A/N: Sorry for the delay of my latest chapter. I was a little bored writing this and I wasn't sure what to put next for awhile so I left it aside until new ideas came to mind. I'm going to try and add a new chapter before June 3rd, which is when I go on my trip to Newfoundland for a week! Yay! So if you don't see a new chapter up for a couple of weeks, this is why. Anyway, I'm really glad more and more people are adding my story for updates and favouring it. It makes me happy to know that other readers are enjoying it and looking for more. I'm just glad that all of you are having as much fun reading as I'm writing.
He attacked Asuma with a kunai. Asuma dodged the attack and recoiled with a fire ball jutsu which Kakuzu blocked with water. Asuma looked behind Kakuzu and saw that they were near a large river.
'Great, we're in his element.' Asuma thought.
"Ninja art, twin water dragon jutsu!"
Kakuzu blasted Asuma down to the ground hard with his jutsu. Ino, Choji and Shikamaru weren't having much luck either. They were landing blows upon Hidan but none seemed to faze him. After several blows Hidan managed to break free of Shikamaru's shadow possession and backed away several feet. He wiped away the small trickle of blood slowly sliding down towards his chin.
"Pathetic, your little attacks aren't very powerful, are they? Then again, you little punks have never faced a truly skilled shinobi, have you?" Hidan let out a small laugh. "My god will be pleased to have taken several lives. Alright, it's time to get serious now!"
"He's just getting serious now? I though he was serious before!" Ino said.
"You better stand back, Ino, Choji, we don't' know what kind of jutsu he's going to use but I'm sure it's a powerful one." Shikamaru said.
Ino and Choji jumped back to join their comrade, curious as to what Hidan's choice of jutsu will be.
"Ha-ha, you little brats are finished! No one's ever been able to stop my jutsu, never.' Hidan said.
"Maybe so, but I doubt you've met a shinobi who's as quick analyst as I am." Shikamaru said.
"Ha, even if you somehow manage to figure out how my jutsu works, you still can't stop it, and I'll show you why!" Hidan formed several hand signs. "I used this jutsu to capture a little demon cat girl not too long ago."
'What, they've managed to capture two tailed beasts already? Just what are they up to?' Shikamaru thought.
"Ninja art, jashin seal jutsu!" Hidan said as red lines appeared on the ground to form a triangle inside a circle under Hidan. He crouched on all fours as hid body slowly began to transform. Black and white stripes began to cover his body, giving the appearance of a human skeleton.
"Is he some kind of reaper?" Choji asked.
"I don't know but I wish I could tell you Choji." Shikamaru said.
Asuma looked behind him, shocked at Hidan's new appearance.
'What is he? He can't be human, can he?' He thought to himself.
"You should pay more attention to your opponents!" Kakuzu said striking down upon Asuma.
Asuma managed to dodge his attack in the air and spun towards the ground, landing next to his students.
"What's going on, Shikamaru?" He asked.
"I don't know, he formed some hand signs and transformed after that strange symbol appeared." Shikamaru said.
"Do you have any idea what it is, sensei?" Choji asked.
"No I have no idea. I've never seen that symbol before nor have I heard of it." Asuma said.
"Could it be a part of this jashin god he mention earlier?" Ino asked.
"Maybe, but that's a good question, Ino. Take extreme caution everyone." Asuma warned his team.
Hidan laughed. "It doesn't matter how many precautions you take, you're all still going to die! I've never allowed an opponent to be kept alive unless necessary." Hidan said.
"Well maybe this time the opposite will happen to you." Asuma said focusing more chakra into his blades.
"Ha, bring it on!" Hidan said readying his scythe.
First Asuma threw several kunai's at Kakuzu with exploding tags attached and ran to Hidan with Ino. Kakuzu dodged the weapons but was caught off guard by the explosion, impairing visibility around him. Shikamaru caught on to the plan and ran off to the far left and disappeared within the smoke.
"Running away for help, how pathetic of you runt. I knew he was a coward." Hidan said
as he blocked the oncoming attack.
He looked behind him to see Ino throw several kunais and shurikens. He quickly grabbed hold of Asuma's arm and turned him around and jumped to the side. Asuma was caught off guard and barely to escape the sharp weapons. A kunai managed to graze his right arm as he jumped out of the way.
"I'm so sorry sensei!" Ino said when she noticed his wound.
"It's alright, Ino. I didn't expect him to pull a risky move like that." Asuma said.
"Do you want me to heal your arm?" Ino asked.
"No there's no time. We must end this battle quickly." Asuma said.
"Well that's what being a shinobi is all about. Deceiving your opponent and masking your moves. Taking on and Kakuzu is the last mistake you'll ever make!"
Hidan lunged towards Asuma. 'All I need is his blood and it's all over for him.' He thought with a wide sadistic grin.
Asuma jumped high into the air. Kakuzu followed him up and tried to knock him down towards Hidan but Asuma was quicker and kicked him hard, sending Kakuzu to the ground like a rocket. Hidan growled in frustration as he charged towards Ino. Asuma threw his kunai past Hidan to stop his attack. Ino quickly backed away as Asuma ran towards Hidan with his chakra blades. He struck down hard onto Hidan's scythe, putting a small crack on the top blade.
"Damn you, you chipped my scythe. You'll pay fro that!" Hidan said pushing Asuma away.
'His weapon is strong. It took my full strength to strike him down and I only chipped it.' He thought.
"You should stay focused; you'll live longer that way." Kakuzu said throwing a kunai towards Asuma which he managed to avoid the attack but was grazed again on his right side.
'What's up with these guys, they seem to be focused on Asuma. They're most likely trying to take him out so they can retreat. But Hidan seems focused on his blood, why?' Shikamaru watched as Hidan caught the kunai, his eyes widening in shock.
'He intentionally threw it in hopes to get Asuma's blood to pass it to Hidan!' "Asuma, be careful, he threw the kunai at you on purpose to pass it off to Hidan! I'm sure he did it to use your blood!" Shikamaru shouted.
"What?" Asuma said.
Hidan chuckled. "Smart kid, so you figured out that I need his blood but you don't know why. It's not like it matter because your sensei's fate is sealed now!" Hidan jumped back into his ritual circle. "Now watch and learn you little brats." Hidan plunged his scythe into his left shoulder.
Asuma cried in pain as he knelt down, clutching his left shoulder. His students cried as they ran towards him.
"Sensei, are you alright?" Ino asked.
"Yes I'll be fine, don't worry, the wound isn't serious." Asuma reassured them.
"How is this possible?" Shikamaru glanced at Hidan who looked like an animal hungry for more blood. "I'm going to try something. Ino, Choji, follow my lead."
"Why, what are you trying to do?" Ino asked.
"There's no time to explain just do as I say!" Shikamaru said.
Shikamaru threw a kunai at Hidan who blocked it.
'What are those brats trying to do?' Kakuzu thought as he watched them attack Hidan.
Choji rolled into a ball in attempt to crush Hidan but failed.
"Mind transfer jutsu!" Ino yelled attempting to breach Hidan's mind.
"Nice try but I know of your clan's pathetic jutsu that leaves you completely venerable." Hidan moved out of his circle and charged towards Ino but was stopped once again.
"Oh no, not again, great, I almost forgot about you too." Hidan growled.
'Why doesn't he attack Asuma now' Shikamaru thought as the moved his gaze to Hidan's ritual circle. 'I see he can't mirror damage from himself to others unless he's in that circle.' "Hey, Ino, Choji, don't let him go back into his circle. He can't get Asuma from a distance like he did before without being in it."
Ino, now with her mind back in her body threw kunai's at Hidan but Kakuzu used his water jutsu to block the attack and steer the water to Shikamaru who had no choice but to release Hidan from his jutsu. Asuma and his team charged towards Hidan but Kakuzu
used his twin water dragon jutsu to stop the ninja trio. Asuma jumped high into the air, ready to deliver a fatal blow but Hidan stabbed himself in the abdomen. Asuma's eyes widened as his mouth hung open in pain. He dropped to the ground. Kakuzu pushed the remaining three back hard onto the ground.
"Asuma, no!" Shikamaru said as he, Choji and Ino struggled to get up. Choji was the first to make it to their sensei. When Ino and Shikamaru recovered they joined Chojo to examine him.
"He's hurt badly, the wound itself looks fatal." Ino said as she tried to choke back her tears.
"No, that's impossible! Asuma you can't die! Your path can't end here!" Shikamaru cried.
It's useless, I can barely move." Asuma said.
Suddenly several ninja from the leaf village appeared.
"Quick, you've got to help! Take Asuma back to the village, hurry!" Shikamaru said.
The two ninja looked at him with skeptical faces.
'I don't think he'll make it even if we try." One of them thought.
Shikamaru's eyes began to well with tears. "What are you doing just standing there, help him!"
"Shikamaru, I don't think he has a good chance of making it back. His wounds look fatal." Ino said.
Shikamaru turned to look at her; a single tear began to roll down his cheek.
"I'm sorry but his chances of survival are slim to none." Ino said trying to choke back her own tears.
"I don't care! Take him back anyway!" Shikamaru yelled.
"Hey, kid, I understand how you feel, but we can't take him back without you guys. You know as well as I do you can't hold them off by yourselves. You'll need more reinforcements and besides, this battle is over." The two ninja slowly picked Asuma up.
"Right, ninja art, illusion of a thousand birds!" The ninja formed a hand sign as a cloud of crows flew towards Hidan and Kakuzu.
Hidan shielded himself with his scythe. "Ugh, what is this jutsu, a genjutsu?" He asked.
"No it doesn't appear to be. Perhaps it's a summoning jutsu or just a regular jutsu." Kakuzu said.
When the flock of birds cleared Hidan and Kakuzu stood alone on the battle field.
"Damn it, they got away, those cowards!" Hidan yelled. "Who cares, Hidan? We got another tailed beast and you got that jonin." Kakuzu said.
Hidan swung his scythe onto his shoulder. "Yeah I guess so, let's go."
They quickly ran off towards their closest hide out.
It took the leaf ninja an hour to reach the village. Once they reached the gate the two men carrying Asuma insisted Shikamaru, Ino and Choji head back home to rest.
"We'll inform you of any progress made." The two men ran to the hospital for Tsunade's help.
"You guys go ahead without me. I've got to visit someone." Shikamaru said running off.
"Where do you think he's going?" Choji asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe to Kurenai's house." Ino said. "Come on, let's go home, Choji."
The two walked in silence, praying for their sensei's recovery. Kurenai was in the middle of making tea when she heard a frantic knock on the door.
'Who could that be?' She thought to herself as she walked to the door. She slowly opened it to find Shikamaru at her door step.
"Shikamaru, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" She asked.
"It's, it's Asuma. There's been…an incident."