Ch. 163: The Undead Duo: Hyde

Hidan and Kakuzu stood on a rock, gazing into the darkness, wondering when something unusual might emerge from the river.

Suddenly, Hidan turned his head in a particular direction.

"It's here."

Kakuzu quickly followed his gaze and saw a bizarre giant bird rapidly flying toward them in the clear night sky.

The bird's wings flapped rhythmically, but healthy eyes could not fully grasp their form, and a sound mind could not retain the image of this creature. In the moonlight, Kakuzu noticed that this bird had characteristics of a crow, mole, vulture, ant, vampire bat, or even a decaying human corpse, yet none of these could adequately describe it.

Its membranous wings, large enough to let faint moonlight pass through, flapped with each stroke, enlarging in Kakuzu's vision.

How ugly...

"What is that thing?"

He usually kept his emotions in check and appeared very composed, but ever since meeting Hidan, he found himself repeatedly losing control in fleeting moments.

First, it was Hidan's strange black tendrils from his ninjutsu, and now this bizarre giant bird appearing out of nowhere in the night sky.

The cultist had surprised Kakuzu too many times with things he'd never seen or even heard of.

"That isn't just any thing."

"That is a Byakhee."

"The lord granted it to me as my mount! Isn't she beautiful?"

Under the moonlight, Hidan's eyes gleamed with admiration, clearly infatuated with the Byakhee.

But to Kakuzu, it was clear—this man was out of his mind. A normal person wouldn't even want to look at such a creature twice.

The Byakhee quickly flew overhead, flapping its wings a few more times before landing steadily on the ground.

Up close, he confirmed just how complex and imaginative this creature was. It had a vulture's giant beak, with parts of its body exposing grayish-white bone, black crow feathers on its back, webbed feet, bat-like membranous wings, a mole's pelt on its chest, and insect-like segmented limbs reminiscent of an ant.

Fortunately, Kakuzu had mentally prepared himself for the hybrid monstrosity that the Byakhee was, so he was less shocked than before. However, upon further thought, he realized that this Byakhee resembled the target of their current bounty mission—the Mi-Go.

If the creature was worth 80 million ryo, how much could the Byakhee be worth?

"Could this thing sell for a lot of money?"

Kakuzu carelessly voiced his thoughts aloud but was immediately met with strong opposition from Hidan.

"This was a gift from the lord!"

"Don't even think about it!"

Hidan stepped in front of the Byakhee. The creature tilted its head and spat at Kakuzu with disdain.

"Haha, good job, Fu!"

Pleased with Hidan's praise, the Byakhee—now affectionately called Fu—joyfully flapped its wings twice. It seemed the creature was smarter than Kakuzu had initially thought.

"Tch."

Kakuzu temporarily shelved his idea of selling Hidan's pet and asked, "What does this thing have to do with our mission?"

"Of course, we're riding her to the mission location—where we'll find the Mi-Go."

Kakuzu nodded. It seemed Hidan was reliable sometimes. Riding this bird was certainly faster than walking.

"Let's get moving, then."

With that, he placed a hand on Byakhee's back. But as soon as his fingertips touched the black feathers, he felt a bone-chilling cold radiate from them.

Ssss...

Seeing Kakuzu recoil as if electrocuted, Hidan laughed heartily, "Hahaha, Fu isn't just any mount."

"She is a void steed. Of course, she's freezing cold when she first lands."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"You didn't ask, and you were so eager to get on."

After waiting a while, the Byakhee's body returned to a normal temperature. Hidan climbed onto her back first, followed by Kakuzu. The bird's back was wide enough for one person to sit comfortably, and just barely wide enough for two.

Once they were both seated, Hidan patted Fu's long, mole-fur-covered neck. With that, the creature slowly flapped its wings, rising into the sky.

The towering mountains below quickly shrank into needle-like cones, and the entire world seemed to be beneath their feet. The moon above appeared larger and brighter than Kakuzu had ever seen in his years of life.

"So this is what flying feels like?"

In the shinobi world, not many people could achieve true flight with their own abilities. One of the known person capable of it was the Third Tsuchikage.

Compared to his flight, other so-called flying shinobi, including the Sora ninjas from long ago, could only glide at low altitudes. Flying, therefore, was considered a rare and valuable ability among shinobi.

Though this flight was aided by the Byakhee and not achieved by the ninjas themselves, it was still impressive—like Deidara's clay birds, but with true height.

Flight had strategic significance because it allowed one to rise out of the range of most weapons and ninjutsu, while also enabling various aerial strikes. The Byakhee had both of these capabilities.

And Hidan had mentioned void travel, though Kakuzu didn't know what that meant—it sounded impressive.

At the Byakhee's incredible speed, they soon left the land behind, flying over an endless ocean.

Looking back at the shrinking land, Kakuzu, holding a map of the shinobi world, asked, "Why are we flying there?"

Hidan, uncharacteristically patient, explained, "To hunt the Mi-Go, we have to go there."

"The lord said our world doesn't have the Mi-Go. They're in another world. We have to find the gate to the New World."

"New World?"

Kakuzu was doubtful, as he'd never heard of such a thing in all his years. But the possibility wasn't entirely out of the question. No one in the shinobi world really cared about what lay in the sea.

Having lived so long, the idea of exploring beyond the sea felt like an exciting prospect.

As the dawn light scattered over the ocean, the giant bird flew through the sky. After hours of flight, Hidan suddenly gripped his scythe tighter. "Hold on tight. We're going down!"

"What—" Before Kakuzu could finish, the byakhee plunged into the dark waters. The sudden dive caught him off guard, his grip instinctively tightening on the creature.

Deep beneath the waves, a massive stone gate emerged from the gloom, its surface carved with unfamiliar symbols.

The byakhee shot through the luminescent portal. For a moment, everything went black. Then they burst upward, breaking through the surface of different waters under different skies.

"This is..."

"The New World!"

The sun slowly rose from the horizon, casting its light over the vast and boundless land below.

From the incredibly high altitude at which the Byakhee was flying, the mountains and plains of this land were fully visible, stretching out like a giant canvas. The diverse landscapes blended together like patches of color merging at the edges, creating a grand, breathtaking scene.

Neither Kakuzu nor Hidan had ever witnessed such a majestic sight in their lives.

"Whoa!"

Hidan, sitting in front, couldn't help but shout in excitement as he took in the view.

Though Kakuzu, sitting behind him, wasn't as exaggerated in his reaction, he too was deeply surprised.

While the two were marveling at the new world, the Byakhee approached the airspace near the coastline.

"Hey, Fu, fly a bit lower," Hidan called.

The Byakhee began a rapid descent.

It wasn't particularly suited for low-altitude flying, as the vacuum of outer space was its preferred environment. During long-distance flights, it typically maintained an altitude of over six kilometers, where the thin air allowed it to fly at speeds of 70 km/h. At that height, the temperature was well below freezing.

Luckily, both Kakuzu and Hidan were ninjas, and their bodies could withstand the cold far better than ordinary people. The freezing air of the previous night hadn't affected them too much.

However, for higher-altitude or longer-distance flights, they would need a different magical tool to survive.

As the Byakhee descended, the two of them finally felt the warmth that they had missed, their slightly stiff bodies relaxing in the more comfortable temperature. Now that they were flying lower, they could clearly see the scenery below.

Along the coastline, gray coastal buildings and piers made primarily of brown wood stretched out, showing signs of human civilization. It was undeniable: this land wasn't a wild, untamed place—it was inhabited by people.

With the Byakhee flying lower, its speed had decreased significantly, which allowed many people on the ground to spot it.

"Look! What is that?"

"Where?"

"Over there! That big bird!"

"I see it!"

"What kind of bird is that? It looks so ugly!"

"It looks like there are two people sitting on its back."

Kakuzu, flying overhead, noticed more and more people on the ground looking up at them. He turned to Hidan and said, "Hey, we're flying too low. People are spotting us."

"Let them see! We're not wanted criminals here," Hidan said smugly, looking down at the humans below, who seemed like ants. He was thoroughly enjoying being admired from above.

After Hidan's remark, Kakuzu thought for a moment and realized he was right. In the shinobi world, he might be a wanted rogue ninja from Taki, but here, he was a free man.

Or perhaps even more than that—a mysterious outsider in this world.

No one knew their background, nor did anyone know their abilities. Even if he unleashed a devastating jutsu here, no one would be able to trace it back to him. Once their mission was over, they would just fly away.

With this realization, Kakuzu no longer felt restricted.

After maintaining low-altitude flight for a while, the Byakhee finally began its descent, landing gently on the ground.

"Finally landed! Feels good!" Hidan jumped down, stretched a bit, then turned to the Byakhee. "You can go back now. Just remember to come pick us up later."

With a few flaps of its wings, it took off into the sky again.

"Hey, where's the Mi-Go?"

"The lord told me it's in that town over there," Hidan replied, pointing toward a town between the mountains and water.

The two walked toward the town, which was bustling with people. The streets were crowded, and vendors lined the sides, selling all sorts of goods.

The people here dressed simply, in clothes similar to those worn in remote villages of the Five Great Nations.

On either side of the town's streets stood buildings with a peculiar style, mostly constructed of wood, earth, and stone. The structures were square in design, reminiscent of medieval architecture, with stone statues and small fountains as decorative elements.

What shocked Kakuzu and Hidan the most was that the language spoken by the townspeople was completely understandable to them.

"Sophia, go get some wine from the tavern for me. I'm going to drink to my heart's content today!"

"Here are the farming tools my father made for your family. I've brought them over."

"Potatoes! Potatoes! Two copper coins each!"

The voices of the townspeople reached Kakuzu and Hidan's ears clearly and without mistake, leaving both of them momentarily dumbfounded.

Why was it that the people here spoke the same language as those in the shinobi world?

Could it be that the language of the shinobi world was actually a universal language?

"Hey, are you sure about this place? Why are the people here speaking our language?" Kakuzu asked.

He just shrugged and said, "What does it matter? It makes things easier for us."

They walked a bit farther, and Kakuzu's suspicion grew. "This town is so lively. How could there be a Mi-Go here?"

Finally, Hidan couldn't hold back anymore. He shouted in the middle of the street, "How should I know?"

The shout drew immediate attention from the surrounding townspeople. Their red-clouded, black cloaks were already eye-catching, and now, with Hidan yelling in the street, people began to slowly gather around them.

"Hey, your faces are unfamiliar."

"Your clothes are strange. Are you part of an assassination group?"

"Did the enemies of the Utopia send you to assassinate Hyde-sama?"

"Knights! There are suspicious individuals here!"

Before Kakuzu and Hidan had a chance to explain, the crowd closed in around them. In the distance, two knights in silver armor on horseback heard the commotion and started approaching.

"Hey, we've been discovered," Kakuzu said. "What now? Do we run or fight?"

Hidan's lips curled into a cruel, wicked smile as his hand slowly reached for the scythe hidden under his cloak.

Although offering these people as sacrifices would be ideal, he had no qualms about slaughtering them if that was what it took.

"Since we've been discovered... there's no other choice."

In the next second, Kakuzu turned and pushed through the crowd, running away.

"Hey! Hey!"

"Why are you running?"

"Tch!"

Hidan had no choice but to turn around and follow Kakuzu in their escape.

"Hyah!"

"There's an assassin in the city! Catch the assassin!"

"Chase those two over there!"

More and more armored knights, riding horses, gathered in the town, all pursuing Kakuzu and Hidan, who were ahead of them.

Although the knights were on horseback, their speed couldn't match that of the ninjas. The town's complex terrain also made it harder for the knights to keep up, and the distance between them and the two ninjas grew larger.

Kakuzu led Hidan into a narrow alley, completely losing the knights.

"Weren't we going to fight? Why did you turn and run?"

"If tthe Mi-Go really is in this town, we can't cause too much of a commotion. It's better to act low-key."

Hearing Kakuzu's explanation, Hidan crossed his arms and shook his head. "Why are you so timid?"

"What do you know? This is called being cautious."

"That's just being a coward."

"Cautious!"

"Coward!"

"Cautious!"

While the two were arguing, the chaos in the streets caused by these "outsiders" had not subsided. More and more knights gathered.

"Find those two suspicious individuals quickly! They shouldn't have gone far."

"Yes!"

"I will report this to Hyde-sama's personal guard."

At the command of the leading knight, the armored soldiers dispersed into the town's streets, asking the residents if they had seen two men dressed in strange clothing.

---

Kakuzu and Hidan, perched on a rooftop, observed everything clearly.

Kakuzu slowly pulled his head back from the roof's edge and said, "It seems these are just civilians who don't know any ninjutsu, completely non-threatening."

To him, these so-called knights were equivalent to the common soldiers of the Five Great Nations' daimyōs, though their armor and weapons seemed a bit more refined. But no matter how strong these knights were, they were no match for ninjas.

The earlier chase was proof—Kakuzu and Hidan had easily shaken off the pursuing knights.

This was good news because, with their current abilities, they were operating on a level far above this world's inhabitants.

In fact, no one in this world could stop them from doing whatever they wanted.

However, Kakuzu was intrigued by the constant mention of someone named Hyde.

Who was this person? Could he be connected to the Mi-Go?

It was clear that civilians wouldn't be hiding a strange creature like the Mi-Go. If Mi-Gos were truly in this town, only someone with a special status might be involved.

He shared his thoughts with Hidan, and when the Mi-Go was mentioned, even Hidan became serious and thoughtful.

But as he turned his head while on the roof, his gaze suddenly locked onto something shocking in the distance.

"Ah..."

"What is that?"

Hidan's face showed an expression of disbelief, so Kakuzu followed his line of sight and saw the same thing.

"That's..."

A colossal fortress was slowly moving from the outskirts of the town toward the city.

The fortress resembled a massive clock tower with no visible windows, only gray stones and bronze-colored metal. It stood like an insurmountable barrier on the town's outskirts, towering as high as the nearby mountains.

---

Inside the massive hall of the fortress, a man stood with his hands behind his back at the top of a staircase, staring out at the landscape, lost in thought.

The man was slightly plump, draped in a blue cloak, and had distinctive orange hair with a single monocle, giving him an air of scholarly wisdom.

At that moment, a person entered the hall.

It was a young knight in silver armor with sandy blonde hair and a youthful face, looking no older than twelve or thirteen.

The young knight knelt on one knee behind the man and said, "Hyde-sama, the knights have discovered suspicious individuals in the nearby town. They might be assassins sent by an opposing force. Should we take action?"

The man addressed as Hyde was silent for a long time before speaking.

"Richard, do you remember what I told you?"

"This world is plagued by war. Countless people have lost their lives and the ones they love to the flames of conflict."

"So, I want to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I long to create a world free from war. That is my dream, and the guiding principle of our Nation."

"If I retreat in the face of such a minor challenge, our Nation will never come to fruition."

"No matter how large we build our Nation, we will always lack one piece of land. And that piece is the town before us."

As he spoke, Hyde turned to face the young knight, Richard, tears welling up in his mismatched blue-green eyes.

"So, no matter what obstacles lie ahead in the town, I will not back down. The people suffering there also need me to save them!"

"One or two assassins cannot stop my resolve to create the ideal Nation! To this day, my dream has been passed on to many like-minded individuals. Even if I fall, thousands will rise to continue my vision!"

"And Richard, you will protect me..."

"Won't you?"

Hyde's speech deeply moved Richard, bringing tears to the young knight's eyes. He immediately gave Hyde a knight's oath of loyalty.

"I will follow you through fire and water!"

Seeing Richard's dedication, Hyde nodded in satisfaction, a sly gleam flashing in his green eye beneath the monocle.

"Then pass the order: the fortress will not retreat. Continue advancing!"

"Yes!"

After Richard left, the hall fell quiet again. Hyde slowly raised his hand.

He wore a black, fingerless glove adorned with a sparkling green gem on the back.

"The Stone of Greil..."

"Let's see how well these modified gloves work."

Hyde aimed the glove at a spider and its web in the corner of the room. With a slight flick of his middle finger, both the spider and the web were obliterated.

Yet, surprisingly, no trace was left on the wall behind it—it was as if the spider had simply vanished.

"Wow! The precision and control over minimal power are far better than the previous glove. Now let's test its power."

"That spot over there should do."

Hyde aimed the glove toward a section of the forest outside the fortress. With a slight flick of his middle finger, a green beam shot out from the glove.

Boom!

A large section of the forest was instantly flattened by the explosion, the smoke from which was visible even from the fortress.

"Hahahaha!"

"Their weapon is truly amazing!"

---

"Hyde-sama is Here! He is here!"

"Hurry to listen to Hyde-sama's speech!"

"He has come to save us!"

The townsfolk spread the news excitedly, rushing toward the town center.

Hyde, the founder of the Ideal State Organization, had garnered immense popularity among the common people in recent years.

The organization he established, The Ideal State, is dedicated to protecting the weak from the ravages of war and creating a world of complete peace without conflict.

Wherever his presence reached, that place effectively became part of the Ideal State and fell under its protection. Any faction attempting to wage war within the Ideal State's territory would face its severe sanctions.

This vision resonated with more and more people, rapidly expanding Hyde's influence. His domain had even surpassed those of the ruling lords combined.

The power of the Ideal State was formidable, boasting not only a sizeable traditional knight force but also advanced technology as its greatest weapon.

Hyde controlled a massive fortress stronghold and a formidable vanguard of knights wielding mysterious powers.

The mountain-like fortress was mobile, capable of traversing most terrains with ease. Beneath it lay a colossal crushing mechanism, capable of flattening the fortifications that the feudal lords prided themselves on.

The fortress also housed elite knights who were fearless and incredibly strong, rendering Hyde invincible in his wars against the feudal lords.

Hyde was once a minor feudal lord with a passion for exploring ancient civilizations. Some speculated that he had uncovered an ancient ruin, acquiring technology far beyond the era.

But regardless of the truth, one fact was indisputable: Hyde was destined to rule the world, and the Ideal State's reach would inevitably expand further.

For the common people, however, who ruled the world mattered little; they simply longed for peace. And Hyde's actions proved he was the one who could bring peace to the weak, earning him a hero's welcome from the townsfolk.

In the center of the town once stood a church, but years of war had reduced it to a single crumbling wall, ready to collapse at any moment.

Hyde climbed this precarious wall under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

His movements were clumsy, his unathletic frame struggling to ascend. The people watched anxiously, their hearts racing every time he wobbled.

Finally, he reached the top of the wall, eliciting a wave of cheers from the crowd.

"Hyde-sama!"

"Hyde-sama!"

Dusting off his sleeves, Hyde smiled warmly at the people below. After basking in the applause and cheers, he began his speech.

"I believe many of you have already heard of the Ideal State," he began.

"The Ideal State is an organization that shelters the weak and aims to build a utopia. Although we've made significant progress, the feudal lords who wage war are always ready to strike back."

"Thus, I call upon you to join us—join the Ideal State! Together, we can defend our homeland and create a utopia!"

While Hyde passionately addressed the crowd in the town, Kakuzu and Hidan stood at the foot of the enormous fortress just outside.

"Whoa, it's massive!"

Standing before the fortress, Hidan couldn't even see its top. Its sheer size was beyond anything even in the shinobi world. But such size came with disadvantages, such as becoming an easy target for concentrated ninjutsu attacks.

The duo's purpose for being there was clear: to find the Mi-Go. After failing to locate it in the town, the fortress was their last lead.

The fortress loomed like a towering pagoda, its lowest entrance guarded by knights in brown-red armor, patrolling diligently.

"Shall we begin?"

"Let's do this!"

They leapt out of hiding, landing directly in front of the patrolling knights.

The knights quickly encircled them, ready for battle.

Wasting no time, Hidan swung his three-bladed scythe at one knight's head, while Kakuzu used Iron Skin to harden his fist and punched another in the chest.

The knights, caught off guard, didn't react. One lost his head to Hidan's scythe, and the other had his chest punched clean through by Kakuzu.

"Too easy!"

Hidan smugly slung his scythe back over his shoulder. But his smirk froze within seconds.

The decapitated knight and the one with the destroyed chest didn't fall. Instead, after a brief pause, they resumed their assault, swinging their war hammers at them.

The two ninjas leapt back.

Examining the decapitated knight's exposed neck, they realized the brown-red armor contained no human body.

"Hey, these knights aren't like the townsfolk earlier," Hidan muttered.

The more analytical Kakuzu quickly assessed the situation.

From their uniform war hammers and the glowing red eyes beneath their helmets, he deduced, "These aren't humans; they're puppet-like constructs."

"Didn't you say people here don't use ninjutsu?" Hidan complained.

"Who said puppets require ninjutsu? These aren't ninja puppets—just similar constructs controlled by some force unique to this world."

Recalling Sasori's prowess in puppet techniques, Kakuzu made the comparison.

"Forget it. You deal with these hollow puppets. I'm heading inside to find the Mi-Go."

Hidan vaulted over a knight's head and dashed into the fortress.

The knight tried to pursue but was struck down by Kakuzu's tendrils, slamming it into a nearby rock.

"Annoying, but I'm not letting my bounty slip away," he muttered.

As his back bulged and four black masked entities emerged, the knight's lifeless gaze remained fixed.

Inside the fortress, Hidan ran through metallic corridors, cutting down any pursuing puppet knights. While the scythe's damage temporarily immobilized the puppets, his speed kept him well ahead.

His goal was not the hollow knights but the Mi-Go, who could not be sacrificed.

Guided by a strange pulse from the sign on his chest, he quickened his pace.

Soon, the Yellow Sign led him to a hemispherical chamber, within which was a smaller metallic dome.

The sign pulsed intensely, directing Hidan to the dome.

He sprinted across a metallic walkway and entered, where he finally found the creature he sought.

"Mi-Go!"