm giving you two choices."
"Either get on your knees and beg me for forgiveness."
"Or—"
"I swallow this drop of blood right now."
"The choice is yours."
Damn it!
Kisame laughed from pure anger.
At that moment, he finally understood why Itachi always said not to be a saint during troubled times.
Fuck!
He tried to save someone.
And ended up dragging himself into the mess.
Worse yet—
The person he tried to save was the one dragging him down!
"Haaa..."
After taking several deep breaths, Kisame finally spoke.
His eyes had become completely cold.
"I choose..."
"A third option."
He instantly turned around.
Then—
Plop.
He dropped to his knees before Uchiha Kai.
Only then did he continue.
"Lord Kai!"
"You have to uphold justice for me!"
"I only stopped because I was following your command!"
"Otherwise this little idiot wouldn't have been able to touch Old—"
"Old Shark here at all!"
"You tell me, Lord Kai!"
"Are you going to handle this or not?!"
"Lord Kai!"
"If you don't handle it..."
"If you don't handle it..."
At this point, Kisame looked around.
Then the six-foot-three giant suddenly sat down on the ground.
His voice immediately became pitiful.
"If you don't handle it..."
"Then I'm not getting up!"
Kai: ...
Mei Terumi: ???
Hidan: !!!
The scene instantly widened Hidan's eyes in shock.
What the hell was going on?
Couldn't beat him...
So he went looking for a parent instead?
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