Episode 35: The Land of Fire

"The Grave Robbers are attacking the Land of Fire next, so head off there. And know that we are allies with the Leaf now. You're on a mission with the Leaf's Squad of Twenty. And we're also allies with the Sand, a squad of them are going too."

"Will that be all, Lord Kinkage?" Asked Tatsuzo.

"Be off. And be off in a hurry. The Leaf and Sand already sent their men after them."
The four took off, running for the Land of Fire.

After getting out of the maze, the four stopped.

Machiko looked down at the headband, and took a deep breath. "They're straight ahead." Then they all took off running straight forwards. "They aren't moving fast, but they are moving away from us."

The four started moving faster.


After an hour, Kenpachi looked over to them. "We need to hurry. I can smell a battle about to happen."

"We're not far. Probably about ten minutes."

"How can you smell a battle?" Asked Rinji.

"I can sense it." Kenpachi said. "If you were like me, you would be able to sense it too."

Everyone looked over at him. But Kenpachi was being serious.

After several minutes, they finally stopped in front of a white building. A man was sitting on the steps out. He had slicked black grey hair, and purple eyes. He was wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it. He was wearing grey pants. His jacket was open up at the top, showing a headband that was tied around his neck and a necklace. It had a scratch through the symbol. He had a triple bladed scythe at his black, that was red and it had long black thick wire on the end of it.

Across from him, was another man who was leaning up against the railing. He had long red hair, that would have hid his eyes if he didn't shake it from his eyes every so often. His eyes were pale blue, and he was wearing a black headband with a the symbol for the Rock Village crossed out. His headband was partially obscured by his hair. He was wearing a black jacket, with no sleeves and red clouds. It wasn't a cloak like the man with the scythe, but a zip up jacket. He was also wearing red pants, and black combat boots.

Kenpachi looked at him. "This man does not look strong." His frown broadened.

"Well he's an Akatsuki." Said Rinji. "So they must be pretty strong."

"There's another one that's in the building, and another that's hidden somewhere in the area." Machiko told them. "The one in the building has the power of the four. At least, from what I can sense."

"Then I'll fight the guy in the building." Kenpachi grinned. "Hopefully he'll survive long enough for me to get the rust off of this old thing." He gripped his blade.

Suddenly four Leaf Shinobi teleported to them. "Hey," Said a man with black hair and a goatee. "I'm Asuma Sarutobi."

"You from the Squads?" Asked Kenpachi.

"Yeah."

"Make sure you stay out of my way."

Asuma gripped his chakra blades. "Let's take a sneak attack. Shikamaru, Choji, Ino. You guys have the opening attack. I'll take him out before he can hurt you. You guys can fight that other guy there." The four ninja from the Leaf teleported to the Akatsuki guys.

Choji made a hand sign and he turned into a battle and he spun towards the guy with the scythe. He jumped up into the air, and drew his scythe. Ino threw several kunais at him, but he pivoted in mid air and landed on the ground, where Shikamaru's shadows quickly stretched towards him him.

He quickly jumped out of the way, but he wasn't prepared for Asuma to stab him through the heart with a chakra blade.

"That's one down." Tatsuzo and Rinji teleported down to the ground.

"I'm not meant for battle." Said Machiko. "I'm just going to wait here."

Tatsuzo and Rinji attacked at the other Akatsuki guy, who punched both of them in the chests, then jumped backwards. He kicked the door open, and then a man emerged.

The man was a man in a black jacket and he had a grey hood over his head and a black mask covering his mouth and nose. He also had green eyes with no pupils and red sclerae. Kenpachi charged forwards.

Asuma yanked his blade form the scythe wielder's chest, and then took a step backwards. The man then swung his scythe around and Asuma had to dodge it.

Kenpachi grinned. "That guys immortal... He might be fun to fight after all!" He then stepped in front of Asuma and the Ino-Shika-Cho Formation. "I changed my mind. I'm fighting him." Kenpachi grinned, and he drew his blade.

"Alright..." The group then went to attack at the masked man, who easily dodged their assualts.

"I think this job would be better suited for more than one Jonin." Said Shikamaru.

The masked man punched at Shikamaru's chest, but then Rinji kicked his fist backwards and Shikamaru didn't get hit.

"Two of you need to go over there, and help him." Rinji gestured over to Tatsuzo, who was having a slug fest with the other guy. While Tatsuzo's punches were straight forward boxer type, the other guy was more of a martial artist.

Kenpachi slashed Hidan across the chest, and Hidan stabbed his blade into Kenpachi's shoulder. Kenpachi then stabbed Hidan in the throat and yanked his blade out and jumped backwards.

Hidan then brought his scythe up to his face, and he licked Kenpachi's blood off of it. His skin suddenly turned black and white.

"Is that transformation going to make you stronger?" Kenpachi asked.

Hidan then drew a pointed staff, that looked like it'd be used to hunt fish. He stabbed himself in the hand, and then the blood dripped down. He stepped on his blood, and then made a circular pattern around him. He then made a triangle with in the circle. It was the same symbol that was on his necklace.

"I don't sense your power going up at all." Kenpachi rolled his eyes. "But it must do something." He then took off his eye patch, and threw it off to the side. His chakra suddenly went through the roof. Kenpachi was suddenly in front of Hidan, and he slashed him across the chest.

Hidan's chest gushed blood, and so did Kenpachi's.

"What the hell?" Kenpachi asked.

"Any wound that you inflict onto me will be inflicted onto you, too!" The man grinned. "That's the power of Jashin!"

"What is your name?" Kenpachi asked.

"I am Hidan! The man with the mask is Kakuzu. The other guy is Shikyo..."

"Well then, Hidan. I'm just going to cut the crap out of you until you finally lose."

"Oh, yeah?" Hidan's grin broadened.

Kenpachi gripped his blade then ran up to Hidan and slashed him across the chest, really deeply. The slash still damaged Kenpachi as well, but Hidan was forced to take a step backwards. Kenpachi then slashed Hidan across the shoulder, and this time Kenpachi wasn't damaged. He grinned, and he swung at Hidan's head.

Kakuzu's fist separated from his arm, but was still attached do to a bunch of wires. He punched at Rinji, who dodged it and Asuma cut him across the hand.

Shikamaru made a hand sign, and the shadows shot straight towards him.

Kakuzu's other fist came around and he punched Asuma in the face and forced him backwards into Shikamaru who got distracted and his jutsu deactivated.

Rinji gripped his kunai and then charged at him with a frontal attack.

Kakuzu punched at him, but then Rinji jumped up into the air and dodged it, hurling his kunai at him.

Kakuzu dodged the kunai, and then Rinji swung his leg down to kick him in the head, but he blocked it.

Asuma charged at him, and then shadows also darted towards Kakuzu again.

Kakuzu grabbed Rinji's leg and hurled him into Asuma, and then he jumped up into the air to avoid Shikamaru's Shadow Position. He then shot his arm out at him, but Shikamaru jumped back and dodged it.

Rinji and Asuma then stood back up, then the two started running at him from the sides, flanking him. Shikamaru hurled a kunai between his feet, and there was a paper bomb on them. Kakuzu jumped backwards, running right into Rinji and Asuma's fists.

Both of them hitting Kakuzu in the side of the face. At the same time Rinji and Asuma slashed him across the chest with their respective weapon.

They both jumped backwards, but not in time to dodge Kakuzu's extended fist, who plowed them both in the stomachs.

Blood dripped to the ground. Asuma and Rinji were both bleeding.

"Asuma!" Shikamaru yelled.

Asuma jumped backwards, and Rinji just stood there for a second.

Asuma groaned, looking down at his stomach. He teleported back over to Shikamaru.

"Do you think that Metal Ninja's dead?" Asked Shikamaru. "He's not moving..."

"No, I can still sense his chakra." Asuma then tightened his grips on his chakra blades, and then had chakra extend from them. "This is one strong guy."

"You're... screwed..." Rinji grinned, and his eyes unfocused.

Kakuzu punched him again, this time hitting him right in the nose.

Blood splattered everywhere, and then Rinji flipped back to his feet and he charged Kakuzu and punched him across the face, forcing him backwards.

Tatsuzo and Shikyo were still going hand to hand. Tatsuzo had the aid of Choji and Ino, but the man still managed to dodge all their attacks and still keep up with Tatsuzo. Tatsuzo turned his head to see Rinji was bleeding.

"Asuma!" Tatsuzo yelled. "Don't get in Rinji's way! Whenever he bleeds, he becomes an unstoppable force and he loses all sense of himself. If you get in his way, he will kill you."

A kick was suddenly planted in Tatsuzo's stomach. "Don't take your eyes off of me!" Growled Shikyo, and he jumped backwards to dodge Choji's Human Boulder. He then jumped up into the air to avoid Ino's kunai.

"You're kinda strong." Tatsuzo smiled, and cracked his knuckles. "But I'm stronger."

"That so?" Shikyo clenched his fists. "Let's test that theory out!"