"Then let's see what you're truly capable of."
Kakuzu remained expressionless, having already quietly activated a ninjutsu while he spoke.
Black tendrils erupted from the soil beneath Takeshi's feet.
Earth Grudge Fear.
These threads, condensed from chakra, possessed a piercing power far exceeding standard ninja tools. At this moment, utilized by Kakuzu in coordination with Earth Release for a sneak attack, the technique would be fatal if not detected instantly. But in the next second...
The black cat standing there began to fade.
An afterimage!
Clone Jutsu?
No, it was simply pure speed.
Kakuzu sensed a surge of killing intent from behind. He instantly formed hand seals, unleashing his Black Threads in a rearward assault. According to his calculations, his Earth Grudge Fear secret technique would be more than enough to withstand the opponent's attack, perhaps even counter it.
But reality was unforgiving.
The moment they made contact, he felt a massive force crashing down on him, followed by a biting cold.
Turning his head, he saw the cat had grown immense. His fur had turned a crystalline white, rippling with what looked like Frost Flame.
Kakuzu knew he was in trouble, but it was too late.
With a single swipe, the Black Threads were shredded like dry grass. Subsequently, the cat's tail swept across swiftly and ferociously, everything blocking its path turned into Ice Crystals upon contact before shattering completely.
*Boom!*
As the strike connected, even though Kakuzu had hardened his body with Earth Spear, he still suffered heavy injury.
The power was overwhelming.
Crucially, the black cat's attack was infused with dense frost energy. Even though he had blocked the physical impact, his hearts were still ravaged by the cold.
This was "chakra damage."
Another hit...
*Bang!* Kakuzu was sent flying.
He activated his Earth Grudge Fear secret art, using the Black Threads to alter his trajectory in mid-air, but he quickly realized such methods were futile.
The enemy was simply too fast.
In the face of absolute speed and power, strategy and combat experience were rendered meaningless, unless one possessed enough strength to actually execute those strategies.
Obviously, compared to Takeshi, Kakuzu was lacking.
Although his strength was formidable, it relied on his bizarre nature, his immortality, and his versatility. Against Takeshi, none of these mattered.
Switch ninjutsu types? Ice Release might be elementally countered, but solid attacks and monstrous strength were not so easily negated.
At least, Kakuzu didn't have the ability to do so yet.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
With a series of dull thuds, Kakuzu was kicked back and forth in the air like a rubber ball.
This time, Kakuzu panicked.
The greatest illusion in the world is the belief that one can turn the tables.
Back then, Madara thought he could turn the tables with the Nine Tails, but in the end, he failed miserably. Although he used "obtaining flesh" as an excuse to cover his loss, it couldn't hide the fact that he was defeated.
Kakuzu was the same.
He believed he could turn the tables because of his immortality. In reality, he was lagging behind reality, the opponent didn't care whether he was dead or not, he just kept beating him regardless.
Immortal?
'Even if you die, I'll still flog your corpse.'
Regardless of his abilities, none of them posed a threat to Takeshi. Being strong simply allowed the cat to do whatever he pleased.
Takeshi was fearless, continuing to pummel Kakuzu without pause.
During the assault, he had actually shattered two of Kakuzu's hearts, yet the rogue ninja had no way to counterattack. Kakuzu realized that if this were the animal kingdom, he would be a scurrying rat.
The rat thinks it isn't dead and still has a chance to struggle, but in reality...
No matter how much it runs, the outcome is the same.
A rat cannot outmatch a cat. There are only two endings: being played to death, or admitting defeat and being eaten.
Kakuzu gave up struggling.
"What do you want?"
"Meow. Hand over the money first."
Seeing that his opponent had finally submitted, Takeshi slapped him to the ground.
He didn't use Sage Art: Gate of the Great God.
It wasn't necessary. Kakuzu was different from Black Zetsu or Madara. Although this guy was immortal, he lacked the ability to resist. Even if he didn't die, it just meant beating him a few more times. Takeshi had already placed a Flying Thunder God Seal on him, no matter where Kakuzu ran, he could be dragged back.
In the distance, Kitsuchi witnessed this scene, feeling a deep resonance.
Although he didn't know who the opponent was, the way Kakuzu looked while getting beaten was exactly like his own father, Onoki, seemingly powerful and invincible, yet in front of Takeshi, forced to impotently smash ninjutsu into thin air.
It was the fury of the powerless.
But the question remained: who exactly was this guy?
A bounty hunter?
Kakuzu asked expressionlessly, "If I hand over the money, you won't kill me?"
"Meow~ Depends on my mood."
"..."
He didn't hide his intentions at all.
Too blunt, wasn't it? Kakuzu felt a distinct throb of frustration. On one hand, this black cat was disgusting, a total bastard. On the other hand, he had to admit the creature was incredibly strong. Based on the power displayed, escape was impossible.
He took a deep breath. "What do you mean?"
"You're still a missing-nin of Takigakure, right? If I hand you over to them, I should be able to exchange you for a large sum of money. Plus, your ninjutsu seems very interesting, it's one of the few presentable techniques to come out of Takigakure..."
Takeshi listed the points, acting almost as if he were appraising Kakuzu's market value.
This was something Kakuzu himself loved to do.
Now, the tables were turned.
He tasted the bitterness of the situation and understood clearly that the cat had no intention of letting him go. However, Kakuzu had no thoughts of repentance. Repentance and the like, he had experienced enough of that in this life.
He quietly formed hand seals, substituting his main body with a clone, while his true self used Earth Release to dive underground.
Kakuzu prepared to run.
But where could he escape to?
In an instant, Takeshi used the Flying Thunder God to warp to him. This time, he didn't intend to hold back.
After teleporting, Takeshi utilized Earth Release to pursue. Kakuzu tried to counterattack with his own Earth Release ninjutsu, but before his attack could connect, the surrounding soil had already transformed into solid Frozen Ice.
In a flash, Kakuzu found himself back in the air.
He floated helplessly alongside clumps of dirt as layer upon layer of wooden gates descended from above. Kakuzu had once had the "fortune" of witnessing this technique in the hands of the First Hokage.
It was called Sage Art: Gate of the Great God.
A powerful sealing technique, even Tailed Beasts appeared pale and powerless beneath it.
'So, that technique earlier was the Gate of the Great God.'
He sighed.
Soon, Kakuzu was fully suppressed. The treatment Takeshi provided was thorough, he even prepared a seal for the head to prevent Kakuzu from struggling too much and causing himself pain. He went quietly...
"I didn't expect a ninja from that era to have lived until now. Unfortunately, he had the bad luck of meeting the most notorious guy in Konohagakure."
Kitsuchi watched from a distance, silently offering a prayer for Kakuzu. Since Takeshi had mentioned Takigakure, Kitsuchi finally remembered who this man was. After all Kakuzu had highest bounty from that village.
It was said that Kakuzu had once fought Hashirama Senju.
For such a legendary ninja to be no match for Takeshi... Konohagakure was truly fortunate to have such support.
Watching the black cat fling the bundle over, Kitsuchi immediately used Earth Release to catch it.
Kakuzu was balled up by the Torii gates, unable to move an inch.
"For me?"
"Meow~ You wish. This is my Spoils of War, so of course it's mine. I'm just letting you carry it."
Takeshi glanced at him and replied grumpily.
He threw it to Kitsuchi simply because he didn't want to carry it himself.
Kakuzu refused to disclose the location of his money, but Konohagakure specialized in extracting intelligence. With the Yamanaka clan available, they would sooner or later dig the location of that fortune out of his head.
Additionally, Earth Grudge Fear was a valuable asset.
Takeshi had no use for it, but Orochimaru would likely be interested. He should be able to squeeze quite a bit out of the Snake Sannin for it.
The money was secondary, the main prizes were various supplies, ninja tools, and the like.
Kitsuchi felt a pang of envy.
However, turning his head to see the sealed Four-Tails Jinchuriki, he thought of a severe problem, how were they supposed to transport this guy?
"Takeshi-sama, do you know sealing jutsu?"
"Meow~ No. But I offer a sealing service. For a fee. Do you want it?"
Kitsuchi pulled out a signal flare.
===============
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