Naruto’s inaugural installment presented Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki as an intimidatingly powerful duo of rogue ninjas who were strong enough to match the skill sets of the Hidden Leaf Jonin, even surpassing them. It was clear that the Akatsuki was a formidable force that would drastically reshape the world of Naruto. Fans were given the assurance that certain members of the group would make good on this promise – Itachi and Pain were two such examples. However, the development of their respective abilities was hindered by the inclusion and subsequent elimination of the Immortal Duo.
Kakuzu and Hidan were not weak in comparison to what fans were expecting, though it is certainly the opinion that Hidan was a one-trick pony. They made a powerful entrance when they defeated the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki, and then faced Asuma Sarutobi’s Akatsuki hunting squad, comprised of Asuma, Shikamaru Nara, Kotetsu Hagane, and Izumo Kamizuki. In a surprising twist, the Akatsuki took down Asuma, who was viewed as a formidable shinobi, and were ready to fight off the Hidden Leaf’s reinforcements until they were eventually forced to retreat by Pain. This made the admiration for Akatsuki swell to its highest point.
How the Akatsuki were portrayed as being unqualified
Prior to the appearance of the Immortal Duo, Deidara, and Sasori had their opportunity to shine. Although Sasori was defeated by Sakura Haruno and Chiyo, it appears that he allowed himself to be struck by the fatal blow in order to keep the threat level of the Akatsuki under control. However, the performance of Kakuzu and Hidan during their second battle with the Hidden Leaf, which was now headed by Kakashi, put the power of the villains in danger. Kakuzu may have demonstrated his skill against multiple opponents, sustaining his formidable reputation, but this was challenged when Naruto Uzumaki arrived after days of training and made a heroic entrance.
Naruto’s ruse may have worked due to Kakuzu’s underestimation of the young ninja, but it was rather uncharacteristic of someone with his supposed combat experience to not anticipate the trick or have a contingency plan in place. Meanwhile, Shikamaru’s extraordinary reflexes allowed him to quickly dodge Hidan’s attack, but given the assassin’s many killings, he should have been able to detect the difference between air and flesh, and thus avoid the near miss. His erratic nature does not excuse his miscalculation; after all, Hidan was a killer who was well aware of the sensation of cutting down his enemies.
What Kakuzu and Hidan ought to have done
It may have been possible to cause more fear of the Akatsuki beyond Asuma’s death without damaging their reputation. Keeping Deidara, Kisame, and Itachi alive for a longer period of time would have allowed Shikamaru and Team 10 to experience their growth and avenge their teacher without having to overpower them. This would have also enabled Shikamaru to demonstrate his development, as he is one of the secondary characters after Naruto in the series.
It would have been more consistent with Shikamaru’s character if he outsmarted Hidan in order to bring the arc to a close, rather than relying on his speed to pour a vial of blood onto the moving scythe. This would demonstrate that intelligence can triumph over brute force. Shikamaru pulled off the plan successfully, but it necessitated that he be able to open the vial of blood and pour it onto Hidan’s swinging blade quickly enough, as well as the latter not becoming aware of the sensation of his blade slicing through skin.
Kakuzu and Hidan were far from being feeble ninjas, and the story arc was undeniably entertaining. Nevertheless, their strange loss at the conclusion made the Akatsuki seem somewhat inefficient in their capacities. Examining the later displays of the Akatsuki, it is difficult to think that similar tactics would have been successful on Kisame, Pain, Itachi, or even Deidara; however, the Immortal Duo had the unfortunate role of hyping up Naruto’s new jutsu, which only served to lessen their expertise and allow Shikamaru to bask in the spotlight.
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