Kakuzu and Hidan's expressions darkened as they stared at the figure before them—Uchiha Mirai.
As top-tier fighters, they hadn't even noticed when Mirai had appeared behind them. If he had chosen to attack, they would have likely suffered the consequences.
"What's with those faces?" Mirai asked indifferently, his right hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. "Weren't you both sounding pretty confident just now?"
In the next instant, both Kakuzu and Hidan instinctively leaped back several meters, drawing their weapons and assuming defensive stances. However, as they saw Mirai still standing motionless, they realized their reaction had been excessive.
Taking a moment to compose themselves, they suppressed the unease that had momentarily surfaced. Sure, they had been startled by Mirai's sudden appearance, but now that they'd gathered their thoughts, the tension dissipated. After all, they were the immortal duo.
With their unique abilities, no matter how powerful their opponent, they had nothing to fear.
After securing his payment into a scroll, Kakuzu spoke in a low voice. "Hidan, you go first."
Hidan's immortality, combined with his eerie abilities, made him the perfect choice to test an enemy's capabilities or to execute his ritual sacrifices.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu would provide support from the sidelines, attacking from a distance or stitching Hidan back together if needed. Over time, they had refined this strategy into their ideal battle formation.
Hidan stepped forward, a manic grin spreading across his face.
"I've been wanting to offer this guy to Jashin-sama for a while now."
"Finally, I get my chance! Hahahahaha!" With that, he lunged at Mirai, swinging his scythe menacingly.
Kakuzu, watching intently, waited for Mirai to reveal an opening.
"Not attacking together?"
"You're underestimating me." Mirai remained still, not even acknowledging Hidan's charge.
In a blink, Hidan was upon him. "Be a good sacrifice for Jashin-sama!"
His wicked scythe, paired with his crazed laughter and twisted expression, made for a terrifying sight.
"Here it comes!" Kakuzu clenched his fists, focusing his gaze.
The newest powerhouse of the shinobi world, the first ninja to conquer the Five Great Nations—
Uchiha Mirai, let's see how strong you really are!
"Hahahahaha! Die! Die! Die!"
Hidan screamed as he swung his weapon. But before he could even react, his body suddenly froze, then collapsed forward, slamming into the ground.
Mirai extended a single finger. Several black rods shot out, impaling Hidan and pinning him to the earth.
"What?!" Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Hidan might not have been a ninjutsu user, but his unorthodox abilities and taijutsu prowess were enough to place him among Kage-level combatants.
Yet he had been taken down instantly.
"Genjutsu..."
In the blink of an eye, Kakuzu understood what had happened. To disable someone like Hidan in an instant, only the genjutsu of the Uchiha clan could achieve such a feat.
Hidan had been too reckless.
"Now, it's your turn."
Without sparing Hidan another glance, Mirai shifted his gaze to Kakuzu.
Feeling the weight of Mirai's stare, Kakuzu let out a cold snort. "I'm not like that idiot."
"Your clan's vaunted genjutsu is useless against me."
"You're from Konoha, so you must've heard my name before."
"I am Kakuzu of Takigakure, the man who once attempted to assassinate the First Hokage!"
Unlike most shinobi, Kakuzu had a distinct advantage—his multiple hearts. Each heart could independently disrupt his chakra flow, allowing him to break free from genjutsu instantly.
A smirk formed on his lips, but it quickly faded when he saw Mirai raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"Throwing a shuriken from eight hundred miles away counts as an assassination attempt now?"
Kakuzu froze. "What?"
Mirai chuckled. "Because I can't think of any other way you could've escaped from Hashirama Senju alive."
Realizing the mockery, Kakuzu's expression darkened. Surviving an encounter with the First Hokage was one of the few accomplishments he took pride in.
And yet this bastard was ridiculing him?
Anger flared within him, but he quickly suppressed it. "If you think such childish taunts will work on me, you're mistaken."
"I have lived since the era of Hashirama Senju. It will take more than that to rattle me."
Mirai chuckled. "No, no. I'm simply stating the truth. I had no intention of provoking you. After all…"
"In my eyes, you're no different from Hidan lying on the ground over there."
Kakuzu let out a scoff, removing his cloak. "Are you implying you can defeat me just as easily?"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Mirai smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Splurt!
Kakuzu's pupils shrank. His green eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
He looked down—four of his hearts had been destroyed in an instant.
"Y-You…" Kakuzu stammered, his voice trembling.
In all his years, never had he been this close to death. He wasn't under a genjutsu, yet he had no idea how Mirai had attacked.
His four hearts, each a vital lifeline, had been eradicated in a single move.
Did Mirai already know about his body's structure? But even if he did, how had he managed to strike so precisely without Kakuzu detecting anything?
Cold sweat trickled down Kakuzu's face. If he couldn't figure out what had happened, his last remaining heart would be next.
And then—
He would truly die.
[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully plundering the reward: Earth Release: Earth Spear! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully plundering the reward: +1 Chakra! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully plundering the reward: Fire Release: Head Cutter! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully plundering the reward: +1 Physique! ]
Listening to the system notifications in his mind, Mirai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
So, one heart equaled one life?
Makes sense.
Mirai walked over to Kakuzu and looked down at him from above.
"Kakuzu, do you believe me now?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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