Naruto immediately clapped his hands together, drawing in the flow of natural energy that surrounded the battlefield. The world stilled for him, every gust of wind, every heartbeat of the enemy around him feeding into the wellspring of perception that was Sage Mode.
Across from him, Hidan sneered, his triple-bladed scythe gleaming in the dim light.
"How arrogant! Even if you're the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, you're still no match for me!" he barked, charging forward without hesitation. To him, every opponent was the same—once he spilled blood, the fight was over.
The scythe whistled through the air as it came down toward Naruto's head. But the moment Sage Mode settled in, Naruto's senses sharpened. He shifted his body with minimal effort, stepping just out of reach, the weapon cleaving only empty air.
"What? You little brat—you're quick!" Hidan snarled, his attacks coming again and again, relentless, but each one slid past Naruto harmlessly.
Naruto didn't counter. He didn't even draw his kunai. He simply moved, flowing around the slashes as if he had seen them before they were made.
Hidan's frustration grew with every miss. "How many times do you think you can dodge me, huh?"
The blonde didn't answer. Instead, Naruto reached up, unfastened his forehead protector, and slid it into his pocket. From his pouch, he pulled out a strip of cloth and, to the shock of everyone watching, tied it tightly over his eyes.
Sakura gasped audibly. Even Kakashi and the others, locked in combat with Kakuzu a short distance away, glanced over in disbelief.
"What's he doing?" Sakura whispered, her heart racing.
"Dance all you like," Naruto said evenly, tilting his head toward Hidan's enraged presence. "Show me if you're even worth taking seriously."
"You bastard!" Hidan roared, teeth bared. He launched into another furious rush, his scythe slashing in wild arcs meant to split Naruto open.
But just before the strike could land, Naruto shifted slightly to the right, avoiding the blade with ease. "From my left," he murmured calmly, as if narrating Hidan's intent.
Hidan froze mid-swing, shock flooding his face. "What the—how did you—? You're blindfolded!"
Sakura's hands clenched. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Naruto wasn't just strong… he was reading the battlefield in a way she couldn't comprehend.
Naruto's voice remained steady. "Every move you make is like a turtle crawling to me. Sage Mode perception makes your movements painfully obvious."
"Shut up! I'll cut you down!" Hidan howled, swinging faster, his scythe slicing the air with terrifying speed.
But still, Naruto stood with his hands loosely folded, shifting only his head or shoulders at the last moment, each movement precise. To Hidan, it was like fighting a ghost. No matter how fast he struck, the boy was already gone.
Watching from a distance, Kakuzu's expression hardened. "Tch. This is bad… Hidan's finished." He gritted his teeth. Even with Hidan's so-called immortality, flaws existed. And Kakuzu had no intention of wasting his own life covering for his reckless partner.
Back at the other front, Ino's eyes widened. "That's… that's Naruto? If I weren't seeing it, I wouldn't believe it. He's… amazing."
Chōji nodded, breathless. "He's our biggest trump card…"
Kakashi, though still defending against Kakuzu's elemental barrage, couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Naruto… he's already surpassed me as a teacher." There was pride in his voice, tinged with a faint sadness. "But this isn't the time to admire him. Focus—we still need to bring these two down."
"Yes!" Chōji answered, doubling his size to shield his teammates.
Shikamaru's voice was steady, though his eyes never left Naruto. "That's Sage Mode. Against someone like Hidan, it's overwhelming. Don't get distracted. Remember why we're here—this is for Asuma-sensei."
Back in the other fight, Hidan's fury reached its peak. "You damn brat! Stop mocking me!" He swung wildly, sweat flying from his brow, his muscles straining as his scythe blurred in the air.
At last, Naruto moved differently. Instead of sidestepping, he lifted his leg and caught the scythe's shaft with a sharp kick.
Hidan's eyes lit with a manic grin. "Finally! You stopped dodging! You're mine now—"
But before he could follow up, Naruto twisted his ankle, sending the scythe spinning out of Hidan's grip.
"Too slow," Naruto said quietly.
He thrust his hand forward. Invisible force rippled through the air, a compressed shock of natural energy. The impact slammed into Hidan's chest, hurling him across the ground. He rolled violently before crashing into the dirt, his scythe clattering uselessly to the side.
That's the natural stopping point in your draft — Naruto blasting Hidan away with the Sage-enhanced strike.
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