"Gah!" Kotetsu was violently slammed into the wall behind him, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Kakuzu's kick had caught him off guard and severely injured him.
Moreover, it was obvious that the kick had incorporated the nature transformation of Earth Release chakra, raising both its power and hardness to another level!
"Kakuzu! You're so slow!" Hidan quickly tore free of Yamato's vines and looked displeasedly at Kakuzu, who had appeared before him. Half of Kakuzu's face was concealed by his mask, making his expression impossible to read.
"Hmph, Hidan, didn't the leader tell us not to provoke Konoha's ninja?" Kakuzu snorted. His dark green pupils flashed strangely, and his burly frame made the murderous aura around him seem even denser.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kakuzu, this has nothing to do with me!" Hidan immediately protested. Sure, he had entertained that thought, but since it wasn't his fault, they couldn't just dump the blame on him so casually, could they?
"Hm?"
"Come to think of it, this is all your fault, Kakuzu. You killed that guy named Chiriku, and that brought this whole group of Konoha ninja here. Look, that guy has the same symbol as the one you killed. Seems like he's worth money too. Really, you should be thanking me!" Hidan curled his lip, slung his massive scythe over his shoulder, and spoke with an expression that practically said, Hurry up and thank me.
"Oh?" An unreadable glint flashed through Kakuzu's eyes. Hidan's words made him turn his gaze toward Asuma. When he saw the large "Fire" character at Asuma's waist—
His eyes narrowed slightly. He pulled out a scroll, opened it, and glanced over it before nodding faintly. "Yes, that's right. This one is indeed connected to that man named Chiriku—Sarutobi Asuma! Formerly one of the Twelve Guardian