《Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline》Chapter 67: He's the Dead Last, but I'm Second to Last!

"Tch, I didn't expect you to be an immortal guy too."

Deep in the dense forests of the Land of Hot Water, Hidan stood with eerie black-and-white skeletal markings covering his body.

A massive scythe was lodged in his abdomen, and blood continuously poured from the wound. Yet, there wasn't a trace of pain on his face—only madness and a hint of confusion.

"Immortality isn't exclusive to you."

Kakuzu climbed back to his feet, his voice cold, though internally he was in agony.

One of his hearts—gone, thanks to this bastard.

"But this guy's ability is indeed peculiar. No wonder he uses such a massive scythe."

Kakuzu had mostly figured out Hidan's technique. This lunatic used his oversized scythe to collect blood, then employed a secret technique to synchronize damage with his opponent.

The problem was, while Hidan himself was immortal, his victims weren't. Even Kakuzu, with all his experience, felt the sting of his loss.

"Have you thought it through?"

Though his heart ached (literally), Kakuzu maintained his cold and indifferent tone.

"Join us. Even if you're immortal, your actions in Yugakure will inevitably draw more hunters. But we can provide you protection.

We won't restrict your beliefs, nor interfere with your daily activities. All we ask is that you complete missions and help the organization earn money."

"Tch, what a hassle."

Hidan clicked his tongue. He wasn't particularly interested in joining any organization, nor did he care about protection.

If anyone came after him, he'd simply sacrifice them to Lord Jashin. Still, the terms Kakuzu offered weren't bad.

Especially the part about not caring what he believed in—that alone made this offer far better than Yugakure. Plus, this guy in front of him was also immortal.

"Alright, fine. I'll join your whatever-it's-called organization. Damn it."

After a moment of thought, Hidan finally nodded, allowing Kakuzu to breathe a sigh of relief.

He really didn't want to keep fighting this lunatic. Earlier, he had been caught off guard and allowed Hidan to collect his blood.

If the fight dragged on, things would only get worse for him!

If he could start over with full knowledge of Hidan's abilities, Kakuzu wouldn't fear him. But that's the way of a ninja—without intel, one misstep could be fatal.

"A wise choice. Now, let me take you—"

Kakuzu's voice remained cold, but before he could finish, a voice suddenly interrupted.

"Looks like your mission is complete."

The unexpected voice immediately put Kakuzu on high alert, and even Hidan raised an eyebrow.

The air twisted, and in the next moment, a figure emerged from the distortion of space.

This eerie method of appearance was undeniably intimidating, exactly the effect Obito Uchiha intended.

"No need to worry. I am Uchiha—"

"Uchiha Obito?!"

Before Obito could finish, Kakuzu's eyes lit up, and his expression turned excited.

"A masked man with a single Sharingan—yes, it's him! Hidan, let's take him down and cash in big!"

"..."

Obito's face darkened. At this moment, he seriously considered whether it would be better to just kill Kakuzu instead of recruiting him.

Where on earth had this money-obsessed lunatic come from?

"Not bad, Minamoto. You're picking it up quickly!"

Elsewhere, deep in the forests of the Land of Hot Water, Guy was beaming with pride as he watched Kitagawa Minamoto train.

Meanwhile, Kakashi stood nearby, head bowed, engrossed in Make-Out Paradise.

Despite their tight schedule over the past few days, Minamoto had shown an impressive eagerness to learn.

Kakashi couldn't figure out when this kid had developed such an interest in the Eight Inner Gates, but Minamoto had been pestering Guy for lessons nonstop.

Guy, ever the enthusiastic teacher, was more than happy to oblige. Every time Minamoto made progress, Guy would give Kakashi a playful wink.

"Seriously, Guy, are you turning this into a competition? That's my student, you know."

Kakashi chuckled helplessly but didn't intervene. After all, Minamoto was his student.

"It's all thanks to Guy-sensei's excellent teaching."

Minamoto maintained his usual humility, even though he had already mastered the basics.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have learned so quickly."

"You've now mastered the method to open the first four gates. Beyond that, I can't teach you for now."

Guy gave Kakashi another playful wink, but when Kakashi ignored him, Guy turned serious.

"The Eight Inner Gates put a tremendous strain on the body. You'll need to keep training diligently to improve your physical condition. While you're in pretty good shape, there's still room for improvement."

"Understood," Minamoto nodded, though he couldn't help but internally critique the assessment.

His physical condition wasn't good enough?

Still, he understood the logic. Physical fitness was hard to gauge at a glance, even after sparring.

More importantly, he had confirmed something crucial.

"When using the Eight Inner Gates, I feel a surge of heat and even a unique kind of power."

The essence of the Eight Inner Gates was temporarily unlocking the body's chakra pathways to gain immense power.

But for an Ōtsutsuki, such constraints likely didn't exist. Activating these so-called "gates" might even enhance his innate abilities!

"So, I might actually be able to use the Eight Inner Gates to trigger a bloodline awakening, temporarily boosting my power. Maybe even pull off a 'Ōtsutsuki Awakening' move?"

Minamoto stroked his chin thoughtfully. The only question was how many gates he needed to open to achieve the desired effect.

He wouldn't dare open all eight. While Ōtsutsuki could theoretically revive using Yin-Yang Release, he was only at "Ōtsutsuki Stage 21."

"Alright, focus on the task at hand."

As Minamoto pondered, Kakashi spoke up, putting away his book and pulling out a map.

"Although we haven't found our target after several days of searching, we need to stay vigilant.

Aside from the obvious threats, we must also watch out for... that guy. Don't forget—he's the one who's truly elusive."

"Relax, Kakashi. We'll be careful."

Guy knew exactly who Kakashi was referring to but patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"And besides, don't forget—he's the dead last, and I'm second to last!"

"Is that really something to be proud of?"

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh, even though he knew Guy was just trying to lighten the mood.

Minamoto also found it amusing. He remembered that Guy had once landed a solid kick on Obito's face.

"Huh?"

As they walked, Minamoto suddenly felt something off. Kakashi, who had been bantering with Guy, also stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?"

Guy, sensing the change, immediately became alert.

"Someone's here," Minamoto replied quietly.

Kakashi sniffed the air and tensed up, his guard fully raised.

"Prepare for battle. Stay sharp—they're here!"

No sooner had he spoken than the air twisted violently. A dense barrage of kunai shot toward them, the sheer number making their scalps tingle.

"Using space-time techniques to launch an attack?"

Kakashi quickly formed hand seals, his mind racing as he recognized their attacker.

"Earth Release: Multiple Earth Style Walls!"

With a cold gleam in his eyes, Kakashi slammed his hands onto the ground.

In an instant, four stone walls adorned with dog carvings rose around them, blocking the incoming kunai.

Boom!

A deafening explosion followed as the kunai, laced with explosive tags, detonated. The blast nearly shattered Kakashi's walls, and the resulting smoke engulfed their surroundings.

"Stay alert. I sense three distinct chakras. Be careful."

Kakashi whispered a warning, but before he could say more, a voice rang out beside him.

"Your nose is still as sharp as ever, huh, you trash?"

Kakashi's expression shifted as he felt a sudden attack from behind. He leapt away just in time to dodge.

"Kakashi!"

Guy called out in concern, but before he could react, he felt a slight tremor beneath his feet. Grabbing Minamoto, he jumped clear.

The ground erupted with sharp earth spikes, and a figure wielding a massive scythe charged at them.

"Be careful, Minamoto!"

Guy pushed Minamoto away to face the attacker himself.

"So, I'll be dealing with you, huh..."

As Minamoto landed smoothly, a cold voice echoed from nearby.

"Brat."

"..."

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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