Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Seeing Hidan about to charge forward with his scythe, Kakuzu had no choice but to stop the brainless brat.

They just rushed in without thinking.

It will most likely just get chopped up in one blow, and then he'll have to work hard to piece it back together. That's such a huge amount of work... I don't even want to do it. It's better to give him a warning in advance to avoid that unpleasant situation.

At nineteen, Hidan was technically a young man, but compared to Kakuzu, who was over ninety, he was just a kid.

"Be careful, that Uchiha woman's attack methods are very domineering. If you get torn up, I'm too lazy to mend it for you." Standing on the edge of the rooftop, one could already see a group of four people walking down the long street below.

How did Uchiha Chihaya previously defeat that group of Rain Ninja?

He saw everything clearly using his shadow clone.

To be honest, he wasn't sure if he could defend against such an attack, but he was certain that Hidan couldn't withstand that kind of domineering attack. If he were hit, although he wouldn't be killed, Hidan would become a useless piece of trash without the ability to move.

"How dare you say such a thing, Kakuzu? Are you scared?"

Hidan's face revealed a malicious, mocking smile.

"・・・"

Kakuzu remained silent, staring at Hidan with the same cold gaze one would give a corpse. Just as Hidan was about to speak, Kakuzu turned his head and looked at the four figures clearly visible below, saying, "Our target is getting close; it's about time to make our move."

"Tch! How boring. Offering a dull fellow like you to the evil god is simply..."

Hidan muttered something.

Immediately,

He fixed his gaze on the group of four below.

And he paid special attention to the only woman among the four.

Arguing with Kakuzu had unknowingly become a habit, but no matter how contemptuous he was, he didn't forget Kakuzu's warning so quickly. This old guy, who had lived for who knows how long, was indeed annoying in every way, but he didn't have the habit of lying.

Since it was said that the woman needs to be watched,

Then,

Let's start with that bespectacled guy who looks like a complete weakling!

Among the four of them, it seemed that the one with glasses was the easiest to bully. Rather than going head-to-head with the other guys who looked like troublemakers, it would be better to take one down first, and then join forces with Kakuzu to deal with the remaining troublesome ones.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Walking along the deserted streets of Amegakure, most of the shops on both sides had signs saying they were temporarily closed. A few shops had their doors wide open, and it was clear that the owners had left in a hurry to go to the shelter, without bothering to close and lock the doors.

"The battlefield should definitely not be held in Konoha!"

Zongxian nodded to himself.

If the battlefield were to be located in Konoha, it would definitely hinder the prosperity and development of the village.

Being attacked repeatedly would shake Konoha's reputation. Battlefields should be far away from other villages; otherwise, constantly having one's own village in chaos would be too distressing.

"Don't you think walking there like this is too slow?"

Jiraiya looked around at the scenery and asked casually.

"Jiraiya-senpai, are you in a hurry?"

"No, it's just that I'm a little curious. Is walking over so slowly to attract the Akatsuki's attention? To relieve the pressure on Shisui and Fugaku?"

"Haha."

Zongxian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You're overthinking it. Shisui has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, so I'm not worried even if the Akatsuki attacks all at once. Elder Fugaku and Itachi and his son are equally fearless against the Akatsuki's siege. I've never had such thoughts about drawing the Akatsuki's attention to help relieve the pressure, and there's absolutely no need for it."

"However, the decision to walk was indeed somewhat related to Shisui and the others."

The reason for choosing to walk, or more accurately, to walk slowly, is...

The reasons are not singular, but rather a combination of options under various circumstances.

Firstly, it would give them some time to rescue Naruto and Sasuke. Otherwise, once the great war begins, the power of the Rinnegan would easily wipe out the entire Amegakure from the ninja world, which would cause considerable trouble for the rescue operation.

Secondly, it gives Chihaya some time to recover. Even with Samehada replenishing her chakra, controlling the storm to disperse the dark clouds covering Amegakure consumes a great deal of her eye power, and she inevitably feels mentally exhausted. She needs some time to recuperate and refine her eye power.

Thirdly, it was to observe the situation. This operation required attention not only to Pain and Zetsu, but also to Orochimaru. He couldn't let his guard down for a moment. To be honest, he really wanted to get rid of Orochimaru, this unstable factor, as soon as possible. He would dare to take action as long as he was more than 50% sure of success.

unfortunately,

Let alone a 50% chance, even a 30% chance of killing Orochimaru is doubtful.

Defeating Orochimaru is not a skill; being able to kill this snake that can shed its skin infinitely is what truly makes one powerful.

This premature confrontation with the Akatsuki was orchestrated by Orochimaru. Zongxian had no belief that Orochimaru's actions were merely accidental or coincidental. For Orochimaru, there were no such things as accidental or coincidental; it was always full of scheming.

However, Zongxian had not yet discerned Orochimaru's true intentions and could only remain cautious.

For all these reasons, Zongxian did not break through the formation with lightning speed at the beginning, but chose to proceed step by step, advancing slowly and steadily, which allowed him to observe the situation of Orochimaru, Pain and others.

His 'eyes' were faithfully watching the situation of Shisui and Fugaku.

"Just have your own plan in mind." Jiraiya didn't insist on getting to the bottom of it and asking why. In any case, whether they went slowly or rushed forward, it wouldn't make much difference at the moment. This time, they were fighting deep into the enemy's lair, so there was no need to worry about the enemy fleeing without a fight.

The concern is whether there are any traps ahead.

And the possibility of a sneak attack at any moment.

for example,

It's like this now.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of something cutting through the air came from a dark alley beside the street. A scarlet three-section scythe flew towards Kabuto Yakushi. However, the attacker's aim seemed to be a bit poor. It didn't even brush against Kabuto's hair before flying past him.

Then--

The thin rope attached to the end of the sickle's long handle taut.

The scythe that had been thrown out adjusted its trajectory and flew back, this time aiming its sharp blade at Kabuto Yakushi's body.

"Clang!"

The sickle was blocked by the kunai.

Kabuto staggered two steps. Putting everything else aside, the attacker's strength was considerable. However, he couldn't expect to gain any advantage with such a simple method. He certainly didn't dare to compare his strength with that of the Hokage, Jiraiya, or Chihaya Uchiha.

But it's not made of paper, so it won't collapse in the wind.

He gripped the kunai in his hand, ready to unleash a counterattack.

"Chihaya."

Zongxian let out a soft cry.

The moment the words left her lips, Uchiha Chihaya swung her Vacuum Blade, unleashing three powerful slashes that swept out with overwhelming force, smashing down doors and walls, breaking pillars and beams, and flattening the houses along the street. The attackers hiding in the dark alleys didn't have time to dodge this thunderous attack and were buried under the rubble.

"Lord Hokage, I'm still quite confident in dealing with an opponent of this caliber."

Seeing this, Kabuto withdrew the kunai from his hand and adjusted his glasses.

He said with a hint of regret.

"Now is not the time for you to make a move. Also... don't underestimate the members of the Akatsuki. These guys are not as simple as they seem, even if they look really useless." As Zongxian spoke, he quietly summoned a red and white feather fan in his hand.

He gently waved his hand towards Kabuto, and a rock spear rose from the ground, blocking the scythe that had fallen at Kabuto's feet.

Yes,

The scythe, which had fallen to the ground after losing its master, suddenly began to move again. If it weren't for the rock spear rising from the ground and stopping the scythe, which was being pulled like a venomous snake, Kabuto Yakushi would have paid a price, and if he was unlucky, he might have lost his fighting ability.

The sickle and the rock spear sparked dazzling sparks from their friction.

Harsh noise

This was enough to show how much force was needed to pull the scythe. If the rock spear had been replaced by his own legs... Kabuto Yakushi reached out and adjusted his glasses again. This time he had been careless. After witnessing the terrifying power of Uchiha Chihaya's slash, he thought the attacker had already been killed, so he ignored the scythe that had fallen at his feet.

but,

If someone were to be struck by a slash of that power, unless they were a ninja of the same caliber as the Third or Fourth Raikage, they would generally not be able to survive. The faint smell of blood also confirmed that the attacker did not use any techniques such as Body Flicker Technique to dodge the attack.

Therefore, he subconsciously came to a wrong conclusion.

But whatever the reason, it all came down to my own carelessness. I had been living a leisurely life in the village for too long... If I were the person I used to be, active in the shadows as a spy, I would never have been fooled by this fake death trick.

Just as Kabuto was reflecting on his laziness and disrespect,

A blood-soaked figure pushed aside the rubble and staggered out of the ruins.

Only then did everyone see the attacker's true face. His once neatly styled silver-gray short hair was now messy and disordered, and his purplish-red eyes were filled with a violent killing intent. His black trench coat embroidered with red clouds was tattered, and hideous wounds could be seen through the tattered holes.

"It would have been better if you had just stayed lying there quietly, instead of standing up and asking to be beaten."

Zongxian sighed softly.

He waved the feather fan in his hand towards Hidan.

Immediately,

Five tilted rock spears burst from the ground. One of them pierced through Hidan's neck, rendering him unable to move as he was about to dodge. The remaining four rock spears also pierced through Hidan's limbs with precision, lifting him high into the air in a spread-eagle position.

"Bastard!"

"I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you all!!!"

Hidan struggled desperately, but he couldn't get rid of the rock spear that had pierced his throat and limbs.

Aside from his immortality, his physical abilities are actually quite good. At the very least, he can withstand attacks from ordinary Jonin and even put up a fight.

Gathering chakra and unleashing powerful punches and kicks is a technique that most Jonin can master. Weaker ones can break trees, while stronger ones can shatter rocks. Tsunade's "superhuman strength" is actually an enhancement of this technique; she can crack a wide fissure in the ground with just one finger.

According to common sense,

With Hidan's strength, breaking free from the restraints of those five rock spears would be no difficult task.

Unfortunately, it was a rock spear that Sogen had forged using the Banana Leaf Fan. Its hardness was incomparable to ordinary rocks. No matter how Hidan roared and struggled, he could not regain his freedom. He could only be held high like a specimen being improperly dried.

"Is this... immortality?"

Jiraiya couldn't help but turn his gaze over at this moment. "He didn't die even after his throat was pierced, and he still has the strength to shout and yell... What kind of monsters are these in the Akatsuki?" Although Hidan's performance was quite poor, Jiraiya did not underestimate this seemingly stupid enemy because of it.

after all,

The one who subdued Hidan was Sogen, the Sixth Hokage of Konoha, who was considered the second-best ninja in the world after Madara Uchiha.