Chapter 115: Kakuzu Arrives
Uchiha Ren had once analyzed Kakuzu's combat power.
Take Kakuzu's most powerful ninjutsu, Lightning Style: False Darkness, for example.
Using the Lightning Style Mask of Earth Grudge Fear, any bolt of lightning he casually shot out had destructive power on the same level as Chidori.
The key is, this ninjutsu isn't just a single bolt of electricity.
Uchiha Ren felt a few strands of his hair stand on end due to static electricity, and immediately shouted, "Run!"
As soon as his voice fell, among the five people, except for Kimimaro, who swiftly dodged to the side, the other four were collectively struck by the electric shock of Lightning Style: False Darkness and knocked down from the tree trunk!
Uchiha Ren's eyelids twitched at the sight!
This was five years before the story began.
Even the group of five, five years later, would only be on par with Konoha 12 genin, able to fight back and forth.
Let alone facing a Kage-level expert like Kakuzu.
They were no match at all.
Kimimaro, sweating from his forehead, looked at the masked man on a distant tree trunk, who was wearing a fiery cloud uniform.
The black Cursed Seal erupted over half of Kimimaro's body, attempting to confront him directly.
Uchiha Ren thought to himself, Kimimaro truly was a battle-crazed member of the Kaguya Clan—the family's ace!
His Earth Cursed Seal had only just activated to Tier 2, Stage 2.
Kimimaro, still unfamiliar with the abilities of this stage, at best was at a genin level.
Even a grown-up Gaara couldn't defeat the lowest-ranked Akatsuki member, let alone a young Kimimaro, whom Gaara completely overpowered in childhood, wanting to go head-to-head with Kakuzu. That was just wishful thinking.
"Run!"
Uchiha Ren didn't say much. While reminding Kimimaro, he formed hand signs.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
The moment the water wall rose, the flames of Fire Style: Searing Migraine instantly enveloped both of them!
The scorching fire, in less than three seconds, turned the Water Wall Uchiha Ren erected into steam. Kimimaro broke into a sweat, only then realizing the vast difference in power between them and their enemy.
"His target is me, you run!"
Uchiha Ren gritted his teeth and said, releasing Water Wall again.
"Lord Orochimaru ordered that I deliver you to Konoha!" Kimimaro didn't even mention the consequences of disobeying orders, simply obeying with stubborn loyalty.
"I advise you to leave quickly. If all of you die, Lord Orochimaru will have no useful people around him, and he'll capture me early to be a laborer. Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Boom—
The giant fireball ignited the tree where Kakuzu had just stood. Uchiha Ren, soaring through the air with his three-tomoe Sharingan, swiftly surveyed the battlefield. Using his Observation Haki, he pinpointed Kakuzu's location, then flung out over twenty shuriken in one go!
Clatter! Clatter!
All the shuriken struck the large tree behind Kakuzu. He merely shifted his body slightly, dodging all attacks.
"Damn brat."
As a short-tempered old man, Kakuzu was already showing great restraint by not mindlessly unleashing Lightning Style: False Darkness with bloodshot eyes.
Because he didn't know how one of his Earth Grudge Fear Masks had been stolen. He feared that if he directly burned Uchiha Ren to death, Earth Grudge Fear would forever be missing one Mask.
If he lost the Wind Spirit, Kakuzu's strength would be greatly diminished.
It wasn't as simple as five minus one.
The pressure blown from Earth Grudge Fear's Wind Spirit Mask could be combined with Fire Style to form the Compound Ninjutsu: Blaze Wind Rage.
This technique, even with Main God Ren Arakawa's Chakra reserves, could burn to death Da Qiang, strengthened by Toguro, or Freddy, whose mental world had collapsed.
Let alone Kakuzu using this move with his vast Chakra reserves.
Kakuzu rotated his shoulders. "Do you know how long I've waited for you here?"
Uchiha Ren, feeling guilty, shouted back, "Do you know how long I've felt remorse?"
Kakuzu snorted coldly and threw a shuriken at Uchiha Ren!
Whoosh!
The shuriken grazed Uchiha Ren and shot towards the tree trunk behind him, directly piercing through it!
The immense power made the low-level Kimimaro break out in a cold sweat!
"Damn Uchiha brat!" Kakuzu attributed Uchiha Ren's ability to dodge the shuriken attack solely to his Sharingan. "I haven't eaten the heart of a three-tomoe Uchiha yet, give it to me!"
As his words fell, he launched a fist at Uchiha Ren!
Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear techniques far surpassed Ren Arakawa's. He could use Earth Grudge Fear's black blood vessels to detach his fist from his body, using the blood vessels as a connection between the fist and body, thereby achieving the effect of Rubber-Rubber Rocket Punch from a certain angle.
But, while Uchiha Ren dared to withstand a young Luffy's Rocket Punch, he didn't dare to with Kakuzu's.
He raised his arm, silently chanting in his mind:
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
At the same time, Tier 1 Gene Lock and Stage 2 Heavenly Cursed Seal activated!
Looking at the several large snakes wrapped around his tentacle-like fist, Kakuzu's eyes widened, filled with a mix of anger and astonishment.
He cursed inwardly, "As expected, a brat linked with that traitor Orochimaru!"
The several large black snakes formed by Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, flicking their scarlet forked tongues, tightly coiled around Kakuzu's tentacle-like fist, which extended from Earth Grudge Fear's black blood vessels. Their bodies constantly writhed, wrestling with Kakuzu.
Kakuzu felt a considerable pulling force on his arm; he wanted to retract it but it was tightly entangled, and he found himself in a stalemate!
Kakuzu's eyes widened. How could this be?
Uchiha Ren rarely showed a smile.
Kakuzu truly lived all those years in vain. If he had studied physics, he would know that at this angle of force, with his arm extended so far and Uchiha Ren's back against a large tree, it would be strange if Kakuzu could pull him.
Just as both sides were locked in a stalemate, a strange opening suddenly appeared on Kakuzu's back. Immediately after, a large black creature wearing a blue mask slowly emerged from Kakuzu's body!
The creature was massive, exuding a chilling aura. The moment it appeared, the surrounding air seemed to grow heavy.
Uchiha Ren saw this and inwardly cried out "not good". He had originally been calculating how to use the stalemate to find an opportunity to escape, but Kakuzu's unexpected transformation instantly turned his plans into smoke.
At this moment, his movements were restricted by the pull between his arm and Kakuzu's.
This Water Spirit creature leaped directly towards Uchiha Ren. Just as the latter was about to cut off the snake tails himself, a white figure shot out!
"Dead Bone Pulse: Dance of the Camellia!"
Kimimaro, fearless, charged directly at the Water Spirit Earth Grudge Fear creature, bone blade in hand!
The Water Spirit Earth Grudge Fear creature saw Kimimaro actively attacking, and immediately began to gather power in its mouth, preparing to use Water Style.
Kimimaro's figure flashed quickly, trying to get close to the creature before it could activate its ninjutsu.
However, the Water Spirit Earth Grudge Fear creature instantly completed its ninjutsu preparations. With a deafening "boom", a powerful water cannon erupted from its mouth, like a surging torrent, sweeping towards Kimimaro.
Where the water cannon passed, the ground was instantly torn open, mud and rocks were flung high, and the air was filled with dense water vapor.
Seeing this, Kimimaro immediately changed his strategy. He unleashed his agile taijutsu – Dead Bone Pulse: Dance of the Willow!
Kimimaro moved rapidly along the edge of the water cannon, trying to find a weakness in the attack.
But the Water Spirit Earth Grudge Fear creature continuously adjusted the direction of the water cannon, relentlessly suppressing Kimimaro.
Kimimaro spotted an opening and leaped violently into the air, avoiding the direct impact of the water cannon. Then, turning in mid-air, he used his downward momentum to swing his bone blade towards the Water Spirit Earth Grudge Fear creature!
The Water Spirit Earth Grudge Fear creature quickly raised its arm, wrapping it in a current of water formed by Water Style: Water Shroud, and directly took Kimimaro's attack!
The bone blade clashed with the water current, splashing water and emitting a grating metallic friction sound. Kimimaro, using the recoil, leaped back several meters and landed steadily on the ground.
Seeing this scene, Kakuzu burst into laughter: "Two Kekkei Genkai hearts, I'll take them all!"
Just as he finished speaking, his expression shifted slightly. He quickly retracted his tentacle-like fist and dodged to the side!
The moment he dodged, a figure with thick eyebrows and large eyes, currently kicking, appeared on the branch where he had just stood!
Stabilizing his stance, Might Guy gave Uchiha Ren a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight and stinging Kakuzu's eyes!
Guy shouted loudly: "As expected of Kakashi's student! Hold on! I'm here to save you!"
(end of chapter)