"I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!"
Hidan erupted in a fit of powerless rage, mainly because he truly didn't know how to walk on water or climb trees.
Seeing this, Shennong—who had been silently playing the part of a spectator—narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly: "I don't need to fight; I can carry him down on my back."
Ren Uchiha gave him a sidelong glance. Internal thoughts: "Old man, forget just carrying him down, you could probably run a marathon with him on your back without breaking a sweat." However, letting Shennong carry Hidan down was like throwing a meat bun at a hungry dog. The man was already eyeing Hidan for something; even if he looked "behaved" now, giving him that much freedom would definitely lead to trouble.
"Let's scout the situation first." Ren shook his head, pointing at the fortress walls hugging the cliffside. Then, he turned to Hidan: "And Hidan, you better be ready to stay behind if needed."
Hidan said nothing. Mei nodded beside them and instructed: "Then I'll leave it to you, Ren Uchiha."
"Drop down from here to the tree midway. Hiding there, with your Sharingan, you should be able to see the defensive layout on the walls clearly. Record their movements every 15 minutes. After three rotations, we move. We don't have much time; dawn is coming."
Mei took off her tool pouch from her slender waist and tossed it over. "I'm not a specialist in shurikenjutsu, so my supplies are limited. Only three kunai, ten shuriken, and two explosive tags."
"It's enough."
Ren caught it, weighing it in his hand. He instantly knew exactly how many tools were inside and hooked it behind his waist. He stood at the edge of the cliff, peering down at the 400-meter drop. The wind blowing up from the gorge tousled his hair, and the mist clinging to the rocks looked like the gaping maw of a giant beast.
He grinned and, under the gaze of the three, leaped into the void.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Falling rapidly, Ren snapped his Sharingan open and quickly spotted the tree Mei mentioned. He pulled a bandage from his arm, looped it through the ring of a kunai, and hurled it downward. The kunai embedded itself in the trunk, and Ren used the bandage to swing and kill his momentum, landing lightly on the branch.
He began his observation. As Hidan said, the security was tight. The night slipped by, and forty-five minutes later, Ren climbed back up the cliff. Compared to running up the wall with chakra, this manual climb was far better for conserving energy.
As soon as Ren's head popped over the edge, Mei asked nervously: "How is it?"
"Reporting for duty, Ma'am." Ren grinned and summarized the intel. "A bunch of small fry, no big deal. Six chakra signatures—all Genin—on two-shift patrols. Most are guarding the entrance to the underground cave; only two are on the walls."
He hauled himself up and continued his analysis: "As long as we take out one, we'll have at least ten minutes to rush the underground entrance and then..."
But before he could finish, Ren froze. He looked past Mei, staring into the darkness behind her. Under the vision of the Sharingan, a terrifying, massive ball of chakra light was slowly approaching.
"And then what?" Mei frowned.
Ren felt his mouth go dry. He pursed his lips, his gaze sharpening. "How should I put this... I'm seeing a giant 'crocodile' back there."
"A crocodile?" Mei was confused. Does this guy have a phobia of reptiles? She replied immediately: "Don't be afraid! Ren, if a crocodile sees you, it'll be more scared of you than you are of it."
"Tch." Ren clicked his tongue, his hand already moving toward the tool pouch at his waist. "I wouldn't be so sure about that..."
Seeing Ren's reaction, the three of them tensed up and followed his gaze toward the heavy darkness behind them. From the dense forest at the edge of the cliff, a steady, rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed.
Under the moonlight, a tall man wearing a Kakigakure rogue headband with a slash through it and a black mask emerged. He wore a long, black hooded cloak, and his eyes glowed with a ghostly green light.
When Ren saw this outfit, his heart sank. This man was the owner of the forbidden jutsu 'Earth Grudge Fear,' the future treasurer of the Akatsuki, and currently a high-level mercenary for the Underground Exchange—
The Kage-level powerhouse: Kakuzu!
Step... Step...
Kakuzu's feet crushed the gravel, stirring up a grey dust. His gaze was icy and indifferent as he approached.
"You made me search for quite a while. I didn't expect you to circle back on your own."
He scanned the four of them, pausing for a moment on Shennong with a frown before settling his gaze entirely on Hidan. He muttered lowly: "Tch, what a pain. This price isn't enough; I'll have to make them pay more when I get back."
Then, Kakuzu took a heavy step forward, his voice booming with a cold authority: "Hand over the kid behind you. Otherwise—DIE!"
As the words fell, a massive, crushing wave of Killing Intent exploded from Kakuzu! Under this terrifying pressure, both Ren and Mei couldn't help but grit their teeth and take a step back.
As for the "young cub" Hidan, facing his 'future best partner,' his pupils contracted to tiny dots. His body began to shake uncontrollably, and he backed up several paces without realizing it until he felt his heel hit the very edge of the cliff.
"W-Who... Who is this guy?!" Hidan was terrified. He had never seen an expert of this level—someone who could paralyze a person with just their aura.
On the other side, Shennong didn't move an inch. Kakuzu's Killing Intent was like a gentle breeze to him. However, he still backed away seven or eight paces, distancing himself from the trio as if to say, "Go ahead and fight, I'm just here for the show."
"Takigakure S-Rank Rogue, the world-class bounty hunter, Kakuzu..." Mei's pupils shrank; she clearly recognized him. She pulled a kunai from her leg holster and formed the 'Snake' seal, standing on high alert.
Ren looked at Kakuzu, who had come specifically for Hidan, and felt a wave of absurdity. The butterfly effect he had caused was starting to create a storm! The 'Immortal Duo' who were supposed to be partners were now enemies, and Ren had to fight Kakuzu to protect Hidan's life?
Am I playing Plants vs. Zombies here?!
After a moment of shock, Ren's gaze turned fierce. He pointed at the cliff and shouted at Hidan:
"Hidan! Jump!"
"WHAT?!"