"Old man, long time no see."
Kiyosuke released the immobilized Hidan and turned toward Kakuzu.
"So it's you again… Asakawa Kiyosuke, and Sarutobi Asuma with a thirty million ryō bounty. The two of you together—looks like I'll be making a fortune today."
Kakuzu's tone was calm and collected, as if his confidence in victory was absolute.
"Oh? Sounds like you've already decided we're done for. What gives you that kind of confidence? Is it your Earth Grudge Fear?"
Kiyosuke raised a brow, standing shoulder to shoulder with Asuma.
Two grotesque monsters loomed at Kakuzu's sides as he said,
"Earth Grudge Fear is just a way to make money. As long as I kill the both of you, I won't have to worry about earning anything for quite some time."
The combined bounty on these two alone was enough to rival the wealth of several small nations. It would save him the trouble of chasing targets all over the continent.
Casting a glance at Hidan's corpse sprawled on the ground, he muttered,
"Useless trash. Couldn't even guard a door properly."
Though he complained, one of Kakuzu's creatures lumbered over, hoisting Hidan's body up and shielding him. Black threads slithered into Hidan's limbs, digging into flesh and bone, forcibly stitching his shattered body back together. The pain was excruciating, and yet Hidan—drenched in cold sweat—somehow endured it.
Immortality didn't mean freedom from pain. And though Hidan was a true sadist, there was no joy to be found in agony this sharp.
Watching, Kiyosuke and Asuma both winced.
As Hidan's charred throat slowly knitted itself together, he finally managed to croak, "Damn it… you bastard… that hurts like hell!"
"At least you can move again. Stop whining." Kakuzu's strange eyes flicked to his partner. "Asakawa Kiyosuke's ability is a hard counter to yours. Leave him to me. You handle Sarutobi Asuma."
"Leave… leave it to me!"
Biting back his pain, Hidan hefted his scythe and charged at Asuma—only for a snake to dart from Kiyosuke's collar. A flash of steel pierced straight through Hidan's chest.
With a thunderous crash, Hidan was blasted away, sent flying straight into a public restroom.
Kiyosuke quickly recalled the weapon, grimacing.
"Tch. Hope that didn't get dirty. Disgusting… damn exchange office, why the hell did they have to put their base in a public toilet?"
"Fire Release: Head Severing Pain!"
Kakuzu, an ancient monster well versed in battle, seized the moment when Kiyosuke was distracted and unleashed his jutsu.
A scorching fireball erupted from one of his creatures' mouths, streaking toward Kiyosuke and Asuma.
Asuma leapt clear just in time, escaping the blast radius. Kiyosuke didn't even bother dodging—Asuma had seen this before and wasn't worried. He was already thinking of how to strike back at Kakuzu.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
A compressed blast of air roared forward. Feeling the attack, Asuma instinctively channeled chakra into his trench knives, crossing them before his chest. The impact hurled him backward into the nearby river.
On the other side, Kiyosuke emerged from the rubble, calling out,
"Hey, Asuma! You alright?"
"You'll be joining him soon enough." Kakuzu's voice was steady, almost casual.
"Who knows?"
"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"
Everyone knew the unspoken rule: if you wanted to fight Asakawa Kiyosuke, you used water release. It rarely caused him real harm, but it could force him to take solid form, creating brief openings for an attack. Still, pulling it off was easier said than done.
A surging wave rushed toward him. Kiyosuke didn't dodge. His hands blurred through seals at blistering speed.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
He harnessed the incoming surge itself to form a towering wall of water, shielding himself from the brunt of the attack.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. "So taking your bounty won't be easy after all. But I will have it."
"Oh? You're that sure you can kill me?" Kiyosuke stood lightly on the water's surface, amused.
"Of course. When I fought your First Hokage, you were still a nobody." This was Kakuzu's proudest claim, one he repeated whenever he could.
Kiyosuke only dug at his ear, unimpressed.
"Eh? Didn't I tell you last time? You just threw a shuriken from eight hundred miles away. The First probably didn't even remember you. Stop embarrassing yourself. If you were so bold, why didn't you brag about it when both the First and Second were alive? What's wrong—got cold feet? No way, right? C'mon, Kakuzu-san, trembling before the Hokage but swinging your fists at us… you really are the definition of fake."
"You little brat! How dare you insult me like that! Prepare to join your First Hokage in the afterlife!"
Veins bulged on Kakuzu's forehead. His fury was barely contained.
Kiyosuke smirked.
"Heh. So you fought the First Hokage—big deal. It's not like I haven't. The Second was there too. Two Hokage ganged up on me. Did I brag? No. Did I show off? No. And here you are, puffing your chest like a clown. Pathetic old man."
"You bastard! You're dead!"
Kakuzu snapped, his hands flying into seals as one of his monsters spat crackling lightning.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
A spear of lightning tore through the air, striking the water. The shock split water into hydrogen and oxygen, which ignited in a massive explosion.
Boom!
A storm of lightning, fire, and water engulfed Kiyosuke.
But a blaze erupted around him, forming a shield of fire that warded off the lightning's bite. Fueled by chakra, the flames roared skyward, spawning a rain of blazing fireballs that streaked down like meteors.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Kakuzu's skin blackened and hardened like stone. Fireballs crashed against him, but his movements remained unimpeded. He burst through the curtain of flame, driving his fist straight at Kiyosuke.
Kiyosuke caught it with ease. Feeling the strength behind it, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Pathetic. You're weak."
"Damn you!" Kakuzu roared. "Every Konoha rat is the same!"
Just then, Asuma crawled up from the riverbank.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
A thick cloud of black smoke poured from his mouth, swallowing the battlefield. This was Asuma's personal creation, a unique fire release technique.
The choking haze enveloped both Kakuzu and Kiyosuke. Kakuzu scoffed.
"A smokescreen?"
Taking advantage of the cover, he let his hardened skin fade, preparing a strike from concealment.
But Asuma snapped his teeth together.
The smoke detonated instantly.
Flames burst skyward, engulfing everything.
"Urrrghhhhhh!!" Kakuzu's scream tore through the blaze as fire seared his unarmored flesh.
One of his Earth Grudge Fear masks shattered behind him. Cursing, he retreated from the inferno, gasping for breath. His Akatsuki cloak was tattered and ruined. With a snarl, he ripped it off and flung it aside.
Perfect. The law of strip and you die—fulfilled!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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