"Then let us grant him a fate worse than death!"
A cruel smile spread across Hidan's face as he raised the black spear once more.
Without hesitation, he plunged it into his own body.
Pfft!
This time, the spear pierced straight through his left arm.
"AAAAAHHH!"
Fu's agonized scream echoed across the battlefield.
Blood sprayed into the air as a gruesome wound suddenly appeared on his arm, mirroring the injury Hidan had inflicted upon himself.
"It worked!"
"You bastard!"
"Stop this right now!"
The remaining Takigakure shinobi were consumed by rage and helplessness.
Every instinct screamed at them to save Fu, but none dared to attack Hidan directly.
The immortal fanatic stood inside his strange ritual circle. Any damage inflicted upon him would immediately be transferred to Fu.
The shinobi clenched their fists in frustration.
In truth, there were methods other than physical attacks. Genjutsu, sealing techniques, and various restraining ninjutsu could potentially neutralize Hidan without harming Fu.
Unfortunately, Takigakure was a small village with limited resources and specialized techniques.
They simply lacked the tools needed to deal with an enemy like him.
All they could do was watch as Fu suffered.
The sight filled them with despair.
"No matter what, we have to save Fu!"
"If we can't attack that immortal freak, then attack his partner!"
"Force him to stop!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The remaining Takigakure shinobi immediately shifted their focus toward Kakuzu.
More than a dozen ninja charged forward with determination blazing in their eyes.
Kakuzu merely looked at them with cold contempt.
"Fools."
To them, Hidan appeared to be the greater threat.
In reality, Kakuzu was far more dangerous.
The moment the Takigakure shinobi approached, black tendrils erupted from Kakuzu's body.
The sight was horrifying.
His arms no longer resembled human limbs.
Instead, they appeared to be grotesque masses of writhing black threads.
Before the lead ninja could react—
Whoosh!
A tendril-covered arm shot forward.
It wrapped around the man's throat.
"Ghk!"
The ninja's eyes widened in shock.
Then Kakuzu lifted him effortlessly and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the earth beneath him.
Blood poured from the shinobi's mouth as his body went limp.
One strike.
One casualty.
The battlefield fell silent.
"T-That technique…"
"Could it be… Earth Grudge Fear?"
"Takigakure's legendary forbidden secret technique?"
"Wasn't that stolen decades ago?"
"How does this man possess it?"
Kakuzu's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Oh?"
"So someone still remembers it."
His eyes swept across the stunned shinobi.
"Yes. This is Earth Grudge Fear."
"As for how I obtained it…"
A chilling grin appeared on his face.
"The answer is simple."
"I stole it."
The entire battlefield froze.
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
"That happened generations ago!"
"How could you still be alive?"
Kakuzu snorted dismissively.
"You insects don't need to know."
The revelation struck the Takigakure shinobi like lightning.
Generations ago.
Before any of them had even been born.
The man standing before them had already been infamous.
The realization filled their hearts with terror.
Meanwhile, Hidan continued his sadistic torture.
Another stab.
Another scream.
Fu's body was covered in blood.
His breathing grew weaker with every passing second.
Despair settled over the battlefield.
"Is this really the end?"
"Is Takigakure going to fall here?"
Just as hope seemed lost—
A powerful voice suddenly echoed through the sky.
"Leaf Strong Hurricane!"
Another followed.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
Then a third.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
And finally—
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
A torrent of attacks descended from above like a devastating storm.
Their target was not Hidan.
It was Kakuzu.
Kakuzu's expression changed instantly.
These attacks were on an entirely different level from anything Takigakure had displayed.
His battle-hardened instincts reacted immediately.
Without hesitation, he leaped backward.
The Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm narrowly missed him.
The blazing fireball roared past.
But the Wind Release attack was unavoidable.
Kakuzu quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A massive wall of water erupted before him.
The incoming wind blades crashed against it.
Water exploded in every direction.
Winds howled.
Mist filled the battlefield.
For a brief moment, visibility disappeared.
Then—
A green blur burst through the haze.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Kakuzu's eyes widened.
Might Guy appeared before him like a flash of lightning.
"Leaf Strong Hurricane!"
BOOM!
The kick struck with overwhelming force.
Although Kakuzu had already hardened his body with Earth Release: Earth Spear, the impact still launched him backward.
His feet left the ground.
His body flew over ten meters before finally crashing down.
Dust exploded into the air.
Kakuzu slowly rose.
His expression had become serious.
"What incredible taijutsu…"
"Who are you?"
A green-clad figure landed gracefully before him.
A dazzling smile appeared on his face.
He extended a thumbs-up.
"The noble blue beast of Konoha!"
"Might Guy!"
As Guy made his dramatic entrance, three more figures landed nearby.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Hinata Hyuga.
Team Seven had arrived.
Kakuzu glanced at their forehead protectors.
"So…"
"Konoha reinforcements."
Naruto's eyes immediately fell upon Fu.
The sight made his blood boil.
Fu was covered in blood.
His body trembled weakly.
Even breathing seemed difficult.
Naruto clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
"You monsters…"
"You all deserve to die!"
Others saw a wounded jinchuriki.
Naruto saw something more.
He saw himself.
He understood exactly what Fu was going through.
The fear.
The isolation.
The feeling of being hunted simply because of the beast sealed within.
Because Naruto shared the same fate.
Fu could easily have been him.
And that realization filled him with uncontrollable anger.
Fu slowly lifted his head.
His vision was blurry.
Yet he recognized the blond-haired shinobi standing before him.
"You…"
"You're…"
Naruto stepped forward.
"Konoha Village."
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Fu's eyes widened.
"Uzumaki Naruto…"
"The jinchuriki from Konoha…"
"I heard about you…"
Naruto nodded firmly.
"Don't worry."
"We're here now."
"We'll save you."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)