Chapter 44: Konan's Stomach Pain - Is It Your Doing?

Hidan prepared to attack, but at that moment, Kakuzu and Uchiha Itachi appeared from the forest, positioning themselves on either side of Konan. Kakuzu, intrigued by the peculiar man before him, took a step forward and sneered, "Let me see if you really can't die..."

"Eh? Who are you guys? Where did you come from?" Hidan scrutinized the three bizarrely dressed individuals before him, suddenly realizing, "Oh~ I get it. With those flashy clothes, you must be a band!"

"You, with the mask and squinty eyes, must be the bassist!" 

"And the girl in the middle, she's probably the lead singer and keyboardist!" 

"No, no, wait a minute..." Hidan scratched his head, pointing at Uchiha Itachi. "Hmm! The handsome guy must be the lead singer, right?"

"Squinty... eyes?" Kakuzu's five hearts simultaneously burned with anger as he gritted his teeth, stepping closer to Hidan, growling, "We're not a band! Are you out of your mind?"

"Hmph, whatever! With you guys as sacrifices, Lord Jashin will be very pleased!" 

"Swish!"

As Kakuzu reached Hidan, Hidan swiftly swung his scythe with all his might. Kakuzu dodged effortlessly. Being a seasoned fighter, he chose to observe Hidan's movements rather than attacking immediately.

"Hahaha~ What's the matter? Only know how to run? Don't think you can escape!" Hidan leaped into the air, lifting his scythe high above his head, aiming for a lethal strike at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu, growing weary of the seemingly endless and tedious physical combat, smirked. With a swift motion, he sent two stone-hard punches flying straight through Hidan's chest.

"Pfft!"

Blood gushed from Hidan's mouth as his body hit the ground heavily, groaning in pain.

"Hmph, you're nothing special after all," Kakuzu remarked, disappointed by Hidan's seemingly poor performance.

"Ugh, it hurts... it hurts so much..." 

Seconds later, Hidan stood up, shouting furiously at Kakuzu, "Hey! That really hurt, you bastard!"

"Oh?" Kakuzu was taken aback, his eyes reflecting a mix of confusion, intrigue, and approval.

"Enough! I'll deliver divine punishment upon you!" Despite his apparent lack of intelligence, Hidan occasionally had moments of cunning.

During the initial attack, as Kakuzu's black threads pierced Hidan, the latter had secretly collected some of Kakuzu's blood. 

These details escaped Kakuzu's notice but not Uchiha Itachi's keen eyes.

"Prepare to die!" Hidan, stepping into his blood circle, drew the symbol of Jashinism on the ground.

"Bam!"

Another punch pierced Hidan's chest. Kakuzu wanted to ensure Hidan was truly immortal.

"Damn it! Enough already! I said stop!" Hidan yanked the black threads out, tossing Kakuzu's arm back at him.

"Hmm... The rumors of your immortality seem true." Kakuzu acknowledged Hidan's resilience.

"Hmph!" Hidan sneered, licking Kakuzu's blood off his weapon. "Everything is ready. The ritual... begins!"

In an instant, Hidan's body transformed into a black-and-white macabre figure.

"?"

The bizarre transformation stunned Kakuzu, Itachi, and Konan. But what followed shocked them even more.

"Die!" 

Hidan drew a black spear from his robe, driving it forcefully into his own chest!

"What's with the self-harm?" Kakuzu thought disdainfully, but soon he felt a familiar, excruciating pain in his heart—a sign of heart failure.

"You... you bastard... ugh!" Kakuzu clutched his chest, writhing in agony on the ground.

"Hahahaha… it's exhilarating! Sharing the pain is the ultimate pleasure! Glory to Lord Jashin!!" Hidan's maniacal laughter echoed as he reveled in the shared torment.

"Did you figure out his ability?" Konan asked Itachi.

"He licked Kakuzu's blood and initiated a ritual, likely connecting himself to Kakuzu's body, making the damage he inflicts on himself reflect on Kakuzu..." Itachi explained.

Konan nodded in agreement with Itachi's analysis.

"But I'm unsure why he remains unkillable," Itachi added, scrutinizing Hidan for more clues.

At that moment, Kakuzu's seemingly lifeless body began to swell. A masked, black creature emerged from within, transforming into a puddle of black water before dissipating. Kakuzu stood up, alive once more.

"Huh?" Hidan, still in his euphoric state, was puzzled. "Hey, hey, why aren't you dead yet?"

"You've got some nerve, damaging my precious heart! I'll kill you!" Kakuzu glared menacingly at Hidan.

"Hehehe! You can't do it!" Hidan taunted, ready for another round of battle.

"Itachi, stop them," Konan instructed.

"... Not eliminate him?" Itachi questioned.

"His ability is useful to our organization and complements Kakuzu well."

Hidan, swinging his scythe, and Kakuzu, brandishing his iron fists, charged at each other. A flock of crows intercepted them.

Emerging from the crows, Itachi's shadow appeared.

"Itachi! What are you doing?" Kakuzu was irritated by Itachi's intervention.

"We're recruiting him…"

"... Him?"

"Yes, him." Konan turned to Hidan. "Do you want to join Akatsuki?"

"Huh?"

Hidan scoffed, "What a joke. I refuse! I don't care about Akatsuki. My mission is to spread the faith of Lord Jashin!"

Konan reasoned, "Spreading the faith involves killing, doesn't it? Then you should join Akatsuki. We are a group that thrives on killing. Wherever there's assassination or war, we are there."

"Really?"

"Yes… With us, your mission will progress faster…"

"Hmph. A group with strong members like you probably isn't lying." Hidan mulled over the proposition.

"So, do you agree?" Konan asked.

"Hmm… as long as it doesn't interfere with my mission, I might consider joining… Hey!" Hidan was about to agree when Konan suddenly collapsed, clutching her stomach in pain.

"Ugh… ugh… it hurts… my stomach… it hurts so much…"

Kakuzu and Itachi were initially stunned, then turned their gaze to Hidan.

"Hey! Did you do this?" Kakuzu accused.

"What? You're kidding, right?" Hidan protested, spreading his hands.

Kakuzu retorted, "You're the only one with the ability to inflict pain from a distance! If you don't want to join Akatsuki, fine. But secretly attacking someone is too much…!"

"It wasn't me!! I didn't lick her blood or stand in the circle. How could I activate my power?" Hidan defended himself.

Itachi, thinking it was part of Konan's act, calmly said, "It seems I was right. His power does require the victim's blood. Konan, you can stop pretending now."

"Ugh, I'm… I'm not pretending… my stomach… really hurts! Someone… someone did something to me!" 

"...?" Itachi's eyes narrowed, realizing this situation was more complicated than it seemed.

...