Messing with the Middle

One Promise Kept

Kakuzu was simple. Destroy all his hearts before he has a chance to get a new one. Naruto accomplished this by using a Rasenshuriken to shred everything about the guy down to the last molecule.

The real issue came with Hidan. How do you kill him? Shikamaru wasn't Naruto so whenever he was asked about the immortal prick his only response was, "Ah, that fight was So troublesome." Like that helped with anything.

"Haku do you have any clues on how Jashin prayers work?" Sasuke asked.

"No, sorry," He replied.

"This is why you ask us on these things kid," Kokuo said.

"Seriously, he's right. We're here to help too you know!" Chomoei agreed.

"Jashin Huh. He's one of the older God's, there are a few but we won't talk about them. Jashin requires absolute devotion not only to him but to his religion and beliefs. He believes in Survival of the fittest. The weak die and the strong grow from it." Gyuki explained.

"True. When you offer him a sacrafice it must be done with complete faith in Jashin. Hence why the sacrafice ritual requires you to harm yourself to kill the Sacrafice. In return for your complete devotion and faith in Jashin he will grant you immortality," Kurama added.

"If memory serves me right. The only way for a beleiver of Jashin to die, is to stop Sacrificing so they return to being a normal human," Matatabi finished.

"What they're tryna say brat, is chop his ass up so he can't sacrifice anyone and let his own religion finish him off." Shukaku summed up.

Sasuke sat and thought silently. Turns out bombs and speed really will be the answer to solve this. In that case, Hidan would be the easier of the two.

"Then all that leaves is Kakuzu." Sasuke muttered.

"Is there a way to fuse a large scale bomb with one of the elements?" Haku asked.

Sasuke thought for a second. Widening his eyes he pulled out some spare seal paper and got to work. Haku watched as Sasuke sped through multiple symbols even mumbling to himself. It didn't even take him long, about 10 minutes maximum.

He placed the seal down, put some distance between them and the seal and activated it.

Nothing happened.

Not for a few seconds anyway. Both Shinobi refused to move, they neither got closer nor further away.

A spark... a small spark... a bigger spark.... a massive spark....

Sasuke grabbed Haku and threw him further back. Right then the seal exploded in a mix of loud chirps and a roar of flames.

Soon it dissapeared leaving a crater. Just a crater alone....

"D-did you just fuse... the Chidori... and a bomb... in ten minutes?..." Haku hesitated.

"Kit... your very scary you know that..." Kurama added.

Sasuke was looking at the destruction with a smirk. He needed to make the explosion quicker. Otherwise.... it was perfect.

****
Sakura stared at her reflection with a blank face.

She had her shirt off to reveal the massive scar that went from her right shoulder down to the left side of her weist. It was massive and it had almost killed her.

Had the attack been slightly deeper it would have punctured her lungs and intestines. She would have died.

Twice... this is twice Sasuke has almost successfully killed her. Twice Sasuke has left her with a reminder that he wants her dead.