Hidan emerges from the cave and begins wandering around. As time passes, the trees around him become scarcer, and the sun starts to set.
"Hmm... The trees have thinned out significantly. I must be getting close to inhabited areas."
Just then, a faint voice comes from the thick bushes.
"AARGH, Help! My leg..."
"Huh? Who's there?"
Hidan cautiously approaches the bushes and sees a man.
Man: My leg is broken... aargh... please help!
Hidan: Okay, first, calm down and take deep breaths.
Hidan: Is there a village or something nearby?
The man replies, sweating and in pain.
Man: Yes, about 1 km south... AARGHHHHH...!!!
Hidan puts the man on his back and sets off towards the village, but he senses something amiss.
As he proceeds, a group of 12-13 people block his path.
Leader: Hahahaha... Looks like we're going to make some gains today.
Hidan: Tch... I have to deal with this now.
Leader: Shut up and spill everything you have!
Hidan: Listen, get out of my way before I mess you up.
The leader looks angry and utters a single word.
Leader: Attack!
Hidan feels intense pain on his back and looks behind.
The man on his back had thrust a dagger right into his heart.
Hidan: You damn bastard!
Hidan throws the man down and removes the dagger. At that moment, the leader speaks.
Leader: Hahahaha, you shouldn't have opposed me, boy. Your body looks quite nice; I might get a good price selling it to those lovey-dovey nobles.
Hidan: Huh... hee-hee... hahahahahaha...
Hidan: You foolish son of a bitch, do you think something like that can kill me?
Hidan suddenly remembers that accursed place from the past...
----------------------------------------
February 12, 2017, 03:45 AM
In a gloomy warehouse, a man was kicking and cursing a shivering child whose hands and face were bright red from the cold.
Chris: Who do you think you are, you cursed bug, defying my orders?
Child: Agh... ih... leave me alone... aghhh... please, stop...
The child moaned in pain, while the other children around were merely watching, trembling in fear. Perhaps, it would be their turn next? Who knew?
The man, named Chris, stopped beating the child and turned to the others...
Chris: I'm giving you bastards a chance to live, and this is how you repay me? Do you want to die?
Just then, a disheveled man with messy hair, torn clothes, and green stains on his beard stumbled into the scene. It was obvious that he was drunk.
Disheveled Man: What's the problem, boss? (Smirking)
Chris looked at the man first, then grabbed a bottle from the nearby table and threw it at him.
The bottle shattered on the man's head, and he fell to the ground. Chris then approached him...
Chris: You damn brats are wandering around, running away from your duties, and you, are you high on heroin?
Before the man could respond, Chris mounted him and used the broken bottle to cut him all over, killing him.
Chris: IF I EVER SEE ANY OF YOU DISOBEYING MY ORDERS AGAIN, I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE!!
Meanwhile, in a corner, one of the children discreetly picked up a broken piece of the bottle that Chris had thrown. Of course, that child was Alexander.
---------------------------------------------------------------
February 12, 2017, 05:30 AM
(Whispering) "Hey, Jeremy, wake up!"
"Huh... what's going on, Alex, what's wrong?"
Alex: Get up, I found a way out.
Jeremy: What?! Are you crazy? Didn't you see what happened to Anton today? There's no escape from here!
Alex: Shut up and tell me, are you with me or not?
Jeremy: Damn it! Do I have any other choice?
Alex: Good to know. (Smiling)
Alex and Jeremy quietly got up and made their way to the back of the old warehouse.
Jeremy: Hey, buddy, are you serious? This is the back, how are we going to get out from here?
Alex: Shut your mouth and follow me!
Alex went towards the barrels at the back of the warehouse and struggled to pull two of them.
Alex: Ugh... They are so heavy.
Jeremy: Damn it, buddy, this makes a lot of noise, we need to hurry!
Alex: Almost done.
Behind the barrels, the back entrance of the warehouse was revealed, but it was tied with a rope. Alex quickly took out the broken piece of the bottle he had hidden and started cutting the rope.
Just then, the lights in the warehouse suddenly turned on, and some people started running towards the back.
Jeremy: Alex! Hurry up, they're coming!
Alex: I'm trying!
...
Chris: What the hell are you two doing!!
At that moment, Alex successfully cuts the rope and the door opens.
Jeremy: Let's run!!
Alex and Jeremy start running; years of work forced upon them by Chris have made them quite fast and agile.
But there is something they didn't take into account: the person who made them do all those jobs has done a thousand times more.
Chris: COME HERE, YOU DAMN INSECTS!
Chris grabs Jeremy by the neck.
Jeremy: Alex, help me!
Alex turns around and looks at his friend, but there isn't much he can do.
Jeremy: Please, Alex, help me! What happened to our friendship, to being together?
While saying these words, Chris tightens his grip on Jeremy's throat, silencing him.
Alex: I'm sorry, my life is more valuable than any friendship.
Alex turns his back and starts running away without looking back.
Chris: Hahahaha... boy, you're just like me. When the time comes, that hand of yours will get stained with nothing but blood... Now go, run as far as you can. In the end, you'll come back to this damn place as either a boss or a killer, after all...
Chris mutters these words, and Jeremy groans in pain.
Chris looks at Jeremy and says...
Chris: You failed, son. You could have been just a lackey, maybe, but now you can't even be that. I guess I can find someone else in your place. Congratulations, you're retired.
Chris breaks Jeremy's neck and tosses him aside.
----------------------------------------
Present day
All of a sudden, it all comes back to Hidan: who he was, the pain, the distrust, the mercilessness, the cruelty, and, worst of all, the desire to die and to kill...
Hidan: (Quietly) Thank you...
Leader: What?
As Hidan bleeds from his back...
"Thank you!"
Leader: It's quite interesting to thank someone while dying, but unfortunately, we won't have the chance to chat.
Hidan: Thank you for reminding me of who I am. I am not just an ordinary person who watches anime and reads manga. I am a damn monster, always have been, actually, I wasn't like that... I was born that way!
"Fuuma Technique: Tsubaku (Curse) Mandala!"
[Ding!]
[Detection of straining your chakra reserves!]
[Ding!]
[Your chakra reserves have been increased!]
[Ding!]
[Kinjutsu: Tsubaku Mandala Improved! The technique can now be used with less chakra and with one hand!]
Hidan uses his jutsu and traps the leader within a small barrier.
Leader: What? Agh... I'm stuck, you damn devil fruit user.
Leader: What are you fools waiting for? Attack!
Upon receiving the order, the other bandits start attacking Hidan.
"System withdraws."
While controlling the barrier with one hand, Hidan uses his "Triple-Bladed Scythe" to fight the other bandits.
Approximately 7-8 bandits surround him, and three bandits are in front of him.
One of the Bandits: He's already losing blood; it won't take long.
The other bandits agree, and the fight begins.
Hidan, attacking while the bandits are on the defensive, swiftly strikes the one on his right with the Scythe. However, the bandit anticipates the attack and dodges to the side. At that moment, another bandit attacks Hidan from behind with a dagger, but Hidan slams the Scythe on the ground, using its recoil to evade the attack.
Swinging the Scythe's chain while in the air, he shreds the legs of two bandits.
Then, he moves forward towards the other bandits. He descends on the third bandit, slitting his throat, and then deflects the attack of the fourth bandit with the Scythe, breaking his arms. To catch the fifth and sixth bandits, he hurls the Scythe towards them. They lie on the ground to avoid the attack, but as he pulls back the Scythe, it splits them in half. As he turns to the seventh, he sees the other three bandits lying on the ground out of fear.
Hidan: Hmph... I guess that's enough.
The leader yells from within the trapped barrier,
Leader: You idiots, what are you waiting for?
Hidan decides he can no longer tolerate this man and completely closes his hand, crushing the barrier and the leader inside.
Then, he looks at the remaining bandits and asks,
Hidan: Which one of you knows the terrain here?
They are all trembling in fear, but one of them speaks up,
Bandit: I've been living here for years, sir.
Hidan: Good. The others are no longer needed.
Hidan thinks to himself,
~System, can you absorb the energies from the Character Change Card?
[Confirmed... It is possible!]
~Then, go ahead. Also, can you do the same for the dead ones?
[If it hasn't been more than 1 hour, it is possible.]
~Alright.
First, a white beam of light emerges from the living bandits and is absorbed by Hidan. Then, from the shattered leader, a reddish-white light emerges and is also absorbed.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! "Character Change Card" (E-) has been upgraded to (E)!]
~Hmm... System, what do the colors of the energies coming from these bodies mean?
[It represents the "Essence of Life," the stronger the character, the more Essence of Life they possess. The colors are ranked as follows:
White: (E) Level
Red: (D) Level
Orange: (C) Level
Green: (B) Level
Yellow: (B+) Level
Blue: (A) Level
Purple: (A+) Level
Silver: (S-) Level
Black: (S) Level
Gold: (S+) Level
Diamond: (SS) Level
It represents the characters and their Essence of Life levels.]
~Okay.
Hidan coldly looks at the man who is bowing in front of him, trembling with fear.
Hidan: Do you know if there's a village around here?
Bandit: There's a village about 400-500 meters away, sir.
Hidan: Good, lead the way.
Bandit: Yes, sir, right away.
Hidan suddenly remembers something!
Hidan: Before that, there should be a hideout around here, right?
Bandit: Yes, sir, there is.
Hidan: Where is it?
Bandit: It's very close by.
Hidan: Let's go there first!
The bandit shows Hidan the way, and they arrive at a hidden cave behind the bushes. The bandit enters first, and Hidan follows.
Inside, there are sleeping places and chests filled with belongings.
Hidan: Where's your treasure?
Bandit: There's another room at the back, sir. The leader usually stays there, but I don't know the exact location of the treasure. It's better if you check yourself.
Hidan thinks to himself, ~This idiot thinks I didn't realize it might be a trap.
Hidan grabs the man and drags him along, until finally, he throws him inside the room. All the traps are triggered, and the man is left full of holes.
As Hidan passes by him, he says, "Now it's time for the treasure!"
Hidan enters the room, and his eyes shine as he sees tons of gold, items, and chests. But what's truly important isn't those, there's a fruit on a plate in the middle of the room, yes, it's a Devil Fruit!
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You've discovered a treasure. Do you want to loot it?]
~Yes!
[Ding!]
[Looting Successful!]
[Loot Gained:
150,000,000 Belly Value in Gold (Converted)
2 Log Pose
3 (C) Level Swords
1 (A) Level Skill Book
1 Devil Fruit!]
[Ding!]
[A Devil Fruit has been detected! Analyzing...]
[Ding!]
[Analysis Completed! Fruit Type Identified!]
[Product Added to Inventory!]
Hidan: Hahahahaahahah, finally some good news!
"Open System Inventory!"
[Inventory:
Slot 1 - Character Change Card (E)
Slot 2 - 150M Belly
Slot 3 - (C) Level Sword (3)
Slot 4 - Paramecia: Nui Nui No Mi (Sew Sew Fruit)
Slot 5 - Log Pose (2)
Slot 6 - Skill Book (A)
Slot 7
Slot 8
Slot 9
Slot 10]
~Is this the Nui Nui no Mi, Leo's fruit in this series? Anyway, use the fruit, system!
This fruit covers one of Hidan's biggest shortcomings. Even though his wounds heal quickly, he still needs someone else to sew back a severed limb, like how Kakuzu did in Naruto. This fruit completely covers that flaw. As long as he's not reduced to ashes, there won't be any issues.
[Ding!]
[Fruit Integration Complete!]
[Ding!]
[New Skill Acquired! "Paramecia: Sewing Fruit (B)"]
[Ding!]
[New Weakness Acquired! "Sensitivity to Saltwater (A)"]
[New Weakness Acquired! "Sensitivity to Seastone (S)"]
[Ding!]
[Weakness Reduced Due to Water Emission!]
["Sensitivity to Saltwater" Weakness Reduced from (A) Level to (C) Level!]
["Sensitivity to Seastone" Weakness Reduced from (S) Level to (B) Level!]
~No problem, no power center would care about these two minor weaknesses. After all, Kaido and Jack survived underwater.
"Well, now let's head towards that village."
Just as Hidan is about to leave the hideout, he feels a headache and falls to the ground.
"AAGH...! Not again... I guess the technique consumed too much chakra. After all, in the series, it was used with the chakra of three people. Well, let's rest a bit. We're not in a hurry!"