Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: The Rematch, Settled!

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Sasuke climbed to his feet before Kakuzu. Steam rose from his battered chest—wounds closing. He slumped, head hanging low, body swaying, but his knees locked firm.

"I'm not the kind of guy who falls in a place like this…"

A chill shot through Kakuzu's spine. He snatched his greatsword, gripped it in both hands, and aimed for Sasuke's neck with all his might.

"Lose your head, and even Hashirama Senju himself would die!!!"

"But you can't take Hashirama's head with a strike like that."

White Cursed Seal: Hardening!

CLANG!

The blade met the back of Sasuke's neck and stopped.

"!!!"

In Kakuzu's moment of shock, a Rasengan formed in Sasuke's palm. As he thrust it forward, the orb turned white.

CRACK!

The white orb tore through Kakuzu's Earth Release hardening. Then—the horrifying twist. Wooden spikes erupted from every inch of Kakuzu's body, spearing outwards along the chakra's spiraling path.

"GAAAAAAAAHHHH…!!!"

Kakuzu crumpled, writhing on the ground.

Kabuto stared. "When did he master a Rasengan like that…!"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Sasuke-kun had not yet mastered nature transformation for the Rasengan, to my knowledge. He likely subconsciously fused the White Cursed Seal's power into it, granting the Rasengan the effects of his Wood Release. Terrifying. A single blow destroyed two of Kakuzu's hearts. He still has one left, barely clinging to life, but with injuries like that… even his Earth Grudge Fear won't save him now."

Sasuke, too, was surprised by the instinctive maneuver. He stared at his palm, recalling the strange sensation from moments before.

Kakuzu's ragged, desperate roar shattered his thoughts. "Hidan! Now… cut off your own head!!!"

In the ritual circle not far away, Hidan balked. "My head? Hey, hey, that's crazy! How am I supposed to cut off my own damn head…!?"

"Do it, or we both die here!!!"

"Fine! But you'd better sew it back on for me!!!"

Hidan grabbed a sharpened ritual stake from the ground and stood.

Sasuke saw it. He launched forward at full speed.

"Don't you dare!!!"

Black threads of Earth Grudge Fear shot from Kakuzu's mangled arm, wrapping around Sasuke's ankle.

SHUNK!

At the same moment, Hidan drove the stake into the side of his own neck.

SHUNK!

"Gh—!!" Sasuke's hand flew to his own neck. Blood gushed between his fingers—the carotid artery. A killing blow. But he'd already healed a pierced heart. This wound was nothing.

But Kakuzu was right. If his head came off… no healing could fix that.

"RRRAAAAAGGHHH…!!!" Hidan ground the stake deeper into his neck, muscles straining to literally saw his own head off.

SWISH!

Sasuke slashed through the black threads with Kusanagi and lunged for Hidan.

His throat was tearing apart. He ignored it. Life or death hung on this moment.

Whoosh.

Then, in a flash, the noise vanished. The wind. Karin's shouts. Kakuzu's roar. Hidan's scream. All gone. Only his mind raced.

His jutsu creates a mutual-kill effect on me through a specific sacrificial ritual. The medium is 'blood.' He also needs to be inside that ritual circle on the ground. So, if I blast him out of the circle, the ritual should break. But… if I were him, I wouldn't leave such a weakness unprotected. Anchoring his chakra to the ground would be basic.

To force him out, I'd need a powerful attack. That attack would also hit me through the ritual link. More importantly… can I even be sure the circle is necessary? If I'm wrong, I'm dead.

So… with what I have, how do I break this?

Forget the 'blood.' The core principle is simple: he's established a 'connection' between us for this sacrifice. That connection… is a form of 'contract.'

Then… there's only one best solution.

I hope… my deduction is right.

In the space between heartbeats, Sasuke analyzed, theorized, and chose his path. He was upon Hidan. He dropped Kusanagi. Through the agony of his own neck tearing, his hand was steady as he pressed it against Hidan's chest.

Contract Seal!

ZZZAP!

The contract formed by the Death Controlling Possessed Blood ritual—the link between them—was severed. Unilaterally.

Zzzzzt…!

The inky black curse marks covering Hidan's body in the sacrificial state rapidly faded.

"How… can this be!?"

Thump.

Hidan's head lolled sideways. It rolled out of the ritual circle, coming to rest against the discarded money chest.

Thud.

His headless body collapsed.

I… won the bet.

Sasuke sank to the ground, near exhaustion, channeling the White Cursed Seal's power to repair his ravaged neck.

Hidan's face was pressed against the money chest, blocking his view. He snarled. "Dammit! What stupid thing is blocking my sight?! Move it!!!"

The Death Controlling Possessed Blood ritual's contract was broken, but Hidan's immortality remained. His connection to that so-called 'evil god' was something far beyond a mere contract.

With the healing complete, Sasuke's ruined throat could form words again. He walked over to Hidan's head, a shudder of relief running through him.

"If you'd used a blade for your sacrifice instead of that stake… the head rolling on the ground right now would undoubtedly be mine."

"ARRRGGHHHH! You heretics who blaspheme Lord Jashin! I'll make you suffer!!!"

Filled with impotent rage, Hidan could only gnash his teeth against the money chest.

Kakuzu looked utterly bereft. "Hey…!!! Don't you dare defile my treasure with your filthy teeth!!!"

Sasuke shook his head in utter disbelief. "Two utterly insane bastards…"

In the forest, Karin and Kabuto both slumped to the ground simultaneously.

Kabuto wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "That was… too hardcore. I thought my own heart was going to give out."

"It seems… the rematch is decided."

Orochimaru finally unclenched his fist. He had maintained a façade of calm, but his nerves had been wound tight. A relief it was Sasuke's victory. Otherwise, resurrecting him would be a hassle, and their gains from the first battle would be wasted.

He stepped from the forest and approached the grievously wounded, defeated Kakuzu. "Kakuzu. It's been a while."

Kakuzu's emerald eyes gleamed with malice. "Orochimaru. So it was you behind all this."

"Perhaps. But… had your 'comrades' not chosen to be mere spectators, the outcome might have been different."

"You mean… they're here too?"

"Look towards the mountain. You might find it… illuminating."

Kakuzu painfully shifted his gaze. There, silhouetted against the dying light on the distant ridge, were two figures in their iconic red-cloud cloaks.

Memories—a century of bitter memories—flooded back, mixed with a betrayal that had festered for decades. It broke the old veteran.

"Betrayal… damnable betrayal… AGAIN!!!"

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