The forest was quiet when I arrived.
The wind moved slowly through the trees. Leaves shifted across the ground. Somewhere in the distance, a bird called once and then went silent.
Han hung over Kakuzu's shoulder like a sack of grain. His armor was cracked, and his breathing was shallow.
Across from me stood the two men who had nearly killed Asuma and Shikamaru.
Hidan rested his scythe over one shoulder. Kakuzu's stitched mask stared at me without blinking. Neither of them moved. For a moment, the only sound was the wind.
Then Hidan smiled.
"Well now," he said. "Look who decided to show up."
Something about the voice was wrong.
It was still Hidan's voice. But too calm, too measured.
Kakuzu shifted slightly beside him.
His eyes flicked toward Hidan for a brief second before returning to me.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. Even he did not trust the man beside him.
I did not have time to care. My eyes stayed on Han. He was alive. Barely.
I needed to get him out, fast.
"You should put him down," I said.
Hidan tilted his head. "And why would we do that?"
"Because I am going to take him back anyway."
Hidan laughed softly. "That confidence."
Kakuzu spoke for the first time. "You are the one who killed Deidara."
"Yes."
"And Sasori."
"Yes."
Kakuzu nodded slowly. "Troublesome."
Hidan spun the scythe once.
"Let's see if the Leaf's golden boy bleeds like everyone else."
That was enough talking.
I summoned nine clones. Six rushed Hidan. Three charged Kakuzu.
The forest exploded into motion.
Kakuzu leapt back as my clones closed in. His masks burst from his back, each one forming a different elemental mouth.
Lightning. Fire. Wind. Earth. Four hearts.
I flickered behind him, staff raised, aiming for the first heart. He twisted, blocking with hardened earth skin.
"You know too much," Kakuzu growled.
"I know enough."
He threw Han aside as a clone vanished in a flicker and grabbed Han mid-fall.
My clone grabbed Han and vanished in a flash of red light.
Kakuzu's eyes widened. "Flying Raijin."
"Exactly."
Good. One objective secured.
I flickered forward.
My staff cracked across the lightning mask before it could fire. The mask shattered against a tree.
One heart down.
Kakuzu leapt backward, eyes narrowing.
"You are fast."
Behind me, the forest exploded with noise.
Steel rang. Wind tore through the trees. And Hidan laughed. But the laugh sounded wrong.
One of my clones came flying through the trees and slammed into the ground.
Another clone rushed Hidan from the side.
My clones surrounded him, forcing him back. He swung his scythe in wide arcs, but they dodged easily. Then he stopped.
He inhaled. "Great Breakthrough."
And exhaled a gust of wind that tore through the trees.
My eyes narrowed. Hidan did not use ninjutsu. Ever. Something was very wrong.
He sank into the earth. He erupted behind one of my clones, stabbing upward. The clone burst into smoke.
Three clones were left on him.
Kakuzu's fire mask roared behind me.
"Fire Release. Intelligent Hard Work."
Flames filled the forest.
I vanished. "Flying Raijin."
I appeared above the mask and drove a Rasengan into its face.
The fire mask exploded. Two hearts down.
Kakuzu retreated deeper into the trees.
His wind mask fired. "Wind Release. Pressure Damage."
The blast tore a trench through the forest.
I slid across the ground and steadied myself.
Red light flashed again.
In the forest, the wind suddenly shifted.
The clone delivered Han to the village and returned with Naruto.
Naruto appeared first, Sage Mode active, two tails of Kurama's chakra flickering behind him.
Sasuke followed beside him, Sharingan spinning with three tomoe.
Shisui, with a blue cloak of Isobu's chakra rippling around him. Not a full tail.
Hinata stepped forward, her hands glowing with Lion Fist chakra.
Karin's chains wrapped around her arms like living metal, humming with power.
Suigetsu's body rippled like water as he drew his blade.
Jugo's eyes glowed with sage markings, his halberd humming with natural energy. They looked like a small army.
Hidan paused, studying them. "More guests."
Kakuzu cursed quietly.
"That is troublesome."
Naruto cracked his knuckles and pointed at him. "You hurt Asuma and Shikamaru."
Sasuke's voice was calm. "You are not leaving."
The fight exploded again.
Naruto charged first, Rasengan swirling with sage energy. Hidan blocked with his scythe, but the force sent him skidding back.
Sasuke followed, lightning crackling along his blade. Hidan dodged, but Shisui flickered behind him, slamming a water‑enhanced kick into his ribs. Hinata struck next, Lion Fist chakra exploding against Hidan's guard, launching him through the forest.
Jugo moved next. His halberd spun as he crossed the distance in an instant. His Sage transformation surged across his arms. The blade crashed down toward Kakuzu.
Kakuzu blocked with hardened skin.
"Earth Spear."
Suigetsu flowed beside him. His body turned to water mid-swing as Kakuzu's tendrils pierced through him.
Then the water snapped back into form, and the sword cut across Kakuzu's chest. Shino's training showed in the precision. Controlled.
Karin swung beside him. Her chains wrapped around her fists as she punched. The impact cracked Kakuzu's mask.
Shisui flickered across the battlefield. His crow summoning burst into the air.
"Fire Release. Great Fireball."
The flames shattered the already cracked Earth mask.
For a moment, the Leaf had full control.
Then Hidan laughed again. The sound echoed through the trees.
Then the ground split open. Thousands of snakes erupted from the earth, a tidal wave of scales and fangs.
Naruto shouted, "Snakes."
Sasuke's eyes widened. "No way."
Hidan stood in the center of the swarm. Then he smiled.
And the skin peeled away with a wet, tearing sound, like a shedding snake. The body beneath changed.
Pale skin. Long black hair. Golden eyes.
Naruto froze. "That's Orochimaru."
Sasuke's eyes hardened. "I know."
My grip tightened around the staff. Of all the enemies to appear here, it had to be Orochimaru.
The man standing there laughed softly. He brushed dirt from his sleeve.
"It seems my time within the Akatsuki has reached its conclusion."
Kakuzu stared at him. "You."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "The organization has become… inconvenient."
His eyes shifted toward me. "You have grown remarkably, Menma."
I tightened my grip on my staff. "You were inside Hidan."
"Borrowing him," Orochimaru corrected.
He glanced at the battlefield. Naruto. Hinata. Sasuke. Shisui. Team Taka.
"Ah, Yes." He chuckled. "This is no longer worth the trouble."
The snakes surged forward.
A massive wall of them.
Then Orochimaru vanished into the swarm. The forest fell silent again.
Kakuzu looked around. Seven enemies. No allies. No escape
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "You are not getting away."
Kakuzu looked around slowly.
Then sighed. "…Troublesome."
He never finished the sentence. Sasuke's Chidori pierced straight through Kakuzu's final mask.
Naruto's Rasengan hit a heartbeat later. Kakuzu collapsed. Alive. Barely.
I sealed his chakra and bound him.
I looked at the others. "We take him back, Inoichi can get some information."
The forest fell silent.
Everyone breathed hard.
Naruto looked at me. "What now?"
I looked in the direction Orochimaru fled.
"Warn the village that we might have an Immortal snake problem."
The war had shifted again.
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and burned chakra.
I stepped through the doors just as the medics rushed another stretcher past me. The hallway was crowded with shinobi and nurses moving quickly between rooms. The battle had only ended an hour ago, but word had already spread through the village.
Akatsuki. Han. Asuma. Orochimaru.
The war was not waiting anymore.
I walked down the hall and stopped outside the first room.
Through the window, I could see Tsunade standing beside the bed. Her hands glowed with green chakra as she worked.
Han lay motionless beneath the sheets. His armor had been removed. His chest was wrapped in thick bandages, and several sealing tags had been placed across his torso to stabilize his chakra.
Steam rose faintly from his skin.
Tsunade glanced toward the door and saw me watching.
She finished the technique before stepping outside.
"He will live," she said.
I exhaled slowly.
"The damage was severe. Internal injuries, chakra exhaustion, blunt trauma. Kakuzu nearly killed him. But Kokuo helped keep his body functioning."
I nodded. "When will he wake up?"
"Tomorrow. Maybe the day after."
That was good enough.
"What about Asuma?"
Tsunade's expression shifted slightly.
She gestured down the hall.
"Come see."
The next room was quieter.
Asuma sat upright on the bed when I entered. His torso was wrapped in bandages, and his right sleeve hung empty at the shoulder.
He wasn't smoking his cigarette. That alone told me how serious things had been.
Shikamaru sat in the chair beside the bed.
He looked exhausted. Dark circles under his eyes. Bandages around his head and shoulder.
He did not look up when I entered.
Asuma noticed me first. "Menma."
I stepped closer. "You look terrible."
He smirked faintly. "I have had better days."
My eyes moved to his missing arm. Asuma followed my gaze.
"Could have been worse," he said.
Shikamaru finally spoke. "They jumped us a day from the border."
His voice was quiet.
"Kakuzu came first. We thought it was manageable."
He clenched his fists slightly.
"Then Hidan showed up."
Asuma's eyes hardened. "That guy is not human."
Shikamaru looked down at the floor. "I should have predicted it."
"You were ambushed," I said.
"Still." His voice was tight. "Asuma lost his arm. Han got taken. I could not stop it."
Asuma reached over and smacked the back of Shikamaru's head with his remaining hand.
"Enough."
Shikamaru blinked.
"You kept me alive."
He pointed at the bandages across his chest.
"If you had not dragged me out of there, Kakuzu would have taken my heart too."
Shikamaru looked away.
Asuma smirked. "There you go again."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Shikamaru looked at me.
"Did you get them?"
"We got Kakuzu. He's in T&I," I said. "Hidan was not Hidan."
Shikamaru frowned. "What does that mean?"
Both of them looked at me.
"What do you mean?" Asuma asked.
"Orochimaru was inside his body."
Shikamaru froze. "…What?"
"He had been impersonating Hidan inside the Akatsuki."
Asuma leaned back slightly. "That explains the jutsu."
Shikamaru frowned. "He was using Orochimaru's techniques."
Shikamaru exhaled slowly. "That is… very bad."
"Yes."
Tsunade stepped into the doorway.
"Hokage meeting," she said. "They are waiting."
The Hokage's office was quieter than usual.
Kakashi sat behind the desk, arms folded.
Shisui leaned against the wall with his usual relaxed posture. Itachi stood beside the window, silent as always.
Naruto sat on the couch, elbows on his knees. Sasuke stood beside him with his arms crossed.
Shikamaru took the last chair in the room. Bandages peeked out from under his vest. I closed the door behind me.
Kakashi looked around the room. "Report."
I stepped forward. I explained the ambush. The fight. The rescue. The reinforcements. The moment Hidan shed his skin.
When I finished, the room was silent.
Kakashi nodded. "Inoichi is already preparing the interrogation."
Shikamaru spoke next. "And Orochimaru?"
"He escaped."
Naruto leaned forward. "That guy was wearing Hidan like a suit."
Shisui scratched the back of his neck. "That is one way to describe it."
Sasuke's voice was quieter. "Orochimaru shed the body."
"Yes," I said.
Shikamaru frowned. "That means something important."
Everyone looked at him.
Shikamaru rested his chin on his hand. "Hidan's immortality."
The room went quiet.
Shikamaru continued. "If Orochimaru was inhabiting Hidan's body long enough to study it…"
Naruto blinked. "…He copied it?"
Shikamaru nodded slowly. "Most likely."
Itachi spoke for the first time. "Hidan's immortality came from his ritual."
"The Jashin ritual," Shikamaru said.
Naruto looked confused.
"That thing where he stabs himself, and you die too?"
"Yes." Shikamaru looked at me. "If Orochimaru understood the mechanics of that technique, he could replicate it."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "And combine it with his existing immortality techniques."
Shisui whistled quietly. "That sounds unpleasant."
Naruto groaned. "So now we have an immortal snake cult leader running around."
"Not exactly," I said. "But he can survive things he should not. And he can use Hidan's techniques."
The room fell quiet again.
Shikamaru leaned back in the chair. "That changes things."
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Then we just beat him anyway."
Sasuke smirked faintly. "That worked so well last time."
Naruto pointed at him. "We were twelve."
Shisui laughed softly.
Kakashi looked at me. "Menma."
"Yes."
"You fought him the longest."
I nodded. "He was not interested in winning."
"Explain."
"He was testing us."
Shisui tilted his head. "That sounds like Orochimaru."
"He saw Naruto and Sasuke. Shisui's jinchuriki cloak. Team Taka."
I looked around the room.
"He realized the Akatsuki was no longer useful to him."
Sasuke frowned. "Why would he leave the Akatsuki?"
Itachi answered. "He leaves when something no longer benefits him."
Shisui nodded. "And he leaves when he finds something better."
Naruto scratched his head. "That is… actually worse."
Sasuke nodded. "Now he is unpredictable."
Kakashi rested his chin on his hand. "Which means we prepare."
Shisui stretched slightly.
"Well." He smiled faintly. "At least we captured Kakuzu."
Shikamaru spoke. His voice was quiet. "He used Hidan's body to kill people."
Everyone turned to him.
Shikamaru stared at the floor. "Asuma lost his arm because of him. Han almost died because of him."
His hands clenched.
"I should have done more."
Kakashi stepped forward. "Shikamaru."
Shikamaru's voice cracked. "I was supposed to protect them."
Naruto moved first. He placed a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder.
"You did," he said softly. "You brought them home."
Shikamaru swallowed hard.
Sasuke nodded. "You survived an ambush from two S‑rank shinobi. Most people would not."
Shisui added, "And you warned us. That saved lives."
Shikamaru closed his eyes. For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Kakashi exhaled.
"We need to prepare," he said. "Orochimaru is loose. Kakuzu is in custody. And the Akatsuki will not stay quiet."
He looked at each of us.
"We are entering a new phase of this war."
I nodded. "We will be ready."
Kakashi's eye softened slightly.
"Good. Because the next move will be theirs."
Outside the Hokage Tower, the village continued moving. Shops opened. Shinobi trained. Children ran through the streets.
And somewhere out there, Orochimaru was smiling.