"What is it?" Aoto inquired while still restraining Hidan, who glared at them with a mix of anger and shame.
"There is someone approaching, and he's remarkably swift," Shikuro declared as a transparent butterfly vanished from his shoulder. Corazon and Kisuke appeared to have sensed the intruder. Aoto knew this must be serious, prompting him to form additional hand signs that summoned giant roots from the ground, securely restraining him.
The roots proved thick and robust enough to hold him firmly, allowing Aoto to promptly disarm him. There was no necessity for him to clutch onto his weapon. As he did so, Shikuro and Corazon moved forward, adopting defensive stances, while Kisuke held his ground, now wearing a furrowed brow.
After a minute of tense anticipation, the bushes rustled, and out stepped a man garbed in a long black cloak adorned with crimson clouds. The instant Aoto laid eyes on the cloak and the man, he instantly recognized him.
The cloaked figure scrutinized Hidan and his bound state. He was momentarily taken aback, then shifted his gaze to Aoto's team. After his eyes swept over each member, he fixed his gaze on Aoto and asked, "Are you the grandson of the 1st Hokage?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Even Aoto was taken aback by the man's words. But then, it dawned on him. This man was the only one among their entire group who had claimed to have met the 1st Hokage. Observing Hidan, ensnared by wooden roots, from a different perspective, he appeared to possess the ability of wood release.
Aoto was tempted to chuckle at how much this man had read into things.
"What if I were? What if I'm not? I don't think that matters now, does it?" Aoto responded. He had no intention of divulging information to this man. He was formidable both intellectually and physically, and Aoto knew he wouldn't fare well against him directly.
Of course, this man was Kakuzu, the future partner of Hidan.
"Hahaha..." Kakuzu emitted a decidedly forced laugh, then said, "I didn't properly introduce myself. I am Kakuzu, a member of the Akatsuki organization. I am here to..." Before Kakuzu could even finish his sentence, Aoto interjected.
"I have no interest in joining any organization whatsoever. This is my team, and I am in the process of building my own business empire." Aoto outright rejected him. Joining Akatsuki? What a preposterous notion. Who would want to heed the words of a mere sycophant?
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
"You haven't even heard about what I wanted to say," Kakuzu said, his tone tinged with regret.
"And I've already explained why I'm not interested in joining anyone. Now, please, be on your way. As you can see, we're occupied with something here," Aoto stated.
"I'm sorry, but I can't comply. I'm specifically here for this individual, and you, Aoto Yamazaki, just happened to cross my path," Kakuzu asserted. His words left no room for negotiation. It was a clear directive: 'Step aside.' That was the message he conveyed.
"And what if we don't step aside?" Aoto asked.
"Then I guess you and your friends will be buried here. Though the higher up in the organization had told us to invite you if we ever meet you but since you have already rejected, you are of no use to me. And your soul is too important to be left away. You will fit right up my alley." Kakuzu said.
With that he suddenly lunged forward without any indication that he would attack. His hands turned black but before he could come close to Aoto, he stopped.
He stopped because a sword had been inserted in his chest. He looked down only to see a man standing up to him with the walking stick in his hand. Only the walking stick turned out to be a slim sword that had been inserted on his chest.
It was Kisuke who had attacked and he attacked so fast that Kakuzu didn't even see how he moved. His eyes wasn't on Kisuke to begin with and only on Shikuro and Corazon as he was ready to face them and then kidnap Aoto. Akatsuke was interested in Aoto for his brain, but more than that Kakuzu was more interested in Aoto because he was rich.
Kakuzu was thanking his lucky charm when he met Aoto when he was looking for Hidan and he just couldn't let this chance slip by to get rich but little did he know that the first thing he would lose would be one of his hearts.
Kisuke after attacking him stepped back.
"Why do I hear his heart beating even after being stabbed at the heart." Corazon and Shikuro didn't let go of the guard just because this guy fell on his knees.
"It's because he has 5 hearts in total. He just lost one but the other 4 still remain with each pertaining to different chakra nature." Aoto said. This made the Kakuzu slowly look up. He was a bit taken aback of how this guy was able to look past his technique quite easily.
"Who the fuck are you?" Kakuzu was no more gentleman and asked him directly.
"It doesn't matter. You want Hidan right? Go and take him away. We will not meddle in your affair and you will not meddle in ours. You attacked us and thus lost a heart. I guess that makes it even. But if you want to come after me, you can try and see what kind of hell we will show you." Aoto said. And the in the next moment, blue colored huge beetles came out of the body of Shikuro and approached Kakuzu,.
These blue colored beetles were poisonous and could insert their magic venom into the bodies of the opponents, this was not venom per se in the beetles but magic that would destroy from the inside. Corazon meanwhile had Tal mandalas in his hands but his was more vibrant than Aoto's was.
Kakuzu looking at the two of them and at Aoto and Kisuke knew that if he fought, it wouldn't be an easy fight.