At that moment, the battle between the Konoha ninja and the Kakuzu-Hidan duo had reached a fever pitch. Hidan had been captured alive thanks to Shikamaru's planning, leaving only the Kage-level shinobi, Kakuzu.
And Konoha's reinforcements had arrived.
Sasuke stared at Kakuzu, his expression unreadable, lightning crackling in his hand. "So you're a member of the Akatsuki?"
"Leave this one to me," Sasuke said coldly. Behind him, Sakura and the others tactfully retreated.
"You're pretty confident for a brat. You must be Itachi's little brother," Kakuzu said with contempt.
"Itachi?!" Sasuke's eyes sharpened. He unleashed an astonishing burst of power from his legs and appeared in front of Kakuzu in an instant. Before the shocked Akatsuki member could react, a fist smashed into his face, sending him flying back at least twenty meters.
"You and that man are both members of the Akatsuki, right?"
"Congratulations. You're about to experience a fate worse than death."
Sasuke's voice was firm and resolute. Everyone present was stunned by his speed and power.
"How is that possible? A mere brat sent me flying! You bastard! Unforgivable!" Kakuzu roared in fury from where he had landed in the forest. The next moment, he shot back toward Sasuke at high speed.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear!"
Kakuzu's arm hardened into the shape of a spear and thrust viciously at Sasuke.
"Too slow! Far too slow!" Sasuke roared, his entire body erupting in a shroud of endless lightning. His figure flickered, leaving a piercing sonic boom in his wake as his lightning-wreathed fist unleashed a flurry of blows, striking the left side of Kakuzu's face as he watched in rage.
Kakuzu was both shocked and furious. Shocked that a boy so young could possess such terrifying speed, and furious that a low-level ninja like this dared to attack him.
"Secret Jutsu: Earth Grudge Fear."
Kakuzu sneered as his hair transformed into a dense mass of black threads that spread out around him. From the ground before him, arms made of the same black threads shot out. In a mere instant, the thread-arms had completely entangled Sasuke's limbs. Two grotesque masks appeared above Kakuzu's body.
"Uchiha Sasuke. Your strength is impressive. A pity. I've killed far too many geniuses," Kakuzu said, his eyes boiling with killing intent.
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage."
The Wind Style mask of the Earth Grudge Fear spat out a high-pressure ball of wind powerful enough to sweep away anything in its path. It enveloped Sasuke, forming a massive vortex that tore at the very earth. Rocks and soil flew as the gale raged. A normal ninja would be severely wounded, if not killed, by taking the full force of such a jutsu.
"The Uchiha are too arrogant. Die in your pride," Kakuzu said coldly, lowering his hands. A flicker of annoyance crossed his mind. If Uchiha Itachi found out he had killed his precious little brother, it would surely cause a lot of trouble. Itachi was no ordinary ninja; even he had to be wary of those Mangekyo eyes.
Just then, Kakuzu sensed something was wrong. The Konoha ninja were far too calm about Sasuke's apparent death.
Boom! A violent burst of lightning suddenly erupted, shattering the windstorm. To Kakuzu's astonishment, a bolt of lightning shot into the sky, and the once-clear day was instantly filled with dark clouds.
Sasuke's indifferent voice echoed from within the lightning. "Is this the extent of your power? How disappointing."
"Lightning Style: Kirin."
A torrent of lightning descended from the heavens, completely engulfing the area where Kakuzu stood. The blinding light churned, blasting the earth and instantly turning the green grass to ash with its searing heat.
When the light faded, a battered Kakuzu was revealed. His body was covered in scorch marks, his clothes in tatters.
"How can a teenage brat have such a terrifying amount of chakra?" Kakuzu's eyes were filled with fear, and the thought of retreat had already entered his mind. He had lost one of his hearts in that last exchange.
Sasuke gave him no time to react, closing the distance once more.
"Damn you, brat!" Kakuzu used his Earth Grudge Fear again, sending a thick web of chakra threads snaking toward Sasuke.
"Hmph. Ninja Art: Needle Jizo," Sasuke's hair hardened, blocking the encroaching threads. "Striking Shadow Snakes." Countless venomous snakes shot from his hand, biting through the remaining threads.
"Raikiri." A storm of lightning gathered in his right hand as he pierced straight through Kakuzu's heart.
The series of ninjutsu was executed with flawless, fluid motion.
"So strong! How did Sasuke get so strong?!" The Konoha ninja watching from the sidelines were all in shock.
"The Akatsuki... is nothing special," Sasuke snorted, pulling his arm back with a spray of blood. The air was thick with the smell of burning flesh. A Kage-level shinobi from the Akatsuki had seemingly been killed with ease.
However, just as Sasuke turned away, Kakuzu's body suddenly shot up.
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine."
One of the Fire Style masks spewed a massive wave of flames that spread like a tidal wave upon hitting the ground, engulfing Sasuke.
"You're too naive, young man," Kakuzu laughed maniacally, filled with the joy of a survivor.
"Fire Style can't kill people," Sasuke's calm voice echoed from within the flames.
The fire dissipated, revealing an unharmed Sasuke and the spectral form of his Susanoo behind him. A pair of Mangekyo Sharingan slowly spun in his eyes.
"Those eyes are..." Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief. They were the same as Itachi's—the eyes of the cursed. Why does Sasuke have those eyes?
An endless sense of panic rose in Kakuzu's heart. He turned to run without a second's hesitation.
But Sasuke dismissed his Susanoo, his body crackling with violent lightning, his black, spiky hair standing on end as he closed the distance with incredible speed.
Boom! With a massive explosion, Kakuzu was blasted into the sky. Sasuke's figure became a blur of lightning, flashing continuously through the air as Kakuzu's body was rocked by a series of crackling explosions, bouncing between the impacts. His few remaining hearts shattered under the relentless assault.
"Damn it! I can't die!"
"I can't die!!!"
With a final, piercing scream, Kakuzu's last heart was destroyed. His body, trailing black smoke, slowly fell to the ground, silent. A monster who had lived for nearly a century had met his end.
"He's really strong," the Konoha ninja said, dumbfounded.
"No. Compared to Naruto, I'm still far too weak," Sasuke muttered to himself, his face grim.
"Uchiha Sasuke, the Akatsuki are attacking the Kazekage, Gaara, in Sunagakure. The Hokage has ordered you to proceed to the Hidden Sand immediately as reinforcements," an intelligence ninja suddenly appeared, his voice urgent.
"What in the world is the Akatsuki trying to do?" Sasuke and the others frowned. Could all their members be Kage-level? They were stirring up trouble everywhere, not only provoking Konoha but also the Hidden Sand. What kind of confidence did they have?
"We're heading out immediately," Sasuke and the others said, departing without delay. Sunagakure was a relatively reliable ally. If they were under attack, Konoha had to respond.
"There are four ninja attacking the Hidden Sand this time. One of them is..." the intelligence ninja glanced at Sasuke. "Uchiha Itachi."
"Itachi!" Sasuke's eyes sharpened, and lightning crackled around his legs. "I'm going on ahead."
Hearing that name, he could no longer remain calm. He had to find Itachi and demand the truth he had been hiding.
Sunagakure.
The Village Hidden in the Sand, nestled amidst the endless desert, was in an uproar. The two Kage-level shinobi who had been repelled before had reappeared. The current Kazekage, Gaara, immediately appeared, manipulating the sand.
"Where is that brat?!" Deidara cackled, standing on his flying clay bird. He and Sasori had been forced to flee last time, but now they were back with confidence. To be honest, their previous defeat wasn't because they couldn't beat Shukaku; they just hadn't used their trump cards. If they had gone all out, the outcome would have been uncertain. Now, with Kisame and Itachi as backup, they had nothing to worry about.
Gaara was lifted into the air by a pillar of sand, facing Deidara.
"Kid, I'm not interested in you. Where's the other brat?" Deidara asked, picking his ear with a malicious look.
"The Fourth Kazekage, Gaara, is also the One-Tail Jinchuriki. He is our target," Sasori said flatly from below.
"I don't care who the target is! Right now, I just want a good fight with that kid! I'm going to show him the art of the explosion!!"
"I'm sorry, but your opponent is me," Gaara said, his calm eyes sweeping over the four Akatsuki members. He felt a sense of urgency. Fortunately, a request for help had already been sent, and he believed Konoha's reinforcements would arrive soon. Of course, he had also secretly sent a request for help to the Seireitei.
Four Akatsuki members, all seemingly of equal status, which meant four Kage-level shinobi. It seemed this organization was even more dangerous than he had thought.
Gaara's expression was grave as he manipulated all the sand at his command.
"So the brat isn't here?" Deidara said, looking disappointed. "Then let's just take the One-Tail Jinchuriki first."
Boom, boom, boom! Countless clay bombs shot toward Gaara, exploding in mid-air with a deafening roar. Gaara manipulated a massive wall of sand to defend himself while simultaneously altering the terrain. However, Deidara had the advantage of the sky, and for a time, the battle was a stalemate.
"What a troublesome guy. Just finish him off already," Sasori yelled to Deidara from a safe distance.
"Itachi-san, should we make a move?" Kisame asked. As a Water Style user, it was difficult for him to use his full power in a desert environment.
Itachi remained expressionless, his Mangekyo Sharingan quietly observing Gaara and Deidara in the sky. After a moment, he replied, "Let them play for a while longer."
He knew that news of the attack on Sunagakure would have already reached Konoha, and the Leaf would organize a rescue mission. Perhaps he would be able to see his long-awaited little brother. He had heard that Sasuke had become the student of the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. He wondered if he had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan yet.
A look of anticipation flickered in Itachi's eyes.