Naruto: The Unwoven Threads of Fate

The former Yugakure shinobi pushes himself to his feet and whips his scythe back and forth to test his range of motion. "I call dibs on this one!"

"No." Kakuzu briskly dismisses the lunatic's claim as more somethings begin to pulse on his back. Three somethings to be exact. "He has taken a heart from me, a feat that few can claim to have accomplished. It's a feat that none have survived. I intend to make sure it stays that way."

"You really want to waste your time on some nameless bitch while a jinchuuriki is standing just over there?" Hidan points his red weapon of choice at Fuu who is openly staring at all three people in shock. It does make sense, all three of them have casually taken and then shrugged off lethal blows. Perhaps they are truly immortals as her savior claimed. "Wouldn't you rather go get her then sit back, relax and watch as I open this fucker up and carve him to tiny pieces in the name of our lord and savior Jashin-sama?"

"For a moment I almost felt a kinship with you. Then you brought up your asinine religion. Spare the head in case that face is worth something. Leave his heart intact and I will fix you free of charge next time someone gets the better of you." The rapid pulsing beneath the long coat comes to a halt as the eldest one here turns towards the still not running away Taki shinobi. "Let's have a little reunion, shall we?"

"Okay. Okay. I've got this." The newcomer says to himself as his masked eyes dart back and forth from S-rank shinobi to S-rank shinobi. "I've totally got this. I just have to stall Kakuzu and Hidan enough for the Taki shinobi to make it back. I can do that. I can totally do that."

"Uh… you know we can hear you right?" Hidan asks in a moment of genuine confusion as he hefts his scythe onto his shoulder. He tilts his head in confusion and shoots Kakuzu a sideways glance out of the corner of his eye that seems to say 'Is he serious?'

"This will be easy." The newcomer continues as if he didn't hear Hidan. "I mean I've already dealt a crippling blow to Kakuzu, it's a great start. Though that trick will only work once. Shit. But! The Taki shinobi are getting a huge head start on them. This is great. Just keep them talking or whatever the hell this is and I won't have to risk getting my ass kicked. Simple. I've got this."

"No." A light buzzing sound fills the air as Fuu takes to the skies once more on her insect like wings. She's zipping up towards the newcomer and lands behind him. A very confident tone fills her voice as she settles next to him, not yet dismissing her wings incase she needs to react quickly. "You're not alone. We've got this."

"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL HERE!" The newcomer roars as he stomps the ground in unrestrained anger. Everyone looks at him in varying degrees of shock as his foot cracks the ground beneath him. It appears that his strength is not something to underestimate.

"I'm not going to leave you to die." Fuu says as she steps forward to stand next to him instead of behind him. She refuses to symbolically place herself beneath him, as if conceding that he's stronger and she needs protecting. She is the jinchuuriki of the Seven Tails and she will be respected. "Not after you saved me."

"You imbecile I'm not on some suicide mission! The best way for me to succeed in my task is for you to run away not serve yourself to them on a silver platter!" The newcomer shouts at her without looking her way. Not even the biggest fool in the world would willingly look away from this immortal pair.

"You sure you ain't on a suicide mission?" Hidan asks with a crazy look as he licks the top blade on his scythe. His face twists into a frown, he likes it so much better when there's blood to lick off the scythe. Now it's just a scare tactic instead of a victory lick. "You're fighting unkillable shinobi."

"Fuck off, unkillable doesn't mean unbeatable." The newcomer spits the words at the Jashinist. "I know of so many ways to beat you it isn't even funny. Him on the other hand," he gestures with a stiff nod of the head to the other immortal, "he's a whole different story."

"THAT'S IT! JASHIN-SAMA I RESPECTFULLY AND HONORABLY SEND UNTO THEE A FUCKING HEATHEN WHO NEEDS TO LEARN TO SHUT HIS DAMN MOUTH!" With that inspiring declaration Hidan leaps forwards towards his next victim, gleaming red scythe held high. The sunlight glints across the middle blade as he swings it down with all his strength. As he pours every scrap of force he can into the one swing a maniacal laugh leaves his throat. The thrill of battle has started, now it's just a timelimit to see how long the heathen can dance. Will he crumble after one single hit? Will he manage to prove a worthy sacrifice and endure wound after wound in the name of the Great Jashin-sama?

"Hidan hold!" Kakuzu shouts out in an attempt to stop his partner. His unique red eyes with solid green irises have been locked onto the newcomer ever since he showed up. He watched as Hidan leapt forward and he watched as the newcomer - with an incredible display of speed that only the best shinobi can match - reached into his shirt and withdrew a grooved metal cylinder.

With a casual flick of the wrist the newcomer activates whatever contraption he's pulled out and a sickly pale red blade sparks to life at the tip of the cylinder. Almost with the same maniacal passion as Hidan the newcomer leaps forward to clash against the fellow immortal.

Both shinobi launch a single attack at the other with a crazed vigor.

Hidan slashes at the newcomer and two of the three prongs of his scythe bury deep into the newcomer's left side, the tips of them can be seen exiting his right hip. Under normal circumstances these wounds are lethal but the newcomer doesn't seem affected by the steel in his body.

Instead he seems almost pleased with the outcome. Hidan wasn't the only one to land a blow, though Hidan's seems much more severe. Protruding out of the Jashinist's back is the same sickly pale red blade that the newcomer just drew. He's stabbed Hidan through the right pectoral. Even without his immortality he would survive his wound. It's little more than an annoyance, like the bite of a mosquito.

"I win." Hidan says as his eyes widen in unsurpassed glee. He cackles loudly and almost erotically as he jostles the scythe in the newcomer's gut. "How does that feel? That pain? As you feel the steel in your body, the unending pain that you've only started to experience? How does it feel to know that you have hours more suffering to go through before I send you to Jashin-sama, the one true God? It's even better since you're all like 'I'm an immortal too' so that means I get to torture you for so much longer until I figure out how to kill you - OI! What the hell man there's a fucking scythe in your gut! Scream in agony or something! Come on it's not fun if you just sit there! Scream for me!"

"On the contrary, dear Hidan." The newcomer, even knowing that no one can see his hidden face, can't help but gleefully smile. "It's not you who won. I did."

"Bullshit bitch!" Hidan yells in anger right in his face. He punctuates this with tearing the scythe out of his sacrifice, shredding what would be his stomach but the mystery person doesn't even flinch as his guts open. Interestingly though the nameless shinobi has been opened up there isn't a single drop of blood that spills out of the wound. Despite the gaping slash and the puncture wounds he's sustained the only blood on him is from when he crushed Kakuzu's heart. "I'll make you scream before this is over!"

Hidan attempts to leap away from the newcomer but finds he can't. Despite having both feet firmly on the ground and full use of all his limbs he can't seem to pull away from him. In fact it almost feels like he's being pulled towards him.

"The hell is this!" Hidan yells as he buries his scythe into the newcomer once more, this time the long blades puncture both legs with ease. But the newcomer doesn't topple, he doesn't even twitch. It's like he's used to pain, like he's experience far worse than what he's taking from the mad immortal. "OI! Let me go!"

"It's true that I can't kill you. After all I'm living proof that it's near impossible to kill an immortal and your version of immortality far outstrips mine. No matter what I did to you, cut you into thousands of pieces, grind you to a chunky paste, rip you to shreds with my own hands, burn you alive, drown you in water, crush you beneath stone, electrocute you with lightning, tear you into pieces with wind, there's no doubt you'd survive." Pride is bleeding off of the newcomer's words as he twists his own sickly pale red blade into Hidan's chest and pushes it further out of his back. "But I don't need to kill you, do I? I just need you out of the way."

Hidan's form begins to get pulled into the hilt of the sword the newcomer is brandishing. Hidan starts hacking away at the newcomer - who is idly using one kunai wielding hand to block his blows while the other holds the sword - over and over. He thrashes like an animal to escape his fate but no matter what he does his form continues to distort into the hilt.

"There's a rule that all shinobi abide by." The newcomer whispers but everyone present can hear his elated words. He's brimming with excitement, not at the battle but at his weapon. "It's an unspoken rule that each shinobi from each village adheres to. It's one of the rules that is universally agreed upon by even the most bitter of enemies. Do you want to know what it is?"

"What rule!?" Hidan roars as he lands one final blow, managing to get past the kuani, and buries the scythe into the newcomer's palm and into his forearm. The tip of the scythe protrudes from the newcomer's elbow a good ten centimetres. "What rule are you yapping on about! What the hell is going on!? Kakuzu help!"

"Never give a seal master time to prepare." With those final words Hidan is completely sealed away into the newcomer's sickly pale red sword, scythe and all. The battlefield is eerily quiet as everyone absorbs what just happened.

"Holy…" Yoro can only manage the one word.

"Shit." Kegon finishes for him teammate.

"I feel real good about myself right now." The newcomer purrs out in concentrated euphoria that borderlines orgasmic as he turns his gaze onto the last cloud wearing shinobi present.

"You, nameless shinobi." Kakuzu addresses the one who sealed his teammate.

He doesn't sound scared or even apprehensive. He actually sounds rather impressed. Before he was slightly disinterested in this person - though admittedly a little mad since he did claim a heart. Anyone else would have been dead from Kakuzu's blow so he acknowledges the creativity of this nameless shinobi's plan to get in close and remove a heart but that doesn't stand out. Many shinobi are capable of playing to their own strengths and a well executed sneak attack is nothing to brag about. Kakuzu himself has done more of them than he can count so why would one from someone else be impressive?

But claiming to be a seal master and backing up that statement with such an impressive show of ingenuity and genuine usage of a sealing based sword that he hinted about making himself? That is something that stands out, something that places him above the average squabble known as shinobi. This person is dangerous.

Kakuzu likes dangerous people. He likes feeling the thrill of battle, no, that's not quite right. Battle can be had between a master and a novice. He loves the thrill of an equal. For so long he's squashed whoever he went against with ease. For so long he's bested everyone to cross kunai with him. He's only ever lost to two men and there is no shame in losing to the First Hokage or a bearer of the legendary Rinnegan in one on one battle. But even then he wasn't battling an equal, those two stood far above him. But before him now this one shows promise.

Yet even above all that, the biggest reason Kakuzu likes dangerous people is because they have simply ludicrous bounties on their heads.

"What is your name?" Kakuzu asks as the first hints of true emotion worm its way into his tone. It's not anger, fear or rage. It's excitement. He's becoming giddy at the promise of a huge payday. "Whose head will I turn into the nearest bounty station?"

Kakuzu's questions go unanswered. The mystery shinobi elects to ignore him and instead offers something else in return.

"I want to make a deal with you." The nameless shinobi flicks his sickly pale red sword, which seems to be starting to let off steam, as he handles it in a reverse grip that's based around defense. His other hand darts to his belt and pulls out one of several scrolls that now seem much more deadly than Kakuzu gave them credit for.

"Interesting." Kakuzu observes this person in a new light. He's running through Bingo Book page after page after page, quickly and efficiently eliminating one shinobi after the next. He's trying to figure out who this person is. Surely a seal master of this skill can't have gone unnoticed by every shinobi village. There must be a page about him, every scrap of information can be powerful and potentially win him the fight. Plus he wants to see how the nameless shinobi reacts when he calls out his name. "What do you propose?"

"I will be blunt." The newcomer unfurls the scroll and firmly places it onto his chest. On the scroll that runs down his torso are five symbols. The first is a detailed drop of water, the second is a swirling ball of fire, the third is a tempest of wind, the fourth a jagged bolt of lighting and the fifth a proud mountain. Each picture isn't made up of lines as one would expect, it's made up of miniscule words. Hundreds if not thousands of tiny - nearly illegible because of their size - words come together to form each depiction of the five elements. "You're down a teammate."

"You must be insane if you think you can take his place." Kakuzu's eyes narrow in disdain. "I thought better of you."

"Don't be daft." The nameless shinobi scoffs out and flicks his sword. With the twist of his wrist the sickly pale red blade retracts into the hilt and he hooks it to his belt. There's no need to hide the weapon any longer since it wouldn't surprise Kakuzu or any competent shinobi again. It's best to keep it easily accessible. What's very concerning is that it hasn't stopped throwing off steam. "While I would love to work alongside someone as renowned as Kakuzu of the Jiongu our goals are directly opposite."

"Was that a hint of respect I just heard?" Kakuzu, even with all his decades, can't help but be taken off guard by that response. It came out of nowhere and without prompting. It's rare that opponents acknowledge each other, doubly so while the battle is still ongoing.

"Of course I respect you." The mystery person easily replies as if it isn't a strange concept to compliment their direct enemy. "You have seen and experienced so much. You've battled people that I have only heard stories of. The mere mention of your name causes an entire shinobi village to look over their shoulder in fear. It would be foolish of me to not recognize you as a superior to myself, both in terms of experience and combat alike. You've achieved everything I want. But make no mistake, if I must I will give it my all to personally crush each and every heart you have. One down, four to go."

"Oh, now you've done it." Kakuzu lets out a deep throaty chuckle. "I will find out who's face is beneath that mask. You've made a grave mistake; you've gained my interest. But before we get to me ripping that mask off, what exactly was that deal you mentioned? It's so rare that shinobi are willing to settle things with words instead of fists. No matter how fruitless it will turn out to be."

"I find words much more pleasant." The mystery person graciously nods towards his elder, acknowledging that Kakuzu is letting him finish. "As I was saying, you're down a teammate. If you'd like, I can return him to you."

The nameless shinobi taps the hilt to remind Kakuzu exactly where Hidan is.

"And what do you desire in return?" Kakuzu asks as his head tilts forward, casting shadows over his face. Despite his great loathing for Hidan it would be much worse to return without him. Regrettably, he must save the lunatic if possible.

"For you to let the Taki shinobi leave unaccosted." The nameless shinobi doesn't bother beating around the bush. He simply says exactly what he wants, no tricks, no hidden meanings, no deception. "And me. Can't believe I almost forgot about me. That could have been awkward."

"I'm afraid…" Kakuzu pauses his thought there. Not because he's thinking of what to say next, but because he's effortlessly flying through various hand signs at a ridiculous pace. "I'll have to decline. I can simply take back my teammate and get the jinchuuriki myself."

He stops on the final sign and even though he's wearing a mask every shinobi present can tell he's sinisterly smirking. The crinkling of his eyes and the simple way he carries himself is bleeding off confidence and victory.

He has every right to feel that way because the jutsu that he unleashes is devastating. Forming before his mask is a pale blue ball of lightning. It crackles with unknown potential as it charges ever higher, peaking at the same electrical energy as true lightning itself, and he releases it.