Hidan gripped the black spear and plunged it deep into his own thigh.
"Ah... kimochi... (This feels great...)" Hidan groaned, his face contorted in a mask of pure ecstasy.
At the same moment, Chiriku's thigh erupted in a spray of gore. The monk let out a blood-curdling shriek, his body collapsing as blood gushed from the synchronized wound. Behind him, the remaining monks watched in paralyzed horror.
"Satisfying! So satisfying! More, give me more!" Hidan shouted, driving the spear into his other thigh.
"AAAAAAGH!"
Chiriku's agonizing roar echoed throughout the entire Fire Temple. The sheer cruelty of the pain was more than any human was meant to endure.
"Kimochi! Lord Jashin, hee-hee-hee! It feels so good!"
The screams of the dying high priest filled the air, sending chills down the spines of everyone nearby.
"That's the sound... just a bit more, and I'll be awakened!"
Crunch! Hidan drove the spear straight through his own abdomen.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha! This is the feeling, Lord Jashin!"
"You love hearing these screams too, don't you?!"
…
An hour passed.
Kanon sat on a pile of rubble, resting her chin on one hand. She was so bored she was nodding off, nearly toppling over before jerking herself awake.
Before her, the Fire Temple had been reduced to a smoldering ruin. The grounds were littered with the corpses of monks.
Hidan lay at the center of his ritual circle, a spear skewering his chest. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his expression was serene.
"It's settled, then."
"Once I've finished my prayers, we'll head to the next spot," Hidan said softly.
Kakuzu, who had been sitting beside Kanon leafing through his bounty book, stood up. He walked over to Chiriku's stiff, lifeless corpse and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
"No, I'm taking this one to the Exchange Point immediately."
Kakuzu adjusted the body, his eyes narrowing behind his mask. "Money is the only thing that matters."
"Looks like we hit the jackpot on this job," Kanon said, hopping over and playfully poking Chiriku's cold cheek.
"You looked so dignified earlier. Not laughing much now, are you?" Kanon made a mock face at the corpse.
Hidan finally sat up from the center of the array. "I swear... can I blow up at you two just once? Seriously!"
"No can do," Kanon chirped. Her eyes flicked toward a stack of wooden planks.
Sure enough, a single monk was hiding behind the debris. Seeing the trio preparing to leave, he let out a tiny sigh of relief.
I have to notify Konoha...
But as he turned to slip away, Kanon appeared directly in front of him.
"Oh? Look at this. We missed one."
"EEEEK!" The monk let out a strangled cry, his legs shaking so violently he nearly collapsed.
"Hey, Kakuzu-nii, Hidan-nii, what do we do with this one?"
"I'm not interested in the weak," Kanon mused, "but letting him go might expose our trail."
"I have no interest in anyone without a bounty," Kakuzu stated flatly. "Handle it yourselves."
"I guess he's all yours, Hidan-nii," Kanon said, walking away with Kakuzu.
Hidan stood over the trembling man. "I... I..."
"Hey, monk. Are you willing to join the Way of Jashin?" Hidan asked.
"I am! I'll do anything! Just please, spare me!"
"Fine. I'll let you live. Make sure you report to the Jashin headquarters in the Land of Hot Water in a few days."
Hidan didn't give it a second thought, turning to catch up with Kanon and Kakuzu.
The monk watched them go, stunned by how easily Hidan had been duped. Being sharp-witted, he vanished into the trees the moment they were out of sight.
When Hidan finally caught up, Kanon glanced back. "Did you kill him?"
"Nah. The guy said he wanted to join the faith, so I let him go."
"What?!" Kanon froze. "You actually let him go?!"
"Didn't you hear me?"
"You... Hidan-nii... you idiot! He was obviously lying to you!!!"
Kanon sighed in exasperation.
"Eh?! That bastard lied to me?!" Hidan blinked, finally realizing he'd been played.
"He's long gone by now. Kakuzu-nii, what do we do if our location is compromised?"
"You lot are a bunch of penniless amateurs," Kakuzu grumbled. "We're going to the Exchange Point first. End of story."
"Fair enough..." Kanon muttered. Between one partner who was an idiot and another who cared for nothing but coin, she felt a massive headache coming on.
"Whatever. I'm too tired to think. Let's just move," Hidan said, stretching his arms.
"The Land of Fire is vast. We'll take our time," Kakuzu added.
"Ugh, we've only caught one Tailed Beast so far. We're falling way behind the others, and it's all your fault!" Hidan complained, finally yanking the spear out of his chest.
"Ow... damn, that hurts!"
"Wait up! Kakuzu! Kanon-chan!"
…
Two days later.
Kakuzu glanced at Hidan. "Your turn to carry him."
"Hey, hey! This wasn't my bounty! You and Kanon-chan were the ones screaming about money! Why do I have to lug him around?"
"Just shut up and carry the prize. Didn't you say it was an 'important bounty'?"
Kakuzu stared Hidan down with a cold, piercing gaze.
"What's with that 'you're-a-nuisance' look?"
"One of these days, I'm going to kill you myself," Kakuzu muttered.
"Give it a rest. Like you're the only one who feels that way," Hidan retorted.
"Should I take a turn?" Kanon offered.
"You're a girl and you're still growing," Hidan said, puffing out his chest. "Leave the heavy lifting to Kakuzu and me."
"Suit yourself," Kanon said, shrugging as they approached a hidden entrance to a Land of Fire Exchange Point.
…
Meanwhile, in Konohagakure.
Asuma Sarutobi was engaged in a game of Shogi with Shikamaru Nara.
"Checkmate!"
"Ah! Lost again." Asuma rubbed his head in frustration.
"You're paying for the next mission briefing snacks, Sensei," Shikamaru noted.
"Fine, fine." Asuma paused. "Shikamaru... if you compare the shinobi of Konoha to Shogi pieces, you'd be the Knight. You can jump over obstacles; you aren't bound by standard rules."
"And what about you, Sensei?" Shikamaru asked.
"Me? I'm nothing special... just..." Asuma smiled, placing a piece in the path of the Knight.
"A sacrificial pawn?" Shikamaru said nonchalantly, using his Knight to take Asuma's piece. "So, you know what the King represents, right?"
"The Hokage, obviously," Shikamaru answered after a moment.
"Not long ago, I thought the same thing," Asuma said with a small smile.
"But it's not?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
Asuma took a drag of his cigarette, his thoughts drifting back years. He remembered perfectly completing a mission, yet the sacrifice of his comrades had left him bitter about the nature of war.
A younger Asuma had once knelt before his father, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. I protected the King! I protected the Daimyo! Why won't you acknowledge me?!
Hiruzen had only looked up at him calmly. "The King, you say..."
"Can't you give me even a little credit, old man?! You don't understand how difficult and important the battle to protect the King is!"
"I know there were casualties, but sacrifice is part of a ninja's mission."
Hiruzen had let out a cold snort. "As you are now, you still don't understand the true meaning of what the King represents."
"You just don't want to acknowledge me!" the young Asuma had shouted, storming out.
Back in the present, after years of experience, he finally understood those words.
"You'll find out eventually," Asuma said, a pensive look on his face as he gave Shikamaru a knowing smile.
At the Konoha main gate, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki stared in shock at a monk stumbling toward them from the distance.
"That's..."
In the Hokage's office.
"I see... even Chiriku..." Tsunade's expression was grim.
"I happened to be out on patrol. By the time I returned, it was already..." the surviving monk trailed off. "I was spotted by the Akatsuki as well. I barely escaped with my life..."
As the monk described the attackers, Shizune and Tsunade both frowned. There it was again, the involvement of Kanon Uchiha.
"That girl... she really is exerting herself for that organization," Tsunade muttered. "The Akatsuki are likely searching the Land of Fire for potential Jinchuriki."
"They're finally here."
Tsunade took a deep breath. Ever since Naruto's mission failed, Kanon's hatred for Konoha had been made clear. Even if the fault lay with Danzo and the higher-ups, Tsunade could not allow Kanon and the rest of the Akatsuki to run rampant.
"We cannot let them leave the Land of Fire."
"Immediately contact the newly formed twenty squads!"
Ten minutes later, twenty shinobi stood in a row atop the Hokage building.
After Tsunade explained the situation, she addressed the group loudly. "That is all. Are there any questions?"
Asuma, standing at the front, spoke up. "Chiriku was there, another former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. What happened to him?"
Tsunade went silent. The Fire Temple monk standing beside her lowered his head. "Master Chiriku fell at their hands."
"He is dead."
At those words, Asuma's body stiffened. His pupils shrank. As fellow members of the Twelve Guardians, he and Chiriku had been the closest of friends.
Asuma's frame trembled as he recalled the days they had fought side-by-side.
Even Chiriku... how is that possible?!
Behind him, Shikamaru sensed Asuma's distress and narrowed his eyes.
Seeing Asuma's silence, Tsunade announced her final command.
"We must stake the prestige of Konoha on this! Most importantly, we must ensure the safety of the Land of Fire!"
"We cannot let the Akatsuki do as they please any longer."
"We need to uncover their motives, but they are all S-rank threats. Do not let them escape the Land of Fire!"
"Find them! If you cannot capture them alive... then execute them on the spot."
"Now, move out!"