Here is the next chapter for this chapter. I worked on this for hours because I finally had free time. I apologize for the delay. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

The blasts of flames were still going while the three Chūnin watch in trepidation, whether or not that Hidan was injured or not. The ash cloud began to disperse and finally, they see Hidan kneeling with his right arm blocking his head. Only they noticed something different about Hidan, his skin became black and had white on his skin representing a skeleton.

Hidan murmured, "Hurts, doesn't it? God has judged you."

Asuma dropped one of his blades as he trembled in pain from a burn on his right arm and his face was burned as well. The others were shocked to see that Asuma was burned as well.

Izumo asked in surprise, "What's going on?!"

Then they heard Hidan say, "Do you get it now? Do you understand what it means to suffer?"

Asuma clutched his right arm and thought, "He got my arm as well? This must be one of his techniques. But how?!"

Hidan continued as he stood up, "You're already under my curse. Now the ceremony can begin."

He chuckled maliciously and then declared, "Now… We'll suffer the unfathomable pain together!"

He brought his arm away from his face and revealed that he had a skull design on his face, giving him a frightening appearance.

Izumo asked in confusion, "Why did Asuma-taichou get burned, too? Didn't his fire technique hit the enemy?"

Kotetsu answered, "Yeah, it definitely hit him. But for some odd reason, it hit Asuma-taichou, too!"

Shikamaru glared and mumbled, "You're kidding me."

"This'll make another 35 million ryou for us," Kakuzu noted.

Then Hidan laughed maniacally and then pulled out another weapon, "I've got everything set up! Get ready, this is gonna hurt like hell!"

Asuma spun his other blade in his uninjured hand and then gripped it, letting his chakra flow into his knife, the blue chakra forming into a longer blade. He walked slowly at first but then he charged forward to attack Hidan.

But then Hidan yelled, "Take this!"

He stabbed his own leg and then suddenly Asuma fell to the ground with his left leg bleeding.

Hidan laughed again, "Hurts good doesn't it? But it's nothing like stabbing an organ! Man that is the best! As the other dies, their agony radiates through my body! And living through it is pur ecstasy!"

He continued to laugh in his madness, in his version of joy; causing pain to others. Asuma was on the ground pressing his hand to his new wound in pain while he glared at Hidan.

Then Asuma thought, "I see, he somehow linked our bodies together. In other words, if I attack him, I'll get hurt too. But… he can't be killed."

Hidan pulled out the spike out of his leg, causing Asuma's leg to bleed more.

Hidan laughed maniacally, "Where do you want it next?"

He pointed to different places on his body, "Here? Or here? Getting it in both legs would be pretty sweet. Or…"

He paused for moment before pointing the spike towards his heart, and then continued, "…should I end it now?!"

Izumo shouted in alarm, "Shikamaru, don't use Kage Nui on him! Use Kage Kibushibari to keep him from moving!"

"I'm already on it!" Shikamaru replied.

He extended his shadow towards Hidan, hoping that it would stop Hidan in time.

Hidan raised his arm up and then shouted, "Die!"

He brought his arm down quickly but then he abruptly stopped; Shikamaru caught him with his shadow, effectively stopping him.

Hidan struggled to get out of the bind but Shikamaru strengthened his hold on him.

"Izumo, how long has it been since you called for back-up?" Kotetsu asked.

Izumo answered, "It's only been ten minutes. It'll take another twenty minutes for them to get here."

Kotetsu murmured, "I see. Damn it! What should we do? If we kill him, we kill Asuma-taichou as well."

"Techniques like this usually remain in effect until the user releases it or is killed, but it isn't an option right now."

While Shikamaru was maintaining his technique, he thought, "Every technique has some kind of risk or some restrictions on it's use. There's gotta be a loophole. I've gotta calm down and analyze him carefully."

Then Kakuzu interrupted, "If it's going to take much longer, I'll kill them myself. I'm not letting all of that money get away."

Hidan yelled in annoyance, "Back off, Kakuzu! I can handle these guys myself!"

So Kakuzu complied and then said to himself, "I suppose it's only a matter of time."

Then he drew his attention to Shikamaru and watched him with interest, "That kid…"

Shikamaru focused on Hidan, sorting out any bit of information he gained by watching him.

He thought, "By watching Asuma, I've gathered tons of information! I just need to think!"

He sorted out every bit of information on Hidan and gone over the sequence of events that had led up to that point. Until finally… He widened his eyes in realization.

"Shikamaru's got an idea," Asuma thought.

Izumo asked, "Did you figure something out, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered.

Then he said to Asuma, "Get ready, Asuma-taichou."

Then he slowly stood up and then moved backwards, causing Hidan to mimic him as well.

Kakuzu silently noted, "That shadow technique forces the target the user's movements…"

Izumo asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm forcing him out of that weird diagram he drew on the ground," Shikamaru answered.

Then he added, "If I get him out, then his technique, that curse, will be negated!"

Kotetsu asked, "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru explained further, "That big scythe has three blades on it. The design suggests that it is meant to broaden the attack area rather than deal a one-hit kill. It doesn't matter if it's a serious wound or a minor one; their only purpose is to draw blood. Basically, as long as he lands one attack, he can use that technique to kill his opponent."

Izumo asked, "But how are injuring the enemy and the curse related?"

Shikamaru answered again, "The blood. In order to form a link with the person he wants to curse, he has to ingest that person's blood."

Izumo and Kotetsu gasped in realization.

"I saw him lick off the blood, too. I see, he needs to open a wound, get a little blood on his scythe, and use it to curse his opponent," Izumo replied in understanding.

Asuma listened to Shikamaru's explanation determinedly as he explained more, "His body changed colors after he swallowed the blood, so that was easy to notice. But there's more; there's one other condition for activating the curse, but it was pretty obvious, too."

"There's more?" Kotetstu asked.

Kakuzu watched as Shikamaru was forcing Hidan out of his diagram. Impressed, he thought, "This kid's pretty smart."

Then Shikamaru continued, "Earlier, he rushed over to that symbol on the ground even though it meant running through Asuma's fire technique, remember? And as soon as he was standing inside the diagram, he said he was gonna start the ceremony and screamed about how everything was set up. I determined that his curse technique was only ready once he entered the circle."

Hidan growled, "You brat!"

"It's not my fault, that you talk too much," Shikamaru retorted.

Then Hidan shouted angrily, "You little brat! After I get free, I'm gonna slash, bash and smash your ass!"

Shikamaru shouted back, "There won't be an after for you!"

Finally, Shikamaru got Hidan out of the symbol and shouted, "He's out!"

Then Asuma took out a shuriken and said, "Right! Let's see if the curse has been lifted!"

He threw the shuriken at Hidan and then it swept by his head, cutting his ear.

But since they saw that it didn't affect Asuma, Shikamaru thought, "All right!"

He switched his technique to Kage Nui, the black tendrils piercing Hidan's body, holding him in place.

Shikamaru breathed heavily and then said, "I'm wiped out. I don't think I can hold him much longer."

Asuma smiled and praised him, "Good job, Shikamaru."

He stood up and limped towards the incapacitated Hidan, his chakra extended off of his blade; surging.

As Asuma got closer, Hidan called out, "Kakuzu, help me!"

Kakuzu didn't move, he only kept watching.

Hidan shouted again, "Kakuzu, hurry up!"

Asuma came in front of Hidan and then sliced Hidan's head off with one swipe.

Kakuzu stated bluntly, "I told you not to underestimate them."

Hidan's necklace was cut off and fell to the ground along with his hitai-ate. His head had tumbled away off to the side from his body. Shikamaru relaeased his shadows and then let Hidan's body fall backwards onto the ground, motionless. Shikamaru was breathing heavily, exhausted from using too much of his chakra. Then he fell to his knees from overexertion.

Kotetsu asked in concern, "Shikamaru, are you okay?!"

Shikamaru answered, "Yeah. Now there is just him left…"

All of them looked over at Kakuzu, standing stoically.

"If you needed a hand, you should've asked me earlier," Kakuzu said.

Then Hidan shouted, "Screw you and your slow ass! You let that happen!"

In horror, Asuma and his team saw that Hidan was talking even when beheaded.

Kakuzu replied, "I believe before this all started you said to me, "Just shut up and watch, Kakuzu!" Now as just a goddamned head, do you still think you can yell at me?"

Hidan then look at where his head is and his situation and then admitted, "Okay, yes, I did tell you not to get involved But it's not like I was trying to embarrass you or make you look bad. Whatever man, hurry and get my body!"

Kakuzu furrowed his brow but then Hidan asked again, uncharacteristically polite, "Kakuzu, would you mind bringing my body over here? Kakuzu-chan, pretty please?"

Then Kakuzu came to Hidan and grabbed his head by the hair.

Hidan shouted in protest, "Cut it out! Kakuzu, my body! Bring my body here, damn it!"

"Your head is lighter," Kakuzu bluntly replied.

Hidan then retorted, "You're ripping my hair out!"

Kakuzu replied, "If you're going to whine about pain, at least complain about your neck."

Hidan growled, "You bastard! My neck isn't even in the same league! This isn't like a small cut, you asshole!"

Asuma watched as he thought, "Even beheaded, he's still alive?!"

Then Hidan shouted at Asuma, "This hurts like hell! You cut my goddamned head off!"

Izumo mumbled, "What the hell? What is this? There's just no way to describe this…"

Then Shikamaru stated, "It doesn't matter if he's still alive, not in that state. Without being attached to his body, he can't move or use any techniques. He may be immortal, but in that condition he can't do anything."

Kotetsu agreed, "That's true. One down, one to go."

Shikamaru then tried to stand again but he was too exhausted and fell to his knees again. Asuma also wasn't doing any better and had momentarily turned away from Kakuzu and thought of possibly escaping for everyone's safety.

But then Kakuzu murmured, "Don't be naïve."

In a swift movement, he stomped on Asuma's injured leg, and then slammed the case he was carrying against his head, causing him to fall to the ground. Kakuzu stood still for a moment and then jumped up high. As he came down, he kneed Asuma in the back, making Asuma cough up blood. Then he stopped moving; he became unconscious.

Kotetsu shouted, "Asuma-taichou!"

Shikamaru grit his teeth and had gripped the ground, making little indentations in the ground.

Then Kakuzu went to Hidan's body and grabbed the front of the cloak to hold it upright.

He put Hidan's head back on the shoulders and then said to him, "Now that you have asked for my help, I'm going to have to stay involved."

Hidan scoffed, "Whatever."

Kakuzu held Hidan's head in place as a strange string wound into Hidan's neck causing Hidan to hiss in pain. "Hold still, you baby," Kakuzu reprimanded.

Izumo asked in confusion, "What is he doing?"

When Kakuzu was finished, he stood up along with Hidan as well.

"His head…" Izumo started while Kotetsu finished the thought, "…got reattached!"

Hidan cracked his neck while he said, "All back together again."

Kakuzu reminded him, "Watch the stitches, they'll break if you move too much."

Then he added, "Your stupid ceremony is bad enough, but I'm sick of you dragging fights out with your blabbering. You take care of the bounty."

Then Hidan drew his attention to the unconscious Asuma and declared, "Right, I'm gonna get him back for what he did. I can't go breaking the commandments, now can I?"

Kakuzu replied, "That again? Whatever, I'll take the other three."

Kotetsu shouted, "Izumo!"

"Got it!" Izumo replied.

Then Kotetsu pulled a scroll out of his vest pocket and unsealed a clam-like weapon. Kakuzu charged toward them just as Izumo and Kotetsu ran forward as well.

Izumo shouted, "Suiton, Mizuame Nabara!"

He spit out a clear, syrupy liquid onto the ground while Kotetsu channeled chakra to his feet and stepped onto the liquid. Kakuzu jumped backwards to avoid the liquid but then Kotetsu threw his weapon at him and that made a collision.

Kotetsu asked, "Did we get him?"

The dust cleared revealing Kakuzu unscathed and only a hole in the ground.

"I assume this was a combo where you force the enemy to focus on the flashy aerial attack, creating an opening. Then you attack from the ground with this strange liquid. So simplistic, too much wasted movement," Kakuzu noted, unimpressed.

He brought his hands out, ready to attack but then a crash came from behind Kakuzu and Kotetsu's weapon was brought back to him. Kakuzu tried to escape but since the liquid had flowed into the hole, it got Kakuzu from behind and he was stuck to the syrup trap.

Kotetsu jumped up and came down towards Kakuzu, shouting, "You're mine!"

Kakuzu then brought his arms up and then, he shot out his hands that had been attached to strange black tendrils and one of his hands had grabbed Kotetsu by the throat and the tendrils had wrapped around his his other hand had grabbed Izumo after Izumo tried to avoid it, Shikamaru could only watch as they were being choked.

Then Kakuzu said to Hidan, "You're wasting my time with your flailing."

"Looks like Kakuzu is done. I better finish up too. Otherwise, he'll complain about my ritual taking forever," Hidan said.

He slowly walked towards Asuma and then raised the spike at him. He smirked in triumph as he said, "Bye."

Then Asuma opened his eyes and drove Hidan back with his chakra blade while he got scratched by Hidan's spike in the shoulder. But then Hidan flung his scythe out and it had swung towards Asuma.

Shikamaru shouted, "Asuma! Behind you!"

Thanks to Shikamaru's warning, Asuma was able to duck in time while the scythe had pierced Hidan's lower abdomen instead, with blood trickling from his mouth. Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief seeing that it missed, while Asuma smiled wearily.

"You can't get me again with that same trick-" but Asuma abruptly stopped as he realized in horror where Hidan was standing; in his diagram.

Slowly Hidan was smiling and then started laughing again, only it seemed to be more maniacal than before, he yelled, "It wasn't the same, you retard!"

Asuma was kneeling but then he clutched at the same place where Hidan was stabbed in pain and then he coughed up blood again. Kotetsu and Izumo watched helplessly while Shikamaru got up and tried to run to Asuma, to help him, but with no idea of how he could help. But then he tripped over his feet and can only watch as Hidan pulled out another spike weapon.

Hidan laughed, "I'll finally be able to experience the pain, the pain that comes with killing you!"

He continues to laugh as he raises his weapon high above his head and then brings it down…

"No!" Shikamaru desperately shouted.

Hidan drove the spike through his own chest, near where his heart is. Asuma stared wide-eyed as he experiences the pain, coughing up more blood.

Everyting seemed to slow down, Asuma was falling forward and Shikamaru watched as his eyes watered. He was running but he couldn't get to him fast enough.

Asuma fell forwards and lied motionless on the ground while his student cried out in distress, "Asuma!"

As you have noticed, it is pretty much the same as in the anime and the manga but in the next one it will be a bit different. I hope you liked it. Feel free to leave a review.