The First Hokage…
Kakuzu was in a daze, almost thinking that the person before him was the resurrected First Hokage of yesteryear. This was the most terrifying enemy he had ever met in his life, apart from the First Hokage!
Four masks instantly flew onto his shoulders, merging with his main body. Then, one by one, the threads turned into fists…
Swish!
Two fists flew over, and from within them, one thread after another flew out, instantly binding Ryoho Kyohiko's body.
However, the next second—Crack!
A muffled clap of thunder. Instantly, crisscrossing lightning crawled all over Kyohiko's body. Lightning Release Armor!
Then, a huge force came from that direction. So… so strong! How is that possible!
Kakuzu couldn't stop at all. He used his threads to continuously entangle the surroundings, but it was of no use. He had no choice but to immediately sever the threads. However, the moment he flew into the air. Swish! A bolt of lightning, like a beam of light, appeared in the rain curtain in front.
Boom!
A hand-knife chop. Under the enhancement of Sage Art and the Strength of a Hundred Healings, the lightning exploded, turning into a blade that cut through everything.
Hell Stab: Four-Fingered Thrust!
Although it had not reached the Grandmaster level, this blow was more than enough to deal with Kakuzu. The moment Kakuzu saw Kyohiko appear in front, it was already too late to dodge. He could only use his threads to protect himself layer by layer. At the same time…
Earth Style: Earth Spear!
He used all his defensive ninjutsu, just to block this one slash. But in the blink of an eye, a sharp pain shot through Kakuzu's heart—a blazing white light, like a knife, cut through everything and pierced directly into his heart. He looked down in disbelief, only to see that the "earth-attribute" heart on his body had shattered!
Kakuzu's last bit of strength and chakra was used to break free, to avoid being directly grabbed by Kyohiko. The moment he broke free, one of the masks shattered, replacing the current heart. He was not given much time to think. Kyohiko took a step, and dozens of amber stones were thrown from his hand. Each amber stone contained a Flying Thunder God pattern, which could be used as a coordinate for his Flying Thunder God.
Kakuzu did not sit and wait for death. He realized that the enemy before him was extremely terrifying. Instantly, all the threads erupted outwards. From his shoulders, flames and a hurricane blew out at the same time. Combination Ninjutsu: Searing Wind Savage Wave! A storm of fire rolled towards the surroundings, turning the area around him into an "ocean" of fire and fierce wind.
Kakuzu's attack was not aimed at killing Kyohiko, but… self-preservation and escape!
However, above! All of Kakuzu's threads instantly condensed into the most powerful fist. All the threads solidified together, and chakra spread from the tentacles formed by the Earth Grudge Fear, blasting upwards.
Ryoho Kyohiko also threw a punch. But this blow had a little something extra added.
Sage Art: Superhuman Strength.
Bang!
The blasting chakra airflow directly shattered these threads into pieces.
Kakuzu had lost his Earth Style mask and had no ability to escape, so he had been moving towards the river, hoping to escape with the help of the river. However, the power of this blow was beyond his imagination! Among the shattered tentacles, Ryoho Kyohiko's figure arrived in an instant. No Flying Thunder God, just… the simplest Body Flicker Technique.
But in Sage Mode and with the Lightning Release Armor, even the simplest Body Flicker Technique was no slower than the Flying Thunder God. By the time Kakuzu reacted, Kyohiko was already beside him. The next second, his blade was unsheathed! A horizontal slash. The simplest slash, yet it directly cut open the rain curtain. Wind Release chakra condensed on it, turning into an invisible air blade.
One slash crossed—two masks shattered!
"You'll die with me!"
Watching the two masks shatter, Kakuzu roared. A fierce wind and flames erupted, all the chakra in his body condensing. These were the only two masks he had left! This was also his final, desperate blow.
Below, White Zetsu instantly dug a tunnel. But at this moment, a special chakra spread over. Not good! White Zetsu immediately wanted to run, but it was already too late—in the blink of an eye, the ground solidified into a single piece of amber!
"You think you can compare to the Shodaime-sama?"
The next moment, suddenly, a giant wooden human rose up from under Ryoho Kyohiko's feet, making him incomparably tall. Then, a hand pressed down from above.
Kakuzu looked at the sky, only one thought in his mind—Run! Run!!! Besides escaping, there was no other way to live.
However, under his feet, the amber had already firmly stuck and solidified his threads and White Zetsu together, and the amber was still increasing. The only way was… to resist!
Wind and fire attacked at the same time. The tentacles condensed, turning into a sharp spearhead. Kakuzu had exhausted all his strength. But above, one ninjutsu after another smashed onto his body. The wooden human, however, did not move at all, completely unaffected by his attacks. Under the enhancement of Sage Art, Kakuzu's attacks were like tickling to the wooden human.
If not for the purpose of capturing Kakuzu and White Zetsu alive, dealing with these two would actually be even simpler—a direct True Several Thousand Hands: Top Transformed Buddha, and a few masks wouldn't be enough to survive. But now, above, the giant hand of the wooden human pressed down, with countless amber growths on it.
Looking at the giant palm covering the sky, Kakuzu's eyes were filled with despair. No match! Completely no match!
Sage Art: Amber Encasement!
Under the enhancement of Sage Art and the Wood Human Technique, Kakuzu and White Zetsu were instantly sealed in the amber produced by the palm. Kakuzu and White Zetsu were captured alive together!
The wooden human collapsed. Ryoho Kyohiko grabbed the two human-shaped amber stones and looked at Kurosuki Raiga in the distance, temporarily having no intention of making a move.
In the distance, Kurosuki Raiga had initially aimed at Pakura. However, just as he was concentrating, his twin swords crossed, and a bolt of lightning was about to attack Pakura in front, when a sound of wind whistling came from behind. An enemy attack! He instantly tensed up. The next second, the lightning on his blades gathered on his body, changing from offense to defense.
Ninjutsu: Lightning Armor!
However, as he turned sideways, he saw a young man cloaked in lightning quickly charging at him. His speed was very fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of him.
Clang!
Blades collided. One blade was spitting a wind blade, while the other was blazing with lightning. The two blades collided, and Kurosuki Raiga was pushed back a step. But the next second, in his other hand, the blade gathered chakra, spitting out a ball of lightning.
Lightning Style: Thunderball!
The thunderball condensed at the tip of the blade and was slashed down extremely quickly. Kurosuki Raiga grinned, but saw that Kakashi's other sword was instantly unsheathed. Clang! The same Wind Style Kenjutsu. Wind counters lightning.
After the thunderball was split open, in an instant, the attribute of Kakashi's right hand changed, in the blink of an eye turning into a blazing flame. Then, the blades collided, wind and fire combined. Tch! A suddenly extended blade of fire almost tore Kurosuki Raiga's hand.
Both of them used twin swords and were good at Lightning Release and speed. The exchange of blows was very fast. In the space of a breath, they had exchanged more than a dozen blows. Each blow was a collision of chakra-infused swordsmanship.
Hatake Kakashi was very excited. Kurosuki Raiga was the first jonin he had met in recent years. Their styles were also very similar. A duel actually gave him the feeling of "meeting a worthy opponent." Such combat experience was very precious! But at this very moment, in the distance, Kyohiko had already taken down Kakuzu… So fast?
Kurosuki Raiga was horrified. Before, his opponent was only Pakura. Later, Hatake Kakashi was added. And now… another Ryoho Kyohiko! On the side, Pakura simply crossed her arms, with no intention of attacking. It seemed… without her, Kakashi could handle it alone. And Kyohiko's side wasn't in a hurry, so she was even less in a hurry.
Kurosuki Raiga gritted his teeth. Taking advantage of the moment Kakashi charged up, their blades collided, and he pushed off to retreat. And then—Crack! The dark clouds in the sky collided. Under the attraction of his blades, a bolt of lightning instantly erupted, striking towards Kakashi.
Lightning Style: Thunderbolt!
Pakura was immediately about to make a move. But the next second, she saw Kakashi sheathe his blades, and in the blink of an eye, he had already formed several seals. Then—Crackle! Rampaging lightning erupted in Kakashi's hand, condensing into a ball of silver-white electric light. His entire right palm was covered in lightning.
Just as the thunderbolt was about to strike down, his figure suddenly disappeared, and then his palm instantly slashed across the top of his head. The lightning… was absorbed into his palm. It was as if all the lightning had been absorbed by the lightning in the other's hand. What jutsu is this? Kurosuki Raiga was horrified. He quickly crossed his blades, taking a defensive stance.
However, the next second, Kakashi had already flickered in front of him. Gate of Opening, open! But the state of the Gate of Opening was not to increase speed, but to allow him to master the speed in a high-speed state. He himself had the enhancement of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and with the state of the "Gate of Opening," his speed was at its extreme at this instant.
The next second, just as a burst of lightning erupted from under Kurosuki Raiga's blades, Kakashi's figure flickered… and in an instant, appeared behind Kurosuki Raiga. Leaf Shadow Dance! But the difference was, the next second, his hand directly pressed on Kurosuki Raiga's heart. Lightning and water swirled chaotically inside, turning into a slurry of lightning. In an instant, his hand pierced through Kurosuki Raiga's chest.
"How…"
Kurosuki Raiga looked at his chest in astonishment. A hand had come through his chest.
"…is that possible?"
He couldn't believe it. A boy could actually burst out with such a fast speed in an instant and master such a powerful ninjutsu! Hatake Kakashi… he was filled with regret. If I had known, I would not have followed the Mizukage's orders and defected from the village!
The next moment, he fell forward. Kakashi immediately flickered back, panting slightly, a trace of fatigue in his eyes. This one blow was not easy for him. To block that thunderbolt, the chakra consumption had increased exponentially. And after opening the gate, there was an indescribable fatigue. This was the price of the Eight Gates Release. But the result was, he had killed Kurosuki Raiga!
"Phew!"
Hatake Kakashi let out a breath, his whole body trembling with excitement. The feeling of battle!
"See, I told you you could do it, didn't I?"
"…"
Hatake Kakashi looked up. Seeing the two human-shaped amber stones in Kyohiko's hand, he instantly fell silent. The opponent he had gone all out against was apparently not as strong as the one in Kyohiko's hand. And this guy seemed to have dealt with his enemy even faster than him.
Sigh!
Kakashi was slightly disappointed.
But he quickly adjusted. From a long time ago, Kakashi had never thought of being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kyohiko. His goal was to work hard to chase from behind. As long as he could slightly see Kyohiko's back, he was already very satisfied.
"Kakuzu…"
"Still alive."
As Ryoho Kyohiko spoke, he added another layer of seal to prevent the two from escaping—although this possibility was extremely small.
Pakura walked over and carefully looked at the one beside Kakuzu. She had a look of doubt.
"It's this kind of guy again. How many of them are there?"
"Not sure."
Ryoho Kyohiko paused for a moment, then said, "It's a low-quality clone of the First Hokage. Madara may have made many."
"A clone of the First Hokage?"
Pakura's eyes widened by several degrees, and then she had a sudden realization. "No wonder it also knows Wood Style. But its power is nowhere near comparable to the First Hokage."
"It's normal. It doesn't have the matching chakra and strength."
As Ryoho Kyohiko spoke, he formed hand seals. A barrier appeared. Then, Flying Thunder God Technique!
One White Zetsu, one Kakuzu, were all sent by him to the Anbu office. His wood clone was still there, sitting at his desk handling official business.
A look of envy flashed in Pakura's eyes. The Flying Thunder God. So convenient and powerful!
"This hunt is complete. Madara has two fewer people he can use. It's a pity the Jinchuriki couldn't be brought back."
Hatake Kakashi had recovered some of his strength and barely managed to support himself.
"Of course. Madara wouldn't let the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki wander around. And who knows, he might have already transferred the Seven-Tails to this special kind of clone."
Pakura glanced over, speaking her conjecture. Kakashi's strength had won her respect, so her attitude was also quite friendly.
Ryoho Kyohiko shook his head.
"This kind of clone does not have the ability to bear such strong chakra. It's most likely being controlled by Madara with his Sharingan and a summoning contract."
"He has done similar things before."
As Ryoho Kyohiko spoke, he recounted the story of what had happened to the Nine-Tails.
"Is this matter actually true?"
Pakura was slightly surprised.
Before, she had indeed heard about Konoha being attacked, but with Kyohiko guarding the village, she had always treated it as a joke—with Kyohiko in Konoha, how could they possibly be attacked? Who would be so blind as to dare to attack! As it turned out, there really was such a thing. And this matter was actually related to the Nine-Tails and Madara?
"Obito awakened his eyes at that time. I suspect it was a performance specially designed by Madara for him to awaken his eyes."
Ryoho Kyohiko answered.
Hatake Kakashi looked at Kyohiko. In this… actually, there was also the result of Kyohiko's indulgence. Otherwise, the Uchiha clan would never have been able to get close to the Nine-Tails clone. But compared to the result, it was already much better! Besides, the people who were sacrificed basically did not die in the Nine-Tails' rampage, but were killed in the chaos within the Uchiha. The number of people truly killed by the Nine-Tails clone was actually zero.
The result in exchange was—the internal problems of the Uchiha were resolved. The remaining people had completely sided with Konoha. For a short time, there would be no more betrayal. Pakura did not know the inside story. She was more thinking about Obito's Sharingan. A strange and terrifying spatial ability! Even she was a little helpless in the face of such an ability. She could only use her Scorch Release to affect the opponent as much as possible. Rasa was even more helpless.
She started to speak, then stopped.
Ryoho Kyohiko looked into the distance.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. The ninjas from Amegakure are about to arrive. We also have to withdraw."
"Is Rasa's daughter alright?"
Pakura asked.
Ryoho Kyohiko glanced at her and couldn't help but smile.
"You're also strange. You're so concerned about Rasa's daughter…"
He paused at this point.
"She's not doing very well, but I've asked Kushina to take her in. With psychological treatment, she should be able to slowly walk out of the haze."
"Thank you."
Upon hearing this, Pakura was slightly relieved.
Ryoho Kyohiko shook his head slightly, not continuing the conversation. Then, he placed his hand on Kakashi's shoulder.
"You don't want to go back, one is because you're worried about my side, and the other is because you're worried about your identity problem, right?"
Pakura was silent. In Sunagakure, she had already "died" once.
"Why don't you come to Konoha? In the short term, wandering outside is very dangerous."
"Huh?"
Pakura was stunned for a few seconds, then looked at Kyohiko with a strange expression. "What would I do in Konoha?"
"Temari is in Konoha. Your disciple… that child named Maki, is also living there together. Rasa's trip to Konoha this time was for this matter."
"She's in Konoha?"
This time, Pakura was truly surprised.
She thought for a moment, and then she understood Rasa's thoughts, and was instantly silent. It was indeed something that guy would do! To bet a group of people for a possibility. But if it failed, this group of people might also be lost… Hadn't Rasa thought of that? Pakura was furious in her heart.
Then, a trace of the thought of "going to Konoha" actually arose in her.
"I… can I use the identity of an Anbu?"
"You can."