Earth Grudge Fear was a forbidden secret technique that Kakuzu had stolen when he defected from his village.
Of course, there were other significant factors involved in his betrayal.
Takigakure had originally sent Kakuzu on a suicide mission to assassinate the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. The assassination attempt had failed as expected, but surprisingly, Senju Hashirama had chosen not to kill Kakuzu during their encounter.
When Kakuzu finally managed to escape back to his village, he was harshly blamed and criticized by the village leadership for his failure. In his rage and humiliation, Kakuzu seized Takigakure's most precious secret technique—Earth Grudge Fear—and used it to massacre the village elders who had condemned him, stealing their hearts to sustain his own immortality.
It could be said that the forbidden technique of Earth Grudge Fear contained a dark past that Kakuzu absolutely refused to acknowledge or discuss.
Therefore, when Orochimaru spoke those three damning words, Kakuzu became consumed with murderous fury and immediately attempted to kill the snake sage.
Bang!
A thunderous impact echoed across the battlefield!
The exploding wind sphere released terrifying destructive power without restraint, its harsh sound reverberating in everyone's ears and becoming almost unbearable.
Sizzle...
Sparks flew in brilliant cascades!
Dense iron sand formed a thick protective wall, successfully blocking the violent storm. Kakuzu's devastating attack proved completely ineffective against this defense.
"Thanks to Naraku's inadvertent assistance, my Impure World Reincarnation wouldn't have been perfected so quickly."
Orochimaru had been continuously improving the Impure World Reincarnation technique. He wanted to make the summoned dead as powerful as possible while maintaining complete control over them to prevent any possibility of rebellion.
Originally, he and Yakushi Kabuto had made frustratingly slow progress with modifications to the Impure World Reincarnation. However, after being killed by Naraku and having his soul damaged as a consequence, followed by his trip to the Hidden Cloud Village where he conducted extensive experiments on Killer Bee, everything had changed.
Orochimaru now possessed profound knowledge of souls and their manipulation, which had indirectly led to dramatic acceleration in his development of the resurrection technique.
A sinister smile appeared across Orochimaru's pale features as he gestured with his hand. The Third Kazekage suddenly launched himself toward Kakuzu with lethal intent.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wings!
Densely compressed iron sand formed a pair of massive wings, carrying the Third Kazekage high into the air above the battlefield.
Swish, swish...
Countless iron sand feathers suddenly shot downward at speeds impossible to track with the naked eye, covering Kakuzu and his two masked creatures like an overwhelming metallic storm.
Whoosh...
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
Another violent wind sphere erupted from one of the masked creatures, and the sweeping hurricane scattered the iron sand feathers across the sky, preventing a single projectile from reaching Kakuzu.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently with tremendous force, making it nearly impossible for anyone to maintain their footing.
Kakuzu observed the situation with cold calculation. Suddenly, massive waves of iron sand appeared before him, emanating irresistible momentum as they crashed forward to crush him.
"Hey, Kakuzu! Can I lend you a hand?"
Hidan stood casually on a large tree branch in the distance, his bloody triple-bladed scythe resting across his shoulders. He appeared somewhat bored by the proceedings. Seeing that Kakuzu seemed to be at a disadvantage, he shouted loudly, expressing his desire to join the battle.
"Shut up! I can handle this myself!"
Kakuzu's cold voice rang out as another masked creature materialized beside him. Chakra surged violently through its form, and intense heat began radiating in all directions.
Observing the enormous wave of iron sand approaching like charging cavalry, a massive fireball rapidly expanded before being instantly expelled by the masked monster.
The moment the fireball struck the ground, it spread with incredible speed, releasing an unparalleled explosion that consumed vast amounts of iron sand.
BOOM!
The sea of flames spread with extraordinary rapidity, completely submerging the massive iron sand wave within moments. The scorching flames melted the iron sand into molten metal that flowed across the forest floor like lava.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
Thunder tore through the remaining iron sand and instantly pierced the Third Kazekage as he flew overhead, leaving an enormous hole through his torso.
However, no blood flowed from the reanimated body. Paper-like substances quickly repaired the Third Kazekage's form, restoring him to perfect condition within seconds.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!
A massive solid cylinder constructed from black iron sand suddenly plummeted toward Kakuzu. Its tremendous momentum displaced the surrounding air, and its speed was so incredible that evasion seemed impossible.
Simultaneously, countless additional iron sand feathers materialized in the air above, falling like deadly metallic raindrops.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The fighting styles of the Third Kazekage and Kakuzu possessed remarkable similarities. Both employed aggressive tactics, completely disregarding chakra consumption while madly releasing devastating ninjutsu without restraint.
Flames, iron sand, lightning, hurricanes—multiple varieties of techniques collided with explosive force, destroying the forest within several kilometers and creating a barren wasteland where lush vegetation had once thrived.
As the battle between these two powerhouses continued, the surrounding terrain underwent dramatic transformation.
"Incredible, Pervy Sage! Is this level of destruction normal for ninjutsu?"
Uzumaki Naruto was no longer the ignorant boy who had known nothing about the shinobi world. After an extended period of intensive training with Jiraiya, he had become considerably more knowledgeable about ninja techniques.
However, this was his first time witnessing Kakuzu and the Third Kazekage engaged in such devastating combat.
The scene when Naruto had summoned Gamabunta to fight against One-Tail Shukaku had been quite spectacular in its own right.
But that confrontation had been primarily created by the massive summoned creatures themselves.
This devastating battle unfolding before their eyes was entirely caused by two individual shinobi!
These represented completely different concepts of power!
Uzumaki Naruto felt overwhelmed by the incredible display of strength.
"Naruto, fall back immediately!"
Jiraiya shouted his warning, then decided Naruto was moving too slowly and pulled him backward rapidly.
Bang!
A seemingly harmless flame landed exactly where they had been standing moments before, then exploded with tremendous violence, creating an enormous crater in the earth.
"Stay alert! Don't just watch the spectacle—be careful not to get caught in the crossfire between those two monsters!"
Jiraiya warned sternly, feeling relieved when he observed Naruto's now-serious expression.
His attention remained constantly focused on Hidan, who continued stalking them from a distance. He didn't dare relax his vigilance for even a moment.
The seemingly careless man carrying his triple-bladed scythe with casual indifference appeared full of obvious weaknesses and openings.
Jiraiya felt confident that if he chose to attack, he could severely injure or even kill his opponent almost instantly.
However, he maintained maximum alertness. Members of Akatsuki couldn't possibly be so weak. If they could be eliminated easily, they wouldn't qualify for membership in such a dangerous organization. Therefore, his opponent must possess some hidden trump card that allowed him to stand before a legendary Sannin so confidently.
The question remained: what exactly was this enemy's secret advantage?
While Jiraiya continued analyzing the tactical situation, Orochimaru activated the Impure World Reincarnation technique once again and summoned another deceased warrior.
"It's truly surprising that Kakuzu possesses such extraordinary strength!"
Orochimaru hadn't expected that his improved Impure World Reincarnation would summon a Third Kazekage significantly more powerful than previous versions, yet still be unable to defeat Kakuzu decisively.
"It appears I must reveal another trump card!"
With a resounding bang, smoke dissipated to reveal an elderly man with a distinctive lightning-shaped scar across his chest and an incredibly muscular physique.
The old man possessed extraordinary physical development, with muscles that appeared forged from steel. Even though this person was technically dead, anyone standing before him could feel the horrifying sense of overwhelming power and presence.
"What a magnificent specimen!"
"The Third Raikage!"
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion