"I lost."
Kakuzu shook his head, honestly unable to lie in front of everyone, and simply told the truth: "In that era of the Ninja World, the light of Senju Hashirama was too dazzling. All the ninjas of the same era were not his match, and I too was inferior when I competed with him..."
"..."
For the first time, Akihara Kagura felt he couldn't find any flaws in the opponent.
"Of course."
As Kakuzu said this, strange hair-like things slowly grew on his body: "At that time, I didn't possess my current power. The current me might not lose to Senju Hashirama anymore!"
This man, who existed in the same era as the God of Ninja, suddenly charged towards Akihara Kagura, swinging his fist at Akihara Kagura's head, saying in a deep voice, "Since Senju Hashirama is already dead, I'll use your life, you Wood Release brat, to verify my strength!"
"Earth Release: Stone Spear!"
Along with Kakuzu's voice, his fist turned black!
This is one of Kakuzu's abilities: his body can freely harden through Earth Release Attribute Chakra, greatly enhancing his strength!
Akihara Kagura was startled.
If he couldn't sense that the opponent's fist was Earth Release Attribute Chakra, he might have thought Kakuzu had gained some strange world's power!
"Water Release: Water Mirror Jutsu!"
Akihara Kagura raised his fingers and pointed into the air!
A water mirror suddenly appeared in the empty space, from which a figure identical to Kakuzu emerged, even using the same ability, colliding with Kakuzu's punch before dispersing into water droplets!
Kakuzu's figure flew backward!
A thick tree root emerged from the ground, fiercely grabbing at Kakuzu's body!
Kakuzu frowned, and hair-like threads suddenly shot out from his body, anchoring into the ground to stabilize his body and avoid the tree root's attack!
"Wood Release: Woodman Jutsu!"
The next moment!
Kakuzu abruptly felt the sky darken!
When he instinctively turned his head, he realized it wasn't the weather darkening, but the vine swiftly growing into a gigantic wooden man!
The wooden man was at least fifty to sixty meters tall!
"Since you fought the First Hokage..."
Standing atop the wooden man's head, Akihara Kagura clasped his hands together, forming hand seals: "Then help me see how much difference there is between the First Hokage and me!"
"This brat..."
Kakuzu looked incredulously at the scene before him!
Even the First Hokage Senju Hashirama did not use Wood Release of this magnitude against him, so how could he judge? Moreover, this enormous wooden figure didn't seem like an easy opponent!
Sure enough!
Before Kakuzu could react, the wooden man punched down!
Kakuzu had no choice but to dodge, only to be sent flying by the wooden man's punch, seemingly seriously injured and unable to rise!
"Looks like we might need to change bases."
Orochimaru stood nearby, smiling at the scene before him, even casually conversing with Red Sand Sasori, completely unconcerned about the threat of the Woodman Jutsu: "Scorpion, did you pack away the materials in the lab? Otherwise, let's go back and tidy up the materials first, so our precious materials aren't buried..."
"Kakuzu, he won't die, will he?"
Red Sand Sasori hesitated, glancing at Kakuzu, who had been sent flying, clearly feeling each step the wooden man took was shaking the earth.
"If he dies, so be it..."
Orochimaru gleefully watched Kakuzu take a beating, seemingly indifferent to his comrade's fate: "Could his death be more valuable than our experimental materials?"
Red Sand Sasori glanced at Orochimaru and stated a fact: "Most of our experimental funding comes from Kakuzu fulfilling commissions... Maybe we should save him?"
"..."
Orochimaru bizarrely fell silent for a moment.
As a scientist, no one understood the importance of research funding better than him.
However, before Orochimaru and Red Sand Sasori could take action, Kakuzu had already climbed up from the ground, tearing off his clothes as threads swiftly shot out from his body!
In an instant, four mask creatures made of black threads appeared in the field!
This is Kakuzu's ability, Earth Grudge Fear!
These Earth Grudge Fear beings were the treasures of Hidden Waterfall Village. Kakuzu, after being abandoned by Hidden Waterfall Village, killed many top officials of the village to take Earth Grudge Fear!
Kakuzu has always relied on these Earth Grudge Fear to seize the hearts of enemies to sustain his life, enabling him to survive from that era to the present. Besides extending his life, the hearts taken by Earth Grudge Fear can also release Ninjutsu with the Chakra Attribute contained within the hearts!
The four Earth Grudge Fear mask creatures collectively opened their mouths, simultaneously releasing powerful Ninjutsu of Lightning, Wind, Water, and Fire attributes, shooting them towards the wooden man!
"Fire Release: Headache!"
A vast flame, like the sea, surged forth!
"Wind Release: Suppression!"
A high-pressure wind ball blew towards the wooden man, the wind quickly intensifying the fire of Headache, engulfing the massive wooden man's legs in a sea of flames!
"Water Release: Water Curtain Tent!"
A high-pressure water cannon, like a water blade, flew towards the wooden man's head, seemingly intending to directly pierce through Akihara Kagura standing atop the wooden man!
"Lightning Release: Pseudo-Darkness!"
A lightning spear followed into the high-pressure water cannon, forming a lightning-water combo Ninjutsu, enhancing the Water Curtain Tent's penetrative power!
At this moment...
Kakuzu was like a warrior!
The four Earth Grudge Fear were like the warrior's aides!
One after another, Ninjutsu converged, continuously launching attacks at the mountain-sized wooden man, as if able to destroy this wooden creature with their assault!
This battle is destined to be difficult!
This battle is destined to be long!
This wooden figure is destined to be destroyed!
However...
The wooden man was alive.
These Ninjutsu attacks were like nothing more than a tickle to it.
Standing atop the wooden man's head, Akihara Kagura controlled the wooden man to crouch slightly, extending a wooden finger, crushing an Earth Grudge Fear as if squashing an ant.
"Woodman Jutsu is the First Hokage's Jutsu."
As Akihara Kagura controlled the wooden man to crush one Earth Grudge Fear after another, he watched the fleeing Kakuzu: "When you fought the First Hokage back then, how did you break this Jutsu?"