Genius Sensei

Chapter 34: Hidan and Kakuzu

Team seven raced toward the eastern portion of their nation. Naruto had informed them that it was team eight that was in trouble and they were determined to get there in time. Kakashi was actually concerned about what team eight must have encountered. He had overseen their training and their teamwork was impressive. Team eight was essentially impervious to ambushes which meant they had run across shinobi who in an open fight were just plain stronger.

Kakashi advised Naruto, "Make a few clones every fifty miles; we need to cast a wide net. Team eight's target would have been on the move." Teams on long missions would check in at villages and send messenger hawks back to their home village. Unless of course the mission was covert. This meant that team seven had a rough idea where team eight should be.

Naruto did as instructed and poured on the speed. Everyone was worried about team eight. Even Sasuke was concerned however he was also excited at the prospect of facing a real foe. All of them hoped they would make it in time.

***BREAK***

As soon as Hidan and Kakuzu appeared Kurenai weaved a Genjutsu that showed dozens of kunai raining down on them all with explosive tags. She carefully observed how Hidan laughed and lashed out at the faux projectiles. Kakuzu didn't flinch in the slightest.

'The loud one will have to be my target,' she thought to herself.

The bug clone leapt at Hidan who scythed through it easily. Since they were actually made up of kikaichu it didn't hurt more than a couple of them. The rest swarmed around the scythe wielder and attempted to drain him of his chakra. They succeeded in draining some chakra but then promptly died, their insect bodies twitching madly.

Kakuzu charged at Kurenai moving at an impressive speed. One of the Kiba mud clones used Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu) to try to drag him into the ground. Kakuzu was too fast and when he felt the chakra gather he simply avoided the up thrust hands.

Kurenai used the body substitution jutsu to replace her body with a log. The log came from where the mud clone had risen from the earth. The red eyed jonin blurred through hand seals and used another Genjutsu. She targeted Hidan who was obviously less adept at detecting it. The vision that clouded his eyes inverted her and Kakuzu's positions. Hidan slashed forward at Kakuzu who dodged the sudden strike.

"Break the Genjutsu," Kakuzu's deep voice barked at Hidan.

Kurenai launched a real kunai with an explosive tag at Kakuzu's back as he tried to dodge the speedy scythe. The missing nin was hit by it blasting part of his clothing away. His skin was unmarred underneath it. Kakuzu dodged another strike and then placed his palm on Hidan and forcefully disrupted the Genjutsu with his own chakra.

Hidan looked stupidly around for a moment.

"Heh sorry about that."

Kurenai backed away heading north, away from the rest of her team. Hidan immediately charged after her. She used Magen: Jubaku Satsu (Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death) to pin him in place while the Kiba clone used the fuinjutsu scroll to launch kunai in a hail of death. Hidan was struck by at least twenty kunai. His upper torso was riddled with them but the pain allowed the Genjutsu to be broken.

"Hell that hurts I'm going to kill all of you!"

Kakuzu ignored his partner's complaints and raced toward Kurenai. Again Kurenai used the replacement jutsu to try to get away however Kakuzu had his senses attuned to her chakra and knew instantly where she was going. He used a shunshin to appear right in front of her and coated his arm with earth chakra delivering a vicious punch toward her chest.