As Kanon's figure vanished into the distance, Obito emerged from the ground behind Zetsu.
"She's gone," Obito's voice drifted out, cold and indifferent.
"Yes," Zetsu nodded slightly.
"Grow quickly, Kanon Uchiha. Grow... so that you may kill Itachi Uchiha for me."
Zetsu looked puzzled. "Obito, why did you give her the intel about Kakuzu and Hidan being in danger?"
"To increase the success rate of her eventually killing Itachi."
"Do you truly believe she can defeat Itachi Uchiha?"
"I fought that girl when she was only six years old," Obito replied. "Her genius is no less than Itachi's. But she is too kind; her strength is stifled by that soft heart of hers."
He turned to Zetsu with a pointed question. "Zetsu, have you ever actually seen Kanon Uchiha use her full strength?"
Zetsu froze, momentarily speechless.
"Even when she was hunted by Konoha's top brass, even in the most desperate life-or-death moments, her conscience and kindness prevented her from truly hurting others," Obito continued. "She was the type of person who would rather be wounded than inflict pain. But once a person like that experiences true despair... she will upend the entire world. Trust me, Zetsu. When that time comes, no one will be her match. Not even Madara."
"Only those who have understood love can truly know hatred. This world is cruel; a personality like hers cannot survive here. We don't even need to act, this boring, hopeless shinobi world will push her into the abyss itself. Just wait. She is an existence capable of overturning the world."
Zetsu asked softly, "But she is clearly being influenced by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki."
"Don't worry. Naruto Uzumaki won't reach her; he doesn't understand her at all. Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can realize her true ideals. I will tell her about the Project Tsuki no Me myself eventually. For now, we just need more time."
…
"Be amazed! You godless heathens!"
"Alright, time for the counterattack! Kakuzu, hurry up and get me out of this jutsu!" Hidan roared.
"I know," Kakuzu replied. But just as he moved to intervene, a flash of lightning pierced through his heart from behind.
Cold sweat poured down Kakuzu's face from the agonizing pain. It was Kakashi. During the sneak attack, he had even managed to plunge a container into Kakuzu's skin.
"How... How did he get behind me without a sound?" Kakuzu trembled, glaring back at Kakashi.
"What a shame," Kakashi whispered.
"Huh? What's going on?! I thought you said physical attacks didn't work on you!" Hidan yelled, confused.
Kakashi spoke quietly into Kakuzu's ear. "I've already seen through your body-hardening technique. Judging by your hand signs, it's an Earth Release nature transformation."
"You bastard... you saw through my signs in that split second?" Kakuzu spat. "And to possess Lightning Release as powerful as Kanon-chan's... I see. You're her teacher. Copy Ninja Kakashi."
Kakuzu grit his teeth, coughing up blood. He realized a much more troublesome opponent had arrived.
"Lightning Release beats Earth Release. It seems we aren't compatible. It's over," Kakashi said calmly.
Nearby, Shikamaru was reaching his limit. "Kakashi-sensei!" he shouted.
Kakashi understood; the Shadow Possession Jutsu had reached its breaking point. He yanked his hand out, and Kakuzu stumbled, collapsing to the ground.
Hidan, however, didn't seem worried at all. He even started mocking his partner. "Straight through the heart, huh? Try not to get killed so easily, would ya? Jeez!"
Kakashi turned his calm gaze toward Hidan. "Now... it's your turn."
Lightning surged in Kakashi's hand, forming a Chidori. He locked eyes with Hidan and lunged forward at high speed.
But mid-sprint, Kakuzu suddenly lashed out with a kick, sending Kakashi flying. The impact was so great that Kakashi smashed through several withered trees before coming to a halt.
Hidan smiled as he saw Kakuzu stand back up. "You were acting all cool just now, saying 'it's over,' weren't you?"
Kakashi rose from the debris, looking at Kakuzu in disbelief. How is this possible? I definitely hit a vital organ.
Kakuzu looked at Kakashi coldly, while Hidan laughed maniacally. "Alright, let's settle this quickly."
"My thoughts exactly," Kakuzu said, shedding his Akatsuki cloak to reveal his Earth Grudge Fear!
Numerous black tendrils erupted from Kakuzu's body as four masked monsters emerged from his back. Simultaneously, Shikamaru reached his limit, and the shadows beneath Hidan's feet retracted.
"Finally, I can move!" Hidan snorted.
Kakashi stumbled as he stood; Kakuzu's kick had been incredibly heavy. He stared at Kakuzu, baffled that the man was still alive despite the hole in his chest.
Hidan cracked his neck. "Alright... let's do this, Kakuzu."
"Fine," Kakuzu nodded.
"Lord Jashin, please watch!" Hidan shouted ecstatically. "I'm going to fight for real! Very, very seriously! I'm going to pull their guts out!"
Suddenly, one of Kakuzu's masked monsters collapsed into a heap of black thread.
"Kakuzu! Hey! One of 'em died the second it came out! That's embarrassing, man!" Hidan yelled.
Kakashi froze. He had just deduced one of Kakuzu's abilities: the Chidori he had landed earlier had actually destroyed that specific heart-mask.
It seems he has some tricks up his sleeve... Kakashi mused.
"Hidan, back off. I'll handle this," Kakuzu warned.
Hidan raised his scythe, looking annoyed. "What! Wait a minute! I've been led around by the nose this whole time, and I'm pissed! I'm seeing this through to the end!"
Kakuzu snorted and began weaving signs. Recognizing the signal for the start of battle, Hidan vanished in a blur, reappearing instantly in front of Kakashi.
Hidan was fast. His taijutsu was currently on par with Kakashi's, forcing the Jonin to retreat step by step. Hidan's swings were heavy and relentless; every time Kakashi blocked, he had to be extremely careful. Combined with Hidan's manic laughter, it was a headache-inducing assault.
While Kakashi was occupied with the melee, one of the masked monsters hovered behind Hidan.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!" Kakuzu roared.
A terrifying blast of wind swept through the area, blowing both Hidan and Kakashi away. The immense gale leveled everything in the vicinity. With just one jutsu, the terrain was decimated. Shikamaru and Choji were tossed aside by the periphery of the blast, while Kakashi and Hidan, who took the brunt of the hit, vanished into the dust.
But Team 10 had no time to worry about Kakashi. Kakuzu had already turned his attention to the remaining three. Ino realized the next strike could kill Shikamaru and Choji.
"You two, run!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" Kakuzu's cold voice rang out as a bolt of lightning tore toward them.
At the critical moment, Kakashi appeared, using his Chidori to intercept the blast. His vest had been shredded by the wind, and he was forced to use both hands just to hold back the lightning.
He panted, staring grimly at Kakuzu. This was different from Deidara; he hadn't been part of the fight against Sasori, which was mostly Sakura and Lady Chiyo. Now, Kakashi was experiencing the true power of the Akatsuki firsthand.
Kakuzu was taking on four people at once without losing ground, in fact, he was dominating. Between his masks and Hidan's lethal rituals, their abilities were incomprehensible.
Moreover, the Akatsuki boasted members like Itachi Uchiha and Kanon Uchiha. Cold sweat began to bead on Kakashi's forehead. He was finally realizing the sheer hopelessness Asuma must have felt. If Hidan hadn't insisted on fighting alone back then, Team 10 might have been wiped out instantly.
As they stalled, Kakashi's mind raced to analyze Kakuzu's traits.
Hidan walked up beside Kakuzu. "Not bad for Kanon's teacher. You're the first one to survive that and stay on your feet, Kakashi Hatake."
"He likely saw through it with that Sharingan," Kakuzu nodded, before beginning a new set of signs. "But how will you deal with the next one?"
Another masked monster stepped forward.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
A massive sea of flames surged toward the four of them, the intense heat leaving them wide-eyed.
"Move!" Shikamaru barked. The four of them retreated frantically to avoid being incinerated.
As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Kakashi leaped out, but Hidan was already in pursuit. At least in terms of taijutsu, neither Kakashi nor Hidan were gaining a clear advantage.
He's definitely not going to be easy...
…
The Land of Fire. Bounty Station.
"Strange... they aren't here?" Kanon muttered. She had hoped to find Hidan and Kakuzu's trail here, but the place had been scrubbed clean.
"Sigh, honestly." Kanon threw up her hands. As she stood there in her Akatsuki cloak, she had already been spotted.
"You Konoha shinobi... waiting here to ambush me, I see."
Kanon looked up. Sure enough, four Konoha shinobi appeared on the rooftops above.