"Humph~ If we're done here, let's move. We need to reach the Land of Waves by tonight."
Folding the map and tucking it into his sleeve, Kakuzu's emerald eyes narrowed slightly.
"I've got a feeling... we might run into a few lucrative targets this time."
---
"So boooring~~ Why hasn't a single enemy showed up~~?"
This was the third time Naruto had said that, his head twisting this way and that like a golden retriever, bounding from tree to rock, sniffing around like he was hunting rabbits rather than scouting threats.
"I swear, who wants to be attacked...?"
Kakashi, bringing up the rear, rubbed his temple in disbelief. But the faint smile at the corner of his lips made it clear—he didn't actually dislike Naruto's boundless energy. If anything, it reminded him of a certain old comrade...
"We're on a C-rank escort mission. There won't be any real enemy shinobi. At worst, we might run into a few bandits or highwaymen. Those guys fold the second you breathe on them."
Sasuke explained calmly, voice bored. From the side, Hinata raised an eyebrow—wasn't this guy supposed to be the silent brooding type?
Well, not anymore. Thanks to their time together on the film crew, even someone like Sasuke had been pulled into more "normal" human interaction. The wall between him and the others had clearly cracked a bit.
Still... something was wrong.
According to the original timeline, Tazuna—the bridge builder they were escorting—was supposed to be a target of Gato, a corrupt shipping magnate. Gato had already hired assassins, and they should've been ambushed by now. So where were they?
Hinata narrowed her eyes and activated her Byakugan.
Kakashi noticed immediately and approved. Ever since leaving the village, Hinata had been proactively using her bloodline trait to scout. With its 360-degree vision and telescopic sight, the Byakugan was arguably the best surveillance jutsu in the ninja world.
He didn't know Hinata was checking canon alignment—but her constant vigilance was exactly the kind of awareness a shinobi needed.
"Alright Naruto, cool it for a minute—"
Hinata's voice cut in, her steps halting abruptly. "I see something. Be on guard."
Just as she predicted based on the story, the enemy NPCs were indeed nearby—but something was... off.
The group followed her lead and found a dense thicket ahead. As they approached, the scene made Naruto reel back a step in shock—his first time seeing real corpses.
Two dead bodies were strung up against a central tree. Judging by the dried blood, they'd been dead for some time. Their shinobi attire and Mist Village headbands confirmed their identities.
"They're Mist-nin. Killed for some unknown reason."
Kakashi's expression darkened. There weren't any settlements nearby, which ruled out accidental death. They'd likely been lying in wait. Which meant—
They were probably meant to ambush them.
"But if this was an ambush... why leave this?"
Sasuke, unaffected by the gore, pointed at a strange symbol painted in blood on the ground—a triangle inside a circle.
"Could be a revenge mark... or a clan crest. Whatever it is, it reeks of malice."
Kakashi didn't get too close. Instead, he quietly observed his three students.
Naruto was the worst off. The fear on his face was obvious—he hadn't yet accepted the bloodshed that came with being a shinobi.
Sasuke was neutral—used to tragedy, his response was calm and clinical.
But Hinata...
Her expression was unreadable.
No fear. No disgust. Just a sliver of surprise—and cold detachment.
"Weird," she muttered. "There are no nearby villages. Why would Mist-nin be way out here? And they were killed cleanly—no signs of struggle."
She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and stared at the corpses.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Sure, the Mist-nin showing up was expected. So was the blood sigil—Hinata recognized it instantly. But the two together? That didn't make sense.
Unless...
Something unexpected had interfered.
"Alright, Hinata. We'll puzzle it out later. Let's move."
Kakashi patted her on the head as he passed. The best course of action was to keep their distance. If the deaths didn't concern them directly, the mission came first.
"And Naruto," he added dryly, "try not to freak out. You're not that easy to kill."
The jab was deliberate—Kakashi wasn't about to coddle Naruto on this. Being a ninja meant facing blood, death, and worse. Hinata and Sasuke had learned that on their own. Naruto still had a way to go.
"Damn it... I have been training!"
Naruto clenched his fists, not just at the blood, but at his own fear—his own weakness.
But Hinata had already tuned him out. Her attention was focused elsewhere.
That blood sigil was unmistakable. It was the mark of Jashin, the death god of the cultist Hidan.
Which meant...
The ones who'd killed those Mist-nin were none other than the Akatsuki's infamous duo: Kakuzu and Hidan.
If it had been just Kakuzu, he wouldn't have bothered with low-value targets like these mid-tier shinobi. But Hidan? The psychopath took joy in slaughter. Killing two random ninja would've been no more effort than grabbing a snack.
So yeah. That explained the deaths.
But that wasn't the scary part.
Let's run a comparison.
Identity:
Team 7 were active-duty Leaf shinobi. Hidan and Kakuzu were S-rank missing-nin. There was no gray area—by ninja law, active shinobi were meant to apprehend missing-nin. And missing-nin? They killed on sight.
Power level:
Sure, this Team 7 was three times stronger than canon. Add in elite jonin Kakashi, and they were formidable. But against these two?
Forget it.
Hidan couldn't die. His death-curse ritual, combined with his insane durability and brute-force fighting style, could easily overwhelm the whole squad.
And Kakuzu?
He was a monster. A direct veteran of the Warring States Era. Five nature transformations, each with a deadly mask construct. Five hearts. His power dwarfed Hidan's fivefold.
Even canon Kakashi struggled to face him, and that was after Naruto had mastered the Nine-Tails.
If Hidan was the encounter, they might get away. But if it was Kakuzu? Not a chance.
Motivation:
Hidan killed for fun. Kakuzu killed for profit.
And Kakashi's head was probably worth twenty million ryo.
If they were spotted out here in the wilderness...
They. Were. Dead.
Hinata pressed a hand to her forehead.
Honestly... wouldn't it be better to run into Zabuza right now?
WHOOSH!!!
A sharp whistle of wind sliced through the air.
"DOWN!!" Kakashi barked.
Everyone hit the dirt just in time—CHAK!
A massive cleaver embedded itself in the tree ahead.
"Oh~ So you're the ones who offed my subordinates. I was wondering where they'd gotten to."
A towering figure stood atop the sword, arrogance dripping from his voice. The mist grew thick and heavy around him.
The killing intent was palpable—like a wall of pressure smothering the air. As he slowly turned to face them, his eyes gleamed beneath the Mist Village forehead protector.
Eyes that had seen countless deaths.