Zombie-Combo!

Hidan and Kakuzu, two recently introduced Akatsuki members, were chasing after the Two-Tails' jinchuriki, Yugito Nii. Despite her fully transforming into her two-tailed state, Hidan and Kakuzu defeated Yugito. After the battle, Hidan performed a gruesome religious ritual, greatly annoying Kakuzu, a money-obsessed bounty hunter. Another mystery Akatsuki member, Zetsu, came and assumed command of Yugito, instructing the two to travel to the Land of Fire, their next destination.

Hidan and Kakuzu arrived at a nearby temple and assassinated Chiriku, the head monk and a former guard for the Land of Fire's nobility. Tsunade was notified about the occurrence by one of the monks who managed to flee. Tsunade ordered Shizune to mobilise a new task force, the Niju Shotai. Asuma's group, consisting of himself, Shikamaru, Kotetsu Hagane, and Izumo Kamizuki, left for the temple.

As Asuma's team arrived at the temple's ruins, they discovered the Akatsuki duo had carried Chiriku's body to a bounty station. A monk prayed for the team's protection as they prepared to intercept the killers at the station. The monk expressed concern for their safety, while Asuma revealed that his bounty was five million ryo higher than Chiriku's. Hidan and Kakuzu, meantime, had collected the bounty on Chiriku's head and had turned over the body as proof.

...

Naruto, on the other hand, realised after his fight with Sasuke that the Uchiha was far too powerful for him to beat. Kakashi revealed a special training method which took advantage of Naruto's high chakra. It involved the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. A shadow clone, unlike a regular clone, returns any experience it acquires to the original. Naruto could create a comparatively large number of shadow clones, thus allowing him to train hundreds of times faster than a normal shinobi. Miyuki's Anbu instructor, Yamato, also aided Naruto's training by helping with the restraint of the Nine-Tails.

...

Kakuzu told Zangei, a bounty exchange master who oversaw one of the Land of Fire Bounty Stations, that Hidan, an immortal, was the only ninja who could survive Kakuzu's indiscriminate attack strategies. Despite their ideological conflicts and hate for one another, this was the rationale for their cooperation. As Asuma's group moved toward the bounty station, Asuma explained that he and Chiriku had both belonged to the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and that their relationship was akin to Shikamaru's relationship with Choji. Asuma stopped smoking since he required no distractions if he was to fight Chiriku's killers.

At the bounty station, Asuma's team attacked Hidan. Izumo and Kotetsu stabbed him in the chest with their large kunai; however, Hidan was merely annoyed by the attack. Asuma's team quickly realised that Hidan couldn't be killed by normal means. Kakuzu appeared, and prepared to join the fight, but Hidan warned him to stay out of it. Asuma then went on to battle Hidan by himself. Hidan managed to cut Asuma's cheek, and licked the blood off his scythe just as the latter used a fire jutsu.

Just as the technique reached him, Hidan drew a seal beneath him. It burnt Hidan's robe, but he emerged unscathed. Instead, Asuma's right arm was badly burned; the damage meant for Hidan had somehow been turned back upon himself. Hidan's appearance had also changed; his skin had turned black with white accents, giving him the look of a Grim Reaper. Hidan told Asuma that any pain he felt was transferred to Asuma. Hidan just needed to inflict a lethal wound on himself to kill Asuma because he was immortal.

Shikamaru, fortunately, captured Hidan in another Shadow Bind before he could do so. Kakuzu offered to help, but Hidan waved him off, claiming he could beat all four by himself. Going over every motion Hidan had made to start the ritual, Shikamaru figured out Hidan's ability: Hidan first needed to consume his opponent's blood and then stand within his ceremonial circle. Shikamaru indicated that all he needed to do to save Asuma was take Hidan out of his circle.

After Shikamaru had assessed his theory, he trapped Hidan with Shadow Sewing. Hidan asked Kakuzu to help him, but Kakuzu nonchalantly replied that he had told Hidan to be careful. With his chakra blades, Asuma chopped Hidan's head off, which landed next to Kakuzu. Instead of killing Hidan as planned, the head began to speak, berating Kakuzu for allowing him to be decapitated. Hidan asked Kakuzu to bring him his body, but Kakuzu grabbed his head instead, saying that it was lighter.

Shikamaru fell from exhaustion as Hidan complained about the pain of being decapitated. Asuma, Kotetsu, and Izumo stood speechless, planning their next move. Kakuzu suddenly attacked Asuma, then grabbed Hidan's body. Using threads from his limbs, he reattached Hidan's head. Kakuzu's forearms stretched, seizing both Kotetsu and Izumo by the throat as they attempted to attack him. Meanwhile, Hidan jumped back into the circle, linking himself back to Asuma, and dealt himself a fatal blow in order to kill Asuma.

...Asuma slumped as his teammates watched in utter horror.

...

Aoba, Raido, Choji, and Ino arrived just as Hidan and Kakuzu were about to finish off Shikamaru, Kotetsu, and Izumo. While Aoba and Raido begin fighting off the Akatsuki, the latter two take Asuma and Shikamaru to the safety of the roof. The Akatsuki's leader, however, sends a telepathic message to Hidan and Kakuzu, instructing them to withdraw because sealing the Two-Tails is a top priority. The two Akatsuki members then turned to depart.

"See, I told you...! Its almost there!" Hidan grumbled, reluctant to let his opponents live. Kakuzu was the same way; he wasn't willing to let a bounty like Asuma go. However, orders had to be followed. "Knock it off, Hidan!" Kakuzu said that as he leapt next to the Jashinist. "Tsk..." "We'll be back eventually... until then... you maggots, be prepared!" Kakuzu knelt down and picked up Hidan's headband before turning to face him.

"Let's go... Hidan." Hidan groaned as he rested his scythe on his shoulder. "Damn that pigheaded leader... I'll curse him the next time!" Asuma coughed blood, and with his team gathered around him, they all looked concerned. "Sensei!" "Asuma-sensei!" "Ino, Choji! Hurry up and get Asuma out of here! Now!" ...Hidan let out a sneer. "I'm telling you! Stay still until we get back! He's moments away to his fucking deathbed... that weakling!"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth and scowled spitefully at the undead duo. "Later, losers!" ...Just then, a red shockwave swept through everything... and the presence of a certain someone was visible right before the Akatsuki duo could smoke themselves out of sight. In a black jacket with the front exposed, a young man. And on his left arm... he had a headband...

A Hidden Leaf Village headband!

"That red hair...!" Ino somehow felt at ease as she muttered this. Shikamaru... Choji... Ino... Kotetsu... Izumo... Aoba... Raido — everyone had their mouths agape, their eyes widening as they marvelled at the newcomer on the scene. The redhead entrant glanced at the people atop the roof, his beautiful blue eyes flickering...

...Much more intensely as he stared at the blonde holding onto a...

Near-lifeless Asuma in her arms.