Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

Zixu arrived at the ruins, following the directions given by the Cloud Ninja he was dragging along. Hidan and Kakuzu were already gone, leaving behind only a pool of blood on the ground.

He tossed the Cloud Ninja aside, crouched down, and dipped his fingers into the blood.

"Hmm... they haven't sealed it yet. Looks like the Two-Tails was only recently captured. The Akatsuki members shouldn't be too far ahead." Zixu analyzed the scene, scanning the surroundings to determine which direction Hidan and Kakuzu had taken.

"Tsk, they covered their tracks well. Guess that's to be expected from professionals—they don't even leave a trace." He clicked his tongue in irritation. The Akatsuki was efficient—ruthless, precise, and thorough.

The Cloud Ninja, who had led him here, simply shrugged, looking completely lost.

"Should we, uh... roll some dice to pick a direction?" he suggested awkwardly.

Zixu immediately knew this guy was useless. He had hoped the Cloud Ninja would have some kind of tracking method for the Tailed Beasts, but it seemed he had given them too much credit. That was more of a Konoha specialty.

"Useless idiot... looks like I'll have to handle this myself." Zixu closed his eyes and focused on the chakra lingering in the area. Despite his closed eyes, his vision only became clearer.

Through his senses, he could perceive the chakra flowing through everything around him. Filtering out the irrelevant, he honed in on the blood he had just touched, tracing its origin.

This technique was something Karin had taught him—an exclusive ability of the Uzumaki Clan: Kagura Shingan (Kagura's Mind's Eye).

The Uzumaki were renowned for their exceptional sensory abilities and vast chakra reserves, allowing them to master large-scale detection techniques. By closing his eyes and expanding his awareness, Zixu could detect chakra fluctuations within tens of kilometers. Not only that, but if he was familiar with a specific chakra signature, he could pinpoint exact locations, numbers, movement speeds, and even unique traits of his targets.

Karin had once confidently declared that Minds Eye was the most powerful detection technique in existence, even patting her chest in assurance.

And it seemed she wasn't exaggerating.

After activating Kagura Shingan, Zixu's perception stretched far beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Perhaps due to his mastery of Observation Haki, his range and precision exceeded even Karin's descriptions.

From his heightened perspective, the blood's chakra shone like a vibrant blue flame in the vast forest—impossible to miss. But two other unusual chakra signatures accompanied it.

One was an eerie, black, viscous mass—resembling rotting filth soaked in a hundred years of decay.

The other felt unnatural, as if multiple chakra sources had been crudely stitched together into a single body—disjointed and grotesque.

"Those two... must be Akatsuki members. Not Black Zetsu, but they'll still be my enemies sooner or later. Just wait for me."

With the Two-Tails' location confirmed, Zixu wasted no time. In a blur, he vanished from the ruins.

---

Meanwhile, Hidan, dragging the unconscious Nii Yugito behind him, suddenly scowled. His high-pitched voice carried a tone of irritation.

"Ugh, why am I feeling so pissed off all of a sudden? Did I forget to pray properly today?"

He licked his lips anxiously and pulled the three-bladed scythe from his back, slicing a fresh wound into his palm. As the blood trickled down his fingers, he sighed in relief and ran his hand over the pendant hanging from his neck.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something..."

He wiped his bloody fingers on his necklace, then casually pulled out a black spear from his waist and drove it viciously into Yugito's leg.

"Here, share in my pain! Hahahaha!"

Kakuzu, running ahead, frowned at Hidan's antics. His voice was laced with irritation.

"Hidan, control yourself. If you kill the Jinchūriki, the mission fails."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I didn't hit anything vital. She's gonna die anyway when they rip the Two-Tails out of her, so what's the harm in letting me have some fun before that?"

For Hidan, "fun" didn't mean anything a sane person would associate with enjoyment. His idea of entertainment was subjecting his victims to prolonged suffering with his Jujutsu: Shiji Hyōketsu (Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood), watching them squirm under endless torment.

Kakuzu scoffed at his partner's twisted pleasure.

"You have disgusting hobbies."

He didn't bother stopping him, though. As long as Hidan didn't kill the target prematurely, Kakuzu couldn't care less what he did.

---

Zixu could feel Yugito's chakra growing closer and closer. With Observation Haki, he could now clearly see Hidan and Kakuzu in the distance.

"They're right ahead... and they haven't noticed me yet. I can catch them off guard."

The ancient Shikotsumyaku Kōan (Corpse Burial Doctrine) said: "Prepare the enemy's burial clothes before they can react."

In other words—strike first, and strike fast. Don't waste time hesitating. A well-planned ambush should be executed without warning.

Zixu fully intended to follow that wisdom. If he could take them out without revealing himself, all the better.

A layer of emerald-green dragon scales crept over his wrists, his ten fingers sharpening into razor-like claws. Wind-natured chakra condensed at his fingertips, forming compressed projectiles—small, yet deadly.

Closing his eyes once more, he locked onto Hidan and Kakuzu. Every movement, every breath, every expression on their faces became crystal clear in his mind.

---

Hidan suddenly stiffened.

"...Hey, Kakuzu. I've got a really bad feeling." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He scowled and glanced around uneasily.

"I felt this earlier, but I couldn't figure out why. I thought maybe I hadn't prayed enough, but now..."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes and ignored him.

Hidan kept mumbling to himself.

"You always say my rituals are too complicated. Tch, that's blasphemy against Jashin-sama, you know? Maybe you should experience divine punishment—"

Kakuzu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. His partner was fine in combat, but outside of battle, he was an insufferable lunatic. It would be much better if he just shut up.

"Enough. Stop wasting time. We need to—"

His sentence was cut off.

Because in the next instant, a powerful force struck Kakuzu's chest.

A violent gust of wind erupted, sending the masked shinobi flying.

Zixu, watching from a distance, flexed his fingers as the emerald scales and claws faded away.

His gaze flickered in surprise.

"He's not dead? I know I shattered his heart..."

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