Natsume wore a mask and used the identity of Kishi.
It was primarily to protect Konan.
If his identity as Hokage were exposed, certain plans would no longer be viable.
For example, his earlier idea—lending money to Akatsuki, using them for personal gain while also accumulating more destiny points.
As for Konan,
he had once considered using Kotoamatsukami to control her.
But doing so would strip away the enjoyment entirely.
Moreover, with Nagato's Rinnegan around, Kotoamatsukami could easily be detected.
Unless he could find a way to keep Konan separated from Nagato for the long term.
But that seemed highly unlikely.
Natsume's unexpected arrival elicited four different reactions.
Ao, who had previously encountered the masked him, immediately relaxed.
He was well aware of this person's strength, which was unquestionably capable of turning the tide in any battle.
After all, it was this individual who had resolved the recent crisis involving Yagura Karatachi and the Three-Tails.
Momochi Zabuza had never met him before, but upon seeing him assisting wounded Mist ninjas, he naturally assumed him to be an ally.
Hidan and Kakuzu, however, noticed his arrival and realized he must be enemy reinforcements. Both instinctively became slightly wary.
Yet the former didn't have time to dwell on it.
He was currently locked in fierce combat against Zabuza, who wielded the Crimson Scythe of the Three Moons—and was clearly at a disadvantage.
Every member of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist shared a single trait—they were all sword masters.
And Hidan couldn't match their level.
But that wasn't a big issue for him.
All he needed was blood.
The real issue lay elsewhere.
Momochi Zabuza was an experienced ninja who had previously witnessed Hidan's sacrificial rituals, so he proceeded carefully.
Facing Hidan's reckless style, he skillfully exploited the long-range advantage of his Kubikiribōchō, maintaining distance.
Thus far, Zabuza remained unharmed.
On the other side, Kakuzu versus Ao went rather smoothly.
Kakuzu held an overwhelming advantage in both experience and strength.
Though mockingly nicknamed "the guy who threw shuriken at the First Hokage from eight hundred meters," Kakuzu's actual power was formidable.
In the original story, he was perfectly capable of suppressing Kakashi Hatake, even when Kakashi wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Had Naruto Uzumaki not arrived in time, Kakashi might've been finished off entirely.
Even so, many believed Kakuzu lost due to plot contrivance.
So fighting just Ao truly posed no challenge.
However, Kakuzu couldn't assist Konan against Mei Terumī.
After all, the new Mizukage wasn't weak.
Still, he trusted Konan's abilities—there was no way she'd lose to Mei alone.
Eyes narrowing slightly, Kakuzu temporarily ignored Ao altogether.
Natsume's arrival reminded him of Konan's previous words about a Wood Release ninja within Kirigakure.
Was this the one she mentioned?
Kakuzu normally cared little about other shinobi, but Wood Release was something he absolutely couldn't ignore.
Because years ago, he had faced off against Hashirama Senju—the First Hokage—and survived.
Wood Release had left a deep mark on him—it had become a lasting psychological wound that haunted him ever since.
Obito Uchiha also possessed Wood Release, but being still hidden behind the scenes meant Kakuzu knew nothing of it yet.
Natsume had revealed his Wood Release after becoming Hokage—but that was deep within Konoha Village.
Kakuzu didn't dare charge in recklessly—he chose to wait instead.
Now that he had this chance, Kakuzu immediately grew eager.
"So you're the one with Wood Release, huh?"
Kakuzu loosened his coat and revealed his stitched torso.
Ao wasn't powerful enough to make him resort to his secret Grudge Fear technique.
Still, Wood Release deserved some respect.
"That's right," Natsume nodded.
"Great!"
A smirk played on Kakuzu's lips, and his tone sharpened with excitement.
One reason was his obsession.
The second, he could gain a new heart.
"I'll test how your Wood Release compares to the First Hokage's. I hope you won't disappoint me."
"I hope you won't disappoint me," Kakuzu said in a calm tone.
"Oh? Wait—you've actually fought the First Hokage before?"
Natsume asked, barely suppressing a laugh.
"That's correct." Kakuzu replied with pride. "And I walked away unscathed."
To him, it was a humiliation.
But to others, a rare honor.
"Incredible… truly incredible!" Natsume clapped sarcastically.
Kakuzu frowned instantly.
He could clearly hear the mockery in Natsume's voice.
In other words, the kid probably thought he was bluffing.
Kakuzu's expression darkened, and his hands flew through hand seals.
Earth Grudge Fear mode!
Countless black threads erupted from his back, twisting into a monstrous humanoid form.
"Be careful!"
Ao's face turned pale—this was beyond anything they'd seen before.
Never had he imagined Kakuzu had held back during their last fight.
Hidan, seeing this, grew even more ecstatic.
With Earth Grudge Fear active, it would help seal any wounds he sustained.
Instantly, Zabuza felt the pressure mount.
"Zabuza, don't let him get your blood," Natsume warned, glancing over. "Otherwise, he'll draw a cursed circle and sacrifice you."
"How do you know that?!" Hidan roared, his savage expression frozen for a moment before exploding in rage. "Damn brat! I swear I'll make you my next sacrifice to Lord Jashin!"
Natsume's words made Momochi Zabuza even more cautious.
"Hmph. You still have the nerve to care about others?" Kakuzu sneered.
A chilling wave of killing intent crossed his face. "You must really underestimate me!"
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
His Lightning Release mask floated upward, opening its mouth toward Natsume.
In an instant, brilliant lightning illuminated the area.
An enormous spear shot forward at terrifying speed.
Oh—
Sage Art: Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!
Natsume flicked his hand over the ground. A row of wooden pillars rose, bending into a wall that blocked his path.
The lightning spear slammed into the wooden wall—and fizzled out.
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow.
Each heart contained a different jutsu.
This one was close to a forbidden technique.
False Darkness possessed extreme piercing power and immense lethality.
That it could be blocked so easily meant Natsume's Wood Release wasn't half bad.
Yet instead of fear, he felt exhilaration.
"Now this is interesting." Kakuzu bared his teeth in a cruel grin. "Still, your Wood Release is far inferior to the First Hokage's."
Without another word, he swiftly formed hand seals.
Immediately, two masks emerged from each of his shoulders—one Fire Release, one Wind Release.
[Combined Ninjutsu: Inferno Gale Barrage!]
Both masks opened their mouths at the same time.
The flames, fueled by the wind, surged with greater power.
Before Kakuzu, a towering inferno several meters tall erupted.
Then, a tightly compressed ball of wind exploded at its center, sending the fire surging even higher, forming a blazing tornado.
Amid a cacophony of explosions, the buildings on both sides were the first to collapse under the pressure.
At the intense heat, they crumbled into ash and scattered in every direction.
Even Zabuza Momochi and Hidan were caught in the blast and forced to fall back.
In an instant, right before Natsume's eyes, all he saw was a sea of fire.
Like crashing ocean waves, layer after layer, it radiated a terrifying aura.
Natsume's face remained calm as he raised his arm.
[Sage Art: Wood Release - Great Forest Technique!]
Chakra rapidly gathered, forming countless vines from his arm that extended straight across the firestorm.
"What?!"
This time, Kakuzu was truly shocked.
His composite ninjutsu had far more power than his Five Elemental Release. He was sure even one of the Five Kage wouldn't be able to endure it so effortlessly.
Moreover, how was it possible for wood release to be completely unaffected by such scorching flames?
He didn't have time to think further before forming seals again.
Wind Release, Fire Release, Lightning Release—the three masks opened their mouths in unison.
This was his ultimate trump card.
A composite technique combining three chakra natures.
After a brief charge, the Chakra Cannon composed of these three elements roared forth.
As it passed, the sea of fire parted aside.
Soon, it collided head-on with the surging vines.
With a tremendous explosion—BOOM!
The two forces erupted violently.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed sharply.
Had the power really reached this level?
The Wood Release Natsume used wasn't even a major move—it was clearly just a basic technique.
Yet he himself had already revealed his ultimate jutsu.
The resulting explosion created shockwaves.
Lightning, wind, fire, and wood—different chakra natures clashed violently.
It became impossible for Kakuzu to see clearly what was happening.
The next moment,
A massive vine burst from behind him, quickly wrapping around his body.
[Sage Art: Wood Release - Mokusatsu Binding No Jutsu!]
Kakuzu reacted quickly.
[Earth Release: Earth Spear!]
His arms turned black as his entire skin hardened.
In the original story, this was his own jutsu—capable of resisting explosive tags and easily knocking down walls.
Whether defensively or offensively, it was a formidable technique.
As the vine wrapped around him, he exerted force throughout his body while numerous black threads emerged from the Earth Grudge Fear.
However, the liberation he had anticipated never came—he sank deeper instead and was completely immobilized.
He couldn't even utter a word.
Because the [Wood Release: Mokusatsu Binding No Jutsu] had a silencing effect.
Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had never imagined anything like this.
Three ordinary Wood Release jutsu had led to his defeat.
And it hadn't even been an ambush.
It had been a direct confrontation, and he had still been crushed.
What if Natsume used a stronger Wood Release jutsu? Would Kakuzu even survive a single hit?
This reminded him of the First Hokage.
It had felt like a fair fight—but in truth, he'd been taking hits nonstop.
Only because Hashirama Senju hadn't wanted to kill him had Kakuzu managed to escape.
Now, he felt that exact same feeling again.
Damn it!
Who the hell is this guy?!
Hidan was stunned to see Kakuzu defeated.
He knew just how strong his partner was.
There were almost no ninjas in the entire ninja world who could beat him.
Yet he had been captured in under a minute.
It was just impossible.
Absurd!
A heavy weight settled in Hidan's chest. This situation was seriously bad.
He wanted to run, but that wouldn't be easy.
Fortunately, he possessed an Immortal Body. Even if he got crushed, it wasn't a big deal.
As he pondered his next move, he suddenly felt something wrong and quickly turned his head.
Midair, a black rod flew straight at him.
Instantly, danger flared inside Hidan.
Just from this plain-looking black rod?
Though he didn't get it, he instinctively raised his Crimson Scythe of the Three Moons to block.
"How is this possible?!"
Eyes wide in shock, Hidan helplessly watched his weapon get pierced in an instant.
The black rod spun rapidly, radiating an aura that erased everything, and cracks spread outward from where it hit.
In an instant, the Crimson Scythe of the Three Moons shattered like glass, bursting into countless fragments.
But the black rod—or rather, the Ruyi Jingu Bang—didn't slow down at all. It effortlessly pierced straight into Hidan's body.
A sharp pain shot through him.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Hidan let out a scream of agony.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang rapidly expanded, transforming into Truth-Seeking Balls and engulfing him completely.
This weapon was crafted by Kaguya Otsutsuki.
It wasn't just a regular Truth-Seeking Ball—it was an enlarged Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball.
Oh—
Officially described in the Shinden:
One, sealing the power of all creation and summoning a pitch-black chaotic sphere.
Two, capable of erasing all properties, reducing the world to nothingness while simultaneously becoming the starting point of new space.
It was a Kekkei Mora ability.
Hidan had only been cursed by a minor god of this world—the so-called Evil God.
And such gods were no match for Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Natsume, however, was currently in Kaguya's favor. Naturally, the weapon he received wasn't ordinary but top-tier.
So, Hidan was doomed.
Under the attack of the Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball, he vanished into nothingness, along with his Crimson Scythe of the Three Moons.
Zabuza Momochi and Ao witnessed this, both astonished by the overwhelming power of the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
But since they didn't know about Hidan's Immortal Body, they weren't too surprised.
Kakuzu, on the other hand, stood there stunned speechless.
He understood Hidan's ability very well.
Even if his head got cut off, Hidan stayed alive and kicking.
Once, he'd even survived being torn into four pieces.
Kakuzu had never figured out how to kill him for good.
Yet now, Natsume had done it effortlessly.
Damn!
This time, they might really be in trouble.
At this moment, Kakuzu could only pray that Konan would achieve favorable results.
According to her personality, she probably intended to save him?
The members of the Akatsuki organization generally had little emotional connection among them.
They came together for various messy reasons.
Though Konan might be slightly better than others, Kakuzu still couldn't confirm whether she'd actually rescue him.
Still, he was the Akatsuki's top earner.
And he'd contributed a lot to Konan.
Perhaps there was hope, thanks to the money. Besides that, he had the power of Earth Grudge Fear at his disposal. Natsume probably didn't even realize the full extent of this secret technique's power. To kill him, all five of his hearts must be destroyed. So while Kakuzu was clearly worried, he still managed to keep his composure. Given his prideful nature, he would never kneel or beg for mercy.
"You two go save the Fourth Mizukage," Natsume said casually. "I'll head over and assist the Fifth Mizukage."
Zabuza Momochi and Ao both nodded in agreement. Natsume's strength had already won them over. Despite being an outsider, they still obeyed his orders.
Natsume gave a slight gesture, and instantly, living vines coiled tightly around Kakuzu, dragging him behind.
Konan had already reached Yagura Karatachi's room, but Mei Terumī's sudden appearance foiled her plans at the very last moment. Even more surprisingly, this Fifth Mizukage was no weaker than she was. For now, Konan had no choice but to abandon Yagura Karatachi and concentrate on fighting Mei Terumī. Still, she didn't retreat.
She believed that with Kakuzu and Hidan's strength, defeating Zabuza Momochi and Ao wouldn't be a problem. Once they arrived, Yagura Karatachi would still meet his fate.
But when Natsume and Kakuzu appeared, Konan's expression shifted instantly.
The masked figure, paired with the vines— It was the Wood Release ninja Madara Uchiha had spoken about. She hadn't expected him to actually appear. And within just a few minutes, he already captured Kakuzu? If it were her, she wouldn't have been able to do that either. More accurately, she might not even be able to defeat Kakuzu unless she unleashed the billions of explosive tags she'd prepared specifically for Madara Uchiha.
As for Mei Terumī, on the other hand, her delicate face couldn't help but reveal a smile. Her previously anxious heart now lifted into one of joy. Because she knew the outcome had been decided.
Konan increased the distance between them. There was no reason to keep fighting. At this moment, she regretted not bringing a few more allies. But who could've predicted that this Wood Release ninja would turn out to be such a hassle? Also, Mei Terumī's strength had surpassed her expectations. If she had captured this Mizukage, the current situation might have turned out differently.
Still, things weren't so bad. She still had backup plans. First, she still had her countless explosive tags. Second, White Zetsu was close by. Unless this Wood Release ninja was the reincarnation of Hashirama Senju himself, he wouldn't be able to stop her.
The only unfortunate thing was Kakuzu couldn't escape.
[Wood Release] really does live up to its reputation," Konan murmured coldly, snapping out of her thoughts.
"There's no point saying that now," Mei Terumī let out a soft scoff. "I suggest you surrender quietly. Otherwise, you'll only humiliate yourself."
Konan was one of the rare female powerhouses. Having fought her, Konan had come to admire her a little. Her strength truly impressed her.
Konan glanced at her but remained silent. Then she turned to Natsume. "Are you interested in joining our organization?"
Defeating Kakuzu proved he had enough strength. More importantly, Madara hated him. Potentially sparking internal conflict between them.
At that point, she wouldn't have to waste Explosive Tags fighting him anymore.
As for the Wood Release ninja harboring hidden motives—that was irrelevant.
Was there even a single loyal member in Akatsuki? Not one.
After all, everything was mere nothingness before God.
God was God because he wielded a power no ordinary ninja could rival.
"???"
Mei Terumī wore a look of total confusion.
After coming this far in battle, you still had the nerve to invite Natsume?
She couldn't understand.
This behavior could be compared to her inviting Konan to join Kirigakure right now.
Would she dare?
No way.
Because Konan's background and purpose were unknown.
Inviting her into Kirigakure would only backfire.
This chapter isn't over yet—more exciting developments ahead!
Is this group always this fearless?
Didn't they at least check who Natsume was first?
He was the Hokage after all.
Natsume was somewhat surprised—but not really that much.
It did fit Nagato's personality.
He welcomed anyone with strength.
"I killed Hidan."
Natsume said softly.
Hidan died?
Konan was even more stunned.
Although she disliked Hidan, his Immortal Body was truly hard to take down.
In many situations, it had proven extremely useful.
How did Natsume manage to defeat him?
"That's irrelevant."
Konan replied coldly. "In our organization, only strength matters. If someone dies due to weakness, then so be it."
"Not bad," Natsume said with a smirk.
"You…"
Mei hesitated, as if about to speak.
"Aren't you worried I might have ulterior motives?"
Natsume looked at Mei again and asked.
"I believe everyone will eventually come around to our organization's ultimate goal."
Konan's tone remained flat.
Of course, that was clearly a lie.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi—she herself never truly believed in it.
Her and Nagato's true objective wasn't casting some illusionary technique. They sought to forge peace through suffering, using the tailed beasts as weapons to intimidate everyone else into never starting another war.
Actually, this method wasn't bad.
Unfortunately, they ran into Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu.
Everything they did would ultimately become someone else's wedding dress.
Nagato believed the Rinnegan awakened within himself. He believed himself to be the second Sage of Six Paths—the one destined to bring peace to the ninja world.
But what if that so-called god was a fraud?
"In that case, I'll join your organization as a spy."
Natsume stated bluntly.
"Welcome aboard."
Even upon hearing the word 'spy,' Konan showed no reaction at all.
In her eyes, all members were just tools anyway.
Besides, spies were probably nothing new to Akatsuki either.
Mei frowned.
What in the world?
Is your organization seriously this nonchalant?
But she also understood Natsume's intention.
He wanted to infiltrate this mysterious group from within to gather more intel.
Five thousand words. P.S. Another five thousand to go.
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