Pshht!
The cold, telescopic spear mercilessly pierced Utakata's chest.
Blood trickled down the spearhead, drip by drip, into the bizarre crimson ritual circle on the ground.
"Hehehe... It's complete!"
Hidan stood at the center of the circle, the skin all over his body having turned an eerie black and white, like a walking skeleton.
He stretched out his long tongue and licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with morbid fervor and satisfaction.
"Lord Jashin, please enjoy this fresh offering!"
"Stop playing around, Hidan."
Not far away, Kakuzu slowly emerged from the woods.
His green eyes looked coldly at Utakata, who lay in a pool of blood and was already barely clinging to life.
As if he were looking at a bag of gold coins about to fall into his hands.
"Finish him already, take his heart, and let's go back to report in."
"Tch, you idiot who only thinks about money. You don't understand the sanctity of rituals at all. Talking to you is like playing music to a cow."
Hidan curled his lip in displeasure, raising the Bloody Triple-Bladed Scythe in his hand as he prepared to deliver the final blow to Utakata.
However.
Just as his scythe was about to fall.
Whoosh—!
A blinding golden light exploded between the two without warning!
Fast!
So fast that even Kakuzu's battle-hardened eyes could barely catch a blurry afterimage!
"Who's there?!"
Hidan jumped in fright, instinctively leaping back and assuming a defensive stance.
The golden light faded.
A young man wearing a black cloak patterned with red clouds stood steadily in front of Utakata with his back to them.
He did not even turn his head.
"Was I too late?"
Yoru glanced at Utakata, whose chest had been blown open and who was nearly dead,