"Sigh, looks like this fight won't end anytime soon. What should I do next?"
Watching Jiraiya and Hidan clashing in afterimages, Shinnō could not help but feel somewhat bored. Dealing with weaklings really wasn't interesting.
But if he pushed deeper to go after the tailed beasts, he would inevitably become a target for everyone, multiplying the danger. He had no intention of fighting desperately for the Akatsuki.
While pondering, a figure flying backward caught Shinnō's attention. The other was dressed similarly to him and held a massive scythe, slowly rising from the ground at this moment.
"Yo, Hidan. How did you end up in such a sorry state? This doesn't match what you usually brag about."
After recognizing the other's identity, Shinnō grinned. He had never gotten along well with him before, so naturally he wouldn't miss a chance to mock now.
"Cut the crap, Shinnō. Hurry up and help us deal with them."
Facing Shinnō's sarcasm, Hidan didn't retort. Kakuzu also retreated while fighting until he reached their side. His condition was similarly poor—the Akatsuki cloak that marked his affiliation was nowhere to be seen.
The most obvious sign was the broken mask on his back—clearly he had endured quite a tough battle earlier.
"Oh?"
Hearing Kakuzu's request to join forces, Shinnō became somewhat interested. In his impression, Kakuzu wasn't someone who would easily ask for help like this.
If the other was saying this now, it meant his opponent absolutely could not be underestimated.
And this doubt of his was soon answered. Looking at the massive figure gradually approaching from the sky, Shinnō immediately recognized its identity—it was one of their targets this time: the Seven-Tails.
In addition, there were two figures on the Seven-Tails' head. They looked young, but since they could participate in this battle, they surely weren't weak.
And the subsequent development was just as Shinnō had expected. From the moment the three appeared, Kakuzu's gaze had remained locked on the black-haired girl among them, not daring to be the least bit careless. In contrast, the more visually striking Seven-Tails didn't receive much attention.
"Haha, as fellow Akatsuki members, naturally I won't refuse a comrade's request for help."
As the two sides drew closer, Shinnō could clearly see the other's eyes—crimson pupils. No mistake, it had to be the renowned Sharingan. Although he was somewhat puzzled about how a member of the supposedly exterminated Uchiha clan had appeared, with a powerful enemy right in front of him, now wasn't the time to think too deeply.
"Hoo..."
Seeing Shinnō agree to team up against the enemy, Kakuzu let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief.
The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki and that purple-haired girl weren't much, but the pressure from that Uchiha clan member was a bit too great. Earlier, just from a brief clash, one of his hearts had been destroyed.
Although part of it was due to his own carelessness, even from that short contact, he already had a rough assessment of the opponent's strength. Add in the Seven-Tails and that priestess from the Land of Demons—against just him and Hidan, they probably wouldn't win.
"Hikari-neesan, should we keep going?"
Just as Shinnō had spotted them, Uchiha Hikari and the others naturally saw Shinnō's figure as well. The Akatsuki cloak was still too eye-catching, and an unknown enemy also meant an unknown danger.
"..."
Uchiha Hikari did not answer Shion's question immediately. Although she was very confident in her own strength and felt she could win even without knowing Shinnō's abilities, the problem was precisely that she didn't know the other's abilities.
Furina had told her about Hidan and Kakuzu's abilities, which was why she could bring Shion and the others to fight them without worry.
But Shinnō was different. If the other had some unexpected special ability, even if she could withstand it, she still needed to consider Shion and Fū. After all, their strength was somewhat inferior compared to hers.
Moreover, Hidan and Kakuzu were no pushovers. Even knowing their abilities didn't mean they could be dealt with easily—they were definitely not ordinary opponents to take lightly.
"That one codenamed Shinnō—his abilities are still unclear. To be safe, let's not engage for now. Try to hold them here as much as possible."
Although she chose not to attack, Uchiha Hikari had no intention of retreating either. She had also noticed Jiraiya fighting Hidan in the distance. If they withdrew now, it would essentially leave him alone in the wolf's den.
"From the looks of it, you don't seem very eager to fight. Is it because I'm here? Don't worry—my strength isn't that great either. If you don't believe me, I'll show you right now."
After a moment of standoff, Shinnō seemed to sense Uchiha Hikari's intentions. He shot a glance at Kakuzu beside him, then immediately opened the Eight Gates Released Formation, building up power and ready to strike.
"Eight Gates Released Formation?"
Seeing the powerful shockwaves continuously bursting outward from Shinnō's body, Uchiha Hikari—who had seen Gai in action—immediately recognized the technique and silently raised her assessment of the opponent's danger level.
From the looks of it, he had opened at least the sixth gate or higher. Anyone capable of using this technique was no ordinary person. The black chakra overflowing from his body also carried a strong sense of eeriness, clearly not as easygoing as his words suggested.
"Shion, Fū—this one called Shinnō is mine. As for Kakuzu and Hidan's abilities, you're already clear on them. Leave those two to you. You don't need to defeat them—just hold them off. I'll finish him as quickly as possible."
"You lot are all infamous missing-nin of the ninja world. Bullying a few young girls doesn't seem very nice, does it?"
Just as the two sides were about to clash, accompanied by a voice, two more figures arrived not far from the tailed beast-transformed Seven-Tails—one man and one woman.
The man had a cigarette in his mouth and looked rather laid-back, while the female ninja appeared much more serious, fully focused on watching Shinnō and the other three, constantly vigilant of their next moves.
"It's Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei! Hi there! You've come at the perfect time. Let's take on these bad guys together!"
Even though this was a battlefield where combat could erupt at any moment, it didn't affect Shion. After clearly seeing who had arrived, she immediately waved and greeted them cheerfully.
Although nothing was said openly, as the priestess of the Land of Demons, Tsunade had taken good care of her.
After learning of her interest in ninja training, whenever Furina was unavailable, Tsunade would arrange for suitable jōnin from the village to teach her, thereby strengthening ties between Konoha and the Land of Demons.
Asuma and Kurenai were among those who had spent considerable time with Shion. Moreover, after Furina's guidance helped Shion gradually become more cheerful, the two sides had built a pretty good relationship during this period.