Chapter 62

Title: Shun's Dilemma

...

Shun's POV

From my office, I observed Karin and Sai go about the mission I had given them, while I also observed Hidan and Kakuzu approach Fuû.

Being the bubbly person she was, she immediately asked Kakuzu and Hidan to be her friends.

When Kakuzu and Hidan heard that, they were initially stunned before their respective personalities kicked in.

Kakuzu being motivated by money wasn't overly motivated due to Fuû not having any bounty on her head. Hidan, on the other hand, was more interested in performing his ritualistic Jashin religion ceremonies on her just for his own pleasure.

"Sick bastards." I couldn't help but curse at the duo. Of the entire Akatsuki, only these two have a relatively unpitieable backstory.

Kakuzu was imprisoned and shunned due to his failure in the assassination of Hashirama. Yes, that was stupid on Takigakure's part, and although I am not one to judge, I don't think this warrants him loving money this much.

I remembered him during the warring states period. He was a very loyal individual, so perhaps the betrayal changed him, it shouldn't be to the extent of killing everywhere just for money.

If it's about vengeance, he did kill all the people involved in his case back then, so...

As for Hidan, his story was even more grating. He was a normal Shinobi of Yugakure, the Village in Hot Water.

And to make matters more interesting, his village, Yugakure, was the area Jashin was previously sealed away by me.

Due to the massacre that happened there in the past, the village that was later formed was more inclined towards peace.

However, Yugakure's ninja acknowledge a flaw in its pursuit of peace, as the village has historically tended to ignore difficult subjects in order to avoid getting involved.

Anyways, Hidan, whether due to the mental influence of Jashin, massacred his fellow Yu-nin and escaped the village.

I was more inclined to believe that he was influenced by Jashin, after all, Jashin was exceptional enough to create a technique that ensured his youthfulness as well as control over his opponents through an ingestion of their blood.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was still alive down there somewhere. Nah... He's definitely alive down there somehow.

Afterall, I personally did teach him back then, there's no way the person I taught would be mediocre.

Anyways, of the entire Akatsuki, these two were the only two that had a stupid and unpitieable backstory.

If they died, no one would particularly feel sad.

Anyways, Fuû was quickly knocked out and captured by them and in a few hours, Karin and Sai immediately arrived there.

Following whatever traces they could find, they immediately gave chase. 

Karin was a sensor so it wasn't difficult for her, Sai was a tracker so with the two cooperating, they were able to follow their track.

And once again, whether it be fate or coincidence, Kakuzu and Hidan were able to arrive at one of their hideouts and began her extraction hours before Karin and Sai caught up.

"Nah. This is pretty much fate. Even the world wants...no, needs this to happen." I mused.

In the few hours before the duo caught up, Saiken had already been extracted from Fuû, thankfully, the seal had managed to seal away a good portion of her chakra before she was fully extracted.

{A/N: Saiken is a Female to me.}

BOOOOM!!!

A sound of explosion rang out as the entrance to the cave the duo were in was shattered. 

Kakuzu and Hidan, the two physical occupants of the room, hummed in confusion as they turned towards the debris that scattered a few distance away from them.

"You were followed." A raspy voice asked, but everyone around knew very well he wasn't asking but making a statement.

"So it seems." Kakuzu said in a frustrated voice. He had already been delayed from his usual business due to this mission, and now, these intruders came along to put more unnecessary work on his table.

To him, if it wasn't profitable, he didn't see a reason to participate in the fight in the first place.

"Take care of them. Luckily, we finished before they arrived. Leave no traces behind." Ordered the ring-eyed young man before he disappeared.

"What's with the look, Kakuzu? I wouldn't mind having a taste of their blood if you aren't interested." Hidan said as he waved his scythe in an excited manner.

"Leaving it to you would be a waste of time. Let's make short work of thes-" Kakuzu began, but before he could finish, he saw a gigantic black fist in front of him.

Faster than he could react, the fist made contact with his face sending him flying a good 10 meters away.

"YOU MONSTERS!" Karin cried in anger as she saw Fuû's weakened form lying on the ground.

Minutes before, she had thought of the worst since she couldn't feel Fuû's breath of life, but getting closer, she felt it, but it was akin to the last flickers of a candle stick before it dies out. 

Cradling Fuû's body, she glared at the duo, Hidan who had a shocked expression at the sudden development and Kakuzu who just dug himself out of the wall.

"You. Will. Pay. For. This!" She made sure to say every word clear enough to ensure the duo understood the gravity of the current predicament.

I was kinda reluctant to watch these two die. They still had a role to play in team 10 development, Yugito's capture as well as Chiruku's death, but i guess not everything goes as planned.

What? You think I'm heartless? Please, I appreciate Yugito, she's one of the few rare females that are actually strong, as for Asuma...sigh. Okay, whatever, I'm heartless. 

But if he doesn't die, Ino will keep being Ino, Shikamaru won't wake up to reality and Choji will keep being Choji...an ignorant fatso with immense power, but is afraid of using it.

In short, some things..bad things had to happen for food reasons.

Should I interfere to allow these two to escape? Although they're trash, they still have their uses...

What a dilemma. Oh well, I guess I'll leave it to fate once more, but I fear even fate won't be able to save them.

I continued watching as Sai's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists. "We're not letting you get away with harming her," he declared, his voice cutting through the eerie silence.

Normal POV 

Karin, remembering her teacher's advice before coming on this mission, calmed herself, activated her sensory abilities. "Fuû's chakra fading. We need to act fast," she urged, sharing a determined glance with Sai.

Hidan, recovering from the initial shock, smirked. "More pests to crush?" he mused, eyeing the newcomers, twirling his scythe, grinned maniacally. "Looks like we've got a party, Kakuzu!" he exclaimed.

"You take care of that one." Karin said, pointing to Kakuzu, "I'll handle this one." She said, looking at Hidan.

"Hm." Sai nodded and pulled out his sword, the giant fist floating behind him.

"Be careful, he seems to have...a weird mixture of chakra for hearts." Karin reminded to which Sai nodded.

Without hesitation, Sai dashed forward, sword in hand, to engage Kakuzu. The giant ink fist swirled around him and scattered into little first as he unleashed a barrage of swift strikes with both fists and sword. 

Meanwhile, Karin focused on Hidan, her chakra sensing aiding her in predicting his movements.

Hidan's laughter echoed as he dodged Karin's attacks with uncanny agility. "You think you can stop Lord Jashin's will? Pathetic!"

...

Shun's POV

Not a bad matchup. Sai against Kakuzu is good but Karin against Hidan even more so.

They both have enormous amounts of stamina, and should Sai battle him, he was sure to be exhausted first.

The question now was, how would Sai handle Kakuzu.

Sai unleashed a series of ink-based jutsu. His ink fists transformed into razor-sharp blades, aiming for Kakuzu's vital points. Kakuzu responded with [Earth Style: Earth Spear], creating defensive pillars that intercepted the incoming onslaught. 

Sai, undeterred, manipulated the ink to form deceptive illusions, attempting to exploit any openings.

Kakuzu, sensing the threat, activated [Wind Style: Pressure Damage jutsu]. A powerful gust of wind surged towards Sai, scattering the ink constructs and forcing him to retreat. 

Immediately, Sai quickly countered with his Super Beast Imitating Drawing, summoning a massive ink tiger that lunged at Kakuzu. The threads moved with exceptional speed, intercepting the ink tiger mid-air, unraveling it into harmless tendrils.

Meanwhile, Karin engaged Hidan in a deadly dance of taijutsu. She weaved through his scythe strikes, relying on her precise movements and perception Ninjutsu she had been forced to learn, allowing her to anticipate every strike

She deftly sidestepped Hidan's initial assault, her movements fluid and calculated. Karin's perception ninjutsu heightened her awareness, allowing her to sense the subtle shifts in Hidan's chakra as he prepared for each attack. This sensory advantage gave her a split-second advantage in evading his deadly scythe.

'What's with this guy?' She wondered as she continued to observe his chakra as they fought. 'He's weird.'

As Hidan unleashed a rapid series of strikes, Karin countered with precise, well-timed movements. She incorporated Water Style Techniques into her taijutsu, creating defensive barriers with bursts of water to deflect Hidan's blows.

'Thank goodness I endured all those beatings to learn this.' She thought in gratitude to Shun's tortu-training.

Hidan, reveling in the chaos, attempted to exploit unpredictability in his attacks. Karin, however, remained unfazed, her perception guiding her through the patterns of Hidan's movements. She ducked, weaved, and spun gracefully, avoiding the scythe's deadly edge.

For some reason, she just felt she couldn't allow that scythe to touch her in any way.

Seizing an opening, Karin executed her own taijutsu maneuvers. She delivered swift, precise strikes, aiming for vulnerable points in Hidan's defenses. Each blow carried a calculated force, exploiting gaps in Hidan's relentless assault. Despite his sadistic enthusiasm, Hidan struggled to land a decisive hit.

.....

Sai, adapting to Kakuzu's tactics, incorporated his ink clones into the battle. Multiple Sai duplicates attacked from different angles, overwhelming Kakuzu's defenses. Kakuzu, recognizing the threat, unleashed [Lightning Style: False Darkness jutsu], creating a powerful electric field that dispersed the ink clones.

In response, Sai pulled out his brush as he created intricate ink traps on the battlefield. Kakuzu, however, used his Earth Grudge Fear technique to detach his body parts, avoiding the traps effortlessly. The battle escalated into a strategic clash of wits and jutsu proficiency.

As the intensity of the fight grew, Sai initiated his finishing move—Ink Dragon. The colossal dragon, imbued with Sai's chakra, surged towards Kakuzu. The threads attempted to counter, but Sai strategically timed his attack, overwhelming Kakuzu and sending him crashing into a tree.

Simultaneously, Karin unleashed her Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique on Hidan, creating a torrent of water to disrupt his movements. Seizing the opportunity, Sai immobilized Kakuzu with his Binding Ink jutsu.

"They won..." Shun muttered with a wry smile but shook his head. "Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the other party has been defeated."

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