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Chapter 54: Monster Trio

The intel from Zangei sent Team Kakashi on a multi-day expedition to the Land of Earth. Kakuzu had recently been spotted at a Bounty Station a few dozen miles outside of the Hidden Stone Village. Given the distance they needed to travel, Kakashi had calculated a reasonable radius their targets could have strayed from the station in that timeframe. That ended up being their search area.

It wasn't long until Kakashi's nose caught wind of just what Sasori had described; blood and money. One might think such descriptors were commonplace in the Shinobi world, but Sasori's intel did not do those two justice. Hidan, the one who was said to smell of blood, was more akin to a cornucopia of death. There had to have been the blood of over a dozen people on the man's cloak and weapons– so many, in fact, that Kakashi had lost track at fourteen distinct scents.

Team Kakashi had found their prey; now it was time to close in and formulate a plan to deal a quick and decisive blow.

Naturally, Suigetsu would be sent in first. In case of a likely counterattack, his Hydrification Technique equipped him with natural invulnerabilities the others did not possess. His most substantial weakness was Lightning Style, and while their intel dictated that Kakuzu could use powerful techniques of that nature, it was rarely his first choice in combat.

Suigetsu would then confront and target Hidan with wild aggression. Prone to emotional and erratic behavior, Hidan would respond in kind. Kakuzu would then take advantage of the altercation and attempt to catch their assailant off guard, which would lead to the ensnarement of both men with Suigetsu's Water Transformation. Once partially immobilized, Sakura would then use Earth Style to sink the Akatsuki duo's legs into the ground to give the opening for the final blow.

Kakashi's Lightning Blade would bypass Kakuzu's defensive Earth Spear Jutsu and pierce his heart, while Sasuke's lightning-charged sword slash would decapitate the immortal Hidan. Kakashi ran the simulations dozens of times in his head, and given what they knew about the enemy he deemed the probability of success to be high. It would be quick, decisive, and exploitative of their enemy's weaknesses. If all went according to plan, two of the most dangerous men alive would be eliminated in a matter of seconds with just three moves.

However, nothing ever went to plan when it came to the Akatsuki.

Their appearance and subsequent attack must have somehow been foreseen by the enemy, evident by the appearance of a third and very dangerous member.

Kisame Hoshigaki.

"This is not good," Forget the chances of a successful mission, their probability of survival had just dropped considerably. "It throws a wrench in everything."

"What's the plan now, boss?" Suigetsu couldn't help but have his eye on Samehada, but he knew from their brief altercation not too long ago that he was no match for the Monster of the Hidden Mist.

"I'm thinking– gonna need a minute."

"That's if they even give us a minute," Sasuke whispered. "I say we take our chances and divide and conquer. Suigetsu, you take Hidan, Sakura, and Kakashi can handle Kakuzu, and you can leave Kisame to me."

"What are you fools whispering about over there?" Hidan's tone was so sinister that it made Sakura's skin crawl. "Why so quiet? You were so confident just a moment ago– what happened?"

"Big talk coming from someone who almost got their head sliced off," Kakuzu said dryly.

"Shut the hell up, Kakuzu, I'm busy terrifying our soon-to-be victims."

"Use your head, you fool," No pun intended. "They immediately knew to go for your weak spot, and Lightning Nature for me… something tells me that these vermin managed to get intel on us from somewhere."

"Oh, so there was a rat as expected. My money is on Itachi Uchiha; something about that guy always rubbed me the wrong way."

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you, ya damn zombie. That's my good friend you're talking about," Kisame warned. "I'd hate to have to cut you to ribbons."

Sasuke didn't bother to defend his brother. Not only was he unsure of his feelings about the choices Itachi made, he was certain that Hidan was not worth his time. Besides, something else had just caught his attention. It was discreet, but he noticed that Kisame seemed to look at him intently. He even grinned when their eyes locked.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose in curiosity, but he quickly understood when Kisame gestured off into the distance with a head nod.

"Follow my lead," Suigetsu took advantage of their squabble and rushed in with Kakashi and Sakura trailing right behind him. Hidan's eyes lit up with excitement, but that quickly turned into confusion when all three Leaf Shinobi ran past him.

"Huh?!"

"Oh?" Kakuzu jumped over a slash of the Executioner's Blade, landed– sidestepped a haymaker from the kunoichi, and then caught the Copy Ninja's hand that held the kunai. "Taking Hidan's advice about which of us to target first will do you little good."

"We'll see about that!" Kakashi grabbed the man's wrist and pumped as much Lightning Style chakra into him as he could.

"Agh!" Kakuzu yelped in surprise as his body was flooded with voltage.

His joints and limbs locked up just long enough for Suigetsu to get in position behind him. However, yet another swing of his mighty sword was unable to find its mark. Hidan had recovered and adeptly intercepted the attack on his partner with his three-pronged scythe.

"Nice try, asshole," Hidan said with visible effort. "You're gonna have to do better than that to get the jump on us!"

"Yeah?" Suigetsu said, his face turned upward into his signature toothy grin. "Give it a second."

Before Hidan could question it, his thoughts were answered an instant later when a fist connected with his gut.

"What the– ughhh!"

"How do ya like this?!" Sakura roared just as her punch hit its mark perfectly. She dug her heels into the dirt and followed through upward with maximum effort. "Cha!"

If it were not for his superhuman durability, there would be pieces of Hidan scattered across the battlefield from the impact. He was sent completely airborne, and he was not coming back down anytime soon.

Suigetsu didn't waste a second and ran off to track the immortal loudmouth down once he touched back to planet Earth. Kakashi took this as a good time to disengage and gain some distance from the remaining Akatsuki member. Sakura maintained her position at his flank but opted to take a couple steps back as a precaution.

"So, that was your plan– to separate Hidan and I," Kakuzu nearly sounded impressed. "You Hidden Leaf Ninja have certainly done your homework. To be able to find us in the Land of Earth of all places; where exactly are you getting your information?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kakashi responded sardonically as he raised up his kunai threateningly. "The truth won't matter to you very shortly."

"No matter– I have no qualms about inflicting so much pain onto you that you see no choice but to tell me," Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. "I don't think you will break so easily, Copy Ninja; but the girl? That's a different story entirely."

Sakura resisted the urge to gulp. Kakashi's calm and focused demeanor gave her the reassurance she needed. This was what she had trained so hard for, and there was no way it was about to go to waste.

…

During the commotion, Sasuke and Kisame had slipped away to face one another in solitude.

"I must say, I'm surprised you would so willingly leave your team behind," Kisame flashed his razor-sharp teeth with a wicked grin. "Doesn't that seem a bit heartless– don't you care what happens to them?"

A moment earlier, they bore witness to Hidan nearly being launched into the stratosphere by what Sasuke assumed could only be a punch from Sakura. It would have been more alarming to both of them had it been anyone other than the immortal man.

"I trust them, they are capable," If his opponent was the wielder of Samehada, he would need to rethink his strategy. Sasuke sheathed his katana. "We had a plan that needed to change; it's as simple as that."

"So, you were able to acquire intel on us. That would explain a lot," Kisame frowned and his grip around Samehada noticeably tightened. "Answer one question for me before we fight, brat– did Itachi tell you about the Akatsuki before he died?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and his Sharingan once again spun to life.

"No, he didn't."

"I see," Kisame almost sounded relieved by those words. "That means that my suspicions were correct all along… Sasori is still alive and informing on us from within the Hidden Leaf."

"I agreed to answer one question, that's all," Sasuke lowered into his preferred stance and tensed his body. "Now shut up and fight."

"That was a statement, not a question, but very well. Let's see how you compare to your older brother."

Karin took in a deep breath and mentally honed in on her objective. Precise chakra control, the ability to work effectively under pressure, and intimate knowledge of the human anatomy; were skills forcibly drilled into while a Genin in the Hidden Grass, and even more so during her time under Orochimaru.

The talent and knowledge base were there, she just never applied it in this specific way. All anyone ever cared about was the healing properties her chakra possessed. Due to that, she had long abandoned the idea she could become a genuine Medical Ninja. It just wasn't nearly as valuable as what she inherently possessed.

This new home gave Karin the chance to rewrite the destiny others had created for her. A life where her body wasn't used for the benefit of others… a life her mother would be proud of. A life that could bring her genuine fulfillment and happiness.

Ino watched with amazement as the fish underneath Karin's green-glowing hands flailed back to life.

"Wow, you did it!" Ino quickly picked up the bass and tossed it back into the tank. All medical training rooms were fitted with fish tanks for the students to practice on. "Karin, that was amazing! I don't think I've ever seen someone complete this exercise as fast as you! Are you sure you've never had medical training?"

"T-Thank you, Ino," Karin adjusted her glasses to hide the blush on her cheeks. "And no, this is the first time I have ever had this type of training. You're just a great teacher. I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Nah, this was all you," The blonde brushed that off almost immediately. "You're a natural, truly. I wouldn't be surprised if you're a better medic than me in a couple of months!"

"Don't say that! I'm sure that's not true!"

"I mean it," Ino said with a head shake. "To be honest, I was never really all that good at Medical Ninjutsu. I didn't have the same love for it as I do while working with my father in the Sensory Unit."

"Really?" Karin asked with a raised eyebrow. "If you don't mind me asking, why put in so much effort for something you weren't passionate about?"

"You've met Sakura, right?" To which Karin nodded. "Her and I– we've been in competition with one another since we were little kids. Boys, the academy, as kunoichi; you name it, we've fought over it. I guess… when I saw how talented she was as a medic and the special treatment she received from Lady Tsunade, I got jealous and tried to be better than her."

"But, she's–"

"Yeah," Ino laughed. "She's a genius when it comes to this stuff. I never had a chance to compete with her. But– you know what? Our rivalry constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I learned a very valuable skill because of it. She may have beaten me this time, but I didn't lose."

"I think that's a good way to look at it," Karin smiled. "You don't have to be the best at everything you do, and Medical Ninjutsu is invaluable in the field."

"And, who knows? Maybe, just maybe, I'm training the girl who'll one day surpass her as the best medic in the entire village. Don't count me out of this just yet, I could still win vicariously through you!"

"I don't know about that," Karin let out an awkward laugh. "She truly is amazing at this. I couldn't believe how easily she was able to patch up Naruto after his injuries from the Akatsuki."

"Yeah; the whole village has been talking about that. Sasuke coming back, the Akatsuki infiltrating the village, and the news about the Elders— everything happened so fast that it was hard for everyone to process."

"Tell me about it," Karin has been in the thick of all those conflicts, and she was beyond grateful to have a break in between the madness to catch her breath. "Those two are too much to handle sometimes."

"Who?" Ino asked.

"Naruto and Sasuke," Karin clarified. "Following them around, it's like asking for trouble. I swear, I'm going to grow gray hairs soon if this keeps up." A slight wince crossed Ino's face. "Something wrong?" She asked.

"You and Sasuke, uh, you guys served under Orochimaru for a while together?" Karin nodded. "Are you two, you know… a thing?"

"Oh," Karin blinked. This wasn't all that surprising to her. Sakura's chakra was noticeably different while around Sasuke, and when Ino said the two of them had a boy rivalry the connection was obvious. Ino's current demeanor was all the confirmation she needed. They clearly have had crushes on him for a long time. "No, nothing like that. With how obsessed he is with accomplishing whatever goal is next in line for him, I'm not sure Sasuke is currently capable of connecting with another person in that way. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, haha," Ino smiled awkwardly. "It's just— he's on a really dangerous mission, you know? I figured that if that were the case you might be even more worried about him."

That was an obvious lie that would be unwise for her to point out.

"Sasuke will manage just like he always has," Karin brushed off the idea that something bad could go wrong. That team was fitted with heavy hitters. The Akatsuki were the ones who needed to look out. She was annoyed about a somewhat related issue. "At least I know where he is! Naruto— that jerk disappeared without telling us where he was going. He's gonna hear it big time the next time I see him!"

"That guy can really make friends with anyone, huh?" Ino giggled. "The way you talk about him gives the impression that you've known each other for years. It actually reminds me of Sakura a bit."

"He's an impulsive idiot, but he's also kind and genuine. It's difficult to find people like that. I think he makes Sasuke, Suigetsu, and I better by just being around him."

"He's always been like that. My teammate Shikamaru, I think you've met him, is one of the laziest people I've ever met. Shikamaru would deny it, but I think one of the reasons he's started to put in more effort over the years is because of Naruto. Naruto just has that effect on people; where you want to be better because he leads by example." Ino smiled as she reminisced about when things used to be so much simpler. "If you're worried about where he is, you should go see Lady Tsunade. She told Hinata where he was when she went to ask. I'm sure she'll do the same for you. I tried to ask Hinata about it myself, but she wouldn't budge. It must be for something top secret."

Once again, Karin blinked. "Who is Hinata?"

Fukasaku walked up and down the line lightly tapping his trusty baton against his open palm. Ever vigilant, his eyes scanned for any movement. Once the toadification process began, they needed to stop it as soon as possible to stave off any catastrophic consequences. In the few days since Naruto had arrived in Mount Myoboku, Pa had only needed to resort to violence a handful of times. Naruto's advancements and proficiency were, to be quite honest, astounding.

This was in no small part due to Fukasaku's insistence that Naruto learn the art of stillness and meditation long before he began his journey to Sagehood. He allowed himself a satisfied smirk and a figurative pat on the back for that one. That, combined with the boy's prodigious talents and new-fangled training method was a recipe for unprecedented success.

"Shadow Clones, what a brilliantly creative idea," Naruto and his nine clones sat perfectly still, their eyes adorned with the orange marking signifying ascension into Sage Mode. Fukasaku looked up at one of the many rock formations. All the way up, on a few of the pointed tips, Jiraiya and his clones balanced atop stone slabs. They, too, were completely still. "Yes, truly an ingenious method. How have I never thought of this?"

"Talking to yourself again, Boss?"

"Just marveling at the strides you and Jiraiya-boy have made in such a short amount of time," Fukasaku said with a laugh. "I think you're ready to take the training wheels off and start tryin' to go into Sage Mode without using the oil. My arm is beginnin' to fall asleep from lack of use!"

"If you think I'm ready," Naruto's exhale was followed by multiple 'poofs' from the dispulsion of his training clones. He allowed himself a moment to sort and file away the newly received training experience before he finished his thought. "Then, let's do it."

'Crash!'

The sudden sound was from a handful of stone slabs shattering against the ground. Naruto's eyebrow rose, and he looked up.

Jiraiya had also dispelled his clones and leaped from his spot in the sky. "Naruto!" He landed right in front of his master and student.

"Master," Naruto blinked. "You're–"

"I see you're able to maintain Sage Mode by yourself, Jiraiya-boy," Fukasaku remarked. "With about the same amount of frog features when Ma and I are attached to ya. Very impressive!"

Jiraiya nodded, clearly satisfied with his progress. "It's a far cry from being perfect, but I feel better about it than I have in a long time. If only I knew about the clone method earlier," He then turned to his student. "How is your training going? I see you're holding Sage Mode– does that mean you're ready to train without the oil."

"That is actually just what we were discussing, lad," Fukasaku explained. "From observing Naruto-boy throughout his training, I think he is more than ready for the next phase. It's getting dark, so I think it would be best for all of us to turn in for the day, get a good night's rest, and start fresh in the morning. What do you all say to that?"

"Sounds good to me, " Jiraiya chirped, then frowned when he noticed Naruto's expression. "Kid, you okay?"

"Master," With steeled eyes and a stoic demeanor, Naruto lowered into a familiar stance. "Try to hit me with everything you've got."

Naruto was as calm as Jiraiya had ever seen him. As suspected, he was not going to let what happened before go. The incessant need to prove himself was too much for him to sit idly by.

"I see," Jiraiya suppressed a smirk. "Okay, fine–"

"I don't think you heard me," Naruto parroted the words his master had spoken to him just a few days ago. "Give it everything you've got. I'll be able to tell if you're holding back."

Jiraiya nodded wordlessly and dropped into a stance of his own. Master and student exchanged fierce looks. It wasn't just about testing Naruto's progress with Sage Mode; Naruto and Jiraiya were so much alike that it was surprising they weren't at all related. Just like the seemingly harmless bet that triggered everything a few years prior, this was a game both of them, who were wildly competitive in nature, wanted to win.

The only question was– who wanted it more?

Just like last time, Jiraiya disappeared at nearly incomprehensible speeds. The gust from his movements blew Naruto's hair back, and yet, this time, he could perceive the movements. Naruto threw a palm strike right into Jiraiya's elbow just as he reappeared and deflected the blow aimed at his chest. Jiraiya carried his momentum and spun with a left back fist aimed at his student's jaw. Naruto slammed his forearm upward into Jiraiya's wrist to divert the arm. Jiraiya quickly followed up with an overhand right, which Naruto adeptly caught with his open palm. The force behind their strikes was enough to shake the ground and trees around them.

Fukasaku didn't show it, but he was thoroughly impressed with his student's display.

"Not bad, kid," Jiraiya remarked. Their clash, despite being over in an instant, told Jiraiya all he needed to know. Together, they had a real shot at ending everything once and for all. "Now you can see why we needed to come here."

Meanwhile, Naruto stood rigid, staring at his eyes with wide eyes.

"It's like I could… sense your movements before they could happen." He uttered in bewilderment. "Is that another ability of Sage Jutsu?"

"Precisely, Naruto-boy," Fukasaku replied as he hopped over to them. "It is really quite intuitive when you think about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Do ya remember what I said about the foundation of what Nature Energy is?" Fukasaku asked.

"Well– Nature Energy is present all around us, right?" To which Fukasaku nodded. "Does that somehow play into it?"

"Right again. Ya see, entering Sage Mode is essentially becoming one with nature. All of the Nature Energy in the surrounding air becomes an extension of the user. Not only is your ability to sense chakra heightened to an extreme degree, but you can also perceive oncoming attacks before they arrive. This is all possible by using what is presently available around you to its fullest."

"That… really is amazing," Naruto clenched, then unclenched his hand. "If this is what it's like now, what will it feel like once we've mastered it?"

"Then," Fuksaku smirked. "You will become truly enlightened."

"In due time," Jiraiya walked over and rested a hand on his student's shoulder. "When that happens, you and I will start to spar for real. I, for one, can't wait to see what you got."

"I can't wait to see what that old body of yours still has left in it!"

Naruto felt Jiraiya's grip on his shoulder noticeably tighten. "Heh, heh," He laughed nervously. "It's just friendly banter, right Master?"

"Yeah, banter," Jiraiya replied in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Sure, of course."

It seemed Naruto had poked the bear one too many times.

"Anyway," Fukasaku said with a clap of his hands. "Let's head back home; Ma should have dinner nearly ready by now. I, for one, sure have worked up a mighty appetite. Who's with me?"

"Y-Yeah…" Naruto's reluctance was lost on Pa.

"Yeah, Boss," Jiraiya matched his student's enthusiasm. "I'm starving…"

"Excellent, then let's go!"

Suigetsu dug his heel deep into the dirt and pivoted with as much force as he could muster. His Executioner's Blade hit nothing but air.

Hidan had jumped and tucked his knees to his chest just high enough to avoid it. He tried a slash with his scythe, but Suigetsu managed to correct himself and blocked with his own weapon. This game of back and forth would continue as long as neither managed to obtain the upper hand.

"Water Style: Water Gun Double Tap!"

Suigetsu fired off two shots in rapid succession with his free hand. Both found their mark, which pierced through Hidan's chest and exited out his back. 'Heh, how do ya like that?!' He thought excitedly.

"Tch, you little runt," What would normally be a fatal wound did little more than irritate his opponent. "Do you have any idea how painful it is to get stabbed in the heart?!"

"Damn– you really are immortal, aren't you?"

"What was your first clue, you fool? Of course, I am!"

Suigetsu grunted as Hidan pushed down harder on his blade. The angrier he got, the more his strength seemed to increase. 'This guy's stamina is off the charts just like his durability. I need to conserve my chakra going forward… if this turns into a battle of who can outlast the other, I'll lose!'

In the split second that his opponent seemed distracted with thoughts, Hidan quickly pulled out a retractable spear from his cloak and stabbed him in the chest.

'Splash!'

Hidan grimaced and pulled back with his weapons to disengage. He looked at his spear– it was wet with water, not blood.

"The hell is this shit?!" Hidan spat. "Do you not bleed– like, ever? How is that possible?"

"You're fuckin' immortal, and you're asking how something else is possible?" Suigetsu spat back in an equally vulgar way. "Do you not see the irony here?"

Hidan rolled his eyes and huffed angrily. He looked down at his spear and seemed to mull something over. After a moment of contemplation, he shrugged his shoulders and brought it up to his lips to lick off any remaining water.

Suigetsu involuntarily shivered. "Dude, what the hell..."

"Just as I thought," Hidan looked at his hands and arm and noted no discernible changes in his appearance. "The ritual calls for blood, so it's gotta be blood. That's… kinda bullshit."

"And exactly what I was hoping for," Suigetsu smiled devilishly and went through a combination of hand seals. Ox, Snake, Ram. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

"Kakuzu was right, wasn't he?" Having already lost sight of his opponent, Hidan called out into the rapidly thickened mist. "You guys have intel on us– you knew I was immortal before engaging with us." There was no answer on the other end, so he opted to continue. "And you, you don't bleed. That means you also know about my Jutsu… you were handpicked for this mission to deal with me. The only people who could know so much about my abilities were other members of the Akatsuki. If it wasn't Itachi, then who the hell–"

The mist parted just in front of Hidan as the Executioner's Blade cut through the air and aimed straight for his throat.

'I guess this idiot has never heard of the Silent Killing Technique!" Suigetsu thought triumphantly. 'Time to end this!"

Hidan leaned back just far enough for the blade to pass harmlessly over him. He sprang back up and grabbed Suigetsu by the wrists and pulled him close.

"What the– get off of me, asshole," Suigetsu struggled but to no avail.

"Why aren't ya turning into water, asshole?" Visibility was near zero, but their faces were close enough together for Hidan's wicked smile to be viewed in its full glory. "Lemme guess– that Jutsu of yours uses a fair amount of chakra, doesn't it? I bet maintaining this mist does, too; am I right?"

"What of it?!" Suigetsu spat.

"Our abilities cancel each other out, but I still have the advantage! Every movement you make, every Jutsu you use, every drop of chakra you waste you're gonna get slower… and weaker. If this is a battle of attrition, I've got ya dead to rights, kid. I'm not going to slow down or tire out. If you can't use that big ass sword to chop my head off, I'm gonna wait for you to use all of your chakra and when you can't turn into a fuckin' puddle anymore, then I'll gut you like the fish you are."

"Tch, we'll see about that," Suigetsu had heard enough; he activated his Hydrification Technique to slip through Hidan's iron grip and disappeared back into the mist.

Suigetsu couldn't say it out loud, but Hidan was right. If he can chop off the bastard's head, he wins. If not?

He's a dead man.

Sasuke warily circled his opponent to look for any potential gaps in his defense. Every muscle twitch, balance shift, hesitation– his Sharingan would see it all and instantly process any potentially useable data. And yet, not even his eyes could detect anything exploitable.

It was evident by his intel that Sasori held Kisame's strength in high regard. He is viewed as one of the most dangerous Akatsuki members– most likely third behind the Akatsuki's leader and Itachi. Massively scaled Water Style Jutsu, absurd reserves of stamina, and, most important of all, the blade known as Samehada. It was imperative that whoever was to face Kisame Hoshigaki avoided his sword at all costs during Taijutsu exchanges, and minimize certain Ninjutsu use for similar reasons.

'That doesn't exactly leave me with many options," Sasuke thought dryly.

Kisame was the first move. Sasuke sidestepped a heavy vertical slash and quickly ran Chidori through his katana. Kisame followed through on the swing and slammed his blade into the ground, then used it as a platform to pivot himself out of the way. Sasuke's lightning-charged katana collided with Samehada.

Sasuke immediately withdrew his attack, but it was too late. His lightning chakra had drained away almost immediately upon contact.

'To move such a massive sword with ease… not to mention how quickly it absorbs chakra, Sasuke's eyes went wide. 'Wait, this is–'

Kisame would give him little time to think and followed his retreat.

"If you're anything like Itachi, then you'd like nothing more than to strategize right now," Kisame continued his assault with a horizontal swipe. "As if I'd let you do that, haha!"

"Tch!" Sasuke sucked his teeth in annoyance. Sidestep, backstep, duck, evasive roll. If it weren't for the Sharingan's near-precognition, he'd almost certainly be overwhelmed by the masterful assault. 'Dammit, can't think!'

Sasuke got the slightest window of reprieve in between attacks and blitzed through a sequence of hand seals.

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

Sasuke fired it off at point-blank range, but it mattered little. Kisame split the massive fire blast completely in half and it passed harmlessly on either side of him.

However, it gave Sasuke just enough time to complete his thoughts.

'When my sword made contact with his it didn't just drain the Chidori channeling through it, it took a portion of my chakra as well. It can steal my stamina without even touching my skin.'

"That look in your eyes reminds me too much of Itachi," Kisame reminisced. "We've only just started and you're analyzing me… next time I won't give you time for it!"

Kisame moved at great speeds just as Sasuke brought his hand up to intercept.

"Chidori Spear!"

It found its mark right through the chest.

"Agh!" Kisame lurched forward and spat up a wad of blood. He looked back up at Sasuke with wide, bloodshot eyes. "You showed your hand too early, brat,"

Kisame's hand twitched, but Sasuke wisely retracted his Jutsu before any more of his chakra could be siphoned.

'He moved just enough at the last second to avoid his heart being pierced,' Sasuke resisted the urge to frown. 'Just like he did against Naruto, now he'll–"

On cue, Sasuke watched with his Sharingan as the chakra contained within Samehada was transferred to its user. In a scene eerily similar to his battle with Naruto at the Final Valley just a few years ago, steam formed around Kisame's open wound and it rapidly began to heal itself.

"I see the Nine-Tails brat told you about our… encounter," Kisame noted Sasuke's lack of surprise. "Unfortunately for you, you don't seem quite as strong as he was. I would have loved to finish my battle with him."

"You're wrong," Sasuke closed his eyes as he pulled his arms from his sleeves and let the shirt fall below his waist. His appearance began to change quickly; his skin turned gray, his dark hair grew long with a bluish hue, and the hand-like wings associated with his second state Curse Mark erupted from his shoulders. His eyes reopened to show their ascension to the Mangekyo Sharingan. "I'm stronger than Naruto was when the two of you fought."

"Those eyes… there's no mistaking it," Kisame said evenly. "And that's Orochimaru's Curse Mark, isn't it? Perhaps there is truth to your claim, but we'll see."

This time, Sasuke was the first to move. He was in close quarters before Kisame could even blink.

"Chidori!"

Kisame brought up Samehada to intercept. Sasuke anticipated this and just managed to duck underneath, then aimed his attack at the heart.

"Water Prison Jutsu!" Kisame managed to put his hand in position at the last second.

Sasuke's head nearly snapped forward as his momentum was completely halted when he was surrounded by a sphere of water. He didn't allow himself any nostalgia from his mission in the Land of Waves and immediately stuck his arms out on either side of himself.

'Chidori Stream!' He mentally shouted.

Tendrils of electricity shout out in every direction, and Samehada couldn't hope to absorb it all.

"Tch, bastard!" The voltage that suddenly ripped through Kisame's body was enough to get him to drop the Jutsu and retreat. "You're gonna regret that–"

"Chidori Senbon!" Sasuke wasted no time. With a wave of the hand and pristine shape transformation, he sent hundreds of lightning needles racing toward his opponent.

Kisame acted on instinct and shielded his entire body with Samehada. He immediately realized his mistake.

He'd just lost sight of the enemy.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Kisame looked around and saw the incoming volley had surrounded him. He responded with a wide-arched swing of his blade that bisected and drained each fireball of their chakra. His eyes widened when shuriken emerged from the smoke and fire. Unable to dodge in time, he winced as the projectiles dug deep into the flesh of his sides and back.

Samehada's chakra healed his injuries almost as soon as they happened. As his wounds began to close, the shuriken popped out and clattered against the ground.

"Where'd the brat go?" Kisame hissed. There were large and obtrusive rock formations all over the battlefield, and he could have hidden behind any of them. "Well, I guess it's about time I changed the landscape." Kisame brought his hands together to form the Ram Seal.

His eyes widened when the sudden sound of chirping birds filled the air right behind him.

"Chidori!"

Sasuke lunged forward, his arm once again aimed at his opponent's heart. Kisame pivoted on his heel, swiped at Sasuke's forearm to knock his arm off its path, and delivered a massive kick to his ribs.

Instead of the groan he expected, 'Sasuke' disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"A Shadow Clone?!" Kisame blinked. The real Sasuke appeared in his visual field, but just out of range from a counterattack. Kisame had realized his mistake, but it was too late to look away.

"Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Kisame's eyes glazed over and he collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

"Agh!" Pain suddenly erupted behind Sasuke's eyes. He pressed his open palms into them and started to rub frantically. It felt like his eyeballs had been ripped out and replaced by molten hot coals. He shakily lowered his hands only to see them smeared with blood. "Unbelievable. Is this some of the pain you felt, Itachi?"

Sasuke looked up and focused through his blurry vision. His bloodshot eyes widened. Kisame was gone. In a bout of sixth sense, he felt danger approach his flank and brought up his wings to intercept.

Samehada crashed into him with immense force. The impact lifted Sasuke off his feet as the unusually serrated blade shredded one of his wings to bits. The momentum sent him flying into a massive boulder; his back slammed unforgivingly into the hard stone, and then he fell to the ground with a thud.

Sasuke propped himself up with an arm and looked at his opponent as his eyes twitched in pain. "T-That sword does more than transfer chakra to you–"

"So, you figured it out," Kisame said mockingly as he slowly walked towards his prey. "Yes, Samehada is far more than just a regular weapon. It has consciousness– even a chakra network all its own, though I suppose you would need the Byakugan to fully see that," his face twisted into a cruel smile. "As long as I have this blade to inject chakra into me, your Genjutsu is useless."

Sasuke picked himself off the ground and eyed his opponent dangerously. "Heh, I never expected this to be easy."

"Now, the real fight begins," Kisame once again brought his hands together to form the Ram Seal.

'What?!' Sasuke's eyes widened from what his Sharingan picked up. 'He's building up enormous amounts of chakra.'

"That's right; let's have some fun, shall we?" Kisame lived for the shock he saw in the faces of his opponents. "Water Style: Super Exploding Water Shockwave!" Nearly inconceivable amounts of water spewed from his mouth.

'Unreal,' Sasuke held his breath as he was swept up in the ferocious tsunami-like waves it produced. 'Such a massive scale…'

'Water Prison Shark Dance Jutsu!'

Kakashi got out of harm's way just as a fireball crashed down into the ground. Kakuzu's assault had him on his backfoot practically the entire fight thus far, and it was about to get worse. He backpedaled right into one of the rock formations that was previously mapped out in his mind. The frantic pace of the battle had scrambled his spatial awareness. He moved his head to the side just as a ball of super-compressed wind chakra rocketed passed his face. It tore through the hard stone as if it wasn't even there.

Kakuzu had revealed the terrifying ability that they were warned about. It was already speculated that Kakuzu could perform all five basic changes in chakra nature.

Sasori told them how.

Masked monsters stored inside Kakuzu's body that he could summon on a whim to use in battle. Once a viable subject was vanquished in battle, using Earth Grudge Fear, a forbidden Jutsu he stole from the Hidden Waterfall Village, Kakuzu could incorporate up to four additional hearts from his enemies into his own body. Not only can he use the associated affinities of those fallen Shinobi, but they would also need to destroy all five hearts to kill him for good.

Kakashi sighed in distress. The Wind Monster volleyed more air blasts at him, but he avoided each one with last-second contortions. He wanted to make a break for it and get to higher ground, but the Fire monster lurked in the sky just outside of his peripheral vision. It would almost assuredly shoot him out of the sky.

What little respite Kakashi was given was stripped away when the Wind Monster made a sudden mad dash at him.

'It's fast!' Kakashi discreetly placed his arm behind him as it started to crackle with electricity.

"Cha!"

The Wind Monster retreated just in time to avoid Sakura's fist.

"Sakura!" Kakashi exclaimed. "Where are the others?"

"They're coming," Sakura answered quickly.

"No kidding," Kakashi looked up to see the Fire Monster's mouth open. His eyes widened and he went through a string of hand signs. "Water Style: Water Wall!"

Opposing elements collided and created a haze of steam to conceal them.

"What's the plan here, Sensei?" Sakura was outwardly calm, but it was evident they were in a bad spot. "We can't keep running forever."

"I'm going to get the high ground. I lost track of Kakuzu during that last exchange, and he's by far the most dangerous– gotta find him before he finds us," Kakashi explained. "We're totally outmanned right now. Use the steam to get out of sight and find a way to take down one of these masks with a surprise attack. If we can even the playing field even a little bit, our chances get a lot better."

Sakura simply nodded.

Kakashi nodded back, made a quick hand sign, and then leaped to the top of the massive hunk of stone for a better view.

Wind Mask, Fire Mask, Lightning Mask, and Water Mask– Kakashi located them all with little difficulty, and it appeared he still had a few seconds before they did the same.

Two questions remained. Where was Kakuzu? And, more importantly, how were the other members of his team faring?

"What… the hell is that?" It was impossible to miss; off in the distance, Kakashi noticed what appeared to be a massive dome of water easily over one hundred meters in height, and several hundreds of meters in width. He felt a pit form in his stomach. There was no doubt in his mind; that was the Jutsu of Kisame Hoshigaki. "Sasuke…" In the opposite direction, he saw the familiar fog of the Hidden Mist Jutsu. That provided him with a bit of comfort. "Suigetsu seems to be holding his own…"

Kakashi turned his attention back to his opponent only to be met with the mask of the Fire Monster mere inches from his shocked face. Its mouth opened, and he could feel the heat from its Jutsu as it built up. Kakashi ducked underneath the blast and quickly pulled out a kunai and channeled lightning through it. He lunged forward.

The Monster flew backward out of range before Kakashi could strike at its mask and started to charge another attack.

'Gotcha,' Kakashi thought triumphantly and threw his enhanced kunai with all of his strength. It sliced through the air at terrifying speeds his enemy could not hope to avoid. That confidence was shattered when the knife was blown off course by a strong gust. 'Damn, Wind is always a pain for me to deal with. Their coordinated attacks aren't exactly making this easy for me.'

Kakashi went to make a move but found that he couldn't. "What?!" Black threads latched onto his ankle like a vice grip. He followed their trail and found Kakuzu; the threads protruded from the open stitching in his forearm. "Oh no–"

When his opponent violently pulled back on his arm, Kakashi had no choice but to go for a ride. He was dragged through the air by his ankles and slammed into rocky ground. Kakuzu was quick to pounce; he dropped down and drove a heavy knee into Kakashi's gut.

"Agh!" Kakashi groaned in pain as all of the air in his chest was forced out.

"I've been waiting for this moment since the last time we crossed paths," Shortly after Kakuzu pointed his fingers, the skin on his entire arm noticeably darkened. "Any last words, Copy Ninja?"

"Yeah," Kakashi grabbed his wrists. "You talk too much."

"Lightning Blade!"

"What?!" Kakuzu looked up just in time to see the mask of his Wind Monster get ripped through by another Kakashi, who then disappeared in a cloud of smoke after being struck by a Water Jutsu. "A clone?! When did you–!"

"Under the guise of the steam," Kakashi explained. "Here, hold this." Once again, he sent lightning chakra ripping through Kakuzu's body.

"Tch, not this time. I've acclimated," Kakuzu winced and grunted through the pain, though he managed to maintain control of his Earth Spear Jutsu. "It seems I'm in need of a spare heart... Yours will be a fantastic addition to my collection."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you with that," Kakashi was eerily calm given the circumstances. "I just wanted to get your attention for a few seconds."

Kakuzu scowled. "Die–!"

"Cha!"

Sakura delivered a devastating punch to Kakuzu's job that launched him off of Kakashi, and then she quickly used a Chakra Scalpel to slice the threads still attached to Kakashi's legs before he was dragged along.

"You alright, Sensei?" She asked with an extended hand.

"Much better now, thanks," Kakashi obliged and pulled himself to his feet. "Stay on your guard; that won't keep him down for long."

"Yeah, I know," Sakura winced and shook out her hand. "He hardened his skin right before I hit him. Just so you know, I don't think a sneak attack is going to work a third time."

"Here they come."

They were already surrounded by the remaining Masked Monsters. Fire, Water, and Lightning– each mask opened and started to charge another attack.

From what Kakashi could tell with his Sharingan, they were responding with full power.

Author's Note: One more chapter for the new year.

Reviews are always great. Consider leaving one. Writing progress and tentative upload schedule is updated periodically on my profile. PMs are also welcome.

Join the discord (PM me if the invite link doesn't work): discord . gg / V4zDCdPQTm

Happy holidays and see you all in 2024.

Until next time... Chapter 55: "Fate is Fickle."

The Disquieting One - Very appreciated. Thank you.

Ky111 - I would say Hidan is still dangerous, and even more so when paired with Kakuzu. Then, of course, Kisame is a monster in his own right.

Glad you are enjoying the charatcer dynamics. They are my favorite things to write.

Lampre8 - I didn't intentionally change the side Obito's MS was on. That was simply an error on my part... I must have mixed them up. Thank you for pointing it out to me.

Adventreader221 - Feels familiar but still takes time to master something like Sage Mode.

Lilthug - Naruto in base always seemed stronger to me once he mastered Sage Mode. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I assumed it came with a passive buff to his base. At the very least, I agree with you that that's how it should be.

NoodleMomo - I've thought about , but I'm not sure. This is a hobby for me and once you attach money to something (even a small amount), it changes. Would readers even care or be interested in a ? I don't have a clue.