Author's Note: Before reading, I just want everyone to keep in mind that this is the first fight scene that I have ever written. It may be a little rough, let me know how I did. Good and bad. I want to thank MN306 for their help and insight on this chapter. They had some ideas and ideas that I think helped make this chapter better.

Support for this Fic has been pretty crazy recently. I'd like to thank all of my readers for helping 'A Bet of a Lifetime' get to where it is. As long as you keep reading, I plan to keep writing. Thank you.

Feel free to leave a review about what you thought. Or, send me a PM. I answer those, too. My writing progress and tentative upload schedule are updated regularly on my FFN profile. Go ahead and take a look if you're ever curious.

Chapter 24: Contact: A Blast from the Past

No one had moved from their spot, each awaited the other side to make the first move. A gust of wind broke through the dense forest, sweeping lightly through the soft grass resting at their feet. A calmness that contrasted poetically with the chaos that was destined to follow.

"You know, Kakuzu, I don't really like the way the Jinchuriki is looking at me." The shorter Akatsuki sneered. "It's making me kind of angry. So angry, in fact, that I might just forget about the mission and go on a rampage of destruction."

"Hidan." Kakuzu warned. "I don't care what you do, just make sure you don't kill the Jinchuriki. We need him alive."

"Yeah, whatever." He said dismissively, turning his eyes to the other two nuisances. "I guess I'll just have to settle with slaughtering these fools."

Sakura's knees began to wobble from the crazed look the silver-haired Akatsuki gave her. It terrified her. At that moment, she realized that she had never faced anyone remotely like these people. They had not even started the fight yet, and the terror already began to consume her. 'It's just like that day.' She thought back to Team 7's confrontation with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. It made sense; he was cut from the same cloth as the two standing before her today.

"Sakura." Kakashi's voice sliced through her worry and doubt. She looked over at him. "Remember Naruto's words at Ichiraku about these people. What he said wasn't meant to scare you. It was to prepare you for what was to come. You can do this, just work together with Naruto and me."

Speaking of the blond, his face was still full of hate and rage. "Naruto, is this not the first time you've encountered these two?"

Upon being called, Naruto took a deep, shaky breath. 'I have to remember Boss's teachings. I can't let my anger affect how I fight. If I do, my friends are going to die.' Once he got his breathing somewhat under control, he spoke. "These two are the ones that attacked Wave and killed Tazuna and his family. They would have captured me if it weren't for Jiraiya-Sensei."

Kakashi's eye narrowed, and Sakura's widened.

"I see." Was all the Scarecrow said. That perfectly explained the boy's initial reaction.

"That old guy isn't around this time to save you, kid." Hidan threatened. "I'm going to capture you and kill even more of your friends. Are you going to try and stop me this time? Or are you curl up in a ball like a coward and await your fate like before?"

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" The Jinchuriki challenged. "If you think it's going to go the same as last time, you're in for a surprise."

"Oh?" Hidan said with a bit of surprise. "The little kid has grown up some, I see. Doesn't change the fact that you let me slaughter that little boy and his mother. The child said that his hero was going to come to save them, was that supposed to be you? The terror in his eyes when he realized you weren't coming… it was near-ecstasy!"

Naruto twitched again, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

"Don't get so cocky, Hidan." Kakuzu scolded. "It would be pretty pathetic if you went and died after talking like that."

"Shut up. I'm working here. Don't ruin it." Hidan whispered to his partner. He turned back to his target, his wicked smile broadened. He had expected some verbal retaliation, but no matter. He would continue to try and infuriate the boy. "Do you want me to tell you the story of how they died? It was pretty pathetic if you ask me."

'They're trying to goad him into attacking recklessly.' Kakashi realized. 'If they succeed, it will put us in a terrible situation.' Kakashi withdrew a kunai and raised it up in front of himself threateningly. He got in position to attack, but his actions were halted as Naruto put his hand out in front of him. "Naruto, I-"

"No, Sensei. It's okay." The blond was doing his best to keep his composure, but you could tell it was taking a lot for him to do so. "I want to hear what he has to say."

The cultist took that as his opportunity to continue his tale.

"After Kakuzu took the old drunk's head clean off of his body, the boy put himself between his mother and us." The sadistic smile told the Leaf Ninja that he fondly recalled the events. He truly enjoyed the deaths and pain that he had caused. "I was going to kill them, but my buddy over here told me to back off. Said we had already gotten what we came for. You know, at first, I was actually going to. I had done a lot of killing that day. I was satisfied." There was a bit of anger that poked its way through his creepy smile. "That was before the kid stabbed me in the back as we went to leave, babbling on about being a hero and 'protecting those he cared about.'" He put a hand to his forehead, shaking his head lightly in disbelief. "I mean, what idiot would tell someone who isn't even a shinobi something as foolish as that?! Making him march off to his death. People these days are so cruel, wouldn't you agree?"

Sakura, herself, was seething. Her already balled-up fists tightened even further. Fear was quickly being overwhelmed by the immense rage that was beginning to overtake her. She wasn't going to let these guys talk about her friends in such a way. "How dare you! How can you talk about something like that so easily!? What kind of person are you?!"

"Sakura." Surprisingly, Naruto put his other hand forth to block his former classmate from making a move. They traded a glance, and the girl was surprised at what she saw. Those eyes were supposed to be filled with was she was feeling, anger, and hate. But they were focused and resolute, those negative emotions only flickered lightly in the back. "You need to calm down. If you rush them, you'll be playing right into their little game. The best thing we can do right now is keep a level head."

"We can't just sit here and let them talk about Tazuna and his family like that!"

"I know, and we won't." The blond assured. "But allowing ourselves to get all worked up will only hurt us in the end. Stay focused. We're dealing with dangerous people here."

He was right. Even though Sakura saw red, she could see the effort the blond was putting forth to restrain himself. Naruto wanted to do nothing more than give in to that hatred and destroy them, but he held steadfastly. 'For Naruto, I have to do the same.' Sakura shakily nodded her head. Similarly to Naruto, she took in a deep breath to clear her head of everything she was feeling. To the best of her ability, at least.

"Are you okay." The blond asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"They still haven't made a move at us yet." Kakashi noted, trying to focus his team on the matter at hand. "I would've thought they'd just attack after that little speech.

"It's three against two." Naruto added. "Especially since you're here, Sensei. Your name carries a lot of weight. They aren't dumb, they want us to attack recklessly. Not the other way around."

"They could also be trying to stall for time." What the Jonin said caught the blond's attention, "Like you said, it takes a good amount of time to extract the beast. They could have been sent to delay us while the others seal Gaara. Or even, take Sakura and me out and then capture you."

"That's a good point. I didn't think about that." Naruto said.

"Can you tell me about these guys?" Naruto's Sensei asked.

The boy being questioned nodded. "I don't know much since Master Jiraiya didn't fight them for very long. What I do know is that the one on the right may possibly be immortal."

"What did you say!?" Sakura cut in, shocked. "Is that even possible?!"

The blond could only nod gravely. "According to the report that Sensei wrote up in conjunction with ANBU Black Ops, he was stabbed in vital points twice and even took a Rasengan full force to the back. Neither seemed to have any effect, and no medical aid was administered to him. I don't really know anything about the one on the left except that he, at the very least, has a fire and water element."

"Immortality for one, and unknown abilities for the other." Sakura said, still in shock over the power of the silver-haired psychopath. "This is not good. Should we retreat and recall Team Shikamaru?"

"These guys aren't going to let us do that." The Genin answered. "They'll hunt us down if we turn our backs to them. We have to stand and fight."

"What's our plan, then?" The kunoichi asked openly.

Naruto smirked. "Just wait on my signal. They may not know it, but I've already made the first move."

The foliage behind the two Akatsuki began to rustle. Just as they turned their heads in response to the threat, a second Naruto burst through.

"A trap Shadow Clone!" Kakuzu warned as he and his partner leaped in opposite directions to avoid any attacks.

The clone didn't go after either one. Instead, he made his way into the space between the pair. The doppelganger uttered but a single word.

"Boom."

On command, the clone erupted in a brilliant ball of white-hot light. Naruto watched, facial expression unchanged, as his assailants were consumed by the suicide clones attack. The shock wave was intense; trees shook, the ground rumbled, and the sound was near-deafening. "That wasn't enough to take them out, but I did want to split them up so we can tackle them separately. ANBU Black Ops also wrote in their report that they were using tandem attacks to overwhelm them."

"When did you make the clone?" Kakashi asked. "I didn't even see you weave a hand sign."

"It was when we dropped down. I knew we might have made contact. I learned how to create seal-less clones that I can choose where they pop-up. Well, as long as it's still close to me. The range isn't that far."

"Impressive. Seal-less Jutsu are a rare skill." His teacher acknowledged.

"Not really. I can only make one at a time. And it's especially difficult when I use one of my exploding clones. I still need more practice. That explosion could have been bigger had I actually focused my chakra with a hand seal. Anyway, that doesn't really matter right now." Looking over at his longtime teammate, he nodded over in the direction of Hidan. "Sakura, you're with me. We're going to kill 'Mr. Immortal.' Kakashi-Sensei can take the one with the mask."

His teacher nodded, having come up with a similar plan of attack following his student's clone bombardment. 'He's thinking clearly. I shouldn't have worried about him being reckless. He's got this.'

"R-right." Sakura stuttered. What had just happened?

"Follow me."

Kakashi watched his two students run off. From the smoke in front of him, the masked man emerged. His skin tone had changed, it was now a dark, almost blackish color. Team 7's Leader pulled his headband up, revealing his famous eye. 'Not even a scratch from that huge blast. Is that one of his Jutsu?' Was his only thought.

"The Copy Ninja. Otherwise known as Sharingan Kakashi." As he spoke, his skin returned to its normal color. "The man who had copied over one-thousand Jutsu." Kakuzu said, acknowledging the shinobi before him. "Your escapades during the Third Great War got you quite the report in the Bingo Book of opposing nations. That, along with your Sharingan eye, has left you with a sizable bounty on your head."

Kakashi, once again, raised his kunai in front of him. "Yeah, and I'll show you why no one has been able to collect on that bounty yet."

"There's a first time for everything. You'd do well to remember that."

"The same thing could be said about your death." The Sharingan user warned.

"Heh, I suppose it could."

Without another word, they rushed at one another with the intent to kill.

Hidan swung his scythe, hitting nothing but air as Naruto flipped backward. 'I was hoping to get the drop on him after that explosion, but I guess that was me being too hopeful.'

"Seems like that weapon of his is an important tool in his arsenal." Sakura noted. He didn't seem to be trying any other form of attack. "A blade like that could do heavy damage with a clean hit, potentially damaging multiple vital spots at once."

"Agreed." Naruto said. "I think getting inside its useable range and using dirty boxing would be the smartest move. It will make it much more difficult for him to use his scythe in extremely close ranges. Will you back me up?"

The kunoichi nodded, already running through signs. "Earth Style: Rock Armor!" From beneath her feet, hunks of rock and earth exploded from the ground. They latched onto and covered her body from head to toe. The front of her face was left uncovered, along with ear holes to ensure her sense remained uncompromised. Lowering into her stance, she gave Naruto the nod that she was ready for him to take the lead.

"Nice, Sakura." He noted. "That scythe will have a hard time getting through your earth defenses."

"You aren't the only one who's been training. I've been splitting time with Lady Fifth and Kakashi-Sensei to round out my skills. Let's go, I'm ready."

Using his increased speed, Naruto closed the distance between himself and Hidan. The Akatsuki grimaced, attempting to slash downward at the boy. Naruto smiled. In a quick motion, he threw a palm strike upward at the wrist that had the weapon in it, disarming Hidan in the blink of an eye. The scythe went flying in the air.

"Now, I'm too close for you to use that strange weapon effectively." He said confidently, throwing a short elbow overtop of his first attack.

"You think it'll be that easy, boy!?" Hidan screamed, allowing the metal cable attached to the blade to slip seamlessly into his hand. With a powerful flick of the wrist, the triple-bladed scythe whipped around behind the blond. It was on a collision course with the Jinchuriki's spine.

'Might have enough time!' He began channeling his wind chakra at his back in hopes to deflect or divert what would otherwise be a crippling blow. Just as he thought he was running out of time, Sakura came out of nowhere and slammed her rock-enhanced fist into the weapon.

The thankful blond followed through with his strike, delivering a powerful elbow to the side of the immortal man's head. The members of Team 7 leaped away.

"Thanks for the save, Sakura. Can't believe I didn't see that cable attached to it. I almost made a big mistake."

"Knowing you have a team member that is backing you up allows you to fight aggressively like that. It was a smart move." Sakura said, dismissing her friend's concerns. "Though, we have to be a bit more careful now that we know he can use that thing at all ranges."

"Not to mention his control over it is near perfect." The blond added. "Though, besides that, I'm not too sure what else he's capable of. Be on your toes."

Hidan maneuvered the triple-blade back into his hand. Smiling devilishly, he swung it right at the rock covered kunoichi. Sakura braced herself, confident in her chakra-infused earth defenses to be more than enough to handle the impact. At the last moment, the Akatsuki wrenched his arm back and forth. This changed the course of his attack entirely.

Naruto allowed himself a small smile as his opponent's new target was his legs. Though it never came. The scythes momentum was halted entirely, and it fell to the ground with a rattling 'twang.' 'He's trying to avoid my vital areas.' He thought

Hidan pulled back on his cable, returning his weapon back to his side. Admittedly, he was not among the most intelligent within the Akatsuki, but even he could see that something was wrong there. 'There's no way I missed, but it just stopped.' He thought to himself. 'He must have some sort of Jutsu that is invisible to the eye that can stop attacks. How annoying.'

"Non-believers like you are always so overconfident in your abilities." The cult member spat. "Just wait until I show you heathens the might of the Way of Jashin! In his name, I'll paint the Earth with your entrails and bathe in your blood!"

"The Way of Jashin?" Sakura asked aloud, off-put by the crazed look in the cultist's eyes. "What is this lunatic talking about?"

"I know a little." Naruto began. "The Way of Jashin is a religious cult that claims through adherence to their rituals; those being destruction and mass slaughter, one could achieve immortality. Though, many just viewed them as crazed psychopaths looking for any reason to kill."

"But, isn't he…"

Naruto nodded. "Jiraiya-Sensei told me that he heard rumors that there was actually a successful case among the cult. But, it seemed too unbelievable to be true."

"Why don't you come over and find out." The zealot challenged. "Heretics like you couldn't possibly understand what it means to be devout and unwavering in your faith. You doubt my savior? I'll make him happy by spilling your blood!"

"You know, I actually like that plan." The Jinchuriki shot back. He reached into his pouch and withdrew a single kunai. He poured his wind chakra into his blades, creating wispy, white edges that protruded far past the metal tip. "Let's put that immortality of yours to the test. I wonder how much damage your body can really take before it gives out on you?"

Naruto dashed forward and threw out a wide hook aimed at Hidan's jaw. The zealot hopped back and threw a sidekick to Naruto's body. It worked like a push kick and gave him some distance as the blond skidded back from the force. As he slid back, Naruto threw his kunai at the Akatsuki's head.

Before he could react, Sakura had already circled behind him. Hidan leaned back and allowed the dangerous projectile to just barely fly past over his head. He wasn't allowed to fully recover as Sakura began to pressure him. She threw a flurry of punches, and he could feel the force of each one as her rock-covered fists flew by him. Even though he was still a little off-balance, he managed to dodge them all.

'Even I'd get hurt if one of those connected.' He thought in annoyance. 'That armor seems to be slowing her down, though.'

He slashed at her with his scythe, but this proved to be ineffective. Every time he managed to get a hit in, it was absorbed by the rock armor. Even the little scratches and cuts he made in the earth were healed by her chakra over time.

He got some distance and attempted to launch a counterattack. Sakura smirked and threw a quick jab, followed by a straight over the top. To Hidan's surprise, the rock that covered her fists detached from the armor and raced towards him. With great dexterity, he managed to dodge and weave in-between the pair of projectiles.

'All I need is a scratch!' He thought. The girl would be easy enough to take out, but he also had to keep tabs on the Jinchuriki. Naruto circled them in preparation for any weaknesses to exploit. 'Then, there's this bastard to watch out for.'

He extended his scythe at the kunoichi. She was ready, it clipped her side and scrapped against the outer layers of her suit but was unable to break through. She brought one her arms down and used it to pin the blade to her body. Hidan wrenched his cable back and growled when he realized he was unable to free it.

Sakura ran through a quick series of hand seals as she kept a grip on the weapon.

"Earth Style: Bird Shot!"

With her free hand, she swiped out in the Jashinist's direction. The armor that went from her forearm to her elbow shattered into hundreds of small pieces, the momentum launched them at her target.

Hidan gritted his teeth. The Jutsu was fast, and the attack range was wide. There was no way to dodge it, and he didn't have his weapon to help defend himself. 'Well, guess I won't run.' Instead of trying to evade, he ran towards it. The criminal used his arms to cover his face and head, but the rest of his body was exposed.

'He didn't try to dodge?!' Sakura's eyes widened as the little pieces of earth bore into the man's body like it was made out of tissue paper. Despite the torture that he must have endured, Hidan pushed forward. The Chunin was so shocked by the man's heedless action, that she was thrown off balance when he tugged hard on the cable to his scythe.

'Oh no!'

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

Hidan turned his head and scowled. The Jinchuriki had spat out a tsunami-like wall of water at them. He did his best to escape, but Sakura refused to release his blade.

The wave came and consumed them both.

Kakashi put his arms up in the form of a crossguard to absorb Kakuzu's sidekick. Using the force of the strike, Sharingan Kakashi flipped backward to create some distance between him and his mysterious opponent.

The masked Akatsuki started going through seals. "Fire Style: Fire Bullet Barrage!"

Kakashi's eye deciphered Kakuzu's Jutsu and had already been going through his own set of hand signs.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

Not just one, but several concentrated balls of fire blasted away at his wall. Kakashi frowned, but an idea sprouted when he saw the tall trails of smoke the blasts were making above the wall.

He made his student's favorite hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A few copies of himself appeared around him.

One of his doppelgangers darted out from the left side of the wall. Kakuzu saw him immediately and blasted him with a medium-sized fireball. The Jonin could hear him growl in annoyance when it was revealed that he hit a clone.

Then, as his second clone ran out of the other side of the wall, another Kakashi jumped high into the cover of the smoke that his enemy had created for him. Though he couldn't see what had happened, the experience he gained from his dispelled second clone told him all he needed.

His arm began to crackle with electricity, a Lightning Blade formed just as he cleared the thick smoke. "Lightning Blade!" He yelled as he rammed his fist into the chest of the masked man.

To his dismay, 'Kakuzu' was reduced to a puddle of water.

"What?! No!"

The real Kakuzu exploded from the Earth at his feet and grabbed the Copy Ninja by the neck. Kakashi panicked and clawed desperately at the hand tightly wrapped around his throat.

"Come now, Kakashi." Taunted the criminal. "Do you really think I would fall for a silly diversion such as that? I think you're taking me too lightly." He squeezed tighter. "I would have thought someone like you wouldn't underestimate an opponent."

Just as he was about to say something else, 'Kakashi' dissipated into a strong bolt of electricity.

"Agh!"

Kakuzu's eyes widened, and his body shook violently as he was shocked to his core by the Lightning Style Clone. He staggered back as the real Copy Ninja casually walked out from behind the Mud Wall.

"You know, you really shouldn't underestimate your opponent." He quipped.

The Bounty Hunter growled and lowered into his stance, Kakashi followed suit.

'This guy's strong.' The Leaf Jonin thought. 'So far, the only intel I have on him is Water, Fire, and possibly Earth, styles, incredible physical strength, and perhaps even a Jutsu that can negate bodily damage. That isn't much to go on, and I doubt I've seen even half of what he can do.'

"Do you think it was wise to allow those children to fight Hidan all by themselves?" The masked villain asked. "You appear to be able to handle yourself, but what about those weaklings? As their squad leader, shouldn't you be more reluctant to let them walk off to their deaths?"

"Didn't we just have a similar discussion? Don't underestimate them just because they're kids. If you do that, you'll die."

"If my partner could die, I would have already killed him by now. Hidan is far more dangerous than his intelligence would lead you to believe. Those brats have no idea what they've got themselves into. In fact, neither do you." Kakazu went through a string of seals, while he simultaneously pulled down the mask that covered his face. "Now, you all die. Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"

"Damnit, he's aiming for all three of us." Kakashi began to retreat towards his students as Kakuzu shot out a massive stream of red-hot fire. "Naruto, Sakura, look out!"

Both of the teens looked his way. While Sakura looked shocked at the sheer magnitude of the wide-spanning firestorm, Naruto was quick to act. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Seamlessly, he created 3 shadow clones. One to his side, and one behind each of them. The two in front went through their own set of signs, while the rearmost clones placed a hand on the backs of the offensive clones.

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

The water style attack was infused with, and enhanced by, wind chakra. The result was ferocious, high-speed streams of water colliding with the rampaging fire that was consuming all in its path.

The opposing forces immediately produced white-hot steam that covered the entire battleground. Visibility was near-zero. They had canceled each other out.

Naruto's shadow clones dispelled with 3 loud pops as he got into a defensive stance. 'That was close.' He thought. 'Clone coordination training is turning out to be a big success.'

Using the sound of the clones as his guide, Hidan came flying through the clouds of water vapor, scythe in hand for a massive swing. "You should be more aware of the sounds you make on the battlefield, brat!"

Just as he got within range, Kakashi erupted from the ground and grabbed the madman's wrists to prevent his strike. "You should take your own advice! Now, Sakura!"

"Right!" Leaping over Naruto, clad in her fully-restored rock armor, the kunoichi threw a monstrous, chakra-infused, punch right through her Sensei to get at the Akatsuki. "Hyah!" 'Kakashi' dispelled harmlessly in a cloud of smoke, cutting through the clone like butter and connecting with her target.

Hidan's head snapped to the side from the blow, and his body was sent flying back into the steam. The power behind the punch was so intense that the Earth surrounding Sakura's fist exploded off into little fragments. There was a satisfied smirk on her face. "He should be down for the count. There's no way that didn't take him out."

"Yeah, that was one hell of a punch." Naruto said with a nod. "Nice job, using the cover of the steam to hide a clone in the ground, Kakashi-Sensei. That's so like you."

"I wouldn't have had the opportunity to if you hadn't been so quick on your feet." Kakashi complimented in return.

From the depth of the foggy clouds, a voice called out to them. "Yeah, yeah." It was none other than the voice of Hidan. Though, he sounded more nasally than he had just moments before. "Don't you think you guys are kissing each other's asses a little early? I mean, one little punch and you think I'm finished? That's moronic!" He did not sound pleased. Not one bit.

"Look at the state you're in, Hidan." The other man's voice came from the same direction. The fog was beginning to clear, and it appeared the Akatsuki duo had converged once more. "I wouldn't exactly call that 'little.'

"Hey, Kakuzu! Who's side are you on?! I thought you were warming up to me? Don't be such a dick!"

"Shut the hell up and get serious. We're supposed to be hunting the Nine-Tails, not having fun."

With the battlefield now clearing up, the remnants of Team 7 had their enemies in sight. What they saw… they almost couldn't believe it.

Hidan's neck was twisted entirely around. In order to see the group from the Leaf, he had to turn his back to them. Not only that, but his nose was gruesomely crushed and pushed off to the right side of his face. Blood was pouring from his nostrils and mouth. Yet, despite all of that supposedly fatal damage, the Jashinist just seemed pissed off.

"Look at what you bastards did!" Hidan yelled. "My nose, my perfect face! You'll pay for this, I tell you."

He was… concerned about his nose? There were much more concerning matters than that.

"H-How, the hell is he still moving?" Sakura managed to get out. Fatal wounds not affecting him were insane enough. But this; a broken neck? "His heart and lungs should have lost all function by now."

"T-Think about it." Naruto shook his head slightly, trying to convince himself of some way it was possible. "If he can survive fatal blows to vital organs, are they even vital to him, at all? I don't think medicinal logic applies to this guy. I guess it's true; he really is immortal, after all."

Hidan grabbed each side of his head with his hands. In one swift motion, he twisted his head back to its proper direction. The sickening series of crunches and cracks made even Kakashi's skin crawl a little bit. The immortal man did something similar to his nose, wrenching it back into place with no regard for pain or patience.

Once please with his crude handiwork, he placed the palm in the crook of his neck. Hidan moved his head around in circles. He winced, then grimaced. "Tch, that'll be stiff for a while, I bet." His eyes fell on Sakura. "You're going to pay for that, Pinky." He threatened, eyes bloodshot with steadily increasing rage.

Sakura unconsciously took a step back. After seeing what her opponent just did, she wasn't entirely convinced she could do anything to stop him from making good on his threats.

"We're running out of time. Especially with all of the damage you're taking. These bodies are flimsy." The taller of the duo grunted out, barely loud enough for Naruto's group to hear. "Let's finish this now, Hidan."

Without uttering a single word, Hidan took off alone to combat Team 7. Swinging his unconventional blade in a wide arc, getting the Leaf ninja to retreat in opposite directions. Hidan chose to follow Kakashi, attacking with such tenacity that the only thing the Copy Ninja could do was deflect and dodge.

The sounds of metal that clashed were the only thing anyone could hear. Until…

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

The attack spanned a wide berth and easily consumed Team 7, and even Hidan, in its hurricane-strength winds. Trees were uprooted, inches of grass and dirt were shaved off the Earth's surface, and Naruto was picked cleanly off of the ground.

The blond grit his teeth. He had just enough time to erect a Wind Wall in between himself and the masked man's attack. However, that didn't nullify the technique. The forces didn't cancel each other out, causing him to careen in the air; momentum only stopped by the thick trunk of a tree.

"Damn." Naruto said with a pained grunt as he picked himself off of the ground. The damage in front of him was severe, but he was confident his friends made it out okay. "They use Hidan's immortality to draw in our attention, and then the big guy uses his powerful techniques to clean up. No wonder those ANBU got wiped out. They're a dangerous pair." Still, something didn't feel right.

Now that the area was completely cleared of obstruction, Naruto was quick to locate one of his teammates. "You okay, Sakura?" He asked after quickly reconvening with the kunoichi.

"Yeah, I'm fine." And it was true. Sure, she was a little dusted up. But if they considered the magnitude of the attack they were just hit by, it was minor. "Though, it managed to strip off all of my armor. That masked guy has mastery over Wind, as well? Isn't that three chakra natures?"

"No, I think it's four." Kakashi said as he dropped in. He looked a little worse for wear. His flak jacket and pants we partially tattered, and his forearms were peppered in shallow cuts. "I only saw it briefly, but your clone explosion from earlier didn't leave a mark on him. Not only that, but his skin changed colors. I believe he has some sort of flesh hardening ability. The only affinity that could do something like that would be Earth."

"Mastery of four changes in chakra nature? Is that even possible." Sakura countered.

Before they could say anymore, a voice interrupted them.

"Good eye, Kakashi Hatake." Kakuzu complimented, as he and his partner casually walked out from the cover of the smoke kicked up by the wind. "Perhaps I was too quick to judge. Your brats are quite skilled. I didn't expect all of you to survive that relatively unscathed."

"As much as I hate to admit it, killing them in the state we're currently in may not be possible." The zealot seemed angry with himself for having come to that conclusion.

'State?' Kakashi thought to himself. 'What does that mean?'

Kakuzu growled at his big-mouthed partner. "Shut up, Hidan!"

Hidan rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Kakuzu! It's not a big deal. These morons have no idea what we're even talking about."

"Oh well, perhaps you're right." Kakuzu's gruff voice didn't portray his dismissive words very well. "Let's see how they handle this." Once again, he went through multiple hand signs.

Kakashi's Sharingan picked up every single detail. It widened in shock. "Wha-"

"Lightning Style: False Darkness."

Five. This man had mastery over all of the five elements.

Thin bolts of electricity began building up around Kakuzu, then an outward explosion of voltage occurred. Team 7 had little time to get out of the way as the tendrils of supercharged chakra ripped apart the ground on its way to them.

Kakashi's initial reaction was to get in front of his team and use his compatible lightning nature to absorb and nullify the technique. However, Naruto seemed to have something already planned.

The blond already had a scroll he had withdrawn from his vest pocket unfurled in front of him. With a simple hand seal, a matrix written on the parchment began to glow a bright white. "Ninja Art: Lightning Trap!"

True to the technique's name, the light erupted from the scroll, tangling itself around all of the tendrils of voltage. They appeared to be battling in a beautiful display of twisted energy. Slowly, but surely, the light tamed the lightning, reducing it into a ball and pulling it into the scroll. Naruto smirked, rolled his scroll back up, tied it snugly with a knot, and placed it safely back into his vest.

"You made it a little too obvious. If you can already use four natures, it wasn't that surprising to find out you can use all five" Was all he said.

'Still, mastery over all of the elements. Not only is Kakuzu definitely stronger than his partner, but his combination attacks also make Hidan's already ridiculous abilities even deadlier. They work together seamlessly.'

Hidan growled in annoyance and rushed at the object of his anger, scythe ripping dangerously threw the ground behind him. "I've had it with this kid's cocky attitude, Kakuzu. He dies right now!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Kakashi leaped in front of his student, kunai drew in preparation.

From the side where his ordinary eye is regularly closed, Kakuzu intercepted him. A swift kick to the ribs sent tumbling through the air, the elemental master followed his bounty.

Hidan smiled deviously now that he knew his fun wouldn't be ruined. "Now it's just me and you, kid!" He screamed, slashing diagonally. Much to his adding frustration, Naruto quickly ducked under the sharp blades. "Tell me; do you enjoy the pleasure of pain! Because you and I will know that feeling very soon!"

The blond didn't respond with words. Instead, after ducking under the wild swing, Naruto stepped up into the pocket of his adversary. Pouring chakra into his right fist, Naruto threw a body hook to the ribs. It struck true, identified by the crackling sound of the immortal man's ribcage. 'He can still feel pain.' The blond was reassured at the reaction he received; Hidan winced and leaned into the shot. Planting his left foot forward and digging it into the ground, Naruto followed up with a left uppercut to the chin.

Hidan staggered back, which opened up him up even further. Using his plant foot to pivot, Naruto spun clockwise and blasted a spinning back kick to man's sternum. The blow sent him skidding back, silvery locks falling over his forehead from the sudden force. "Why you little!

'What is going on?' Jiraiya's student thought to himself. 'This shouldn't be-'

Using a burst of speed, Naruto threw a left stiff jab. It connected easily and snapped the zealot's head back. Hidan was slow and sluggish, he couldn't evade. The blond followed upright cross over the top.

'So easy!'

The immortal man growled. From his cloak, he pulled out what appeared to be a metal baton. Swiping outward at nothing but air, it elongated to form a sharp spear. In a thrusting motion, he sought to stab the Jinchuriki straight through the gut. The blond sidestepped it, kicking the silver-haired zealot away from him.

"Sakura, stand by with medical ninjutsu for Kakashi and me. I don't need your help right now."

"Alright." The pinkette in questioned acknowledged. From what her eyes were telling her, Naruto had this handled. 'Incredible. He's gotten so much stronger. That guy doesn't even have a chance to counter.'

"You take me that lightly?!" A vein was beginning to form near the Jashinist's temple. "You little brat!"

"What's going on?" The blond asked, completely disregarding his opponent's rage. "You're getting slower and sloppier. We haven't been fighting for that long."

He received no answer, only a glare of contempt.

Naruto remembered what he had said earlier.

"As much as I hate to admit it, killing them in the state we're currently in may not be possible."

'That state.' He repeated in his mind. 'What does that mean?' And another thing. 'These two took on an entire team of ANBU Black Ops with next to no difficulty. Sensei was even reluctant to fight the two of them back then. I don't care how much stronger I've gotten; it shouldn't be this easy.'

He had a similar feeling when fighting them earlier. 'Something about this is definitely off. I just have no idea what it is…'

"Lightning Blade!"

The bounty hunter barely managed to evade Kakashi's strike. His movements were noticeably sluggish, and there was even a trickle of sweat dripping down the side of his partially visible face. He even tried to mask the slightly labored breathing.

"What's wrong?" The Copy Ninja asked mockingly, all while trying to tag him with his most lethal attack. "Use too many big moves?" Fainting with the kunai in his free hand, Kakashi hid his lightning jab behind it. He hit his mark. Just a glancing blow was all he needed. It ripped through the right side of the masked man's midsection, easily rupturing a kidney.

Kakuzu's hand immediately flew to that spot, pressing down hard as blood gushed from the open wound. He hissed as pain flooded his body. "Don't get so confident, Kakashi Hatake." His breathing became even more intense. "We'll meet again. And next time, it won't go so well for you."

"Heh." Team 7's squad leader reenergized his hand with lightning style chakra. "How foolish… assuming that there will be a next time." He lunged, aiming for his opponent's heart. "It's over!"

Kakashi's ultimate weapon sliced through skin, tissue, ligaments, cartilage, and bone like a red-hot knife through butter. The squelched sounds would make the average person sick, but that just told the Leaf Jonin that he had struck his mark. "You die today. There won't be a next time."

The pierced Akatsuki had one arm on Kakashi's wrist, not that it did much to impede the attack. The mask he wore around his face was coated in the thick blood that was now freely spewing from his mouth. "N-Not quite." He managed to say through gasping for life-sustaining air. "Though it is too bad. I was three inches away from taking you with me."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, though a sudden pain in his chest alerted him to what he had been talking about. His chest had been pierced by the Akatsuki member's free hand. The skin on his arm was the same sickly blackish color from when he had survived Naruto's suicide clone attack. 'Dammit!' He had been careless. 'Guess I've used a little too much chakra...'

"Seems… I wasn't the o-only one who had used too many big moves." Kakuzu wheezed out. "M-My parting gift to you, Copy Ninja." Despite being near death, you could tell he was smiling behind that blood-stained mask.

Without a retort to give back, the Copy Ninja aggressively ripped his lightning-charged fist out of his opponent's chest cavity. The Akatsuki threat collapsed in the pools of blood that had been forming at his feet. Stumbling backward, Kakashi placed his still active hand over the wound. "Have to cauterize it to stop some of the bleeding." He told himself, preparing for the terrible pain. He winced, as the searing heat for the blade melted and fused his open wound together. Now, leaning against a nearby tree that somehow hadn't fallen during the fight, the next step was to regulate his breathing. The higher my heart rate, the more blood I'm going to lose. What I really need is-'

"Sensei!"

"Sakura, thank goodness." He sighed in relief. Everything was going to be okay. "It's a chest wound five inches wide, and three inches below the heart. On the inside of the bottom ribs. I already closed it on the surface, but I'm sure there's internal bleeding underneath."

The medical kunoichi nodded, and gently placed her hands over the area in question. They began to hum, glowing emerald green. "I see." Was her initial comment as she continued to take in the information from her diagnostics technique. It helped paint an accurate picture of the damage beneath the skin even though she couldn't see it with her eyes.

Kakashi never understood how something like that worked. Even when Rin performed it on him and Obito.

"The wound is deep, as well." It was an autopiloted comment; she was far too focused to engage in actual conversation. "Though, with some treatment and rest, you should be fine."

"How is Naruto doing?" Kakashi finally asked. Immediately after finding out, he was in no danger; his thoughts quickly went to his other student. "I closed the wound myself because I thought the two of you would be busy handling the other guy."

Sakura gave her Sensei a confident look. "Naruto is amazing. That immortal guy wasn't standing a chance. He told me it would be better if I were on standby if either of you needed medical attention." She smiled cheekily. "He was right. Who would've thought the famed Copy Ninja would be the one that needed help?"

He gave his student an exasperated look. "You know, I miss when you two were cute and little and thought I was unbeatable. I got a lot more respect back then."

"Don't be so dramatic. I'm only joking, Kakashi-Sensei. You won, didn't you?"

They both looked over at the unmoving Kakuzu. After seeing Hidan twist his neck entirely around, was anything going to surprise them at this point? "God, I hope so…" The other guy was immortal, after all. There was nothing that was going to surprise them after that.

Suddenly, the calm winds began to hum at a high frequency. The ground they rested on and the tree Kakashi had his back up against were rattling.

"What is that sound?" Sakura asked, as they both simultaneously looked up at the sky. It was still bright as day, barely a single cloud blocking the beautiful blue sky. It almost sounded like two hunks of steel grinding together.

Team 7's leader brought his gaze down and past Sakura. The source of the noise became far more apparent. No way… that was impossible.

"Naruto… that Jutsu is-"

As if on cue, they both heard Naruto announce to the world his most powerful technique.

"Wind Style: Rasengan!"

Author's Note: For reference, Hidan and Kakuzu's 'clones' are at around 40% of their chakra, not 30% like canon Itachi and Kisame. They aren't as strong as Itachi (or Kisame), and they don't have as much chakra as Kisame. They needed that boost to keep up with their opponents. Keep that in mind for power scaling purposes.

Another thing, 30% doesn't mean speed and strength are also at 30%, just how much chakra they have. Kisame was able to keep up with Team Guy at 30% of his chakra. I don't think Kisame at 30% of his speed could keep up with base Guy. What do you all think about that?

The Zombie Combo's goal was also not to fight all three of them at once. They were confident that they could take Sakura and Kakashi out, but Naruto proved to be the tipping point when they couldn't break him emotionally. He is also a lot stronger than they anticipated, and even he isn't at his peak right now.

Did you like the fight overall? Also, what did I do well, and what could I continue to improve on? Let me know! See you next time with Chapter 25: A Delicate Thread!

TheSoundOfThunderingEngines - Better than canon is high praise, I don't think I would go nearly that far. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it!

ildoradogam - Eh, I wouldn't say dozens of years. Remember, for most of the trip he was training with 5 clones, and it only ever got up to 10. And training with 5 clones won't equal 5x training. There will be some experience loss. Think marginal utility in economics.

If I had to put a number on it, I would say he got about 6-8 (maybe 10) years worth of intense training in because of everything else that happened.

Ganjo - Would Sakura even know, though? Sasuke was an Uchiha and a good student himself. In the Tenchi Bridge arc Kurama said he reminded him of Madara, and Sasuke said he had never heard of him.

Naruto also didn't want to distract the team with more info when their goal is to save Gaara, but I get what you mean.

ThelittleKing - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Things are going to get crazy so I hope you enjoy the twists and turns we go on. And yes, I also love a canon approach.

dragonicwolfy - In the Chapter Heart to Heart, I believe inner Naruto told him why he wasn't able to write that book. He was in a darker place, but he was still conflicted on who he was, and what he ideologies were.