In the forest, Kakuzu and Kamihane stood facing each other. A gentle breeze blew, creating an illusion of tranquility, yet the air was thick with an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Hmph, it seems a few rats have sneaked in." Kakuzu cast a sidelong glance toward the trees, letting out a low, cold chuckle.
At these words, the three little figures in the bushes hastily covered their mouths, holding their breath and not daring to move a muscle, only their eyes darting about nervously.
Kamihane stood with his hands behind his back, his black hair fluttering lightly in the wind. 'You said it yourself—they're just rats. No need to pay them any mind. They won't be able to leave the barrier anyway.'
Nian's eyes widened. Though the man's face was covered with a black cloth, he still felt an eerie sensation of being watched by some unseen gaze.
Kakuzu raised his hand. 'Heh, so you're saying even if these brats get caught in the crossfire and blown to bits, you wouldn't care at all.'
"Just some brat from Konoha, what does that have to do with me?" Kamihane tilted his head slightly. "Besides... I don't think you're capable of that."
"What?" Kakuzu's eyes widened, his emerald pupils gleaming dangerously. "What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is..." Kamihane raised a single finger, his finely sculpted lips curling into a smirk. "You're pathetically weak."
Suddenly, the ground behind Kamihane burst open as a blurred fist shot toward his back like lightning.
This was a detached iron fist, connected at the wrist by several unusually resilient black threads, like a rapidly fired cannon, its immense force capable of piercing through steel plates!
Yet, a seemingly weightless palm caught the fist as if foreseeing its path. With a gentle sway of the breeze, all momentum instantly dissipated to nothing.
'Attacking from a blind spot—a fine tactic…' Kamihane remarked. 'But you seem to have chosen the wrong target. I did tell you when we first met—I'm a sensory ninja…'
Before he could finish speaking, another fist shot toward him, only to be caught once more by Kamihane's uncannily precise hand.
Kakuzu didn't hesitate. Opening his mouth, he unleashed a vast sea of flames that reduced everything before him to ashes, instantly raising the air temperature to thousands of degrees.
A leisurely voice drifted from behind. Startled, the hairs on Kakuzu's neck stood on end as his right arm whipped around like a whip, smashing a large tree in half.
A phantom blur flashed as Kamihane leaped into midair unnoticed, slowly forming a gun gesture with his hand while hanging upside down.
"Such incredible speed!" Kakuzu finally felt the pressure and hastily withdrew his hands to form seals.
But it seemed Kamihane was just a fraction faster.
"Water Release: Water Gun."
Kamihane's lips curled upward as the air at his fingertips suddenly grew moist, and a bullet-like water droplet shot forth!
"Bang!"
The sound of heavy objects colliding echoed as the water droplet shattered into sparkling mist against Kakuzu's palm, which had turned completely black and was slightly pushed back by the tremendous force.
Kakuzu's expression turned grave. Had he not hardened his palm in time with the 'Earth Spear' technique, he would have been pierced through!
"Oh, earth counters water? Then how about... Lightning Release?"
The moment Kamihane landed, he completed his hand seals, raising one hand high. "Lightning Release: False Darkness."
Blinding flashes of lightning illuminated the forest, accompanied by thunderous explosions as two spears entirely composed of crackling electricity shot through the air.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" Kakuzu hastily crossed his arms, arcs of electricity swirling around his palms as an identical lightning spear materialized before him, colliding with Kamihane's attack!
"Boom!"
Lightning flashed and thunder roared, the surrounding trees charred black by the strikes, yet the patch of grass where the three little ones lay remained unharmed.
"Fire Style: Majestic Demolisher!"
Before Kakuzu could catch his breath, a meteor-like fireball illuminated the forest, trailing long flames as it hurtled toward him!
"What the—could this kid also be a ninja who masters all five chakra natures?!"
Kakuzu was somewhat flustered, mainly because Kamihane's ninjutsu sequences were too fast, almost dizzying.
"Water Release: Water Pillar!" Guided by the principle of elemental advantage, he swiftly performed the water technique, spewing forth a powerful water cannon to suppress the attack. The water curtain unfurled like a waterfall, enveloping the fireball and causing visible violent boiling that generated massive amounts of steam.
"As expected of the top-ranked man on the Bounty Alliance leaderboard... His ninjutsu alone is already on par with mine..."
A cold sweat trickled down Kakuzu's temple as his mind raced.
"He's a sensor-type ninja. This steam will obstruct my vision—I must create a battlefield environment advantageous to myself!"
"His ninjutsu skills far surpass mine, so I'll fight him with taijutsu!"
"Since that's the case, we can't let him take control of the rhythm. We must suppress the situation as soon as possible!"
He immediately formed hand seals, took a deep breath, and violently exhaled, 'Wind Release: Pressure Damage!'
The air wailed as a high-pressure wind sphere surged forth, vaporizing nearly all moisture in an instant. The gale twisted into a vortex, sending crisp snapping sounds through entire swathes of trees as even the topsoil was torn apart!
Seizing the opportunity, Kakuzu merged a Fire Release technique into the hurricane winds. Fanned by the gale, the flames dyed everything before him crimson, finally buying him a brief moment of respite.
He immediately removed his mask and tore off his upper garment, revealing a muscular torso crisscrossed with surgical stitches, then clapped his hands together.
"Forbidden Art: Earth Grudge Mode!"
For children who hadn't even graduated yet, this was an utterly terrifying sight.
Kakuzu opened his mouth as the sutures on both sides began splitting apart, while his chest simultaneously started to fracture. Countless black threads emerged from crevices all over his body, gradually forming two grotesquely shaped white masks upon his shoulders.
"Screech—"
The black threads grew with the wind, slowly converging into eight massive tentacle-like strands. In mere moments, he transformed from a human into a three-headed monstrosity woven from darkness!
Hidden in the distant grass, Nian stood petrified, desperately clamping a hand over his mouth. He feared that even the slightest sound might alert the creature—and cost him his two dearest friends.
The flames dissipated, the howling winds fell silent, yet Kamihane remained standing there completely unscathed.
The residual heat still lingered in the air. Through the shimmering distortion, a smooth, translucent water membrane could be seen enveloping his body. Unfazed by raging flames, he emerged pristine, even adorned with a faint halo of rainbow light.
Kamihane stood with his hands behind his back when suddenly a blurry afterimage materialized before him. The accompanying gust of wind sent his long hair cascading wildly, the black satin ribbon fluttering along.
Kakuzu swung his fist toward Kamihane, having hardened his entire arm with the 'Earth Spear' technique to maximize its impact!
Unfortunately, his knuckles met no solid resistance. With just a light tap on the back of Kakuzu's hand, Kamihane effortlessly diverted the trajectory of the entire arm.
Kakuzu's eyes burned with murderous intent as the black tendrils from his back erupted like machine gun fire!
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