Chapter 40: Arrival, Battle
"Prepare for battle!" Kakashi drew his kunai, his eyes fixed on the dilapidated shrine in the distance.
The eight ninja hounds fanned out, forming a protective perimeter around the students.
"They're strong," Neji reported, his Byakugan still active, the scene ahead clear in his vision. "There are four of them. Their chakra... it's all powerful. Jonin-level, at least."
"Four Jonin-level shinobi?" Asuma gripped his chakra blades, his brow furrowed. "Why would a team this strong be in the Land of Whirlpools?"
Naruto clenched his fists, staring at the shrine. "I don't care who they are! If they get in our way, I'll flatten 'em with my new Toad Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"They're fast!"
"They're coming!" Neji warned.
Two black shadows burst toward them at astonishing speed.
The one in the lead, wielding a massive, three-bladed scythe, let out a maniacal laugh that pierced their eardrums. "Hahaha! Found you! Finally, some fresh blood for Lord Jashin!"
"Hidan!" Kakashi yelled. "Everyone, scatter! Do not let him get a blood sample!"
He knew Hidan's ability all too well. If he got even a drop of blood, he could use his ritual to transfer any damage back to his opponent. A single mistake would be fatal.
Almost simultaneously, countless black tendrils erupted from the ground, aiming straight for Might Guy, who was guarding the rear.
"Hmph. A sneak attack?"
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
Might Guy's right leg swept out like a steel whip, slamming into the rising tendrils.
BAM! A heavy, dull thud echoed as the kick and threads collided.
Guy stared at the still-writhing tendrils. "Your little tricks won't work on me!"
Kakuzu's voice drifted from nearby, laced with surprise. "Oh? You blocked my Earth Grudge Fear? You've got some skill."
"But for how long?"
"Let's find out!" Guy flashed a grin. "I am Konoha's Noble Blue Beast! Why would I be afraid of some... thing... that's neither human nor ghost!"
He shot forward, aiming a punch straight at Kakuzu's chest.
On the other side, Hidan, seeing Kakuzu's attack fail, only grew more excited. He charged at the nearest target—Kiba. "Don't run! I just need one little cut, that's all! It'll be quick!"
His speed was terrifying. Kiba was forced to dodge, with no time to counterattack.
"Kiba, behind you!" Shikamaru yelled, hurling a kunai that precisely struck Hidan's chain, knocking it off course.
Kiba seized the opening. "Ninja Art: Fang Over Fang!" Man and beast spun into a high-speed drill, trying to slam Hidan back.
But Hidan didn't dodge. He raised his scythe to meet them. "Nice! Just in time to give me your blood!"
"Dangerous!" Kakashi flickered, his kunai clashing with Hidan's scythe, sending sparks flying.
He forced the scythe back, yelling at Kiba, "Don't engage him head-on! Just stall! Wait for an opening!"
Just as Kakashi and Guy were pinned down, Torune Aburame made his move.
He and his squad had been in Neji's Byakugan blind spot and had remained undetected. Neji and Hinata had been taking turns scanning.
He raised his hand in a silent signal, and eight Root ninja fanned out, like a net slowly closing.
"Watch out!" Neji's Byakugan suddenly caught the anomaly. "Chakra signatures, three o'clock!"
The ground exploded. Root ninja had thrown kunai with explosion tags. Asuma and Kurenai were blown back by the blast, right into Zabuza and Raiga Kurosuki, who emerged from the trees.
"Ninja Art: Hiding in Mist Jutsu!" A thick fog instantly enveloped Asuma and Kurenai.
"Your opponents are us," Zabuza's voice echoed from the mist, the sound of his Executioner's Blade cutting through the air as it aimed for Asuma's neck.
On the other side of the battlefield, the remaining genin instinctively grouped together.
Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Sakura, Lee, Neji, Tenten, Shino, and Sasuke—along with Hinata, who was keeping her Byakugan active—had, in the chaos, formed a protective circle with Naruto at its center.
"Shikamaru! Why is the Akatsuki here?!" Ino demanded, her voice tight with panic.
In their memories, they weren't supposed to face enemies of this caliber at this point in time. And worse, it was their "old friends"—Hidan and Kakuzu, the men they had killed.
"And Zabuza!" Sakura added, her voice strained.
"And Raiga Kurosuki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist," Lee confirmed, his face grim.
As the others tensed, only Naruto was completely lost.
He looked around, confused. "How do you guys know all of them? Who are they? What's the 'Akatsuki'? And that guy with the giant sword, is he strong?"
His questions were met with a few seconds of dead silence.
Shikamaru froze. Sakura opened her mouth, but before she could explain, the nine masked figures appeared, surrounding them.
"Hand over Naruto Uzumaki, and I will let you live," the leader, Torune Aburame, stated.
"Who are you?" Shikamaru immediately stepped in front of Naruto, his hand discreetly moving to his pouch, his mind racing.
These guys aren't Akatsuki, and they aren't the swordsmen. Their aura is stranger... and their target is specifically Naruto. This was planned.
"Who we are doesn't matter." The masked leader raised his hand, pointing at the boy they were protecting. "What matters is that he must come with us. If you resist, you will all die here."
Naruto scowled and pushed past Shikamaru, his eyes defiant. "You want to take me? You'll have to ask my fists first! I don't care who you are! If you mess with my comrades, I'll flatten you with my Toad Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Naruto, don't be reckless!" Sakura grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "We don't know their strength! We need to assess the situation first!"
Torune seemed to have lost his patience. He signaled his comrades. "If you will not hand him over, then don't blame us for what happens next."
The moment he finished, the other eight masked ninja moved, attacking so fast it was almost impossible to react.
"Look out!" Neji's Byakugan flared to its limit, veins bulging around his eyes. "Three on the left, two on the right! Lee, behind you!"
Lee's reaction was instantaneous. He dodged a chain aimed at him, pivoted, and snapped his leg out in a Konoha Whirlwind. "You want Naruto? You'll have to get through me!"
The masked ninja merely tilted his body, easily avoiding the kick. He even reached out and grabbed Lee's ankle, his voice mocking. "This camaraderie is touching. But useless."
"The vast gulf between a genin and a Jonin isn't something your hot blood can overcome."