Recruiting Members! Hidan

"Since that's settled, this meeting is over!"

As he spoke, Deva Path Pain had Konan hand two identical scrolls to Uchiha Ye and Uchiha Itachi. Then the Magic Lantern Bodies vanished before everyone's eyes.

When Uchiha Ye opened the scroll, his eyebrows rose.

Inside were none other than the Akatsuki's three exclusive techniques: Magic Lantern Body Technique, Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals, and Shapeshifting Technique!

"Give me a few days to repair my puppet!"

After closing the mission scroll projection, Sasori of the Red Sands said this to Uchiha Ye.

"Sure," Uchiha Ye replied. "As it happens, I need time to get familiar with these techniques too!"

If the Akatsuki hadn't required members to work in pairs on missions, he would've planned to handle this one alone.

After leaving the Akatsuki hideout and parting ways with Sasori of the Red Sands, Uchiha Ye suddenly stopped on the stairs.

Ahead of him, Orochimaru stared at him greedily and licked his lips. "A body with the Sharingan. No matter how I look at it, it's perfect!"

"Since I can't get Uchiha Itachi, you'll do just fine!"

Uchiha Ye tensed all over at those words.

Orochimaru was nothing like Sasori of the Red Sands, who hadn't yet reached the height of his power.

Though he couldn't match the strength of the "Eight-Headed Serpent" mode from the original story,

his strength was still impressive, even among Kage Level fighters.

He was an enemy Uchiha Ye would have to give his all to face.

And that was after his Devil Fruit Ability development had reached 50%, thanks to his battles with Uchiha Obito and Sasori of the Red Sands.

"Heh. I couldn't ask for more!"

Uchiha Ye grinned too. "Only at death's door can you grasp the true meaning of strength. Maybe after fighting you, I'll become a lot stronger!"

As his Devil Fruit Ability developed, his Observation Haki naturally needed to improve as well.

And that meant fighting powerful opponents.

"Heh heh. You've got quite the mouth on you, brat!"

Seeing how utterly unafraid Uchiha Ye looked, Orochimaru's gaze darkened.

"Then let me see just how strong you really are!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his neck stretched out toward Uchiha Ye, his foul-smelling mouth lunging at him with a vicious bite.

He was even faster than Sasori of the Red Sands.

"So this is the strength of one of the Sannin!"

Facing the snake head, Uchiha Ye's heart tightened. He turned his body into magma to dodge, then reached out to seize Orochimaru's neck with his searing hand.

"Zzz!"

His scorching palm instantly burned through the neck, but Uchiha Ye showed no sign of joy.

Sure enough, the next moment Orochimaru turned into a puddle of mud.

Mud Clone!

Orochimaru appeared again in the distance, but before he could make another move, a low voice suddenly came from behind him. "Orochimaru, are you itching for a beating again?"

It was Sasori of the Red Sands, who had returned.

At the sight of Sasori, Orochimaru immediately stopped moving.

If it were just Uchiha Ye, Orochimaru wouldn't have been particularly wary.

But with Sasori of the Red Sands—who was a bit troublesome—in the mix, things were different.

He couldn't make a move against Uchiha Ye now.

"You're quite lucky, Ye..."

Orochimaru chuckled, looking somewhat unwilling, but still turned into a puddle of mud and disappeared completely.

He wouldn't gain anything by taking on Uchiha Ye and Sasori together.

"Thanks, Big Brother Sasori!"

After reining in his aura, Uchiha Ye thanked Sasori behind him.

"I thought Orochimaru was looking at you strangely during the meeting. Sure enough, I guessed right. That guy was planning to go after you!"

Sasori spoke through Hiruko, his voice carrying some wariness. "Orochimaru really isn't simple. On my own, it'd be hard to intimidate him. Good thing you're strong too. That's what forced him to back off!"

Uchiha Ye smiled. "I have you to thank, Big Brother Sasori. Otherwise, I'd probably have been in for a tough fight today."

Sasori said it had been no trouble at all.

Four days later, in the Land of Hot Water!

"Hey, you there! You look like you've got great potential. Interested in joining the Jashin Cult?"

On a tree-lined avenue, Uchiha Ye and Sasori of the Red Sands were walking along when a gray-haired man with slicked-back hair, wearing a fashionable oversized hooded jacket and holding a long scythe, stopped them.

"The Jashin Cult?"

Uchiha Ye's lips curled up. He exchanged a glance with Sasori beside him, then slightly lifted the brim of his hat. "What kind of cult is it?"

The slick-haired man immediately replied, his voice bold and unrestrained. "You can kill people without being punished. In fact, it makes Lord Jashin even happier. Sounds great, right? Want to join?"

Uchiha Ye took a step forward, smiling brightly. "That sounds pretty good..."

The slick-haired man's face lit up, thinking he'd recruited another follower, but Uchiha Ye suddenly changed course. "But I refuse!"

The man's delighted expression froze, turning sullen. "Hey, are you messing with me?"

Uchiha Ye shook his head, then stared at the man in front of him. "You're the serial killer and Jashin Cult follower Hidan, aren't you?"

At those words, the slick-haired man showed no concern. Instead, he spread his arms with religious fervor. "What serial killer? I'm offering sacrifices to Lord Jashin. It's a normal part of my religious practice!"

"Whatever. Since you won't join, I'll offer you up to Lord Jashin instead!"

As he spoke, he swung his great scythe and charged at Uchiha Ye.

He really couldn't be judged by ordinary standards!

"Shhk!"

Uchiha Ye made no attempt to dodge as the scythe tore him in half. The slick-haired man was just about to celebrate when he took a closer look. His smile froze, and he stumbled backward.

Uchiha Ye's body had turned into flowing lava.

The severed parts quickly healed, while the scythe in the slick-haired man's hand had melted out of shape from the heat.

"Big Brother Sasori, watch my back. Someone with such a strange ability is worth testing out myself!"

Hearing this, Sasori of the Red Sands, who had been about to attack with poison, stopped.

As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter how strange someone's ability was.

Everyone was equal before his poison.

Of course, that didn't apply to their leader, Pain!

But since Uchiha Ye wanted to take him on, there was no harm in letting him.

"Kid, that's a strange ability you've got!"

The slick-haired man stared at Uchiha Ye and licked his lips.

"You're not so ordinary yourself, Hidan!"

A glint flashed in Uchiha Ye's eyes as he spoke, each word deliberate.

That was right!

This gray-haired, slick-haired man was the very person Uchiha Ye had come to find—Hidan!

"You know a lot about me. Looks like you came prepared!"

Hidan swung his scythe, his gaze turning fierce as he darted forward again in a winding approach. His great scythe swept out like the Reaper beckoning, too fast to evade.

"Clang!"

But Uchiha Ye blocked the strike once again.

His right arm seared with heat as he gripped the scythe firmly. The blade turned red-hot, beginning to melt.

Sasori of the Red Sands couldn't help thinking, His temperature seems even higher than it was when we fought last time.

"Your growth is incredible, Ye!"

Uchiha Ye held the scythe so firmly that Hidan couldn't break free. Gritting his teeth, Hidan abandoned the weapon and tried to retreat.

But Uchiha Ye had already closed in, his glowing-red arm smashing forward. "Hellhound!"