The next day, in the Land of Waterfalls.
Kazuyama Gekkō had already gathered his team and was preparing for the journey back.
At the gates of Takigakure, Bobosai and Yahiko came to see them off.
Seeing the village chief personally come to the gate, Kazuyama was a bit surprised.
Bobosai watched Kazuyama and his team disappear into the distance before turning to Yahiko.
"Tell Konan and the others to stay alert on their way to Konoha. Once the Chūnin Exams are over, our people shouldn't leave the village anymore. Recall all the ninjas currently out on missions."
Yahiko frowned slightly, not fully grasping what he meant.
Noticing this, Bobosai gave him an explanation. After hearing him out, Yahiko nodded.
Bobosai let out a quiet sigh, his tone laced with melancholy.
"Another war is about to begin..."
Right after he said that, Bobosai's expression suddenly changed as he sharply turned to look in a certain direction.
Yahiko was confused by the sudden shift and asked,
"Lord Bobosai, what is it?"
"It's nothing... maybe I just sensed it wrong."
"Yahiko, come with me. Something feels off."
Bobosai was a ninja skilled in Wind Release, with an acute sense of air currents.
Just now, he had clearly felt something, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't see anything unusual, which left him uneasy.
Thinking of Kazuyama and the others who had just left, he decided to check things out personally.
...
Not far from Takigakure, Kazuyama suddenly came to a halt.
He exchanged a glance with Pakura, and both of them caught a glimmer of caution in each other's eyes.
"Scatter!"
His sharp command rang out.
Without hesitation, Kakashi and the others split off in different directions.
Just then, a ball of fire exploded at the spot where they'd just been standing.
Boom!
The explosion blasted a large crater into the ground.
"Hmph, couldn't even wait, huh?"
Kazuyama turned his gaze toward the source of the flames.
There stood a man—the one who had launched the fire attack.
But as Kazuyama got a clear look at the man's face, he froze—and even Chōmei inside him went still.
"Damn, Kazuyama! I told you not to impersonate him! Now look, he's come knocking!"
"But seriously, that guy is hideous. I thought maybe you'd messed up the transformation."
The man was none other than the mercenary, Kakuzu.
"One, two... fifty million... hehehe..."
"Little rats from Konoha—are you going to let me kill you quietly, or do you plan to struggle?"
Kakuzu's voice was deep, but there was a touch of glee in it. It was clear he saw Kazuyama's team as nothing more than stacks of cash.
Kazuyama looked at Kakuzu with disdain.
Pakura and Kakashi, along with the others, regrouped at his side.
"So, they're actually hiring mercenaries now? Only Iwagakure would stoop to this. Do they really need to be this cautious?"
"What a bunch of cowards."
"Attack!"
At his command, Obito struck first.
Unleashing the Great Fireball Technique, a massive fireball roared straight at Kakuzu.
Boom!
Another explosion rang out.
Kakuzu dodged with ease, but in the next instant, a cold gleam of steel lunged straight for his vitals.
Since the war, Kakashi's swordsmanship had come a long way.
With the added effect of lightning-forged conditioning, his speed had increased dramatically.
His Hatake short sword had been reforged with the finest metal, perfectly tailored to complement his blade techniques.
This combination of speed and technique was something most enemies couldn't handle.
Unfortunately, his opponent was anything but ordinary.
This was someone even the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, remembered vividly.
In an instant, Kakuzu's skin turned pitch black.
"Clang!"
The sharp clash of metal rang out, sparks flying in every direction.
"Hmph, not bad, kid. But too bad you ran into me."
With a burst of strength, Kakuzu threw Kakashi off with sheer force.
"Tch!"
"Kakashi, get clear!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
At the warning, Kakashi leapt away in a flash, and a barrage of fireballs followed up the attack in his place.
The first wave of offense ended, and both Kakashi and Obito retreated.
When the flames cleared, Kakuzu stood there unharmed, though his clothes were completely burned away, revealing his body underneath.
Everyone except Kazuyama was stunned by what they saw—Kakuzu's entire body was covered in thick black stitches, making him look truly terrifying.
"Pakura, get them out of here. Leave the rest of the fight to me."
Kazuyama rolled his shoulders and was about to step forward, but Pakura moved ahead of him before he could react.
"Hey, hey, hey? Pakura—"
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
Several fireballs shot into the sky, and the surrounding temperature surged dramatically.
With both arms raised, Pakura launched the searing orbs at high speed toward Kakuzu.
"Oh? A Kekkei Genkai..."
"I underestimated you."
"But that little flame won't cut it."
Kakuzu clenched his fists, and countless black threads exploded out from his body.
Kazuyama felt a chill crawl up his spine at the sight. If Orochimaru made his skin crawl with disgust, then Kakuzu evoked pure aversion.
And that aversion came from his technique—Takigakure's forbidden jutsu: Earth Grudge Fear. The way those black threads burst from him in swarms was just grotesque.
Pakura's expression twisted with discomfort too. Clearly, the black tendrils repulsed her.
"A monster, huh..."
Her Scorch Release fireballs closed in on Kakuzu.
"Just a bit of flame..."
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Suddenly, a black creature wearing a blue mask shot out of Kakuzu's body. As it emerged, the air instantly turned damp.
The masked beast opened its mouth, and surging torrents of water gathered inside before blasting out as a destructive torrent.
The stream of water snuffed out all of Pakura's fireballs and continued hurtling forward with unrelenting force.
"This technique's power and range—damn it."
Pakura's face changed. The attack had far exceeded her expectations in both power and area, easily engulfing their entire group.
"Crystal Release: Pyramid Head."
Knowing all too well what Kakuzu was capable of, Kazuyama quickly formed hand seals and activated a defensive jutsu.
A transparent crystal shield materialized in front of Pakura. Just before the water attack hit, a massive triangular structure was completed.
The crystal's incredible durability made it impervious to the rushing stream, and the pointed tip of the triangle pierced straight through Kakuzu's water blast, splitting it apart.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm your opponent here."
"Sewing thread old man."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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