Naruto: Set a goal, conquer the universe.

Page 84

This doesn't feel like an arm!

Kakuzu grabbed Kai's foot with his backhand and flung him aside.

Kai somersaulted in the air and landed smoothly, his gaze fixed intently on Kakuzu. [This guy's taijutsu is impressive!]

On the other side, as Guy launched an attack on Kakuzu, Asuma and Kurenai also launched an attack on Hidan.

Red hands swiftly formed hand seals, "Magic: Tree Binding Kill!"

Instantly, several thick vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around Hidan's feet.

This is Red's signature illusion technique; once the enemy's movements are restricted, they will face her fatal attack.

Not everyone is Itachi Uchiha, capable of deflecting her genjutsu.

After all, even the Third Hokage once praised her, saying that her genjutsu was among the best in Konoha.

"A mere trick!" Hidan yelled, struggling with all his might, and slashed the vines with his scythe.

Kurenai's genjutsu was not entirely illusory; the vines contained materialized chakra. Although several vines were severed, new ones continued to grow and entwine rapidly, causing him to stagger and slow down noticeably.

"A perfect opportunity!" Asuma's eyes sharpened, and he lunged forward like a cheetah. "Wind Release: Emerald Gale!"

He manipulated the flying swallow, transforming highly compressed wind-attribute chakra into several sharp wind blades, which he precisely shot at Hidan, whose movements were restricted by the vines.

The wind blades were incredibly fast, dodging the scythe's parry, and slashing several deep, bone-revealing gashes on Hidan's arms and waist!

"Aaaaaah! Damn it!" Hidan cried out in pain, but his face was twisted with an almost excited smile. He licked the blood flowing from his wound. "It hurts a bit, but this is a precious offering to the Jashin!"

This intense pain actually allowed Hidan to break free of Kurenai's genjutsu restraints.

Seeing that their opponent was injured but showed no fear, instead becoming even more fanatical, Asuma and Kurenai both had a bad feeling.

However, they didn't know anything about Hidan, and only felt that he was exceptionally resilient.

Kurenai's illusions did pose a great threat to Hidan, but whenever Kurenai was about to use an illusion to defeat him...

Hidan decisively used another weapon, which resembled an iron rod, to pierce his own body, using the pain to interrupt Kurenai's illusion.

Kurenai was furious at Hidan's reckless fighting style. How could an ordinary person interrupt her illusion technique so many times in such a way?

If an ordinary person did that, she wouldn't even need to lift a finger.

Their self-harm alone is enough to kill them.

But now, the Akatsuki members in front of us have suffered so much damage, yet they seem completely unharmed.

Does he possess an immortal body?

Seeing that her ultimate illusion technique was ineffective against Hidan, she simply used illusion techniques to interfere with him, and the illusion interference tactic was very effective.

Her illusions constantly disrupted Hidan's vision and movements, in conjunction with Asuma's sharp wind-style attacks.

Chapter 18 Sacrifice

Hidan was overwhelmed by the attacks, his silver hair was disheveled, and his black robe with red cloud patterns was cut in several places by the wind blades, leaving it stained with blood. He looked extremely disheveled.

"Damn it! Damn it! You guys are so annoying!" Hidan struggled amidst the countless phantoms and physical vines created by Kurenai, his movements becoming increasingly violent.

He stared intently at Asma, his eyes blazing with madness.

His true intention was not to defeat them immediately, but to take their blood!

He knew that only by entering a ritualistic state could he secure victory.

Otherwise, with his strength, he would never have been able to defeat Asuma.

Not to mention the red support.

During one of Asuma's surprise attacks in conjunction with the Crimson Illusion Technique, Hidan deliberately created an opening and withstood a fatal wind blade that Asuma aimed at his heart.

At the same time, his body twisted violently at a bizarre angle, and the huge, bloody crescent scythe, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, pierced Asma with a sharp shriek that tore through the air, at an extremely tricky angle!

The scythe was as fast as lightning, and the angle was too tricky. In addition, Asuma got too close to Hidan in order to deal a fatal blow.

Although Asuma avoided fatal wounds thanks to his extensive combat experience, the sharpest point of the scythe, which extended like a spear, was still extremely dangerous.

It brushed against the back of Asma's right hand very lightly and briefly.

A thin line of blood appeared, and a drop of bright red blood seeped out, sticking to the cold, gleaming tip of the Bloodstained March Scythe.

Asuma only felt a slight pain on the back of his hand and didn't pay attention to the trivial wound. He quickly retreated and re-formed a defensive formation with Kurenai, frowning and looking at Hidan warily: "This guy, he's still not dead even with his heart pierced? Is his heart on the right side?"

"Hehehehehe..." Hidan lowered his head and let out a suppressed, chilling laugh.

His gaze was fixed on the tiny, almost invisible drop of blood on the tip of the scythe.

This drop of blood shone with an incomparably sacred light in his eyes; it was the thing he used to kill!

The blood has been obtained!

Hidan suddenly jumped back to create distance, and upon landing, he immediately used his toes and the blood flowing from his body to quickly draw a strange and huge dark red magic circle on the ground, composed of triangles and circles.

Curse ritual, Death Possession Blood!

He stood at the center of the ritual, his frenzied state revealing himself like a devout yet mad believer.

"The sacrifice begins! Uncle! Enjoy it! This is the grace of the evil god! Hahahaha!!" Hidan laughed wildly, greedily licking Asuma's drop of blood into his mouth.

Hidan's body instantly turned black and white, resembling a humanoid skeleton.

Asuma and Kurenai stared at the bizarre and inexplicable ritual scene before them, and at Hidan's physical transformation, their expressions changed drastically.

Although they didn't know exactly what would happen, the intense aura of death and ominous premonition instantly gripped their hearts.

Hidan's unusual behavior, regardless of the severity of his previous injuries, made them realize that this ritual was no bluff!

Asuma's heart pounded with alarm when he saw Hidan transform into a bizarre black and white skull during the blood ritual.

Years of combat experience taught him that he must never allow his opponent to complete an unknown ritual!

"Red, cover me!" Asuma shouted, his hands rapidly forming hand seals.

Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled the sparks mixed with chakra from his mouth!

Scorching gray smoke instantly enveloped the ritual area where Hidan was located, like a fog, and the explosive chakra hidden in the smoke was about to detonate.

This is Asuma's specialty combination ninjutsu, which can both obscure vision and severely damage the enemy through explosion!

However, Hidan, amidst the smoke and dust, suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

"Hahahaha! Well done!" Instead of dodging, he spread his arms and let the smoke and dust engulf him, his distorted face filled with wild joy: "More! Let the pain come even more fiercely!"

The smoke and dust exploded violently, and the flames engulfed Hidan's figure.

But the next moment, Asuma let out a scream and knelt on one knee. Burns appeared on his body, as if he had just endured the ninjutsu.

"Asuma!" Red was startled and quickly helped Asuma up, noticing the burns on his face and body. "What happened?"

Asma gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and stared intently at the center of the explosion, only to see the thick smoke dissipate.

Hidan stood motionless in the center of the ceremony circle!

His black and white body also had the same burns, but he seemed unaffected, as if these burns were nothing more than a few hardships to him.

"How is this possible?!" Hong's pupils suddenly contracted.

"This feels so good! This attack feels so good! Come on, attack me again! I can't wait to enjoy the pain!" Hidan shouted frantically.

"Damn it, die, you monster!" Red eyes turned cold as he used Tree Binding Kill again.

The trees bound Hidan's body, and a red figure appeared on the tree, holding a kunai and stabbing it towards Hidan's head.

"Stop! Kurenai-sensei, please don't attack him! Asuma will die!" Shikamaru's anxious voice interrupted Kurenai's attack.

Kurenai and Asuma were taken aback and couldn't help but look at Shikamaru.

"Damn woman, don't listen to that brat's nonsense, take your kunai and kill me!" Hidan shouted.

At the start of the battle, Shikamaru, who was hiding behind a rock in the distance, clearly saw the entire battle between Asuma and Kurenai against Hidan!

"Something's not right..." Shikamaru's mind raced, his gaze fixed on the crimson ritual circle beneath Hidan's feet. "After licking Asuma's blood, the first thing that guy did was draw this circle, not retaliate..."

When Hidan's body transformed into a black and white skull, Shikamaru suddenly recalled his earlier manic declaration:

"The sacrifice begins! Savor the grace of the evil god!"

This word struck Shikamaru's mind like a lightning bolt!

His pupils contracted violently!

"I understand!" Shikamaru suddenly stood up and ran towards the battlefield, shouting hoarsely at the same time:

"Stop! Ms. Kurenai, please don't attack him! Asuma will die!"

His voice trembled with anxiety, but his logic was crystal clear:

"That guy's power is a blood curse! He licked Asuma's blood, and now he's become one with Asuma through a ritual!"

Shikamaru pointed at the triangular curse mark under Hidan's feet, speaking rapidly:

"Once the ritual begins, all the harm he has caused himself will be simultaneously reflected back to Teacher Asuma!"

"What?" Kurenai and Asuma were both shocked, not expecting their opponent's ninjutsu to be so insidious.

Kurenai's hand holding the kunai trembled slightly. She was so close, so very close. If it weren't for Shikamaru, she would have killed Asuma with her own hands.

"Damn it!" Hidan heard Shikamaru's words and realized that the kid already knew his secret.

His eyes hardened, staring at Shikamaru like a wolf.

Chapter 19 Beheading

This was the first time Shikamaru had faced the murderous gaze of Hidan, a crazed killer. A chilling coldness emanated from his tailbone, making his body stiffen, and his entire field of vision seemed to be filled by Hidan's fierce eyes.

"Shikamaru!" Asuma's voice broke Shikamaru's stiffness. "Don't worry, I will absolutely not let him hurt you before I die!"

Although Asuma kept staring at Hidan without turning around, Shikamaru could sense Asuma's determination and strength from his words.

Shikamaru took a deep breath, easing the tension and stiffness in his body caused by his killing intent.

“I suspect that his technique only works within the pattern beneath his feet. That’s when I need to help!” Shikamaru said calmly.

"Okay! Then I'll leave it to you, Shikamaru!" Asuma nodded slightly.

Shikamaru walked up to Asuma and formed hand seals: "Shadow Imitation Technique!"

His shadow quickly moved towards Hidan's shadow, and soon the two shadows merged together.

"Ugh!!!" Shikamaru groaned, a bead of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

It's indeed very stressful for a genin like him to forcibly control someone as powerful as Hidan.

For the first time, Shikamaru felt that if he were a little stronger, he could help Asuma and the others more.

Fortunately, with Kurenai's help, Hidan's resistance to Shadow Imitation Technique wasn't as great.

Shikamaru controlled Hidan's body, slowly moving backward.

Hidan, controlled by Shikamaru, was slowly moved out of the underground pattern.

"You wretched little brat!"

Hidan gritted his teeth and cursed at Shikamaru.

However, Shikamaru was no longer in the mood to listen to him. The difference in strength between the two was too great, and he had to concentrate all his energy to control Hidan.

Once Hidan was completely out of the area marked by the pattern beneath his feet, Shikamaru, catching his breath, said, "Red-sensei, let's test this out a bit. At this point, he shouldn't be able to share damage with Asuma anymore!"

Without hesitation, Kurenai thrust her kunai toward Hidan's shoulder.

"Pfft!" The kunai pierced Hidan's shoulder deeply, and blood splattered, but Kurenai and Shikamaru ignored the injured Hidan and instead focused their attention on Asuma.

Seeing that Hidan's shoulder was pierced by Kurenai's kunai but he was unable to harm Asuma, Shikamaru's judgment was confirmed.

"Well done, Shikamaru!" Asuma's praise contained immense trust, but at this moment he had no time to care about anything else. His cold gaze was fixed on Hidan, who was tightly bound by Kurenai's ninjutsu and simultaneously controlled by Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique, rendering him unable to move.

Asuma's figure moved instantly!

He pushed the wind-attribute chakra of his "Flying Swallow" chakra blade to its limit, and the wind blades surrounding the blade emitted a sharp buzzing sound, suddenly expanding in range to almost form a small wind blade.

Without the slightest hesitation, taking advantage of Hidan's complete inability to resist due to the dual control, Asuma swiftly and unexpectedly unleashed "Flying Swallow," infused with all his chakra and resolute killing intent, slashing down as fiercely as if cutting through the void!