But one thing was consistent: they had come here for Aoto's team.
"What do you guys want?" Aoto demanded, his voice echoing through the tense air.
"You're quite far from home," the supposed leader, visibly uneasy, replied.
"A home is meant for safety, not for being caged forever," Aoto retorted with heavy sarcasm. The leader caught the insinuation, clenching his teeth and fists in frustration, yet refraining from launching an attack.
"Lord Jashin has requested your assistance and sacrifice," the leader informed them.
"Then Lord Jashin should decide first whether he wants help or a sacrifice," Aoto shot back.
"You dare mock Lord Jashin!" Another voice, not from the leader, erupted. Before he could give further orders, he lunged at Aoto. But in an instant, Corazon delivered a powerful uppercut, halting the assailant's advance.
"Silent."
A translucent blue dome enveloped the entire vicinity within moments.
"What is this?" One of the followers of Jashin puzzled over the strange occurrence. Aoto and his team understood what it was, though Guy was left bewildered. He did notice, however, that all external sounds were suddenly muted.
Aoto's team engaged in hand-to-hand combat, refraining from using ninjutsu or magic. Although their adversaries wielded weapons, none of them employed these implements, except for Kisuke, who deftly wielded his "standing stick" in combat.
Kisuke's fighting style captivated Guy. He adeptly used the opponents' momentum against them, inflicting maximum damage with minimal effort.
In a matter of seconds, the skirmish was over. Corazon dispelled the Silent dome, restoring normal sound transmission.
"What kind of ninjutsu was that?" Guy inquired, genuinely curious about Corazon's technique. Corazon proceeded to explain how his technique had the ability to completely suppress sound both from inside and outside the affected area. Guy was taken aback by this revelation but didn't press further.
After subduing the attackers, Aoto stepped forward, gripping the leader by his collar, and demanded, "Now, tell me what you truly want."
Despite his battered appearance, the man looked at Aoto with red eyes and chuckled. Aoto allowed him a moment to laugh before the man finally spoke.
"Lord Jashin demands your sacrifice. That's all you need to know."
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"So you're stalling for time. I wonder who's on their way," Kisuke nonchalantly remarked from the back, causing the man to tense up, but he said nothing more.
"Another ambush?" Guy deduced the situation.
"Seems like it," Aoto confirmed.
"Someone's approaching from the northwest, and he's fast," Shikuro reported, a small butterfly projection appearing near him briefly before vanishing.
"He seems quite formidable and swift," Corazon added, his Observation Haki confirming the assessment.
"Just one person?" Aoto sought clarification.
"Yes," Corazon affirmed.
"I may know who he is," Aoto murmured. They turned their attention in the direction Shikuro indicated, and a man materialized before them. He was well-built, with sleekly styled gray hair. However, what truly caught their attention was the weapon he carried—a scythe with three sinisterly dark-red blades all facing the same direction. Its handle was connected to a long wire.
This man was none other than the fanatical Hidan.
"Ah... I made it in time. I thought I'd be late. Do you have any idea how much I'd have to run if you all decided to flee?" Hidan exclaimed with evident relief.
"We... We've brought Hidan-sama as you instructed... Under the will of Lord Jashin," one of the prone men on the ground informed him.
"Yes... Yes... You did... Let me grant you your freedom," Hidan said, raising his scythe and swiftly cleaving through the man who lay helpless on the ground. The blades struck his torso, snuffing out his life in an instant, blood splattering in all directions. Everyone on Aoto's team, except Aoto himself, was stunned by this brutal act.
They had never witnessed a person take the life of their own comrade. Kisuke had seen such atrocities before, but he never anticipated that such twisted individuals existed even in this world. What was even more chilling was that none of the other battered men seemed shocked or afraid of what had just transpired.
"Did you come here following orders, or of your own accord?" Aoto calmly asked, undeterred by Hidan's display.
Hidan looked up at Aoto, studying him intently before breaking into a smile. "I relish the terror on people's faces just before they meet their end, but you... you don't seem to fear death at all. I like that," Hidan remarked.
"You haven't answered my question. Did you come here on orders or of your own volition?" Aoto pressed.
"Don't be an idiot. I am the great Lord Hidan. I don't take orders from anyone," Hidan snapped, visibly irritated that Aoto remained unfazed. Aoto believed him, as Hidan wasn't wearing the distinctive Akatsuki cloak, indicating he had likely come of his own accord.
"You've traveled quite a distance to hunt us down. I doubt your Lord Jashin is particularly selective about where his sacrifices come from, am I right?" Aoto inquired.
"You talk too much. But since it's your day of reckoning, allow me to grant your final wishes. Lord Jashin has commanded me to strike down as many of Konoha's people as possible, and it was only recently that I received that directive. Now, as his devoted servant, it's my duty to spread his word and follow his path."
"Cool. Now that the things have been revealed, everyone... Take him down. This guy doesn't know any ninjutsu and only strong by his body. He is an immortal and thus can't be killed even if you hack him to a thousand pieces, but immortality doesn't mean he has regeneration, so a lost limb means a lost one for him. The only great thing about his technique is that once he tastes the blood of his opponent, he can inflict death upon him. Basically if he stabs himself after tasting the blood of his opponent, the opponent will be inflicted the same pain. That scythe is odd because it was designed to draw blood and let him taste. Bring him down from far and he is a dead meat."