chapter 124 part 1
Chapter 123: Those Who Praise Me May Obtain a Revival Slot
The kind of people Kakuzu hated the most were those who wanted him to do things but were unwilling to pay.
Coincidentally, the reckless fellow before him was exactly that type.
"I originally thought my attack on the Hidden Sand Village would boost my reputation, drawing the attention of wealthier clients to hire me. I never expected it to backfire, bringing an irrelevant nobody like you to my doorstep."
Kakuzu sneered. He had originally been too lazy to bother with such a person; killing him wouldn't bring any money. But now, it seemed he had no choice but to kill.
"Die."
Kakuzu raised his hand, and his fist, dragging countless Kakuzu's Black Threads, shot out, instantly piercing through Hidan's chest and tearing a large hole.
"Resolved in an instant, huh? Doesn't even have the ability to dodge? Truly too weak." Kakuzu glanced at the Konoha Forehead Protector on Hidan's waist. "A Konoha Ninja. I hope you're on the Bounty List."
"Ouch, that hurts... But you're right, you idiot. I *am* on the Bounty List, and I'm worth eighty million Ryo! As a Bounty Hunter, don't you even know that?!"
Hidan looked down at his chest, spitting blood from his mouth while cursing loudly.
Kakuzu was startled. He carefully scrutinized Hidan, his eyes growing brighter. "Hit in a vital spot and still not dead? This kind of method... Could you be Tsukasa Kaede's disciple, the second person in the world to master the Corpse Release Secret Technique? I remember now; those employers really hoped to capture you and interrogate you for the Secret Technique. I'm truly lucky."
Killing this one would be more profitable than killing four Karura! And if he hyped it up later, it might even sell for more than eighty million Ryo.
It couldn't be helped; Tsukasa Kaede was truly too difficult to kill. He was currently recognized as the Perfect Ninja. Although a huge amount of intel about him had been exposed and thoroughly studied by various countries and villages, the more they researched, the more headaches they got. They simply couldn't find a good way to counter Tsukasa Kaede for now.
Hidan, however, was different. Although very little intel about this guy had been leaked – only that he seemed to favor Taijutsu and had the achievement of killing the Four-Tails – compared to Tsukasa Kaede, who could fight in groups, clear the field with Wood Release, and Space-Time teleport, Hidan was undoubtedly a bit easier to deal with.
To acquire the Corpse Release Secret Technique, it was best to start with Hidan.
Kakuzu grew excited and immediately began to shed his clothes.
Hidan firmly grabbed the Kakuzu's Black Threads, pulled hard outwards, wrenching Kakuzu's hand free, then slashed with his Scythe.
"Wahahaha! You bastard, I don't know what crappy Secret Technique you're using, but no matter how strong a Jutsu is, once I'm up close, you're dead!"
Hidan immediately activated Jashin Ritual: Death Controlling Possessed Blood and began his crazed self-mutilation. Amidst Kakuzu's shocked expression, he destroyed one of Kakuzu's hearts.
"As expected, you didn't die. To be favored by Tsukasa Kaede, you truly are the Immortality type. I knew he wouldn't send me out so casually."
Hidan wasn't surprised at all. Staring at the several Masks that flew out from Kakuzu's body, and realizing that his self-mutilation could no longer harm Kakuzu, he immediately charged forward, wielding his Scythe.
"Hmph, your Undying Body is very interesting; it doesn't seem to be the same type as mine... This must also be the result of Corpse Release. You truly are that guy's disciple."
Kakuzu's expression became a bit more serious.
At his level, very few in the Shinobi World could kill him. Coupled with his extensive combat experience, he truly had the confidence to disdain these youngsters.
But Tsukasa Kaede was different. This was a man who even forced Kakuzu to maintain a cautious stance.
Under Kakuzu's control, several Masks each opened their mouths and spewed out various Elemental Release, bombarding Hidan's body in a dense barrage, causing the blindly charging Hidan to suffer a great loss.
"So painful, so painful, so painful! These Abominations can even use Ninjutsu?" Hidan screamed miserably, climbing up from the ground, ash-faced and disheveled. It had been a while since he had suffered such hardship.
Kakuzu sneered, "There's still plenty you don't know. My Earth Grudge Fear will be superior to your nominal Undying Body!"
"Hmph, even more arrogant than me... Alright, it seems I can only use that guy's power a bit. I originally wanted to finish you off in a one-on-one fight."
Hidan muttered, "But their side has several Combat Power equivalents. It wouldn't be excessive for me to call some people over, right?"
Summoning Jutsu!
Coffin after Coffin appeared next to Hidan, from which a batch of carefully maintained Zombies emerged.
Kakuzu frowned deeply: "Driving Zombies into battle..."
"You're lucky, idiot! For trash like you, I don't even need to use those strongest Corpses. A group of Jonin and Chunin is more than enough to finish you off!" Hidan cursed loudly.
Kakuzu sneered, "If I'm not mistaken, you don't even have the ability to summon those famous guys, do you?"
Hidan immediately lost his composure.
Indeed, he couldn't summon them, because Tsukasa Kaede hadn't granted him permission. Strictly speaking, the Corpse Release Jutsu he currently used actually involved transmitting his request to Tsukasa Kaede during the casting. Only after Tsukasa Kaede nodded could Hidan successfully cast the Jutsu.
As for top-tier Zombies like Roshi and Araki of the Sand, Hidan couldn't summon them. Tsukasa Kaede would never hand over such powerful Combat Power to an idiot like Hidan.
Who knew what outrageous moves Hidan's thought process might lead to? "Kill, kill, kill! After I beat you until you're only left with one breath, taking you back will still be in time. Anyway, judging by your appearance, you don't have a normal body anymore. Just taking your head back should be fine, right?"
This time, Hidan charged forward, leading a group of Zombies with decent strength, completely disregarding his own and the Zombies' casualties.
Soon after.
Hidan and Kakuzu's figures appeared in the Hidden Leaf Village. Both looked utterly disheveled, covered in large patches of blood and grime, their clothes extensively damaged.
Kakuzu, for instance, was simply bare-chested, revealing the stitched and pieced-together marks from the Kakuzu's Black Threads.
Few people paid attention to Kakuzu; instead, most stared at Hidan, recognizing him as Tsukasa Kaede's disciple.