Chapter 19

                                    

                                          
The small explosion grew a little in size with a strong pushing air. You raised your hand and covered your face while Kakuzu stood there not caring in the least. Once the flames died down, you saw Hidan on one knee on the ground. His skin had already changed. Instead of the tannish color, his skin was now black with white lines over the places where his bones should be. The cloak had been burned off from the right sleeve to his waist. 
"It hurts, doesn't it?" he asked and chuckled. Asuma dropped the blade he had and winced at the pain of his burned body. That's where Hidan would've been burned. You thought to yourself. Both Asuma's right hand and the right side of his face were burned. "Judgment has been passed," Hidan continued. "So what do ya think? Helps you understand the suffering of others a bit more doesn't it?" Hidan stood, covering his face with his right hand and holding his scythe with the other. "I've already cursed you. And the ritual shall now begin," he laughed darkly and removed his hand from his face. Asuma's eyes widened. "Well then, let's experience the ultimate pain together shall we?!"
~No one pov~
"I don't understand," the ninja with his headband tied as a bandana said. "What happened to captain Asuma? That fire jutsu hit the Akatsuki not him."
"There's no question about it," the other ninja with a bandage across his nose said. "Although it looks like Asuma must caught a piece of the jutsu as well."
The boy frowned. "Oh no, don't tell me..."
"This one will get us another 35 million," Kakuzu stated.
Hidan laughed maniacally and pulled out a metal rod. "All the preparations have been completed, now you and I will share the ultimate pain!"
Asuma spun his other knife on one finger and held it out in front of his as chakra flowed into the blade. He walked slowly to the left of Hidan, their eye not leaving each other. He ran at Hidan. Hidan frowned and stabbed his left leg with the pointed rod. Asuma stopped in his tracks and fell, sliding slightly on the floor. 
"Hurts huh?!" Hidan asked. Aiko flinched as Hidan laughed like a psycho. "And I didn't even hit a vital spot! But that kind of pain is best!" Asuma lifted his head. "When the other person's agony at that pathetic moment seeps into my body, the pain is transcended and becomes the purest ecstasy!" 
Aiko shivered and felt her body crawl with goosebumps. Asuma sat up and placed a hand over his leg where he felt the pain. 
"Asuma he... he's holding onto his left leg," Izumo said. "Something weird is happening."
"Yeah you're right," Kotetsu agreed. "That's the leg where the Akatsuki hit."
"How does he do that?" Izumo asked no one in particular. Asuma and the others were analyzing what had happened. Asuman winced in pain as Hidan moved the rod and removed it from his leg. Hidan laughed again.
"Now let's see, where should we move to next?" he positioned the rod over his arm. "Up here maybe?" he moved the rod's point slightly below the elbow bend. "Or further down?" he moved the rod over his right leg. "How 'bout your legs? That'd be fun huh?" he moved the rod towards his heart. "What do ya think? Or should we just end it already?!" Asuma's eyes widened. 
"Shikamaru!" Izumo yelled. "No physical attacks like shadow stitching, use shadow strangle to hold him! And hurry!"
"Already on it," Shikamaru replied as he maintained a hand sign. The shadows stretched towards Hidan. "Come on."
~Aiko~
You watched as Hidan moved the rod towards his heart, ready to kill Asuma any minute. The rod was only centimeters away from his heart.