After losing one heart to Kakashi's backstab, Kakuzu was seething.
At first, he had only intended to make a little profit without investment.
Now?
He'd use their hearts to fill the vacancy.
Forming seals at lightning speed, Kakuzu activated Earth Grudge Fear.
Four black, mask-like creatures burst from his body and surrounded Kakashi and Kurenai.
Because one had already been destroyed during the earlier sneak attack, only four remained.
Seeing this, Kakashi and Kurenai quickly pieced together the truth.
Kakuzu himself survived a fatal strike—
Yet one of the black creatures had died instead.
If each creature represented a separate "life"…
Then didn't this enemy effectively have five lives?
Both of them grew solemn.
Five lives in one body?
No wonder Akatsuki made even Konoha wary.
Kakuzu didn't care that part of his ability had been exposed.
Understanding it was one thing.
Countering it was another.
Even if these two Jonin had grasped the basics of Earth Grudge Fear, defeating him would be another matter entirely.
He had roamed the ninja world for decades.
His strength had long reached Kage level.
Two Jonin?
Still lacking.
Kakuzu Strikes First
Seeing Kakashi and Kurenai hesitate, Kakuzu took the initiative.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
A violent storm tore across the battlefield.
It was a wide-area attack—indiscriminate.
Might Guy, the nameless blade-wielding partner, and even Akihito in the distance were all caught in it.
Kakashi and Kurenai reacted instantly, taking cover behind massive trees.
Though no one suffered direct injury, the sheer force of Kakuzu's Wind Release chakra stunned everyone present.
The blade-wielding Akatsuki member roared at Kakuzu,
"You didn't even warn me before using a wide-range jutsu?!"
"Are you trying to kill me too?!"
Kakuzu shrugged.
"Stop whining."
"Just dodge."
Before the man could argue further, Guy attacked again.
"Don't lose focus!"
"Your opponent is me!"
The nunchaku whistled through the air.
He had no choice but to fight.
Fire and Lightning
Kakuzu sneered toward Kakashi and Kurenai's hiding place.
"You think hiding will save you?"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
The winds died down—
Only for raging flames to engulf the battlefield.
The trees shielding Kakashi and Kurenai were instantly reduced to ash.
The two barely escaped, charred and disheveled.
Before they could recover, thunderclouds gathered overhead.
Another jutsu.
Their expressions changed.
Earth. Wind. Fire.
Now Lightning.
Four chakra natures revealed—and this might not even be the limit.
Ordinary ninja had one nature.
Two were rare talents.
Three or more?
Extremely uncommon.
Five?
Only Hiruzen Sarutobi and his father were known to possess all five.
Kakuzu had already demonstrated four.
And his strength clearly stood near the peak of the ninja world.
Lightning snakes filled the sky.
Oppressive pressure suffocated the battlefield.
Only Akihito remained calm.
Strong?
Yes.
But not enough to trouble him.
He was confident Kakashi and Kurenai could handle this.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
At the critical moment, Kakashi made a snap decision.
"Red—cover me!"
She understood immediately.
"Genjutsu: Falling Cherry Blossoms!"
The hypnotic illusion slowed Kakuzu for an instant.
That instant was enough.
Kakashi gathered lightning into both palms.
"Raikiri: Twin Piercing Light!"
Lightning clashed against lightning.
Though forced backward, Kakashi barely neutralized the attack.
Kakuzu raised a brow.
"Oh?"
"Still alive?"
"You canceled it with the same nature chakra?"
He saw clearly—Kakashi's chakra reserves had dropped sharply.
Kurenai's genjutsu was impressive, but lacked killing power.
They were at a disadvantage.
"Give up."
"You two are no match for me."
He refrained from pressing the attack—not out of mercy.
But because of Akihito.
That young man had seen through his fake death instantly.
And had remained calm throughout.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
But Kakashi and Kurenai refused to yield.
"If we killed you once—"
"We can kill you again."
Kakuzu's eyes darkened.
"Insolent."
"Your battle experience is laughable."
"When I see your headbands…"
"I remember the first Konoha ninja I ever fought."
"The First Hokage. Senju Hashirama."
Bluffing the First Hokage
Kurenai was shocked.
Hashirama had lived over sixty years ago.
How old was this man?
Kakashi's heart churned.
The God of Shinobi?
Did this man truly fight him and survive?
Akihito almost laughed.
Kakuzu pulling out that story again.
There was no "even match."
If Hashirama had wanted him dead, Kakuzu would've been fertilizer.
Even Eternal Mangekyō Madara with the Nine-Tails had been pressed into the dirt.
Kakuzu wasn't dancing on that stage.
The problem?
Hashirama's true strength wasn't well understood by the younger generation.
After Hashirama and Madara passed, the era shifted.
Legends faded.
New names rose.
"Hanzō the Salamander."
"Hiruzen the Professor."
The Third Kazekage."
Their fame overshadowed the previous age.
Most current Konoha ninja knew only that Hashirama used Wood Release to end the Warring States Period.
They didn't comprehend how monstrous he truly was.
So Kakuzu's intimidation fell flat.
Brief shock passed—
And Kakashi and Kurenai attacked again.
"No matter what you say—"
"You're not escaping today."
Kakuzu faltered for a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
"Genjutsu: Triple Cherry Blossom!"
"Raikiri—Kunai!"
Forced into defense, Kakuzu used:
"Water Release: Water Curtain!"
While blocking, his vision was obscured—
And Kakashi abruptly shifted targets.
"Earth Release: Piercing Fang!"
"Raikiri!"
The lightning mask creature didn't react in time.
Crack—
Another core destroyed.
Another heart lost.
"Damn it!"
Two hearts gone in one battle?
Humiliating.
Rage surged.
He fused the remaining masks back into himself.
Black threads covered his body.
He transformed into a grotesque figure.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
Fire enhanced by wind—
The flames intensified drastically.
Kakashi and Kurenai countered:
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
But wind-boosted fire overwhelmed it.
They retreated again.
The battlefield became an inferno.
Akihito stood within the flames unbothered.
They called him the Flame Oni of Konoha.
If Fire Release could harm him—
That would be strange.
Grinding Experience
Kakuzu's transformation greatly increased his power.
Earlier, it had been even.
Now, Kakashi and Kurenai were clearly suppressed.
Still—
Akihito did not move.
Hard battles forged growth.
They wouldn't lose quickly.
Kakuzu, furious, unleashed jutsu relentlessly.
Kakashi and Kurenai weren't weak.
One was Konoha's top non-bloodline genjutsu specialist.
The other, the famed Copy Ninja.
Their disadvantage lay in experience.
Kakuzu was a veteran of countless wars.
They were still sharpening.
Given time—
They would close that gap.
Elsewhere—
Guy and the blade-wielder remained locked in stalemate.
Guy had the edge in taijutsu.
The other compensated with ninjutsu.
Blow after blow.
No winner.
The Akatsuki partner was growing frustrated.
This was supposed to be easy money.
Instead—
They had picked a fight with Konoha Jonin.
And now Kakuzu was stuck in a prolonged battle.
Across from him, the green-suited "watermelon head" was relentless.
Guy grew more excited with each exchange.
"Ahhh! Fight! Fight!"
His nunchaku danced like a storm.
The man's arms trembled under the strain.
This couldn't continue.
He had to end it quickly.
And anxiety began to creep in.
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