The situation flipped in an instant.
Even Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, Sasori, Jūzō Biwa, Kakuzu, and the others hadn't expected this—
After their leader, Deva Path, had been crushed by the Fifth Hokage with overwhelming force, the consequences would be this severe.
At this point, forget about carrying out the Konoha Tailed Beast Plunder Plan.
Even escaping had become a problem.
"The hunt begins."
High in the air, Uchiha Ren looked down at Kisame, Kakuzu, Hidan, Uchiha Itachi, and the others who were already pinned down. A faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Since you've all come—
Then stay in Konoha.
With a sharp crack in the air, Ren shot toward the area where Hidan and Kakuzu were fighting.
On Konoha's eastern side—
Kakashi and Might Guy were already fully engaged with Hidan and Kakuzu. As for the Three-Tails, it remained hidden in the artificial lake, quietly observing, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Boom after boom echoed through the area.
With the Fifth Gate open, Might Guy and Hidan clashed in the purest form of taijutsu, exchanging dozens of blows in the blink of an eye.
Bang!
With a violent explosion of force, Hidan failed to dodge in time and was sent flying—man and weapon together—by Guy's punch. He slammed hard into the ground not far away, the shockwave even making the earth tremble.
"Is this guy… a monster?"
Yet after landing that blow, Guy's expression remained extremely serious. He didn't relax in the slightest.
"Hahaha! I possess an immortal body!"
Standing up again, Hidan hefted his blood-soaked triple-bladed scythe, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and laughed wildly. "No matter what kind of injury I take, I won't die!"
His smile turned twisted and fanatical. "Such a powerful body—Lord Jashin will definitely love it."
As he spoke, Hidan casually rolled his shoulders.
"Immortal…?"
Seeing that Hidan showed no sign of injury at all, Guy's eyes sharpened and his fists clenched instinctively.
"But—do you see this?"
At that moment, Hidan suddenly bared a savage grin and pointed at the blade of his scythe.
There, clinging to the metal, was a single drop of eerily colored blood.
"What…?" Guy froze for a moment, then glanced down at his own arm. There was a tiny cut—barely noticeable.
He remembered it now.
During their exchange earlier, the scythe must have nicked him. The wound was so small that he hadn't paid it any attention.
"I told you…"
Hidan's laughter grew crazed. "Lord Jashin will like you very much…"
Under Guy's disbelieving gaze, Hidan licked the blood from his scythe, excitement flashing in his eyes—as if victory was already in his grasp.
"…Why do I suddenly have such a bad feeling?"
Facing such a bizarre opponent for the first time, Guy's expression darkened. Unease stirred in his chest.
Grinding his teeth, he prepared to press the attack anyway.
Whoosh!
However—
Just as Hidan finished tasting Guy's blood and was about to activate his curse technique, confusion suddenly flickered across his eyes.
Then—
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air.
Before Hidan could even react, his head was severed cleanly from his body.
"An immortal body?"
Ren stood there, calmly holding Hidan's head by the hair, his tone casual. "If I toss your body into a latrine pit and dump your head into a drainage ditch… doesn't that sound fun?"
"Let me go!"
Dangling helplessly, Hidan panicked despite himself. Hearing Ren's words, his heart lurched. He forced himself to shout angrily, "Lord Jashin won't forgive you! Fifth Hokage—Jashin will definitely kill you!"
"This guy uses a curse technique," Ren said… "Once he gets your blood, he draws a circle and links the damage to you."
"Here."
With that, Ren casually tossed Hidan's head to Guy.
Hidan had no regenerative ability. Once his head and body were separated, as long as they weren't reunited, he was effectively finished.
"Hidan… was taken out just like that?"
Guy stood there in a daze. Even holding Hidan's head in his hands, it still felt unreal.
"Damn it—Lord Jashin will punish you!"
"I'm immortal! I can't be killed! One day I'll sacrifice all of you—"
Smack!
Apparently finding him too noisy, Guy flashed his trademark bright grin, grabbed a thick branch, and stuffed it straight into Hidan's mouth.
Hidan could only let out muffled "mmph" sounds.
Seeing Hidan dealt with so easily, Kakuzu—his green eyes peering out from beneath his black mask—felt his heart sink. His expression turned ugly at once.
"Your opponent… is me."
Catching Kakuzu's momentary distraction, Kakashi's chakra surged. His hands flew through seals.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Damn you, Kakashi!!"
Seeing Kakashi copy yet another technique he'd used—and with the Fifth Hokage watching nearby like a predator—Kakuzu's anger exploded.
Five distinct chakra natures erupted from his body.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
"Water Release: Water Curtain!"
In the next instant, four masked creatures burst from Kakuzu's body. Kakuzu's skin hardened as Earth Spear took hold, and the four masks unleashed their elemental techniques toward Kakashi at the same time.
"…Damn it."
Staring at the five overwhelmingly violent attacks rushing in, Kakashi's expression tightened.
"If I don't use it now—"
He clenched his teeth and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
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