Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece

◉◉◉◉◉

Hidan's scythe whirled like a storm, slicing through the air with brutal precision yet he couldn't even graze his opponent.

Even Kakuzu was surprised. They had fought side by side for years, and he knew exactly how dangerous Hidan was. For someone to completely toy with him like this meant their opponent wasn't ordinary. The blindfolded fighter wasn't just agile; it was as if he could read Hidan's every move before it even happened.

Dodging without counterattacking… that was deliberate mockery.

Kakuzu didn't know why the man wasn't striking back, but there was clearly a reason. He wanted to wait and gather intel, but Hidan was already losing his temper. If Kakuzu didn't step in, he'd have to deal with Hidan's endless yelling later.

Kakuzu wasn't some amateur either. He had survived since the era of the First Hokage. He'd seen every type of fighter, every dirty trick. The great shinobi of the past? All buried in the ground while he was still alive and cashing bounties. Longevity was its own kind of victory.

"Hurry it up, Kakuzu!" Hidan shouted, voice dripping with impatience. If this kept up, he was done. Let someone else fight this ridiculous guy. His own arsenal was limited, and without blood for his ritual, he was nothing but a moving target.

The guy's taijutsu was too sharp, his evasiveness off the charts. Hidan's options were running out. Sure, he could dive in teeth-first if needed—immortality had its perks—but it was getting humiliating.

Kakuzu's voice was calm. "What, you think whining will fix this?"

He wasn't taking this lightly. Their opponent was from the Hyūga clan, meaning Gentle Fist was in play—and that could mess with Kakuzu's [Earth Grudge Fear] technique. A single hit could jam up his chakra threads. He had to test the waters first.

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. He unleashed his masked hearts—four shadowy figures, each with a demonic mask.

[Lightning Style: False Darkness]!

From the lightning mask's mouth, a spear of electricity shot forward, tearing through the battlefield and forcing both combatants to scatter.

If you can't hit him, then overwhelm him. Lightning was the cleanest solution.

The flash of electricity made Hidan grin. "Finally! Took you long enough!"

But mid-air, his grin froze.

[Soru]!

The Hyūga's form blurred and vanished, moving faster than Hidan's eyes could track. A cold voice whispered behind him:

"Having fun?"

[Eagle Step]!

The impact was brutal. Pain shot through Hidan's skull as he was slammed toward the ground like a meteor.

Why… why is he already above me?

His thought vanished as he crashed downward, lightning swallowing him whole.

"Damn it—!"

Electricity surged across his body as he hit the water below, his immortal flesh twitching and blackening. The paralysis alone would keep him down for a while. Against someone like Hidan, control worked better than raw damage. Kakuzu's lightning had done its job.

But the Hyūga wasn't done.

[Thunder Palm]!

Using Hidan's body as a springboard, Neji launched himself into the air, his palm glowing with a deadly storm of chakra. Lightning condensed into a shining blade of energy, cutting through the mist like a comet.

Kakuzu's instincts screamed. He raised a defense:

[Water Style: Water Wall]!

His water mask spewed a torrent that merged with the lake, creating a liquid barrier. Kakuzu wasn't like Hidan. He wasn't stupid enough to just stand there. Lightning or not, he was rooted on solid rock.

The strike hit. Thunder lit up the barrier, sparks dancing across the lake's surface. Through the crackling haze, Kakuzu's cold eyes locked on Neji. He wouldn't let the boy escape.

His remaining masks unleashed their combined fury:

[Fire Style: Searing Blast]!

[Wind Style: Crushing Gale]!

[Lightning Style: False Darkness]!

Fire fed by wind, lightning lancing through the flames—a deadly combination converging on Neji.

Kakuzu dumped everything he had into this. He wasn't Kisame, who had chakra reserves like a tailed beast. Every shot mattered.

Neji smiled. That look in Kakuzu's eyes was the same arrogance he'd seen from Gaara's Shukaku and Kisame, always thinking they had him cornered.

The [Thunder Palm] didn't stop. With his current level, he no longer had to strike once—he struck like a storm.

Dozens of thunder palms crashed down, each as large as a man, overwhelming fire, tearing wind apart, shattering lightning. The sky itself seemed to split.

Kakuzu froze for a second, then sighed. This was just a proxy body anyway.

"You win… but this isn't over."

His words were the last thing heard before the lightning swallowed him whole.

◉◉◉◉◉

~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

◉◉◉◉◉

For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:

P-atreon/iamxeno

(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!