Bounty Hunter Outpost 47 - Closest to the Hidden Grass
A twig snapped underfoot as Sasuke materialized on a tree branch, at the edge of the clearing, his Sharingan already dissecting the scene before him.
The outpost was a squat, weathered structure, its wooden walls splintered with age. The door hung ajar, swaying slightly in the breeze, revealing only darkness within. His senses, however, told a different story. Sasuke Uchiha felt two large chakra signatures just about a kilometer and a half from the treetop he stood upon, far larger than most of the Konoha nin he had fought less than five minutes ago.
Analyzing the chakra signatures, he realized that one of the individuals carried five distinct chakra sources on his back. Each signature emitted a unique aura, yet something was unsettling about them—they were devoid of life, absent of soul, nothing but empty husks of energy.
Kakuzu.
The name surfaced from Orochimaru's fragmented records. An Akatsuki financier, a monster who hoarded hearts like currency. A man who'd lived centuries by stitching himself together with the remains of his victims. Working with the Akatsuki during his time under Obito's influence, combined with the descriptions he had read in Orochimaru's journal, led him to suspect that these mysterious people may be affiliated with the notorious organization.
But Kakuzu wouldn't be alone. The second signature, the one riddled with dead chakra… Hidan? The immortal zealot whose fanaticism matched his inability to die.
Slowly, he exhaled. Sasuke's decision was made.
With a swift burst of chakra, he propelled himself forward.
"A Bounty Hunter Outpust, huh?" Sasuke commented, observing the sign placed on the building after he landed gracefully.
Stretching out his senses confirmed that there were at least four other people, excluding the two large chakra signatures he had recently sensed, all hosting reserves twice the size of the average Chunin.
It seems plans had to be changed...
_____________________________________________________________________
"Wow, this man is... you destroyed his face. I have no words. You know... maybe it's time for a little mercy? Surely you could've—"
"Is the face identifiable?"
"Yes it is, but—"
"Then it is enough. I do not like waiting, so I want my money. Now."
"Right, right, sorry. My bad, yeah - dear God, you shinobi bounty hunters sure are impatient."
The woman went inside. A few minutes she returned later, placing a black bag on the counter. "Well, here it is – two million Ryo per head. You can count the bills if you want," she said, as she placed her head on her arm whilst leaning down on the desk. Examining her fingernails as if disinterested, she continued. "Don't worry though, we'll always be trustworthy to our most loyal customer."
Kakuzu picked up the bag and hefted it over his shoulder. He spun around in the direction of the exit. "Hidan, let's go."
"Finally! That money nonsense is so unbelievably annoying! I haven't gotten to sacrifice for Lord Jashin in nearly two days!"
"You will have to wait until we finish our mission. The Akatsuki requires more funds before the plan is set in motion."
The tread of heavy footsteps could be heard as the two highly dangerous rogue ninja made their way up the stairs.
"Meh. All this Akatsuki stuff is so boring! If Lord Jashin was in charge of this group we'd be doing something more fun! Like sacrificing children in front of their mothers! Or massacring a town! Or even—!"
"Hidan. Shut up – or I'll kill you."
"I've told you a thousand times – just try it!"
"Your disgusting heart would be a stain in my collection."
"You just say that because you can't accept that my immortality from Lord Jashin is far superior to yours."
"If being a deranged, loud-mouthed lunatic is part of this 'immortality' of yours, then you can keep that nonsense with you." Kakuzu turned to glare at his partner, irritation burning through his body. "And keep quiet. You really are starting to get on my nerves."
"Ugh, you're such a miserly old bastard, Kakuzu. All 'funds this' and 'mission that.' When was the last time you actually had fun? Oh wait - never, because you're a walking corpse with the personality of a ledger!"
Kakuzu looked forward, his voice dripping with disdain. "Fun doesn't pay for the Akatsuki's operations. And unlike you, I don't consider screaming like a madman while rolling in blood a productive use of time."
"Excuse you, that's called devotion!" Hidan jabbed a finger at him. "Lord Jashin appreciates my enthusiasm! Meanwhile, you're over here counting coins like some kind of undead accountant!"
Kakuzu's grip tightened on the money bag, the threads of his stitched skin straining. "One of these days, I'm going to rip out that tongue of yours and sell it to the highest bidder."
But Hidan wasn't paying attention. His focus was entirely somewhere else.
"Oi, oi, oi – that guy over there. Doesn't he look like Itachi?" he said, pointing his scythe in the direction of the described person.
Kakuzu turned in the pointed direction and saw a boy, who accurate to Hidan's physical description, had a face very similar to Itachi's. Clad in a black outfit with long sleeves and pants, the boy wore a large, dark grey cloak with a high color that covered his entire body. His legs were wrapped in white bandages from the ankle to the shin, and he wore black open-toed ninja sandals. A single lock of hair obscured his left eye.
The boy stood ramrod straight, supremely assured, and had the air of a person who had absolute confidence in his power.
"Well, well, well," Hidan purred, resting his scythe against his shoulder. "Look what we have here, Kakuzu. A little Uchiha stray. Or - wait, no." He squinted. "Nah, this one's prettier than Itachi. Less 'brooding ghost,' more 'angry little hawk.' Perfect for a sacrifice!"
Kakuzu felt like breaking his face.
Sasuke didn't move. His uncovered Sharingan gleamed in the light, fixed on them with icy detachment.
Kakuzu sighed, adjusting the money bag on his shoulder. "Hidan. That's Sasuke Uchiha. The one Pain told us about."
"Oh, right, right!" Hidan snapped his fingers. "The kid who ditched his village to go play with Orochimaru. Yeah, I remember now - wait." He blinked. "Why the hell is he here?"
The kid—Sasuke Uchiha—stood there like he owned the world.
"I'm here to use you," he said, voice flat. "To eliminate the Akatsuki."
Shocked silence met this declaration. No one spoke a word. No one moved. Only the distant chirping of birds could be heard along with the sound of falling leaves. Then—
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA–"
The Jashinist doubled over, clutching his sides as his boisterous guffaws filled the vicinity. Even Kakuzu, known for his stoic demeanor, couldn't help but raise an amused eyebrow at the spectacle before him. A barely wet behind-the-ears child was threatening an organization of the most dangerous ninjas across the continent? Had he lost his mind?
"Y–y–you–hold on give me a sec... Wooh – that's – HAHAHAHAHA – just – you know that's the funniest thing I've heard since the screams of that child I sacrificed for the glory of Lord Jashin," Hidan spoke, his voice full of mirth.
As the laughter slowly subsided, a spark of deranged interest gleamed in Hidan's eyes. "Well, well, looks like you've got some guts, kid," Hidan admitted, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "How about this? Since you're obviously out of your mind, we'll let you off the hook. You only have to go through a ritual and accept Lord Jashin as the one and true God. Pretty good deal, eh?"
Sasuke gave a derisive snort.
Kakuzu closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. "Agreed."
"Huh?! Kakuzu! You're supposed to be taking my side! Fraternizing with the enemy I see?!"
"On the contrary, it is better to side with the enemy than with you."
"You bastard! Blasphemers, the both of you!" Hidan screamed before calming himself down. A sadistic smile danced on his face. "Ah well, we've never gotten along well anyway," he continued before raising his arm and pointing his scythe at Sasuke. "Well brat, since you've decided to reject my glorious offer, Lord Jashin does not seem to be pleased."
"Hidan, wait–"
The addressed individual did not care. He ran at incredibly high speeds, his scythe behind him poised, ready to strike. In one swift movement, he moved his weapon in an arc, the sharp ends of the blade ready to meet the flesh of the Uchiha.
Clink.
The blade stopped dead.
Kakuzu expected the boy to dodge, perhaps even draw that sword of his that he carried behind his back for a block. What he most certainly did not expect was for Sasuke's hand to catch the Jashinist's weapon of choice with two fingers.
Two fingers.
"Huh? What the fu—!"
A concentrated surge of lightning rippled into existence from Sasuke's digits. It was rapidly directed through Hidan's scythe, who seemed to be paralyzed, and into Hidan himself.
Then Hidan exploded.
Blood, gore, and guts were scattered all over the place. Not a single organ of the Akatsuki member was left untouched, all torn asunder into a thousand pieces.
Kakuzu's eyes were as wide as saucers.
How?
HOW?
The sight before him was something he had never imagined in years. Hidan, an S-Rank rogue ninja brought low by a mere child? Impossible. But what he had just witnessed went against all expectations. The Taki rogue nin realized that perhaps he had judged his adversary's power level far too quickly.
Determination coursed through him as black tendrils snaked out from the joints of his limbs at the new unexpected threat. He who fought and survived the First Hokage would not die here. "I admit you are far stronger than you appear to be. However, you will find out that fools who do not know their limits are crushed under their superiors."
He directed his chakra to—
And he found himself effortlessly choked by a lightning-coated hand.
Cold, overwhelming dread consumed his very being upon the sudden realization of being unable to move. He was completely paralyzed from neck to toe.
His body was frozen, locked in place by some unseen force—no, not unseen. There was the lightning and the boy's eyes. That damned Sharingan. The same eyes that had once belonged to Itachi, to Madara, to the Uchiha who had shaped the shinobi world in blood and fire.
But Kakuzu had lived for nearly a century. He had fought the First Hokage and survived. He had stolen the hearts of countless shinobi to extend his wretched life. He would not die like this.
With a grunt of effort, he forced his jaw to move. His mouth opened, just enough.
Black tendrils, thick as serpents, erupted from his throat, lashing toward Sasuke's face with lethal intent.
They never reached him.
A sudden, sickening void opened in Kakuzu's chest. His chakra was being drained. The sensation was like drowning in reverse, his very essence being siphoned away into the abyss. The tendrils collapsed mid-strike, lifeless, as his body grew lighter… then heavier… then empty.
So this is how it ends.
It seems he would, in fact, die like this.
The thought should have enraged him. He had survived wars, betrayals, and the wrath of the First Hokage himself. He had cheated death more times than he could count. And yet, faced with this boy, no, this man, he felt neither fury nor fear. Only a grim, almost strange acceptance washed over him.
His vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in.
But before it swallowed him whole, he forced out one last question, his voice a ragged whisper. "Why...?" His breath was shallow, his words barely audible. "Why eliminate... the Akatsuki?"
He had to know, at least for the sake of mental peace.
Sasuke's grip tightened slightly, his Sharingan burning into Kakuzu's fading vision.
"As I said, I'm going to eliminate the Akatsuki."
He hadn't believed that statement earlier, but now with the raw power he had seen from the boy, he had no doubts anymore.
"But my reasons are irrelevant to you."
Kakuzu would have laughed if he had the breath. Arrogant little bastard.
Then—
Black.
The last thing the 'immortal' felt was the crushing weight of his own mortality.