Aside from Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi, no one else recognized the members of Asuma's team, so they patiently kept watching.
Then they saw it.
Nara Shikamaru, moving with a dizzying chain of precise maneuvers, suddenly forced Hidan to turn his attack on Kakuzu.
Shadow Imitation Technique.
Everyone present was familiar with that jutsu. They had all seen it before.
"A brilliant strategy. Better than Sasuke."
Uchiha Itachi's eyes followed Shikamaru's rapid calculations and seamless execution. Controlling two Kage Level opponents at the same time, even if only briefly, spoke volumes about his mind.
The Nara Clan…
As sharp as ever.
This was the kind of shinobi he had once hoped Sasuke would become. Calm. Measured. Calculating.
Instead, his brother had grown into a blunt weapon. Even when Sasuke came up with a plan, it was usually a flash of inspiration in the heat of the moment.
It was nothing like Shikamaru's steady, deliberate use of every advantage to corner his opponent.
Sasuke had an inexplicable sense of superiority. Kaede Kitahara had once described it perfectly in his diary as "Sunny Sasuke" mode. The sun's out, the rain's gone, and suddenly Uchiha Sasuke thinks he's invincible again.
Almost every time his strength increased, that phase followed.
The difference in mentality was glaring.
While Itachi was lost in thought, Kakuzu had already been forced into a corner by Hidan's assault. Yet even with Akimichi Choji's Human Bullet Tank crashing in, they still failed to injure him in the slightest.
That alone proved Kaede Kitahara's assessment was dead-on.
Kage Level.
Then, in the very next instant, Kakuzu let out a sharp scream.
Somehow, Hatake Kakashi had slipped behind him without a sound. A Raikiri pierced straight through his heart.
The timing could not have been more precise.
"How is that possible? You got behind me without a sound?"
Kakuzu's voice was filled with disbelief. He had been fully focused on defending against Hidan, who was being manipulated by Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique. But even so, he should never have allowed someone to approach from behind so easily.
"What a shame."
Kakashi did not bother answering.
One clean strike. A Kage Level powerhouse brought down in an instant.
That was the reality of the shinobi world. No matter how strong you were, a single mistake could end everything.
"That's it?" Tsunade scoffed. "And he dares claim he once ambushed my grandpa? No wonder Kaede said it was like throwing a Shuriken from eight hundred miles away. What a joke."
"Immortal…"
Uchiha Itachi murmured the word under his breath.
It could not be that simple.
If Kakuzu were so easily killed, Kaede would not have singled him out. And the Immortal Duo would be nothing but a bad joke.
"Next up is you."
Just as Kakashi turned toward Hidan, preparing to finish him off with another Raikiri, a scream tore through the air.
Kakuzu, who should have been dead, suddenly moved.
He rose as if nothing had happened and kicked Kakashi away in one brutal motion.
"He's not dead?"
"That's impossible!"
"Even with my medical skills, a direct hit to the heart from Raikiri is fatal."
Shock rippled through everyone watching. Kakuzu's sudden resurrection left them stunned.
"Five-element hearts?"
Kakashi stared at the screen.
Behind Kakuzu, several masks emerged. One of them had been shattered completely, leaving behind a hollow void.
In that moment, he remembered something Kaede had written. The First Hokage punching out one elemental heart at a time.
Was this what that meant?
No wonder it took one punch per heart.
Because one punch was not enough to kill him.
They watched as Kakuzu's body split apart, tearing open inch by inch. Black threads burst outward, dragging the masks with them. One by one, grotesque masked creatures took shape.
In an instant, Konoha's side went from having the numbers advantage to being outnumbered.
Then the wind-element mask moved.
A massive Wind Release technique tore through the forest, ripping trees out by the roots.
That was easily an S-rank jutsu.
Moments later, the lightning-element mask unleashed a devastating Lightning Release attack. Its power was overwhelming, forcing everyone on the defensive. Kakashi poured everything into blocking just one strike.
And then, under Kakuzu's control, the fire-element mask unleashed a torrent of flames that devoured everything in its path.
"Five elements…"
Kakashi's gaze sharpened as he watched the masked creatures take turns unleashing terrifying jutsu.
So that was it.
Those masks were not decorations. They were Kakuzu's hearts.
Each heart wielded a different elemental nature and could unleash devastating S-rank techniques.
Aside from the earth-element heart that his future self had already destroyed, there were wind, lightning, fire, and water.
Five chakra natures, nearly complete. Only the rare yin and yang were absent.
Most shinobi were born with one affinity. Reaching Jonin typically meant mastering a second.
And yet Kakuzu possessed all five, each one honed to a lethal degree.
Worse still, each heart was a life.
To kill him, you had to kill him five times.
No wonder Kaede had emphasized him.
"So that's what 'immortal' means."
Uchiha Itachi watched as Akatsuki and Konoha clashed in chaos. A mask represented an elemental heart, and a heart represented a life.
Some forbidden technique, most likely.
That explained Kakuzu's version of immortality.
But Hidan was different.
Earlier, when Kakuzu had unleashed his jutsu, he had not even bothered to avoid hitting Hidan. The attacks had swallowed him whole.
Compared to Kakuzu's conditional immortality, Hidan's seemed even more bizarre. He did not fear S-rank techniques at all.
"What kind of jutsu is that?"
Itachi did not believe in power without cost. Nor in techniques without flaws.
They simply had not found the weakness yet.
On screen, Kakuzu displayed the overwhelming might of a Kage Level shinobi. With Kakashi entangled by Hidan, Asuma's three students were completely outmatched. Even three years later, Choji, who had grown far stronger, was still crushed with ease.
Meanwhile, Kakashi struggled desperately against both the masked creatures and Hidan. Danger lurked at every turn.
Konoha's side fell into absolute disadvantage.
Just when anxiety began to rise among the viewers, Shikamaru made his move.
After switching opponents with Kakashi, he set his sights directly on Hidan.
Hidan was clearly stronger. Even the Shadow Imitation Technique had limits. It could not extend forever.
Everyone assumed Shikamaru had no way to deal with him.
Then, unexpectedly, he abandoned long-range tactics and charged straight in.
He closed the distance.
And locked Hidan down.
"I'm not just hiding in the shadows."
Shikamaru gave a cold laugh.
"Shadow Imitation Technique successful. Let's take a nice walk somewhere quieter."
He dragged Hidan deep into the forest, where layers of traps had already been prepared.
But the technique was nearing its limit.
Hidan realized it too.
"That shadow jutsu only lasts about five minutes, right?" Hidan sneered. "And now it's just the two of us. Perfect, idiot."
He was not afraid.
Under Jashin's blessing, he was immortal. Even if his head were cut off, he would not die.
The things ordinary shinobi feared meant nothing to him.
Hidan pulled out a black spike and lunged, drawing blood from Shikamaru's face. A cruel grin spread across his lips as he licked the blood and began his ritual.
Chuckling darkly, he stabbed his own palm and started drawing a sacrificial circle on the ground.
"Everything's ready."
"I've been waiting for this. Die!"
He roared and launched into a suicidal attack.
Elsewhere, Kakashi was locked in a brutal struggle.
The masked creatures even fused together.
"I can store five hearts in total, including my own," Kakuzu said coldly. "The one you destroyed will be replaced by yours, Kakashi."
The fused monster struck fast and hard. In midair, Kakashi had nowhere to dodge. In that open clearing, escape was nearly impossible.
The jutsu hit him directly.
Thankfully, a perfectly timed Body Replacement Technique saved his life.
But against the masked creatures' relentless assault, even Water Release offered no real defense. Kakashi was seized and slammed into the ground.
Kakuzu rushed forward.
"You can't keep up with my speed. I'll take your heart."
He lunged.
Then suddenly, he froze.
A sharp pain pierced through him.
Another life gone.
"What happened?"
Kakuzu had not even realized what had occurred.
"Could it be…"
"Looks like we made it just in time," Kakashi said, a look of relief crossing his face.
He had been waiting for this.
Elsewhere, Hidan, who believed his ritual had succeeded, did not see Shikamaru collapse.
Instead, Shikamaru's blade flashed.
Hidan's head was severed in a single strike.
And at that very moment, Shikamaru reactivated the Shadow Imitation Technique, seizing control of Hidan's body once more.