"Idiot!"
Deidara heard the words from several Iwagakure ninja below. He rolled his eyes and muttered "idiot" to himself, now holding even less regard for comrades he'd never respected from the start.
This mission—using Han, the Five-Tails, as bait to ambush the Akatsuki Organization—had come to an end due to Han's arrogance and Kitsuchi's death.
The remaining Iwagakure ninja now had only one goal: how to preserve their own lives at all costs and find a way to deliver intelligence out of this deadly situation.
So when Deidara overheard those remarks from his so-called comrades, he couldn't help but shake his head. Those idiots were nothing more than dead weight.
He naturally knew that under the current circumstances, their only escape route required riding his Clay Bird, but obviously, the enemy wouldn't stand still and let him make that happen easily.
Someone needed to hold the enemy back long enough for them to get away.
"Well then, it's your turn now!"
Meanwhile, Kakuzu had already fixed his gaze on several Iwagakure ninja who remained somewhat stunned by what had happened.
As far as this tailed beast capture operation went, things had gone smoothly—at least much easier compared to their last attempt storming Takigakure to catch the Seven-Tails.
This time, the Five-Tails hadn't even managed a partial transformation before being defeated by their group, rendered completely helpless and taken like a captured prize.
Thud!
Kakuzu took his first step forward. The snow-covered ground instantly melted beneath his feet, spreading outward into a smooth icy surface under the combined effects of chakra and air currents.
"Careful! The enemy is coming!"
Although the surviving ninja had been shocked by Kitsuchi's death, seeing the enemy charging toward them snapped them into action immediately.
They'd once believed in Kitsuchi's strength completely, but witnessing his ultimate defeat left them momentarily stunned.
Still, they were seasoned ninja after all, and as soon as Kakuzu moved, they assumed defensive stances instinctively.
There was no hope of mounting an attack—they could only brace themselves and defend.
"Don't let the enemy get close! Their power is too overwhelming!"
The ninja named Tozawa said gravely. His face tightened, scars twitching grotesquely as he locked eyes on Kakuzu.
At the same time, he noticed Deidara hovering above, which made his expression grow increasingly grim.
Under current conditions, boarding Deidara's Clay Bird seemed almost impossible.
But the information about what happened here still needed to be delivered. That meant Deidara might need to flee first, abandoning the rest of them?
The truth was harsh. Yet the few still standing—including Akatsuchi, who understood Deidara well—were prepared to give their lives in an instant.
For the village's interests, such abandonment had become necessary.
"Prepare for battle, everyone!"
Akatsuchi lowered his stance, fully aware that they had already reached the worst possible scenario, his expression turning solemn.
"Understood!"
At this moment, none of them harbored any illusions anymore.
The next second, Kakuzu vanished from his spot, leaving only a footprint behind. Reappearing, he had closed in on Akatsuchi and the others at an extremely threatening range.
Meanwhile, Hidan and Deidara had already engaged each other in battle.
"Damn brat with yellow hair—you didn't expect this, did you?"
Seeing Deidara turn and charge straight toward him, Hidan's face twisted into a savage grin. All the frustration he had endured while being suppressed by Deidara erupted in that instant.
He crouched low against the ground, gripping the Blood Scythe resting at his hip. Then, leaping skyward, he rushed to meet Deidara head-on.
Before, with someone as powerful as Kitsuchi still present, he had remained constantly alert. Even during the fight with Deidara, he tried to avoid unnecessary injuries.
But now, Kitsuchi was dead. Though more ninja arrived, they were merely minor threats that could be dealt with quickly. Therefore, Hidan no longer saw any reason to hold back.
Whoosh!
Deidara stood atop his clay bird, hands tucked into his pockets, shifting slightly as he readied himself.
There was still plenty of clay left, but even so, Deidara doubted if he could take down both Hidan and Kakuzu.
Though he had full faith in his *art*, witnessing Kitsuchi fall to the enemy had shaken his confidence somewhat.
After all, he was still young. Kitsuchi had always seemed like an overwhelmingly powerful figure. Though unwilling to admit it, Deidara never felt entirely sure he could defeat someone like Kitsuchi. Now, facing enemies capable of killing such a man, he felt doubt creeping in.
Yet the battle had to continue. At this moment, Deidara faced Hidan warily.
As for Kakuzu on the other side—he had yet to fully understand him. He only knew that Kakuzu's immortality was somehow tied to his heart. Almost nothing else about him was clear.
Furthermore, in the current state of battle, there had been no opportunity to calmly process everything he had seen.
Perhaps some crucial clues lay hidden within the smallest details, but for now, he had no chance to dig deeper.
Whoosh!
Deidara pulled his hands out and flung them forward. A flurry of clay bombs burst into the air like falling petals, enveloping the rising Hidan.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bombs detonated instantly upon nearing Hidan's body. Yet airborne Hidan showed no fear of Deidara's explosives. He didn't even try to dodge—just charged headfirst into the blasts.
Boom!
Firelight exploded across half the sky, smoke engulfed the area, obscuring visibility.
Deidara narrowed his eyes. He noticed how Hidan now dared to block attacks directly rather than dodging like before—unafraid to take hits with either his body or weapon.
Suddenly, through the thick smoke, a figure tore through and leapt out—it was Hidan.
And along with him came a flash of red slicing upward from below, aimed straight at Deidara standing atop his clay bird—that was Hidan's weapon.
At that moment, the weapon extended further again, sweeping toward Deidara, while Hidan himself descended after landing the blow.
"That damn bastard!"
Deidara twisted his body, and the Giant Bird under his control tilted sideways to evade Hidan's attack.
However, Hidan's decision to endure Deidara's explosion head-on caught him completely off guard. It stunned Deidara so much that he didn't react until the moment Hidan burst out from the smoke.
As a result, he was naturally slower. Although he personally dodged Hidan's attack, the Clay Bird beneath his feet failed to shift away sufficiently in time.
"Slash!"
In the instant Deidara flinched in shock, Hidan's scythe swept past him, piercing into the body of the Clay Bird, burying itself deeply into the clay and firmly anchoring it in place.
"I got you now!"
Falling downward, Hidan grinned widely. Gripping tightly onto his weapon with his right hand, his body swung midair, tightening the scythe's handle instantly as he used its force to swing himself through an arc, lifting his gradually descending body back upward.
Starting from the front of the bird, he used momentum to swing around to its rear, rising higher while being pulled and landing back on top of it.
Dap!
Spinning half a circle behind the bird's tail, Hidan steadily landed on the bird's back, crouching slightly while looking at Deidara, who wore a surprised expression.
"Hehe! Die already, kid!"
In Hidan's eyes, he had stripped Deidara of his only edge — victory was practically guaranteed now.
[Clay - Detonation Bombs]!
Deidara blinked in shock. He hadn't anticipated that the seemingly foolish Hidan could pull off such a slick maneuver at this point — his expression shifted instantly.
He aimed at Hidan, now positioned behind him, hurling scattered [Detonation Bombs] before twisting his body and leaping in the opposite direction.
The space on top of the bird was limited, and the blast was powerful. Of course, he needed to get out of range fast — at this moment, he planned to abandon the bird entirely, letting go of his own advantage.
As for Hidan, what little clothing he had was reduced to rags again from the previous explosion, his body marked with black burns and wounds of varying depth.
Facing the incoming [Detonation Bombs] once more, Hidan showed no great surprise, gripping his weapon tightly and charging straight toward them.
Only two meters separated him from Deidara. Even with an explosion involved, it would be mutually damaging. To win, he didn't mind taking more injuries — his enemy, however, wouldn't dare be as reckless as him because not everyone possessed an Immortal Body!
"What are you going to do? Without your aerial advantage and caught by me up close, I'll show you what real cruelty is!"
He swung his weapon in a wide arc and slashed straight into the bombs, uncaring of the incoming explosion.
Having fought Deidara for this long, he now had a basic understanding of all kinds of clay bombs.
At least for these [Detonation Bombs], he knew their power wasn't enough to seriously threaten his life. That's why he dared to block with his weapon and even use his body to tank the blast head-on.
"Haaa!"
Deidara performed the hand seal and instantly activated the bombs.
Boom! Several [Detonation Bombs] exploded simultaneously. The effect remained shocking, producing powerful sound and air pressure.
And Deidara wasn't far from the detonation bombs either. The explosion's shockwave slammed into him, adding extra momentum and sending him flying beyond the bird's back.
Hidan, for his part, felt a violent force crash into his weapon, jolting up his arm and nearly wrenching it from his grip.
The blast struck him, halting his charge momentarily before pushing him backward one step. But immediately, gritting his teeth with renewed fury, he surged forward again.
Whoosh!
Barely holding off the explosion, Hidan closed in on Deidara, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
"It's not that easy to escape from me! You're the offering I've prayed for to Lord Jashin!"
With a flick of his wrist, Hidan swung his weapon through the air in a wide arc, aiming straight for Deidara's waist. The strike was incredibly fast. Close combat had never been Deidara's forte, and now, midair and separated from his bird mount, he temporarily had no way to counterattack.
Below, Akatsuchi kept an eye on Kakuzu while glancing toward Deidara suspended midair.
In that glance, he saw Deidara appeared to be in trouble—the enemy's attack was about to land on him.
"Oh no, Deidara's in danger!"
His face paled instantly. If even Deidara were killed by the enemy, this mission would be an utter disaster—losing both combat power and gaining no useful intelligence whatsoever.
But the very next moment, his hair stood on end as a deadly presence approached him.
While he had been distracted watching Deidara's fight, Kakuzu had already closed in at high speed.
Akatsuchi stood at the front of the formation, naturally making him Kakuzu's first target.
Although Akatsuchi possessed great talent and was favored by Onoki, he was still too young and prone to distraction during battle—just like now, actually losing focus mid-fight to observe his comrade's engagement.
Maybe back in the village, fighting against other ninja his own age, a momentary hesitation might not have mattered much.
But the enemy facing him now was Kakuzu—a killer capable of defeating Kitsuchi, merciless and brutal in battle!
Thud!
Kakuzu materialized beside Akatsuchi. A cruel gleam flashed in his eyes as he clenched his fist, looking at this clearly inexperienced ninja standing before him.
To Kakuzu, an opponent like Akatsuchi was easy prey! Perhaps just one punch would be enough to kill him outright!
This wasn't a game—ninja battles were life-or-death struggles decided in mere moments!
Akatsuchi spotted Kakuzu closing in. His heart clenched as he started forming hand seals, preparing to defend himself with ninjutsu—but it might already be too late.
An enemy right in front of you wouldn't give you time to finish any technique!
That brief lapse in concentration nearly brought death upon him!
A look of despair and helplessness crossed Akatsuchi's somewhat round face. Indeed, fighting someone of this caliber was practically suicide!
But the next instant, directly beneath his feet, an earth wall erupted upward, blocking between him and Kakuzu, shielding him from danger and buying precious time.
Whoosh!
[Earth Release - Earth Wall Formation]!
"Hmm?"
Kakuzu tilted his head, glancing toward the other ninja positioned on Akatsuchi's side. This technique had been launched by someone else.
Though caught slightly off guard, Kakuzu kept his punch going and drove his fist into the earthen wall ahead.
One technique alone wouldn't be enough to stop him! He was sure of that.
"Earth Release - Earth Spear Jutsu!"
His voice low and gravelly, the color of his fist darkened further as he punched straight into the earth wall before him.
Boom!
The wall shattered within a second of contact, exploding into countless fragments of rock scattering in all directions.
However, Kakuzu's fist didn't stop there, continuing its relentless strike toward Akatsuchi behind the broken wall.
But with the precious time gained from the wall's defense, Akatsuchi began retreating while simultaneously activating a ninjutsu.
[Earth Release: Earth Dragon Jutsu!]
Roar!
An enormous dragon of earthy yellow instantly erupted from the ground. Due to the surrounding snow accumulation, parts of its body carried some white snowflakes, roaring as it charged directly at Kakuzu.
"Hmph? Their reaction speed is actually this fast."
Eyes narrowing, Kakuzu stamped his foot against the ground, immediately shifting his position sideways to evade the incoming attack.
While he possessed great confidence in himself, directly tanking an offensive jutsu would still be unwise.
Although the earth dragon moved swiftly, it couldn't match Kakuzu's speed, so it missed entirely as Kakuzu dodged aside. The unchecked dragon slammed into the ground instead, creating a massive crater upon impact.
"Akatsuchi, be careful and stay focused!"
A ninja called out to Akatsuchi who had retreated back to align with them, offering a warning.
It had been Kazuo who noticed Kakuzu's movement just in time to use a technique, blocking the initial blow and saving Akatsuchi's life.
"Understood! Thanks just now!"
Akatsuchi fixed his gaze firmly on Kakuzu, his expression becoming serious, eyes locked tightly onto Kakuzu as he spoke to his comrade.
Just now, he had indeed been careless. If it weren't for his teammate stepping in, he might've ended up joining Captain Kitsuchi in death!
"Pointless resistance!"
Kakuzu's eyes remained cold as he observed the ninja he attacked joining together with several others, forming a defensive formation, warily watching him.
"Use ninjutsu and keep your distance!"
Akatsuchi looked toward Kakuzu, uttering these words.
Though he was the youngest among the group, his words still carried weight.
After exchanging glances, the others nodded. They had all discerned Kakuzu's fighting style—only by forcing him into a battlestyle unsuitable for him might they stand some chance of victory.
Their chances may be slim, but at least there's a chance! Moreover, their enemy had just finished battling Kitsuchi, and his condition certainly wasn't optimal—that gave them a fighting chance.
This time, the ninja accompanying Kitsuchi included nearly ten individuals besides Han and Deidara, including Akatsuchi, none of whom were weaklings; many were elite Jonin.
Following Kitsuchi's death, they had gradually regained their composure, understanding that they needed to display absolute strength if they wished to survive this mission and return safely to their village.
"Earth Release - Earth Flow Technique!"
"Earth Release - Falling Rock Jutsu!"
[Earth Release - Earth Split!]
[Earth Release: Earth Dragon Jutsu!]
As the Iwa ninja settled on their tactics, they showed their disciplined coordination.
Wave after wave of jutsu surged toward Kakuzu like ocean tides.
Several ninja split into two groups, continuously launching techniques at Kakuzu without giving him any chance to counterattack.
"This is getting interesting!"
Kakuzu charged forward but kept dodging enemy attacks. Memories stirred, filling his face with nostalgia—the days when he fought alone against enemy villages for the sake of his home.
Back then, facing impossible odds, he broke through enemy lines time and again, all for completing missions for his village.
"But you overlooked one important thing!"
Kakuzu looked at the opposing ninja with a mocking smile curling his lips.
He wasn't the same man anymore—the old man who once struggled with ninjutsu!
Now, ninjutsu was his ace move!
His eyes changed as several fleshy masses behind him began to squirm, trying to emerge from his body.
Puchi! Puchi!
In an instant that shocked Akatsuchi and others, two black Mask Beasts suddenly burst from Kakuzu's back.
The masked beasts looked like cannons, with Kakuzu serving as the turret, powering their attacks!
[Lightning Release: False Darkness!]
[Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!]
Two different chakra natures gathered inside the masks' mouths—one shimmering blue lightning radiating cold light, the other roaring flames emanating intense heat...
Akatsuchi and the others hadn't expected Kakuzu to undergo such a transformation; terror surged in their hearts.
This sudden change stunned them—a single ninja seamlessly manifesting two completely different elemental releases simultaneously, showing astonishing power.
Such an ability sent chills down their spines. Having fought countless battles for their village, they rarely encountered someone capable of using two different chakra natures at once.
Although they had heard rumors about Konoha's Third Hokage being able to wield five different elemental releases, those were just stories—not something witnessed firsthand—so it couldn't compare to this shocking reality before them.
But right now, Kakuzu was displaying two entirely different chakra natures right in front of their eyes.
BOOM! CRASH!
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