Chapter 27 — You've Already Been Cursed By Me
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of weapons colliding rang out like a violent storm!
One of the figures wielded a massive executioner's blade over two meters long. Every swing carried an oppressive, terrifying force!
Facing him was a bald man holding two short cleavers.
Around them lay corpses scattered everywhere—heads severed from bodies.
When the strange mist spread out, it devoured the lives of all of Oshima's guards. As for Oshima himself, he barely managed to keep his life thanks to Hidan's protection.
Had Shinji not specifically given instructions before chasing after his target, Hidan honestly wouldn't have bothered.
After all, killing people was his specialty—protecting them was something he'd never learned!
So in a way, Oshima was just lucky. When Zabuza struck, Hidan reacted on instinct and kicked him away, narrowly preventing Oshima from being cut in half.
Then he grabbed his two cleavers and started hacking away!
Although the surrounding mist was thick, the moment Zabuza launched an attack was also the moment he exposed his position.
Even though it lasted only an instant, it was still enough for Hidan to counter purely by instinct.
Perhaps annoyed by Hidan's relentless aggression, Zabuza simply stopped maintaining the Hidden Mist Technique and chose to engage him head-on!
Hidan, on the other hand, was delighted. If he could offer such a fine sacrifice, Lord Jashin would surely be pleased!
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Hidan's expression grew increasingly deranged. His blades moved faster and faster, and for a moment, it even looked like he was suppressing Zabuza.
Yet throughout the entire exchange, Zabuza's gaze never changed, nor did his movements show the slightest distortion.
It was as if being pressed back didn't exist at all.
Because in his eyes, there were only two kinds of people: the dead, and those about to be killed by him.
And this loudmouthed, arrogant brat was clearly the latter!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Hahaha! I've decided—no matter what, I'm offering you to Lord Jashin!"
Amid wild laughter, Hidan swung both blades at once, aiming for Zabuza's neck and waist, while casually stepping into a puddle of water.
"Now!"
Zabuza's eyes sharpened. The trap he had prepared long ago instantly took effect.
The puddle transformed into a water clone, which suddenly grabbed Hidan from behind!
Though it lasted less than a breath before Hidan tore free, that brief delay was enough.
Zabuza had already slipped out of the attack range, and his executioner's blade came howling down!
Slash!
One of Hidan's arms was sent flying.
Against a weapon as terrifying as the executioner's blade, any normal person's first instinct would be to dodge or block, to avoid being cleaved in two.
But in that instant, Hidan did the opposite—he advanced instead of retreating!
By sacrificing an arm, he not only avoided being cut in half at the waist, but also seized a chance to counterattack.
Whoosh!
With his remaining hand gripping the cleaver tightly, he slashed straight toward Zabuza's head, without a shred of hesitation.
Even Zabuza—battle-hardened and soaked in blood—felt his resolve waver for a split second in the face of Hidan's madness.
All it would take was another horizontal swing to bisect the opponent at the waist.
But was it worth it?
Unwilling to die together with Hidan, Zabuza hesitated for just an instant and chose to withdraw.
After all, the enemy had already lost an arm and was bleeding continuously.
With a moment to regroup, victory was all but guaranteed.
So why trade lives?
Was his head filled with water?
Zabuza's reasoning was flawless. Anyone in his position would have made the same choice.
But the variable—appeared right here.
Hidan's suicidal slash failed to kill Zabuza, leaving only a shallow cut across his face.
Yet when Hidan saw the tiny bead of blood trembling on the blade's tip, he could no longer contain himself and burst into unrestrained laughter!
"Are you ready to accept the judgment of the gods?"
"You've already been cursed by me! Now let the ritual begin!!!"
Wearing a ferocious grin, Hidan stuck out his tongue and licked the blood from the blade, then violently shook his severed arm, flinging blood everywhere.
Stepping into the blood, he drew a peculiar symbol on the ground—an outer circle enclosing a triangle.
In the brief moment it took to complete this, Hidan underwent a drastic transformation.
His skin turned black, marked with stark white patterns. That terrifying, twisted face looked like a demon crawling out of hell!
Death Possession Blood!
At this moment, Hidan finally got serious.
Zabuza felt an intense sense of danger, though he couldn't tell where it was coming from.
But judging from the enemy's transformation alone, it was obvious he had activated some kind of forbidden or secret technique.
"I can't let him finish this!"
Zabuza's instincts screamed at him.
If he allowed that man to complete his technique, something unimaginably terrifying would happen!
He had to stop it.
Thus, Zabuza once again cast the Hidden Mist Technique.
This time, he would end it with a single decisive strike!
Silent Killing Technique—activated.
From the outside, Hidan—clearly at a disadvantage—didn't seem to care at all about the dense mist spreading around him.
He even had the leisure to think about how to torment his opponent before killing him.
As if struck by a fun idea, Hidan stared eagerly into the mist, waiting for that breathtaking, fatal slash.
It's coming!
Soundlessly, Zabuza appeared behind Hidan with perfect precision, raising the executioner's blade high above his head.
At the moment it was about to fall, Hidan's instincts had already caught it.
Yet to Zabuza's surprise, Hidan made no attempt to dodge whatsoever.
It was as if he was completely unaware, standing there upright, waiting to be beheaded—his lips already curled upward into a wide grin.
"Come on! Hurry up! Cut it down!"
"Kill yourself with the technique you're most proud of… I'm really curious what kind of expression you'll make."
Whoosh…
A faint current of air passed by.
The figure holding the raised executioner's blade suddenly dispersed into mist.
At the very last moment, Zabuza had stopped?!
Now at a distance once more, fine beads of sweat covered Zabuza's forehead.
Just now, he had felt it clearly—if he had swung that blade, he would have died.
Thinking back to Hidan's behavior—standing there without the slightest defense, as if waiting to be killed—it was impossible not to take it seriously.
Such a troublesome situation stirred memories Zabuza would rather forget.
That incident was what had driven him, like a stray dog, to flee Kirigakure and begin his life as a wanderer.