Unnamed Island
Shin Uchiha yawned lazily, raised his head to look toward the Great Bridge, and murmured:
"Looks like the fight's over. Kakashi's still a little weak."
From his position on the island, Shin Uchiha could not see what had happened on the Great Bridge, but his sensory abilities gave him a rough idea of what was going on.
Through his senses, he could accurately gauge everyone's condition. If anyone truly ended up on the brink of death, he could use Space-Time Ninjutsu to come to their rescue.
Naturally, he had also sensed Kakashi's weakened state, which was why he had made that remark.
In truth, he had always taken a hands-off approach to Kakuzu and Hidan. After all, they were both members of the Akatsuki. Kakuzu, in particular, was an honest, hardworking sort who diligently earned money for the organization.
Konan of the Akatsuki was now his woman, while the other two were Yahiko, whom he had resurrected, and Nagato, who regarded Yahiko as his big brother and was now preparing to return leadership of the Akatsuki to him. Shin had close ties with all of them.
So it could even be said that Shin Uchiha was practically half a leader of the Akatsuki himself. It would hardly be appropriate for him to kill Kakuzu and Hidan outright. If Konan and Yahiko asked about it, things would be rather awkward.
Kakashi's performance this time had not been entirely satisfactory either. Although he had resumed practicing the Hatake Swordsmanship he had learned as a child, too little time had passed for his strength to improve dramatically. Shin Uchiha therefore planned to put him through a hellish training regimen once he returned. Kakashi was still young; this was the time for him to push himself.
Just as Shin Uchiha was thinking