Konoha Strikes Against the Akatsuki (1)

The link to my new original story, with a villain MC, is on this story's main page and my author's page! Go check it out!

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Amidst a barren expanse faintly reminiscent of a desert, where odd large half-trees were scattered sporadically, two figures with distinct garbs stood out while they walked ahead. They were cloaked in black, with intricate white and red swirl patterns adorning the fabric. A towering figure loomed ahead, his tan skin contrasting sharply with his long, lustrous locks of dark-brown hair. What caught the eye was his eyes; the irises were a mesmerizing shade of green, while the pupils were absent, leaving only a pair of striking red sclerae. Despite his advanced age, he appeared to be in the prime of his life, with a well-sculpted, muscular build that spoke greatly of physical prowess and discipline.

The second individual accompanying the tall man was a striking figure, with a mane of medium-length, slicked-back grey hair, and distinctive purple eyes that glinted in the desert sun. He was garbed in the signature Akatsuki cloak, which he kept slightly ajar, revealing his Yugakure forehead protector hanging from his neck and a Jashin amulet adorning his attire. His forehead protector was slashed across the village emblem, indicating his severed ties with it. Grey pants and matching shinobi sandals completed his attire. Notably, he wore dark green nail polish and an orange Akatsuki ring on his left index finger, adding a touch of flamboyance to his otherwise subdued outfit. A Triple-Bladed Scythe hung menacingly from his back, a reminder of his formidable skills.

"Curses! How could I have been so foolish as to join this damned organization? I've lost count of the number of days I've just spent pointlessly cooped up in the same place, binding those two wretched Tailed Beasts for day and night without stopping. It's driving me to the brink of insanity! And that smug Pain, damn him to hell!" Hiashi growled again, his fury and displeasure boiling over.

"You're not just foolish, Hidan, you're a downright fool. And as for being on the brink of insanity, you've already crossed that threshold long ago. Unfortunately, you have no other choice in this matter. You were humiliated and coerced into joining this organization, and now you're nothing but a puppet at others' mercy. You're too weak to refuse, so be careful. Judging by the leader's behavior, he won't tolerate your insolence any longer. Remember, he warned you that there would be dire consequences if you continue to misbehave!" Kakuzu replied in a hoarse and blunt tone of voice.

"You're mistaken! Even in defeat, I would never surrender peacefully. That's not the way of the Lord Jashin. I only agreed to join the organization when they promised me an ample amount of sacrifices for Lord Jashin in the first place. But what did I get in return? For example, Pain stopped me from slaughtering those insignificant Konoha ninjas because of his stupid ceremony just a few days ago...", Hidan hissed in utter indignation, harboring a deep dislike for the Akatsuki leader currently.

"Anyway, Kakuzu, didn't he deceive you too by preventing you from collecting the bounty on that Konoha's jonin's head? So why are you defending him now? Are you really that subservient of a person?", Hidan suddenly questioned as well after remembering it, his tone dripping with disdain.

However, Kakuzu suddenly came to a halt, his eyes flashing dangerously, his face turning icy cold, and his voice taking on a threatening and menacing tone, "Mind your tongue, Hidan! Don't speak to me in such a disrespectful manner ever again! This is your final warning!", He growled in anger.

Hidan, nevertheless, didn't take him very seriously, knowing that he was an immortal who couldn't be killed. He smiled smugly, placing his hands behind his head, and continued to walk confidently while letting out a small snicker. He found it amusing to rile Kakuzu up, given that the man was always so stoic and serious. Kakuzu looked at this and sighed inwardly at his current predicament.

At this juncture, Kakuzu had no choice but to abandon the idea of killing Hidan, even though he had done so with all of his former partners in the Akatsuki. This was due to the simple fact that Hidan was an actual immortal. Kakuzu also thought about Hidan's question in amusement a little now after his anger subsidized a little. He was really not bothered by Pain's intervention when he was about to claim the head and the lucrative bounty of that Konoha's shinobi, Asuma Sarutobi,

That was because he held the position of official Treasurer of The Akatsuki, a role he cherished for the vast control and influence it gave him over the organization's significant financial resources. In addition to his substantial compensation and the many successful bounties he had collected through the Akatsuki's intelligence, he was quite content with his position in the group and had a favorable view of its leader, in contrast to Hidan's animosity. However, he didn't need to explain himself, especially to the likes of Hidan who didn't understand the value of money the slightest bit.

"Curse the Akatsuki organization and Pain! I'm still uncertain whether Lord Jashin has forgiven me for abandoning those promising kills." Hiashi grumbled once more, as he clutched the amulet around his neck, a sacred symbol of his deity. He often used it to beseech his god for a good kill before going into battle, or for forgiveness when he was unable to finish his designated sacrifice.

"There you go again with your pointless rambling. I've already made it clear that I'm not interested in your absurd beliefs and practices. My only concern and purpose in life is money. Money talks. Money is the only thing that matters, Hidan. It's tangible and reliable. Unlike religion, it's something I can actually touch and use to my advantage. Money is the most dependable thing in the whole world.", Kakuzu rebuked strongly. That was just another reason why they couldn't stand each other. Their worldviews, life goals, ideologies, motivations, personalities, everything was totally opposing.

"Have you seen the leader's new appearance, Hidan? Even his chakra transmission exudes power and energy. It seems that what we've seen of him before was merely an avatar. Now that the new phase of the plan is set to launch, he has emerged from the shadows. I don't think he will tolerate any mistakes or blunders from now on, especially from you. Despite your immortality, people like him can find many ways to deal with your kind. He captured the Three-Tails on his own, while we barely escaped from Kumogakure with the help of White Zetsu after catching the Two-Tails. Let's face it, you're weaker than me and even the weakest member of the organization." Kakuzu stated, leaving it unclear whether he was taunting Hidan or was somehow worried about his safety a bit.

Kakuzu was initially surprised by the intense level of security surrounding the Two Tails jinchuriki in Kumogakure, as well as the numerous powerful jonin who engaged them in battle. The fight had been difficult, even without the involvement of the Raikage, and in Kakuzu's estimation, the village was not far behind Konoha in terms of strength. The battle had left him drained, having lost four of his hearts, which he had to replace later. He and Hidan had only narrowly escaped, thanks to the timely unexpected emergence and assistance of White Zetsu, fleeing underground to escape then.

"He is but a mere speck to the great Lord Jashin, or to me as his most loyal follower, Kakuzu. In Lord Jashin's eyes, all mortals, including yourself, are of no consequence. Your profane words have also not escaped his notice, and you shall inevitably suffer the repercussions of your blasphemy in due course. I would not wish to be in your shoes my friend...", Hidan spoke while looking at his necklace. Jashin was a very powerful evil deity who demanded nothing less than utter death and destruction.

'This deranged guy never ceases to amuse me even. I recall the arduous search we conducted for other potential followers of the supposed Lord Jashin, prompted by this man's peculiar abilities upon his recruitment, only to come up empty-handed. It appears that his deity is merely a figment of his deluded imagination, entirely nonexistent. It was then that the leader and I realized his true nature as a man of unsound mind, perhaps even a rare example of a delusional schizophrenic amongst humans...', Kakuzu suddenly recalled while looking at Hidan strangely with an odd smirk.

Following Hidan's hometown Yugakure's decline from a respected shinobi village to a mere tourist spot, he became irate at the direction it had taken. He held the firm belief that the shinobi who resided there were fated to kill and proceeded to massacre his neighbors before departing Yugakure and joining a cult-like faith called Jashin. This religion revered a deity bearing the same name, but it was entirely a product of his delusion, dissociated from reality due to his deteriorating mental state. The primary doctrine of the faith was the total eradication of all life, where anything short of complete destruction was considered a sin. Through his experimentation with Jashin's secret technique, Hidan gained immortality, although Kakuzu and Pain suspected that it was a peculiar form of Yang Release ability conjured up by his unstable mind. While Hidan's most potent offensive technique was an exceptional Yin Release, he also attributed this power to the fictitious Lord Yashin. But, due to his subpar battle intelligence, he was still the weakest in the organization.

Hidan felt the urge to retort to Kakuzu, but the latter gestured to him in a way that showed him something which silenced him. In response to that, Hidan just slammed down and brandished his colossal triple-bladed scythe excitedly, "Hoho, it seems we have some unexpected visitors... Perfect!"

All of a sudden, a blond-haired teenager and a silver-haired man materialized before them covertly. "Pakkun, you may return," Kakashi instructed his trusty shinobi dog companion, and with a billow of smoke, the canine vanished from their midst. It was thanks to Pakkun that both Kakashi and Naruto were able to locate the Akatsuki members they were tasked with finding and eliminating right now.

Pakkun used the various scents those two people left at the place when they engaged with Team Asuma and even killed the captain of that team of the same name, a Konoha's jonin, and Kakashi's close friend. Therefore, Tsunade dispatched the two of them to avenge him and teach the Akatsuki a lesson. They were now one of the strongest elites at the village's disposal as Naruto have finally mastered the Perfect Sage Mode and went even further than the famed Toad Sage, Sannin Jiraiya. Naruto was now at a peak Kage level despite being so young. It was just that Naruto also needed some real-life battle experience to be complete. And that was the reason why he was chosen to go on together with Kakashi right now. Sakura remained in the village, working on some new jutsu. Naruto now finally mastered the Giant Rasengan and the perfect Rasenshuriken for use in combat.

The two Akatsuki members standing before them were responsible for the untimely demise of the revered head monk of the Fire Temple Chiriku, who previously served as a loyal guardian for the nobility of the Land of Fire, among other innocent lives. Solely one monk managed to flee and alert Tsunade of the grievous incident. In response, Tsunade directed Shizune to assemble a new task force, the Niju Shotai, to take swift action. Asuma's elite group, comprising himself, Shikamaru, Kotetsu Hagane, and Izumo Kamizuki, were dispatched to the temple to investigate. Asuma's team arrived at the ruins of the temple and realized that the Akatsuki pair had taken Chiriku's body to a bounty station. However, there, Asuma ultimately perished while battling against the Akatsuki duo.

Ninja Monks are a branch of chakra wielders that originate from Ninshu and share similar ideals to the Sage of Six Paths. They believe in promoting peace and the peaceful study and practice of chakra, so they travel the land to teach and aid others. Instead of using ninjutsu to harm, they are meant to use it only to help and protect others such as elemental ninjutsu to avert disasters or medical ninjutsu to heal the sick. Ninshu was the only true religion today inside the Ninja World.

What sets ninja monks apart from other chakra users is that they are the only ones who still practice Ninshu, which originated from the Sage of Six Paths himself. Their unique ability to connect their spiritual energy with others allows them to understand the heart of another without speaking, an aspect of their history known to very few people outside of the shinobi monasteries. They have mastered this technique and communicate with each other using this method, resulting in a remarkably peaceful society among themselves. Some monasteries go as far as to make speaking aloud a taboo and communicate solely through this means. However, despite their dedication to nonviolence, the practitioners of Ninshu are not absolute pacifists. They remain steadfastly committed to safeguarding their homeland and will take up arms against any foe that threatens the peace. Often, their pilgrimages involve protecting vulnerable villagers and travelers from the dangers posed by bandits, ferocious beasts, and rogue shinobi. In the past, it was even considered the solemn responsibility of Ninshu practitioners to confront the formidable Tailed Beasts when they menaced humanity. Although they were ill-equipped to defeat such formidable foes, they would nevertheless willingly lay down their lives to safeguard as many innocent lives as they could.

If they had to battle, ninja monks often employ the use of taijutsu and fuinjutsu. Their philosophy was that mastering taijutsu enhances the body while mastering fuinjutsu strengthens the mind. The use of taijutsu allowed them to defend themselves against enemies without abandoning their belief of using ninjutsu solely for violent purposes. The opening of the Eight Inner Gates, a technique used by many shinobi, was first initiated by a famous ninja monk. While fuinjutsu was a form of ninjutsu, many of its techniques align with the ninja monks' objectives of creating protective barriers around themselves or their monasteries or immobilizing an enemy without causing excessive harm to them.