"Sasuke?"
Kakashi blinked in surprise, then hurried forward. "What are you doing here? Where are Naruto and Sakura?"
"They should be fine. I was worried about you, Teacher Kakashi, so I came ahead."
Kakashi frowned slightly, still concerned about Naruto and Sakura's situation. But Sasuke was a steady and reliable person, so he trusted his assessment. Besides, Sasuke's presence showed genuine concern for him.
He swallowed his initial words and instead said with admiration, "Sasuke, you've grown so much! To create a technique as powerful as that!"
Putting himself in Sasuke's shoes, Kakashi realized that if he were suddenly faced with that technique, he would have no way to defend himself—only death.
"You flatter me, Teacher Kakashi," Sasuke replied with a slight shake of his head. "It's not as formidable as you say."
Mahakala was indeed his most powerful burst technique. Its power continued to escalate as the chakra particles within the blade accelerated and the Kagutsuchi's heat absorption intensified.
This was its strength, but also its weakness. Maximizing Mahakala's power required a considerable amount of time.
Since leaving Takigakure, Sasuke had spent nearly five minutes sprinting at full speed to maximize Mahakala's destructive potential.
This was the first time Sasuke had used Mahakala in combat.
His previous attempt against Yugito had been interrupted by Zetsu, and when facing Kurosuki Raiga, the dense fog and vast sea had made it impossible to unleash the technique.
Today, however, he had ample time to gather power and unleash the full might of Mahakala in a devastating strike.
"And this guy's still alive?" Sasuke muttered, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
A landscape of scorched red boulders and charred trees stretched before him, swirling black ash mingling with the billowing heat rising from the scorched earth.
"Still alive?!" Kakashi followed Sasuke's gaze. Through the thick, distorted heat haze, a figure slowly rose to its feet.
'How is he still alive after that?' Kakashi thought in shock.
He had already recognized the enemy's bizarre constitution, but he had assumed that Sasuke's technique would reduce even the strongest opponent to ashes.
Before he could speak, Sasuke continued, "Teacher Kakashi, leave the rest to me. Go reinforce the Anbu right away, or he'll be killed."
Sasuke had spotted Kakuzu and Hidan as soon as he arrived on the battlefield. After a brief hesitation, he had rushed directly toward Kakashi's location.
Compared to Kakuzu, Hidan's strength was far weaker, but his abilities were far more unique and utterly illogical.
'Hidan must be eliminated first.'
Moreover, Kakashi was his teacher, and he recognized the other Wood Release Anbu as Yamato.
'But I don't know him. What do I care if he lives or dies?'
Hearing this, Kakashi immediately glanced at the battlefield between Yamato and Kakuzu. Seeing Yamato's precarious situation, he nodded sharply.
"Right!"
"This guy has an incredibly resilient constitution, making him incredibly difficult to kill. He also seems to possess some kind of blood-based secret technique. Be careful—don't let him obtain any of your blood or tissue."
After quickly issuing this warning, Kakashi rushed toward Yamato's battlefield, still confident in Sasuke's abilities.
"Senior..."
Seeing Kakashi arrive, Yamato opened his mouth to speak, but he was already so weak he could barely twitch a finger.
Kakashi quickly supported him, whispering gently, "Leave the rest to me."
"Hata-Kakashi?"
The sudden, tremendous commotion in the distance naturally drew Kakuzu's attention.
But Kakuzu only glanced in that direction briefly before withdrawing his gaze, as if utterly unconcerned about his partner's fate.
"Your bounty at the Bounty Exchange is 35 million ryō," Kakuzu said calmly, his gaze fixed on the Sharingan in Kakashi's left eye. "I wonder if that includes your Sharingan?"
Kakashi shot him a wary glance. He created a Shadow Clone to escort Yamato away from the battlefield before focusing his full attention on Kakuzu.
"Judging by your attire, you're probably members of the same organization," Kakashi observed. "Why are you attacking Konoha shinobi?"
"Who knows?" Kakuzu's eyelids twitched slightly as he replied, his voice as placid as a still well. "Perhaps it was a long-planned scheme, or maybe just a spur-of-the-moment decision."
Originally, Kakuzu and Hidan had been on their way to the Bounty Exchange when they happened to encounter the Anbu agents trailing Team 7.
Hidan, driven by his single-minded devotion to his Evil God, simply wanted to slaughter the Konoha shinobi as a sacrifice.
The more calculating Kakuzu, however, suspected the Anbu's sudden appearance might be connected to the recent coup in the Takigakure and didn't bother restraining Hidan.
"You'll have to ask that question in the afterlife."
"That fucking hurts, you bastard!"
A raspy, demonic howl echoed through the air as a figure slowly emerged from the swirling heat.
Hidan!
His entire body was covered in pitch-black blood, a mangled mess of flesh and gore.
Streams of crimson-tinged vapor rose continuously from his body, emitting a thick, nauseating stench of burning flesh.
A head-sized hole gaped in his chest, his internal organs reduced to clumps of blackened, shredded meat.
Yet even in this state, he was still alive!
He could even speak!
Sasuke watched the scene impassively. In the original timeline, Hidan had continued to shout with undiminished vigor even after having his head severed from his body and his vocal cords severed.
If science couldn't explain it, then it had to be chakra!
"Ah! How dare you destroy the divine artifact bestowed upon me by Lord Evil God?!"
Like a demon clawing its way out of hell, Hidan's bloodshot eyes, scorched by the intense light, glared at Sasuke with bone-chilling murderous intent.
"You're going to die!"
Hidan roared, a violent gale erupting as he charged straight at Sasuke.
Sasuke calmly watched Hidan's approach, murmuring softly:
"Too slow!"
Though Hidan had survived Sasuke's Mahakala strike, his bodily functions were severely compromised, leaving him like a tattered, leaking sack.
Sasuke's speed and strength had plummeted to an abysmal level, utterly incomparable to his earlier prowess.
As he spoke, Sasuke's once-clear black and white eyes suddenly turned crimson, revealing an eerie six-pointed star pattern.
'This...?! Uchiha Itachi's...'
Hidan froze in shock, but before he could react, agonizing pain surged through his limbs, as if they had been pierced by nails.
His charging figure lurched to a halt.
Clang!
A crimson crescent moon-like arc flashed through the air, cleaving Hidan's head from his body. Blood erupted from the wound like a geyser.
"Aaaah! It hurts!"
The searing pain snapped Hidan, now reduced to just a severed head, out of the genjutsu.
He screamed frantically, "You can't kill me! I'm immortal! Lord Evil God granted me—"
Pfft!
Before he could finish, Kagutsuchi plunged straight into Hidan's head, silencing him forever.
"Immortal? How intriguing..."
Sasuke casually stirred the blade through Hidan's brain, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Why so quiet all of a sudden? What happened to all the talk?"
A cruel smirk twisted Sasuke's lips.
In the next instant, Kagutsuchi erupted in black, otherworldly flames.
The all-consuming darkness instantly engulfed Hidan's head and body, reducing them to ash that vanished into the wind.
___
This Sasuke Is Strange 240 advanced chapters: (5 ch updates everyday)
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