Hiroki Hyuga wasn't well known, either within Konoha or across the Ninja World.
Even those who had noticed him were simply curious why his Byakugan had changed color—and why the Hyuga hadn't expelled him.
As for these questions, the now-powerful Hyuga had never offered any explanation.
Upon hearing such words from Konoha's side, the Daimyo's ninja stopped wondering. After all, it was nothing more than an obscure little ninja…
However, Kakuzu turned to Hidan—who clearly knew him—and asked, "Who is he?"
Hidan replied mockingly, "A little man Kaguya took under her wing."
Since Kaguya wasn't present to hear him, he felt free to speak his mind.
Surprised by this unexpected answer, Kakuzu hesitated before giving Hiroki a long, careful look, puzzled inside.
Could that woman, whom Zetsu constantly claimed to be peerless in the world, really have such plain tastes?
Hiroki's appearance didn't distract both sides for long. After a brief distraction, they returned to planning how to break through each other's defenses.
Before everyone's shocked eyes, Hiroki did something shocking—he flung his arms wide and jumped off the rooftop, diving right into the heart of the blazing battlefield where both sides clashed.
The Daimyo's ninja immediately froze.
"Did he fall in accidentally?"
"Such a waste…"
"This guy's even more reckless than me!" Hidan thought differently, murmuring in admiration.
Seeing Kakuzu's strange expression, Hidan shrugged carelessly and continued, "Don't worry. He won't die so easily. After all, he's that woman's protégé."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, determined to see what would happen next.
Stunned yet somewhat amused, Sarutobi clan members watched Hiroki deliberately leap into death.
"What's that brat doing…"
"Is he trying to set us up for a Hyuga hunt?"
"Huh? Is he really that important?"
As they joked around, someone suddenly noticed Hiroki's silhouette becoming increasingly clear within the flames.
Kakuzu also realized his [Lightning Release] technique was rapidly weakening.
Then, someone saw flames actually parting automatically around Hiroki.
"Could it be—the flames aren't engulfing him, but parting before him?"
"Fly, what's going on?" Kakuzu questioned Hidan again, hoping for answers.
"How should I know!" Hidan snapped, annoyed.
Although he had previously suspected Hiroki might be far stronger, witnessing this eerie display made Hidan feel unexpectedly discouraged.
Konoha, Tsunade, Hiroki Hyuga, and that woman—when would they finally escape from these people's grasp?
At this moment, Kakuzu recalled Pain's Deva Path's past battles, and a sudden realization flashed through his mind.
"Feels kinda like [Shinra Tensei]," he murmured.
The gathered crowd, still confused, began to consider the possibility that Hiroki—a Konoha ninja—might be here to help. Temporarily halting their jutsu, both Hidan and Kakuzu, along with the Daimyo's ninjas, held back their techniques.
The Sarutobi clan members found the situation strange, yet they felt fear creeping in. They redoubled their efforts, continuously casting ninjutsu.
Wind Release and Fire Release—normally fierce techniques—somehow weakened as they neared Hiroki.
He stood quietly in the very center. The flames around him grew thinner, and his silhouette gradually became clearer to everyone's eyes.
Someone suddenly got an idea and cast Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld, hoping to trap him inside. Hiroki, however, manipulated repulsive force to keep his body floating.
"Looks like you're out of tricks," Hiroki said coldly, his voice echoing from midair.
"It truly resembles it," Kakuzu murmured to himself.
Covering his hand with green chakra, he shot a [Green Chakra Ball] from his palm. It seemed like a beam of light piercing into the sea of flames separating both sides.
The ball appeared to possess some kind of attraction power, absorbing all the surrounding flames. Then, the ball burst, and the battlefield returned to silence.
Now clearly visible, Hidan and others saw genuine shock and terror etched on the Sarutobi clan members' faces.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling uneasy. That strange ball just now seemed to counteract his own abilities... Was it capable of absorbing ninjutsu?
"What are you all still standing there for?"
Hearing Hiroki's words, the ninja finally snapped back into action and charged forward with weapons drawn toward the Sarutobi clan members.
They weren't overthinking things—if the large-scale elemental techniques of the Sarutobi clan were ineffective, then they held no real advantage anymore.
In contrast, the Sarutobi side fell into chaos. Although Hiroki had not made any further strange moves, what he had displayed before was enough to leave them shaken and frightened.
Plus, they couldn't immediately think of a way to respond.
One side became increasingly confident while the other lost morale fast.
The daimyo's ninja fought without hesitation, gaining strength with each passing moment.
"Kill these rogue ninja!"
"You aren't going to help?" Hiroki landed from midair and asked, noticing that Hidan and Kakuzu hadn't moved.
"Why bother?" Hidan replied.
"The outcome speaks for itself," Kakuzu added.
Even if the daimyo's side started losing, they could still turn the battle around anytime.
At that moment, someone staggered over.
After defeating those three ninja, Asuma couldn't locate anyone from the daimyo's group, so he decided to come here for assistance.
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By now, the ground was soaked with blood and littered with numerous corpses.
Asuma quickly noticed that the bodies of the Sarutobi clan members far outnumbered those of the daimyo's ninja. His people were clearly being pushed back.
His gaze suddenly locked onto Hidan and Kakuzu.
How strong were these two exactly?
Deep down, he didn't believe his clan members were inferior to the daimyo's subordinates.
After all, they who served in the ninja village had faced countless battles head-on.
Meanwhile, the daimyo's men rarely encountered life-or-death situations except during emergencies.
Breathing in the intoxicating scent of blood, Hidan wore a delighted expression.
He glanced at the bleeding Asuma, licked his lips hungrily, and took a step forward.
"Leave that guy to me. This trip's been way too dull so far."
Before his voice faded, the Bloody March Scythe in his hand flew out at a strange angle.
"Clang!" Sparks flew everywhere.
Asuma blocked the uniquely-shaped scythe with both hands, using his Chakra Blade: Flying Swallow.
"Tsk." With a frustrated growl, Hidan yanked back his Bloody March Scythe and charged at Asuma, slashing wildly.
As he closed in, each time he used the Body Replacement Technique, he'd dash forward a few steps and vanish again, making it hard for Asuma to tell where he'd reappear next.
"This must be what he learned from Guy's training," Hiroki remarked with a smile.
The scythe swung at him from all directions. Asuma stayed extremely cautious, carefully avoiding injury.
Throughout the Sarutobi Clan's conflict with Hidan,
they had gained some understanding of his abilities—it seemed connected to blood.
They even knew about the structure of the scythe he wielded.
But beyond that deeper knowledge remained elusive.
After all, those who had known were already dead.
"Hidan, you got this or what? Need a hand?" Kakuzu taunted, clearly trying to provoke him.
Over these past few days, Kakuzu had seen Hidan's killing method—Blood Rite: Death Curse—and wasn't impressed.
Especially because after each kill, Hidan insisted on praying for thirty minutes.
To someone like Kakuzu who valued time as money, such behavior was baffling.
"Why don't you just go ahead and pray to the Evil God like a good little cultist?"
Taunted by Kakuzu, Hidan became furious.
As he noticed Hidan's attacks growing more reckless, Asuma felt hopeful. Seizing the moment while dodging, he rapidly formed hand seals and puffed out his cheeks.
[Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!]
Hot gray smoke spewed from his mouth, engulfing Hidan completely.
Not seeing Hidan escape right away, Asuma let out a breath, already picturing the coming explosion finishing the job.
"Ahchoo, ahchoo, ahchoo... Cough! Cough! Smoker, are these all your used cigarette butts?"
Hearing an irritated voice filled with complaints, Asuma widened his eyes in shock.
Now covered in ash and dirt, Hidan tossed his upper clothing onto the ground and walked out from within the smoky haze.
Asuma felt perplexed—the man clearly bore signs of high-temperature burns, yet he showed absolutely no ill effects—not even shedding a drop of blood.
"So close up, you shouldn't have dodged it."
Laughing triumphantly, Hidan plunged the red scythe into Asuma's belly. Seeing the blood staining its blade, he happily yanked it out with great force.
"Pschh..." Blood sprayed from the wound, and blood poured from Asuma's mouth in torrents.
At the same time, the explosion began, rolling on and on, one blast after another without end.
No one sustained injuries from the blast. At this moment, it sounded almost like a celebratory salute—for Hidan.
Asuma gave a bitter laugh.
Picking up his clothes, Hidan performed several Body Replacement Techniques, retreating over ten meters back. He licked the tip of his scythe, tasting Asuma's fresh blood collected just now.
Then he took out another weapon—an extendable pitch-black spear.
He lengthened the spear and stabbed himself with it, letting drops of blood fall onto the ground.
"Hahahaha..."
Crazily laughing, Hidan used his own blood to draw a circular pattern combined with a triangle on the ground.
Asuma was very familiar with this symbol—it always appeared at the scenes where most members of his clan had died.
Still, he couldn't figure out what purpose it served.
Suddenly, Hidan's skin color visibly changed. Hiroki curiously asked him, "Hidan, how many people can your ability take down at once?"
"As if I'd ever tell you that!" Hidan coldly replied.
"Alright then, have fun playing." Hiroki shrugged off his attitude and left the scene.
If his cursed killing method could work against multiple targets simultaneously, by collecting enough blood and using it properly, it might actually threaten the lives of humanity as a whole.
However, Hiroki guessed it probably only worked one-on-one—otherwise, given Hidan's boastful nature, there was no way he wouldn't have shown it off already.
"Where should I start?" After Hiroki left, Hidan spun the spear in his hand, eyeing Asuma with sinister interest.
Though confused and shaken by Hidan's horrifying transformation, Asuma still refused to give up the fight.
Wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth, he infused Wind Release chakra into his Flying Swallow blade.
A faint blue glow surrounded the blade, sharpening its edge even further.
Asuma charged forward and swung the Flying Swallow in an attacking slash.
Completely unfazed, Hidan stood there grinning maliciously, "Awesome! You're the one who chose your own death!"
...
Meanwhile, Hiroki returned to where the Daimyo waited.
"Lord Daimyo, it's done," he announced.
"Wonderful."
The three set off together. White Zetsu silently walked behind last, but soon vanished unnoticed by the Daimyo.
Getting closer to the battlefield, the nauseating stench of blood kept filling his nose, making the Daimyo frown in disgust as he covered his mouth and nose.
The Daimyo glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground, then shifted his gaze toward the group engaged in battle.
"It hasn't ended yet," he murmured, instinctively grabbing Hiroki's arm and hiding behind him—pure reflex.
This action was completely automatic.
The Spiritual Sphere implanted inside him by Hiroki gave control of his thoughts and actions.
Once a command was issued, obedience followed immediately; without orders, he simply acted upon impulse.
"Asuma's death will bring it all to an end," Hiroki said indifferently while glancing toward Hidan.
At the battlefield, Asuma spat out a mouthful of dark blood, disbelief and despair etched across his face.
Just now he had wounded Hidan's neck—but the same pain and injury now echoed within his own body too.
It felt like someone had hit him the exact same way.
He had a rough idea now.
Could it be that the clansmen Hidan "killed" had actually died by their own hands?
He staggered back a few steps, legs trembling beneath him.
Compared to him, Hidan was also howling in pain, yet his mental state hadn't changed at all.
"Not done already?" Hidan asked with a disappointed look.
Ignoring him, Asuma glanced toward where his clansmen were fighting.
They couldn't help at all. He felt helpless.
"What a bore. Guess I've gotta do this myself again." Hidan murmured, once more lifting his long spear. "Heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys...where should I start? Hmm, maybe leave the heart for last."
Before he even finished speaking, his wicked grin widened as he drove the spear into his own body.
Asuma's body tensed up, and before he could stop it, another stream of black blood spewed from his mouth.
Several Sarutobi clan members spotted the scene out of the corner of their eyes and were momentarily stunned.
By the time they regained their senses, their enemies' blades were already slicing across their necks.
The blood sprayed so fast it looked almost graceful—painting the ground in a grotesquely beautiful pattern.
"Don't worry," they heard their opponent cheerfully say as their final words. "He'll definitely follow you all into death."
Their bodies shuddered briefly before crashing lifelessly to the ground.
The Daimyo's attendants had indeed been shocked by the fight between Hidan and Asuma, but since he was the Daimyo's hired warrior, they temporarily eased their concerns.
Witnessing what just happened, the Daimyo himself felt a surge of panic, quickly averting his gaze while his heart pounded like a drum.
Well, whatever price they demanded afterward, he'd just pay it. After all, bringing a demon in is easy—it's getting rid of one that's the real nightmare.
That was the Daimyo's only thought.
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