"Ugh..." Now that Kakuzu mentioned it, he had a point.
The Rasengan Fire Dance gradually dissipated, and Kanon took a step back, leaving the battlefield to Kakuzu and Hidan.
"Kanon, take this to the organization for storage." Kakuzu handed the suitcase containing thirty million Ryo to Kanon.
"Eh?"
"Hidan and I are enough here."
"No way. Last time I left, Sasori-nii ended up dead. I'm not leaving this time; I'm fighting by your side until the end!" Kanon gripped her Kusanagi Sword, eyes fixed on Shikamaru and the others.
"Kanon, just go. Both Kakuzu and I are immortal; you don't need to worry about us dying."
"But..."
"No 'buts,' Kanon. I'm the team leader!" Kakuzu frowned. It was fine that Kanon cared for them, but her jutsu tended to damage the bodies. He was terrified that one slip-up from her would lead to the Bounty Station docking his pay.
That simply wouldn't do. The best arrangement was for Kanon to return to base and deposit the funds while he finished off Asuma and collected the next bounty.
"Fine... alright." Kanon took the suitcase from Kakuzu. Her Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun as she activated her Flower Realm. She was swept up in a vortex of roses and vanished from the spot.
"Tch! A Space-Time Ninjutsu?!" Asuma was still trying to analyze the situation.
In that same instant, Kakuzu blurred out of sight. He appeared before Asuma in a flash, stomping hard on the man's existing wounds before sending him flying with a single punch.
The sheer speed of the takedown left Shikamaru's group stunned. They realized then that Kanon and the others had just been playing with them. Now that Kakuzu was done playing, a casual strike was all it took to down Asuma.
Ruthless as ever and possessing peerless combat experience, Kakuzu leaped back and drove his knee into Asuma's spine. The sickening sound of bone snapping echoed through the air, followed by Asuma's agonized scream.
Shikamaru brought his teeth together. Further away, Kotetsu Hagane let out a desperate shout. Izumo Kamizuki was dead; he was the only one left capable of fighting.
Kakuzu walked over to Hidan's torso and hauled it upright.
"Since you asked for help, I'll be joining in from here on out," Kakuzu said, steadying Hidan's head and using his threads to begin stitching it back onto the neck.
"Yeah, I get it..."
"Ah! Ow, that hurts..."
"Hey! Stay still!"
Shikamaru broke into a cold sweat, a sense of impending doom washing over him.
Sure enough, Hidan stretched his limbs, his mobility fully restored.
"His head... it's reattached!" Kotetsu cried out in shock.
Hidan cracked his neck, loosening up his body. "Finally back together."
"Don't move too much, or it'll just fall off again."
Hidan immediately swung his spear. "Kakuzu, you nag too much."
Seeing the two of them restored, Kotetsu, a Special Jonin, felt his body tremble as he looked at the unseeing eyes of the fallen Izumo.
What kind of monsters are we fighting...?
Shikamaru's mind raced at high speeds, searching for a way to break the deadlock. One man was immortal; the other could stitch together severed limbs. If anything, the situation was only marginally better because Kanon had left. One by one, the members of the Akatsuki were revealing terrifying, god-like abilities.
Kakuzu began lecturing Hidan again. "Setting the ritual aside, your fighting and your talking both take far too long. I'll leave the bounty to you."
Hidan looked confused, then turned his gaze toward the prone Asuma.
"I have some scores to settle with him. I can't break the commandments, after all!"
"That again? Whatever." Kakuzu waved a hand dismissively and turned toward Kotetsu and Shikamaru. "Kanon took out one. I'll handle the remaining two."
"Kotetsu!" Shikamaru barked.
"I know!" Kotetsu summoned a giant, shell-like mace, bracing himself to hold Kakuzu back.
But Kakuzu's experience and ability caught him completely off guard. Kakuzu's hands detached and shot forward; one pinned Kotetsu's arm while the other clamped firmly around his throat.
The struggle was over in seconds. A Special Jonin was simply no match for Kakuzu.
By now, Shikamaru was completely drained of chakra. Kneeling on the ground, he didn't have the strength left to save anyone.
"A Konoha Jonin... still took a bit of effort," Kakuzu muttered under his breath.
Seeing that Kakuzu had neutralized the interference, Hidan smirked. "Alright, looks like Kakuzu is wrapping up on his end. I should probably get started too, or he'll start complaining about the ritual taking too long again."
Hidan stepped back into the blood-stained crest he had drawn on the ground. He looked down at the unconscious Asuma with a cold, detached expression.
"Goodbye, Kanon-chan's 'respected teacher'."
Suddenly, Asuma's eyes snapped open. He had been feigning unconsciousness, waiting for this exact moment to launch a surprise attack.
Startled, Hidan leaped back, hurling a sharp black stake to parry Asuma's strike. He then yanked the cable on his scythe, sending the blade whistling toward Asuma's back.
"Asuma, behind you!" Shikamaru screamed.
In the nick of time, Asuma dropped to the ground. The returning scythe missed him and buried itself deep in Hidan's own waist.
Asuma lay panting on the dirt, blood seeping from his abdomen. Shikamaru let out a breath of relief, only for his pupils to shrink again.
Asuma tried to force a smirk. "The same trick... won't work twice..."
Before he could finish, a wave of agonizing pain from a self-inflicted gut wound surged through him. The piercing sensation nearly caused Asuma to black out from shock.
While everyone's attention had been hyper-focused, Hidan had quietly stepped back into his ritual circle. He roared with laughter, watching Asuma cough up blood.
"It's not the same thing at all, you idiot!"
Asuma clutched his gushing stomach, his face a mask of horror.
"D-Damn it!" Kotetsu wept. His partner Izumo was dead, he had been powerless to stop Kanon, and now Asuma was about to die before his very eyes.
Even Shikamaru's mind was a blur; the concept of death loomed over him with terrifying clarity. He forced his trembling body upright, flashing back to the mission to retrieve Sasuke. He had been so powerless then, and today felt exactly the same.
He was still trembling. Still incompetent. Still standing there, utterly spent.
He lunged forward with everything he had left, trying to stop Hidan. His heart screamed in frustration.
Damn it!
In the end... in the end, are you really going to sacrifice yourself to protect your comrades?!
If only I could have thought of a better strategy, this wouldn't have...!
It's all my fault. My fault...
Seeing Asuma coughing up blood on the brink of death, Shikamaru's vision tunneled.
"Just a little faster! Just a little faster!"
"If... if I weren't so useless... Asuma wouldn't have to suffer like this!"
But his chakra was gone. The searing pain in his muscles caused Shikamaru to stumble and crash into the dirt. From the ground, he saw Hidan pull out another black stake.
"How is it? Hurts, doesn't it?"
Seeing that Asuma no longer had the strength to answer, Hidan twisted the scythe blade still embedded in his own waist. Asuma let out a strangled cry as more blood sprayed from his midsection.
Hearing that scream, Hidan erupted into manic laughter.
"Hehehehe... Hahahahaha!"
"This feels... incredible!"
"Finally... finally I get to taste that pain. The pain of killing you!"
"Hahaha! You'll pay for insulting Kanon-chan just now! Hahahahaha!"
Hidan laughed like a madman. In the reflection of Asuma's eyes, Hidan's hand began to descend.
"It's over," Kakuzu said softly.
"STOP IT!!!" Shikamaru shrieked.
But Hidan wouldn't stop. The massive stake plunged through Hidan's own chest. In that moment, everything ended.
A high-pitched ringing filled Shikamaru's ears. He couldn't believe this was real. Above, countless white pigeons took flight as Asuma's pupils dilated to their limit.
…
The Hidden Leaf Village.
Kurenai Yuhi was in her room watering flowers. Suddenly, a rose fell to the floor, its petals withering instantly. A cold shiver of dread washed over her.
The watering can was empty, but her eyes welled up with tears. She turned her gaze toward the direction of Asuma's home.
"Asuma..."
…
Back at the battlefield, Asuma's breathing had become shallow and heavy. His body was a map of scars and fresh wounds, his flak jacket soaked crimson. He slumped on his knees, his gaze wandering, life fading fast.
Shikamaru ran with every ounce of strength he possessed, but Asuma felt further and further away. The distance felt like the gap between life and death, an eternal separation.
"ASUMA!!!"
The physical pain caused Shikamaru to stumble once more. His hands shook violently as he reached out to save his sensei, but it was futile.
"Shikamaru..." Asuma's voice was a faint, raspy whisper. He struggled to turn his head toward his student, his eyes filled with regret and a silent apology.
Tears blurred Shikamaru's vision as he watched Asuma's body slowly slump over. In that moment, time seemed to stand still.