Wham.
In the midst of swirling dust, a figure darted out swiftly, pursued closely by two towering figures clad in red-cloud robes.
One was Hidan, brandishing his Bloody March Sickle, while the other was his partner, Kakuzu, who also possessed the "immortal body."
"Hahaha!"
Hidan cackled wildly, swinging his Bloody March Sickle relentlessly, launching a ceaseless barrage of ferocious attacks at the fleeing figure.
Kakuzu lagged slightly behind, seizing opportunities to unleash ninjutsu, coordinating with Hidan's onslaught.
Under their combined assault, the pursued figure struggled desperately, appearing utterly disheveled.
...
On a distant cliff.
Sasori, Deidara, and Hiruko stood silently, observing the battle from afar.
Sasori chuckled, "That kid Ranmaru is progressing quickly!"
Undoubtedly.
The one being attacked by Kakuzu and Hidan was none other than Ranmaru, a fellow member of the Akatsuki organization.
Like the five great shinobi villages, the Akatsuki was also preparing for the impending decisive battle, honing their forces and gathering strength.
During the Chunin Exams, Ranmaru realized his lack of real combat experience and requested the organization to help him improve. Thus, Nagato sent Kakuzu and Hidan to train him.
Of course.
During the training, Ranmaru was forbidden from using his Transparency Release, as it would render him undetectable to Kakuzu and Hidan, making training impossible.
Hearing Sasori's praise, Hiruko smirked lightly, "After all, he's the lucky one who underwent my meticulously planned ritual. This level of achievement is nothing extraordinary!"
"Tch."
Deidara scoffed, showing a hint of disdain.
Hiruko sneered, "What, you're not convinced?"
Deidara grinned, "So what if I'm not?"
Sasori spoke slowly, "Save your energy for dealing with those guys from the five great shinobi villages later!"
Deidara pouted, "Big brother Sasori, they don't even understand art! True art is a dazzling explosion!"
Sasori didn't indulge Deidara, merely casting a faint glance at Hiruko.
To be frank, when Ranmaru, having survived the Bloodline Fusion Ritual, reappeared before everyone, even the typically arrogant Sasori was quite astonished.
He knew his own techniques couldn't have elevated Ranmaru's strength so dramatically in such a short time.
Ranmaru's case also proved that Hiruko's Bloodline Fusion Ritual was replicable, despite Hiruko repeatedly emphasizing its difficulty to the organization. This fact remained undeniable.
Thus, Sasori began to harbor deep wariness toward Hiruko, a figure he previously dismissed. Over time, this wariness even surpassed his caution toward Orochimaru!
Hiruko paid no mind to Deidara's taunts, his gaze fixed on Ranmaru, who was battling Kakuzu and Hidan in the distance.
His eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
There was pride and anticipation—positive sentiments—but also a faint, barely perceptible trace of jealousy and deep covetousness.
The pride and anticipation were easy to understand. Ranmaru was someone he had nurtured, or rather, created. Watching Ranmaru mature and grow stronger, earning the admiration of the organization's unruly members, naturally filled him with pride!
Yet, the jealousy and covetousness were equally genuine.
The Bloodline Fusion Ritual Ranmaru underwent was an improved version of Hiruko's own, with even better results.
Hiruko had begun to sense that the strength of Ranmaru's fused Bloodline Limits seemed to surpass his own.
However, both were still in the phase of exploring and mastering their respective Bloodline Limits, so the gap wasn't yet obvious.
Once they fully mastered and skillfully wielded their fused Bloodline Limits, the difference would become starkly apparent.
As for the covetousness, it stemmed from Ranmaru's pair of Hogan eyes, enhanced by the ritual.
In Hiruko's heart, those Hogan eyes belonged to him. Thus, while maintaining a calm facade, he had been secretly redesigning the ritual, hoping to integrate Ranmaru's Hogan eyes into his own body to elevate his strength to a new level!
Rumble.
As Hiruko's thoughts wandered into fantasy, a dramatic shift occurred in the distant battlefield.
Ranmaru capitalized on Kakuzu's ninjutsu, collapsing a massive section of rock, trapping Kakuzu and Hidan. Everything was buried under countless falling boulders.
"Hm!?"
Sasori let out a soft exclamation.
Deidara raised an eyebrow.
Clearly, neither had expected Ranmaru to employ such a near-suicidal tactic.
Boom.
Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted from the rubble, and Ranmaru struggled to climb out of the debris.
Clap, clap, clap.
A round of applause rang out.
Following the sound, they saw Obito, not far from the battlefield, lightly clapping, acknowledging Ranmaru's growth.
Knowing Obito's significant role in the organization, Ranmaru hurriedly bowed to him.
The three on the cliff displayed varied expressions.
In their perception, there had been no one there, yet Obito appeared in an instant. This space-time ninjutsu left them deeply wary.
Boom.
Another series of explosions followed as Kakuzu and Hidan clambered out of the rubble, looking worse for wear.
Brushing off the dust, Hidan pointed his Bloody March Sickle at Ranmaru, shouting, "Kid, let's go again!"
Kakuzu, too, wore a displeased expression, coldly staring at Ranmaru.
Having gained fame early and being one of the first to join the organization, he found it humiliating to be pushed to this state by a mere kid.
Ranmaru, craving real combat experience, was naturally unwilling to back down.
But just as he prepared to engage, Obito stepped forward, "There's new activity in Hidden Leaf Village. The Leader has summoned everyone for a meeting!"
"Yes!"
"Understood."
"Got it!"
Hearing the Leader's call, everyone responded promptly.
Soon, the Akatsuki members gathered in a hidden underground chamber.
Once all were present, Nagato, appearing as the "Deva Path," announced, "Everyone's here. Let the meeting begin!"
Konan stepped forward, "This meeting is to inform you of one thing: in the battles to come, you need to pay attention to one person!"
Deidara, quick to speak, asked, "Who?"
Konan replied, "Uchiha Shinji!"
"Uchiha Shinji?"
"That surviving Uchiha kid?!"
"Why bother with a guy like that?"
The Akatsuki members stirred restlessly.
All present were proud and defiant. For the organization to specifically instruct them to watch a twelve- or thirteen-year-old Uchiha kid naturally left many of them puzzled.