ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ᴜᴢᴜᴍᴀᴋɪ ɴᴀᴍɪᴋᴀᴢᴇ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘᴜᴅᴇɴ (on Hold)

Chapter 45

Hidan's laughter echoed through the air, a chilling sound that sent shivers down their spines. "I'll finally be able to experience the pain, the pain that comes with killing you!" he declared, his voice filled with a disturbing sense of joy.

He raised his weapon above his head, the anticipation building with each passing second. Then, with a swift, decisive motion, he brought it down. "NO!" Shikamaru's desperate shout echoed, but it was too late.

Hidan drove the spike through his chest, near where his heart was. Asuma, wide-eyed, experienced the pain, coughing up more blood. Time seemed to slow down as Asuma fell forward, his body hitting the ground with a thud that echoed in Shikamaru's ears.

Shikamaru watched, his eyes watering as he tried to reach his fallen teacher. But exhaustion took over, and he tripped, falling to the ground. He stretched out his hand towards Asuma, his voice barely a whisper as he mumbled, "Asuma..."

Hidan, seemingly unaffected by the spike in his chest, pulled it out along with his scythe. His skin returned to normal, leaving a chilling reminder of the pain he had inflicted. The scene was a stark reminder of the harsh realities of their world, a moment etched in their memories forever.

Hidan declared his work done, which Kakuzu echoed, indicating they were both finished with their respective tasks. Kotetsu and Izumo were still immobilized, held in a chokehold by Kakuzu.

Shikamaru, trembling with anger, slowly rose to his feet. His voice was a low mutter as he cursed under his breath, but then his rage boiled over, and he shouted, "You son of a bitch!"

Kakuzu reacted swiftly, using Izumo to hit Shikamaru and send him skidding across the ground. As Shikamaru looked up, he saw a flock of black feathers. Crows surrounded Kakuzu and Hidan.

Hidan, however, was not impressed. He shouted defiantly, "You think you can hide behind your little birds! Stop being pussies and face us like men!"

Meanwhile, Chouji appeared and swiftly moved Asuma to the safety of a rooftop. Aoba reminded him to stay alert, "Keep your guard up, Chouji!" The situation was tense, with the outcome hanging in the balance.

The crows, under control, swarmed around Hidan and Kakuzu, exploding into a smokescreen that obscured their vision. Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Chouji looked down at Asuma with worry, muttering his name.

Ino helped Shikamaru up to the roof, where they knelt next to Asuma. Shikamaru listened for a heartbeat, a sign that Asuma was still alive. He was relieved to hear a weak heartbeat.

Shikamaru quickly ordered, "Chouji, take Asuma-sensei to Konoha Hospital immediately! Ino, accompany him and use your medical ninjutsu to heal him as much as possible! Hurry!"

However, their plan was interrupted when Kakuzu leaped onto the roof, declaring, "I'm not giving up my bounty." Shikamaru cursed under his breath, but Aoba said, "We'll deal with them while you guys get Asuma-san out of here!"

Aoba engaged Kakuzu in taijutsu, while Hidan was left to face Raido and Kotetsu. The battle was far from over, and the stakes were higher than ever.

In a typical brash manner, Hidan declared, "You can struggle all you want, but in the end, you'll all be sacrificed to Jashin-sama! That's why..." However, he abruptly stopped mid-sentence, and Kakuzu also seemed distracted.

Hidan then appeared to be speaking to someone unseen, complaining about being interrupted at the 'best part.' Meanwhile, in Amegakure, a man in Akatsuki robes sat atop a building designed to look like a man. He impatiently ordered Hidan and Kakuzu to return immediately for the sealing of the Nibi, indicating that this task took priority.