In fact, Naruto had already arrived long ago.
He had simply been hiding his presence while observing from the sidelines.
The purpose is very simple, which is to give Karin some real combat experience.
At the same time, he was testing whether Karin could remain calm in the face of danger.
These guys were nothing more than low-tier thugs, with the only one capable of using Ninjutsu limited to basic attacks like the Water Wave Technique.
No matter what happened, Naruto was confident he could keep Karin safe.
And Karin truly gave him a pleasant surprise.
In a life-or-death situation, her potential was awakened, and Karin actually managed to use the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
This was far more vivid than any dry written record.
Naruto instantly grasped the key aspects of this secret technique, and then, in the next moment, he unleashed the same Adamantine Sealing Chains.
However, compared to Karin's four slender chains, the ones Naruto released were as thick as a calf.
Since it was his first time using the technique, he didn't hold back and released dozens of chains at once.
For any other member of the Uzumaki Clan, unleashing such a massive-scale Adamantine Sealing Chains in an instant would drain their Chakra and consume their life force.
But… for the current Naruto, it didn't matter.
Not to mention his already monstrous Chakra reserves, which had only grown as his body developed, even if it did cost him life force, his current physical strength could easily handle it.
The dozens of chains created by the Adamantine Sealing Chains whistled through the air like a giant hand, slamming Hidan, who had been mid-air, straight into the ground.
This scene not only left Karin wide-eyed in shock, but also made Kurama, who was watching inside Naruto, couldn't help but complain.
'Seriously, what level is this guy? How could he be hit by the same treatment as me?'
Kurama glanced at Naruto's thick, densely packed Adamantine Sealing Chains, enhanced by his Chakra, and then recalled the chains Kushina had once used to bind him.
He couldn't help but think that this mother-and-son duo was getting more and more outrageous.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains seemed to have some sort of inherent advantage when used against Tailed Beasts, with their duration and sealing power far surpassing their effectiveness against ordinary Ninjas.
Perhaps this was intentional on the part of the Uzumaki Clan's ancestors who created the technique.
After taking back the chains, Naruto was about to say something to Karin when he suddenly turned his head back toward Hidan, who had been smashed into the ground.
"Hah… Hah, that hurt! That really hurt! Feels so good…"
Several of his bones seemed to have broken, and his body twitched as he slowly straightened up. At this time, a manic, bloodthirsty grin spread across his face.
Karin couldn't help but shudder in disgust, but Naruto, who had seen far more in his travels, simply rubbed his chin.
'Ah… so he's that type of guy, huh?'
'The kind who gets more pleasure the more pain he's in… what was it called again? A masochist? Well, people like him weren't exactly rare on the seas either.'
"…Don't discriminate against people like him, Karin."
Karin was stunned by his words, but before she could react, the man across from them let out a shrill scream.
"I am immortal! Hahaha! I've decided! I'm going to sacrifice you to Jashin-sama first!"
As he spoke, Hidan yanked hard on the metal rope attached to the handle of his scythe, retracting it rapidly and pulling the bloodstained triple-bladed scythe back into his hands.
His hands gripped his own head, and with a series of unsettling cracks, his bones realigned themselves, completely healing in an instant.
'This guy's vitality is on par with that old snake's…'
Naruto silently assessed Hidan as he lunged forward again.
'But his combat skills are lacking.'
The chains shot out once more, this time in a more controlled number… just a few.
But even these few chains were enough to keep Hidan completely at bay.
Hidan's physical abilities seemed far beyond that of an ordinary person, but he didn't appear to know any Ninjutsu… at least he hadn't used any in this fight.
His fighting style was wild and reckless, and Naruto didn't even need to use Observation Haki to predict his movements.
Honestly, based on what he'd shown so far, Hidan wasn't even as threatening as the bounty hunters who had been chasing them.
Clang!
Under Naruto's control, the Adamantine Sealing Chains seemed to have completely transformed into an offensive Ninjutsu.
Hidan, who is still mid-air, was being whipped around like a Beyblade by several chains. He barely managed to block one strike with his triple-bladed scythe, only for several more chains to lash out like venomous snakes from all directions, piercing straight through his chest in an instant.
This time, Naruto didn't cover Karin's eyes.
Earlier, he had treated her like a child, but now he realized… if she was going to survive independently sooner or later, facing scenes like this was inevitable. So it's better to let her adapt now.
Contrary to Naruto's expectations, Karin didn't seem particularly disturbed by the sight of Hidan being impaled.
Yes, this time, it was Naruto who didn't think it through.
Having lived in Kusagakure, exploited and drained endlessly, what kind of brutality hadn't Karin witnessed? She herself had often been left covered in bite marks.
"Bastard! That hurts like hell!"
At this moment, Hiduan, who was still suspended in the air like he was wearing a certain three-dimensional maneuvering device, roared with undiminished vigor.
The blood pouring from his wounds didn't seem to weaken him in the slightest.
Hidan even had the strength to hurl the ritual iron spike in his other hand straight downward.
Of course, Naruto simply caught it mid-air and threw it right back.
This time, it went straight through Hidan's throat.
Strangely, Hidan just yanked the spike out and kept cursing, showing no signs of weakening.
This time, Naruto was really surprised.
He lowered Hidan closer to the ground, not caring about the risk of being attacked, and stepped forward to examine him closely.
'It's not a substitution, a puppet, or an illusion.'
'This man was genuinely tanking these injuries with his bare flesh.'
"How interesting…"
Seeing his enemy not only unafraid but even boldly stepping into his attack range, Hidan's face twisted into a bloodthirsty grin.
"I told you… I'm blessed by Jashin-sama! I'm immortal!"
He shouted loudly, but at the same time, his other hand swung the triple-bladed scythe straight at Naruto's head.
'Got him!'
Even if he couldn't kill Naruto outright, as long as he drew even a single drop of blood, Hidan was confident he could end this with his cursed technique, Death Controlling Possessed Blood.
Karin, who was watching from a distance, nearly exhausted her Chakra again to unleash the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
But she stopped the next second.
Clang.
Naruto didn't even try to dodge. The scythe's blade struck his temple, only to be completely blocked by the iron-like defense of Armament Haki.
Of course, to Hidan, who couldn't see Haki, it looked as though Naruto had tanked the hit with his bare skin.
Not a single drop of blood was drawn.
'What… kind of monster is this?'
For the first time, Hidan experienced the same helplessness others felt when facing him.
However, Naruto didn't care how shocked the other party was.
After confirming that Hidan really would not die from fatal injuries, an experimental idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"We're going to be spending some quality time together."
A smile as bright as the sun appeared on Naruto's face.