Chapter 171: Scorching Dragon Breath, Kakuzu Arrives! (Third update, seeking subscriptions and monthly passes)
Leaving the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Asuma pondered inserting a spy into the Akatsuki Organization.
If he could replace them all, tsk, that would be fantastic.
"Kakuzu, Sasori of the Red Sand, Hidan…"
"As for the others, Jūzō Biwa is already dead, so no chance there. The Akatsuki Organization…"
"Kisame, that Water Style expert, I wonder if his fate will change. Probably not. Obito is different now, his resentment towards Kirigakure…"
For Sarutobi Asuma, only Sasori of the Red Sand and Hidan would be difficult to impersonate.
One was technologically enhanced, the other possessed a bizarre immortal body through some cult.
"I'll take it step by step. First, I'll take down Kakuzu!"
"This guy attacked me twice. It's time to settle the score."
"Tsk, as the Akatsuki Organization's financial manager, it's only reasonable for me to embezzle a little, right?"
Returning to the experimental base near the Senju Ancestral Home, Sarutobi Asuma immediately took action.
In fact, at the end of Konoha year 48, when he first considered creating an alternate identity to infiltrate the Akatsuki Organization, Sarutobi Asuma's first target was Kakuzu. Therefore, he had made many preparations over the past two years.
Carrying a Sealing Scroll, along with Clone Uka, his recently completed Clone #3, Sarutobi Asuma used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave Konoha.
To get ahead of the Akatsuki Organization, Sarutobi Asuma, along with his two clones, used the Electromagnetic Sensing Technique for a large-scale search.
Each person was responsible for one country.
Land of Fire, nothing.
Land of Rivers, nothing.
Land of Rain, nothing.
Land of Bears, nothing.
"Hmm?"
As the sun began to set, Sarutobi Asuma raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Found him!"
Land of Birds.
Kakuzu emerged from a secluded Bounty Office, feeling quite pleased.
He had made another profit this time.
The target was just a Chunin with some skill, but the reward was a hefty 10 million Ryo.
However, thinking about the decreasing business lately, Kakuzu's mood soured.
As the situation in the Ninja World gradually stabilized, the major villages had started competing for his business.
Fighting alone, he couldn't compete with those major villages that had advantages in numbers and intelligence.
What a shame!
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Kakuzu stopped in his tracks, looked around, and his expression changed: "A barrier!"
Though surprised, he wasn't panicked.
Kakuzu's back robes bulged, and with a rip, two black masked monsters burst forth.
As the masks opened their mouths, fierce winds and flames gathered for an explosion.
Fire Style – Head Hunter!
Wind Style – Oppression!
BOOM!
A storm of flames swept out, impacting the invisible barrier, but it didn't budge an inch.
"Which of the Five Great Shinobi Villages is it?"
Kakuzu's gaze deepened as he sensed danger.
"Kakuzu, it seems you haven't improved much over the years!"
In the air, Sarutobi Asuma's figure appeared, looking down at Kakuzu below.
"Huh?"
Kakuzu looked up, and his pupils contracted sharply: "Konoha… Sarutobi Asuma!"
Two drops of cold sweat rolled down his face.
This guy in front of him had caused him to fail twice in the Land of Rain back then, and after that, his fame had only grown, earning him the title of Ninja Demigod.
The Kage of the other Four Great Shinobi Villages had all fallen before him.
Although he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he wouldn't believe these reports were mere boasts.
This brat in front of him was not to be trifled with!
Hiss hiss hiss!
The stitched parts of Kakuzu's body burst open, and the two black-masked monsters raised their heads and unleashed their combined ninjutsu once more.
Sarutobi Asuma swooped down, head below heels, and pressed his right palm down.
Instantly, nine dragons of Scorch Release erupted from his palm, rapidly expanding to form a colossal bell of nine dragons, its mouth facing downward.
Scorch Release: Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover!
Boom!
The storm of flames surged into the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, but it couldn't shake it in the slightest.
Next, bolts of lightning, like massive spears, shot forth, yet they still failed to pierce it.
Finally, the great bell descended, and Sarutobi Asuma stood atop the bell's tip, over thirty meters high.
"Another barrier..."
Kakuzu frowned, sensing the surrounding temperature rapidly rising.
He looked down and saw the grass on the ground quickly wither and turn yellow, followed by the earth cracking.
Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!
Kakuzu formed hand seals again, and a large amount of water surged from beneath his feet, lifting his body.
Rumble!
The torrent of water, over ten meters high, poured outwards under Kakuzu's control, impacting the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover.
A significant amount of steam rose, but it still couldn't shake the barrier.
Lightning Style, Water Style, Fire Style, Wind Style – none of them worked.
Kakuzu's heart sank. He looked up at Sarutobi Asuma and asked, "What do you want?"
Sarutobi Asuma smiled gently. "Is your attack finished?"
"Then it's my turn to begin."
"Honestly, I haven't fought anyone in a while, and my hands are getting itchy. I hope you can hold on a bit longer."
As his words fell, Sarutobi Asuma raised his right hand, forming a single hand seal.
Kakuzu's eyes sharpened. He keenly noticed the nine dragon heads overhead move. One of them opened its maw, revealing a powerful chakra reaction.
"This must be his Scorch Release Bloodline Limit..."
Kakuzu rapidly formed hand seals.
Water Style: Water Wall!
Water surged skyward, surrounding and engulfing Kakuzu and his black-masked monsters.
Meanwhile, at the top of the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, the dragons of Scorch Release opened their mouths. A blazing white light erupted, forming a white pillar of light that shot downwards. It easily pierced Kakuzu's Water Wall and then the Wind Style masked monster.
Before Kakuzu could devise a defense or counter with ninjutsu against ninjutsu, another dragon of Scorch Release opened its mouth, and a white pillar of light shot down, piercing the Fire Style masked monster.
In the blink of an eye, Kakuzu's two hearts were rendered useless.
"An attack of this magnitude is impossible to defend against, and besides..."
Having experienced countless battles, even when facing Senju Hashirama back then, Kakuzu hadn't felt this desperate.
Sarutobi Asuma's attack was too powerful!
The temperature here continued to climb, and the water created by chakra was constantly evaporating. If he couldn't break free, he would suffocate to death even if he wasn't killed by the ninjutsu.
"A pity, Kakuzu, your defense is too weak. It doesn't allow me to test the true power of this new jutsu of mine."
Sarutobi Asuma expressed some regret.
Scorch Release: Scorching Dragon Breath, that was the name of the technique just now. The blazing white pillar spat from the mouths of the Scorch Release dragons was actually formed by Scorch Release, with a temperature exceeding that of the sun's surface – highly condensed, high-temperature plasma.
"While your strength is admirable, you're speaking too soon about life and death!"
Kakuzu said sternly.
He hadn't given up yet.
"Is that so?"
"Then I'll be waiting to see!"
Sarutobi Asuma chuckled lightly. The heads of the nine dragons of Scorch Release all fixed their gaze on Kakuzu, opening their dragon mouths.
He had lost interest in playing around.
Kakuzu's strength was incredibly formidable to most Jonin, but in Asuma's eyes, he was still considerably weaker than the Fourth Raikage and others.
As the nine dragons unleashed their power, pillars of light rained down from the sky.
Kakuzu's figure flickered continuously, attempting to evade the terrifying pillars of light descending from above.
However, these pillars were extremely fast and incredibly dense. He could dodge one, but he couldn't dodge them all.
In the blink of an eye, Kakuzu was left with three charred holes in his body, and his form collapsed with a thud.
Retracting the Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, Sarutobi Asuma descended from the sky.
Just as his body landed beside Kakuzu's corpse, black tentacles burst from the ground. Some wrapped around Asuma's legs, while others shot towards his heart like sharp swords.
Zzzzt!
Purple lightning flashed across his body. Both the black tentacles entangling Asuma and those lunging for his heart were simultaneously ripped to shreds.
Crash!
A gold Adamantine Sealing Chain extended from Asuma's right palm, piercing the ground. It hooked the heart encased by the black tentacles beneath the earth and pulled it out.
"Kakuzu, your methods are too old!"
Sarutobi Asuma chuckled, then forcibly shoved Kakuzu's last heart back into his body.
A moment later, Kakuzu's eyes fluttered open. He looked at Sarutobi Asuma. "You're after Earth Grudge Fear!"
"No, I'm after you!"
Sarutobi Asuma smiled, immobilized Kakuzu with genjutsu, and vanished from his spot.
Immediately after, Clone Uka, who had been maintaining the barrier, erased all traces of the battlefield, leaving not a drop of blood behind.
Inside a wooden house in a valley.
Sarutobi Asuma, Clone Uka, and Clone #3 convened.
"Let's begin!"
Sarutobi Asuma said, looking at Kakuzu on the ground.
Uka nodded, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan. He directly read Kakuzu's memories, obtaining all his secrets, including the forbidden jutsu Earth Grudge Fear.
Kakuzu watched, his heart utterly shaken. "This is... the Uchiha clan's Sharingan. The pattern is unlike anything I've ever seen."
"This guy is collecting Kekkei Genkai and forbidden jutsu!"
He couldn't help but mock, "I never imagined that you, hailed as a new Ninja Demigod, would be so keen on stealing others' forbidden jutsu, even Kekkei Genkai, not sparing your own comrades."
"Don't project your ignorance onto others."
Clone Uka chuckled, then deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
The Earth Grudge Fear forbidden jutsu had been acquired.
Clone #3 immediately stepped forward and crouched down, placing a hand on Kakuzu's forehead. Gushing chakra flowed out of Kakuzu's body, absorbed by Clone #3.
After absorbing the chakra, and under Kakuzu's shocked gaze, Clone #3's body transformed. In a flash, he became identical to Kakuzu.
Kakuzu, sprawled on the ground, widened his eyes, finally understanding why Sarutobi Asuma had said his target was him.
This guy intended to impersonate him to steal others' forbidden jutsu and Kekkei Genkai!
At this moment, Clone Uka had already transmitted all information regarding the Earth Grudge Fear forbidden jutsu to the main body and Clone #3 via Electromagnetic Release.
"It seems leaving one heart was the most correct choice," Sarutobi Asuma smiled.
The Earth Grudge Fear forbidden jutsu could be cultivated from scratch.
However, it could also be cultivated rapidly by using a heart that had already performed the Earth Grudge Fear forbidden jutsu as a catalyst. Of course, the latter carried a certain degree of danger.
There was a high probability of being consumed by the forbidden jutsu itself.
Back in the day, before Kakuzu had acquired Earth Grudge Fear, many in Takigakure who attempted to cultivate it were consumed by the forbidden jutsu.
"As expected of a forbidden jutsu!"
Clone #3 exclaimed, then crouched down and extracted the tentacle-wrapped heart from within Kakuzu's body.
The heart pulsed, the tentacles wriggled, as if alive.
Clone #3 unbuttoned his clothing, then sliced open his own chest with his finger, inserting Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear heart.
Instantly, it felt as though countless snakes were slithering beneath Clone #3's skin.
Soon, the veins all over his body bulged, resembling black snakes crawling across him.
A moment later, Clone #3's back split open, but instead of blood, a white mask emerged.
Then, black tentacles stitched the gaping wound closed.
Earth Grudge Fear mastered!
Clone #3 looked up and declared, "Kakuzu, reporting for duty!"
On the ground, Kakuzu's corpse stared with wide, disbelieving eyes, his death unavenged.
That's eight thousand characters!
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