Chapter 258: An Evenly Matched Battle
Seeing Kakuzu's full-powered, rage-fueled assault, Kyosuke could no longer stand by. He used his Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Saori, swinging his fan in a wide arc. The sheer force of the wind, amplified by the strength of his Sage Body, was enough to make Kakuzu abandon his attack.
Realizing a close-quarters engagement was not to his advantage, Kakuzu retreated and, with a blur of hand signs, unleashed a massive wave of fire.
"Fire Style: Searing Wave!"
The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the entire area for a thousand meters. The Flame Fan could not defend against an attack of this scale. Kyosuke grabbed Saori's arm and used his Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport them to a pre-placed marker.
"This guy wasn't bluffing. He's the real deal," Saori said, a nervous twitch in her eye as she looked at the sea of fire.
"Tch. He's nothing compared to Hashirama Senju," Kyosuke said. "Stay here and cover me. I'll take care of him." Without waiting for a reply, he vanished.
"Phew... it's hot. Hard to breathe," he said, reappearing in front of Kakuzu, a hand over his nose.
"...Damn Konoha ninja. All talk," Kakuzu sneered. With another series of hand signs, he launched a powerful, piercing spear of lightning at Kyosuke.
But a single-point attack, no matter how powerful, was not enough to break through the Flame Fan, which was made from a branch of the God Tree.
Seeing his ninjutsu absorbed, Kakuzu finally remembered the origin of the fan in Kyosuke's hands. But he was not afraid. A mere ninja tool would not be a deciding factor in a battle between top-tier shinobi.
He had now recognized his opponent. And now, he was getting serious.
Without a word, they clashed again.
In a fraction of a second, Kakuzu activated his "Earth Grudge Fear" technique, his right arm turning a jet black as he threw a punch at Kyosuke.
Even with the fan held in a defensive position, the sheer force of the blow sent Kyosuke staggering back.
"Was it really a good idea to get so close to me?" Kyosuke said with a strange smile, the fan in his hands beginning to glow.
"Uchiha Reflection!"
A wave of wind and fire energy erupted from the fan, engulfing Kakuzu. But Kyosuke showed no sign of triumph. "Don't embarrass yourself with such cheap tricks," he sneered.
He shifted the fan to his left hand, and with his right, drew his Kusanagi Sword in a flash of fire and steel, slashing behind him.
"Immovable Flame Slash!"
Kakuzu had appeared there, but he had no time to dodge. He was forced to meet the attack head-on with his hardened arm.
The result was predictable. The "Earth Grudge Fear" was no match for Kyosuke's powerful sword-drawing technique. The flaming blade sliced through Kakuzu's arm, severing the black threads within. He let out a pained grunt and retreated.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Kyosuke, now on the offensive, was not about to let him escape. He was about to give chase when a smile appeared on Kakuzu's face.
A hand shot out from the ground, grabbing Kyosuke's ankle. Before he could react, he was lifted into the air and slammed into the ground, creating a deep crater.
"Cough." He spat out a mouthful of blood and tried to climb out, but the hand held him fast. As he was about to cut it off with his sword, a mass of black threads erupted from the ground, wrapping around his entire body and forcing him to drop his weapons.
"What's wrong? Out of tricks?" Kakuzu said, walking to the edge of the crater and looking down at the struggling Kyosuke. "In that case... your heart is mine."
But he made no move to approach. Kyosuke was too calm. It was a trap. He decided to forgo the heart and kill him from a distance.
Seeing that he had not taken the bait, Kyosuke sighed. His left hand, which was pinned beneath him, completed a series of hand signs.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
A thick cloud of ash and smoke filled the crater, obscuring Kakuzu's vision.
Damn it! When did he make the hand signs?! Kakuzu retreated, the back of his cloak writhing as he prepared for the next attack.
And just as he had expected, the sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the air. Kyosuke, now free from the threads, shot out from the smoke, his hand wreathed in lightning.
Kakuzu clapped his hands together, and a wall of earth shot up between them. He used the opportunity to release one of the monsters from his back.
But the Chidori pierced through the wall as if it were paper. The combination of the Lightning Release's cellular stimulation and the Body Flicker Technique had pushed Kyosuke to his absolute maximum speed. Before the masked creature could even react, the flash of lightning had reduced it to dust.
But the Chidori had also been expended. The two of them, now at point-blank range, reached for each other, their hands finding their mark at the exact same time.
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