"Itachi, what do you mean by saying even I understand? Are you implying I'm not smart enough?"
Kisame huffed angrily.
Itachi didn't respond, his silence essentially confirming Kisame's suspicion.
"You!"
Kisame was fuming, but there was nothing he could do..
Naruto, watching their antics, chose not to intervene. Instead, he turned to Hidan, and chuckled, "Hidan, the three of them see the truth clearly. You're the only one refusing to admit it."
"This…"
Hidan hesitated for a moment before snapping, "That's not true! I'm loyal to Jashin-sama and have never used his doctrine as an excuse to kill. You're all just twisting things to shake my faith!"
Naruto chuckled and said, "Your actions are the best evidence. If anyone here is twisting the truth, it's you."
"Hmph!"
Hidan snorted, "Are you saying all this just to mock me? My business is none of your concern!"
"Pfft!"
Naruto burst into louder laughter.
Hidan, now thoroughly embarrassed and enraged, seemed to have his innermost thoughts exposed. It was clear that Hidan's true desire was endless battle and killing, with everything else serving as an excuse.
'Since Hidan has no real belief, or in other words, Hidan's belief is killing itself, then this matter is easy to handle.'
Naruto cleared his throat and said, "Hidan, by joining the Akatsuki, you've already admitted that the Jashin cult is in ruins. As the second-in-command of the Akatsuki, I can promise you this: If you obey me, I'll give you all the battles you want."
Hearing this, Hidan snorted coldly, "Hmph! Empty promises. And let me remind you again, I will never betray Jashin-sama. Unless, of course, you prove you're stronger than him."
Naruto sighed with a wry smile, "Alright, then bring out your Jashin-sama, and I'll prove I'm stronger. If you can't summon him, it'll just prove that Jashin has abandoned you. Or maybe Jashin doesn't dare to appear, which would also show I'm the stronger one."
Naruto, having watched Naruto in his previous life, knew the only 'god' to ever manifest in this world was the Shinigami summoned by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. The so-called Jashin was nothing more than a figment of belief, a nonexistent entity.
This was just a ploy to counter Hidan's scare tactics, and Naruto wasn't backing down.
But to Naruto's surprise, Hidan started laughing.
"Although I can't summon Jashin-sama," Hidan sneered, "I have a method that's equivalent to his presence."
"What method?" Naruto's brow furrowed slightly.
'Was this something I didn't know about? Could there really be unexpected complications?'
'No, this was likely just Hidan bluffing.'
Thinking of this, Naruto chuckled and said, "Alright, since you won't give up until you see proof, go ahead and try whatever method you want. I'll fully cooperate. But if you go back on your word, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"It's simple, I need your blood!"
Hidan pulled out his scythe and charged at Naruto.
Naruto didn't defend himself. Instead, he held out an arm and said, "Go ahead. Take as much as you need."
Once spoken, words couldn't be taken back. Naruto refused to believe Hidan could summon the nonexistent Jashin.
Slash!
The scythe cut into Naruto's arm, and blood spurted out.
"That's enough!"
Seeing the pool of blood on the ground, Hidan smiled with satisfaction.
Hearing this, Naruto's body began glowing with a faint green light, as he activated Rapid Healing on himself. The lost blood was replenished quickly, and his wound healed completely in no time.
Hidan dipped his finger into the blood, drawing the Jashin ritual symbol on the ground, a circle enclosing a triangle. Once complete, his entire body turned pitch black, leaving only white skeletal markings visible.
"This is Jashin-sama's blessing, the Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood!"
Hidan laughed maniacally as he stood in the center of the ritual circle. Then, from his left sleeve, he produced a pitch-black spear, "Now that the ritual is complete, any injury I inflict on myself will be mirrored on you. This is Jashin-sama's curse upon you, unbreakable by anyone! If you can withstand it, I'll believe you're stronger than Jashin-sama!"
With that, Hidan plunged the pitch-black spear into his own body.
"Pfft!"
Hidan spewed a mouthful of blood.
Simultaneously, Naruto coughed up blood as well.
"Ugh!"
The sharp pain caused Naruto to gasp.
Naruto knew the technique's weakness, as kicking Hidan out of the circle and destroying it would break the curse. However, doing so would imply he couldn't face Jashin's curse head-on.
For a moment, Naruto couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
He hadn't expected Hidan to pull off such a tactic, which completely caught him off guard.
"What's wrong? Weren't you boasting just now about being stronger than Jashin-sama? Why so silent now?"
Hidan laughed wildly and stabbed his own body again.
Naruto, who was hit by the counterattack, vomited blood from his mouth again.
Naruto spat more blood as the attack was also transferred to him. The searing pain disrupted his focus, forcing him to use Rapid Healing on himself. Enveloped in green light, Naruto not only healed but also suppressed the pain.
"Huh? You can resist? That only proves you're equal to Jashin-sama's curse, not stronger. I can still feel the curse lingering, so you haven't won yet!"
Hidan snorted.
Kisame, Itachi, and Kakuzu, who were watching from the sidelines, didn't interfere. They also wanted to see how far Naruto could go. They also hoped that Naruto could eliminate the so-called Jashin's curse, which would prove that Naruto has unmatched strength.
Naruto, caught between options, noticed the green glow from his healing and had an idea. He remembered that the Hymn of Valor had the power to dispel abnormal effects.
'Maybe it would work here.'
Without hesitation, he closed his eyes and focused, 'Hymn of Valor.'
A moment later, Naruto clasped his hands together in a prayer-like gesture. Golden light radiated from his palms, lifting him into the air. As he extended his arms, a golden magic circle appeared beneath his feet.
"Ahhh~"
A sacred melody escaped Naruto's lips, filling the air with divine resonance. The skies opened to beams of radiant gold, mirroring the glow of the magic circle below. The golden light enveloped Naruto entirely as shimmering musical notes descended, landing softly on him.
"Wow, is Naruto-kun actually a god?"
Seeing Naruto's current appearance, Kisame couldn't help but exclaim.
Though he was a staunch atheist, Kisame was still awestruck by Naruto's divine presence. In that moment, he believed that gods might truly exist and felt an urge to bow in reverence.
Hidan, however, was in utter panic. He could feel the curse's power ebbing away, bit by bit, until it vanished completely.
"Impossible! This can't be happening!"
Hidan's eyes were vacant with disbelief.
"Why not? This proves I'm stronger than your so-called Jashin-sama. If you're still not convinced, feel free to try again."
Naruto said smugly, then lightly jumped to stop the Hymn of Valor.
However, the moment Naruto touched the ground, his expression turned grim, while Hidan showed joy again.
"This... How can this be?"