Uchiha Yujin had once analyzed Kakuzu's combat abilities.
Take Kakuzu's most powerful jutsu, Lightning Release: False Darkness, for example.
Using the Lightning Mask of the Earth Grudge, even a casually thrown lightning strike from him had destructive power comparable to Chidori.
The key point—this jutsu wasn't just a single bolt of lightning.
Feeling the few hairs on his head stand on end from the static electricity, Uchiha Yujin immediately shouted, "Run!"
The moment the words left his mouth, among the five of them, only Kimimaro, quick and sharp-eyed, managed to dodge to the side.
The other four were struck by the Lightning Release: False Darkness and were blasted off the tree trunks they were standing on!
Uchiha Yujin's eyelids twitched in disbelief.
This was five years before the story officially began.
Even the five of them five years later could only trade blows evenly with Konoha's Twelve Strongest Genin.
Not to mention going up against an Akatsuki-level powerhouse like Kakuzu—
They were completely outmatched.
Sweat beaded on Kimimaro's forehead as he looked toward a masked man in a blazing-red uniform standing on a distant tree trunk.
The black curse mark crawled up half of Kimimaro's body, trying to face him head-on.
Uchiha Yujin thought to himself: Kimimaro really is a battle-crazed warrior—the shining pride of the Kaguya clan.
Even his own Cursed Seal of Earth had only just reached Stage Two.
Kimimaro, still unfamiliar with the abilities at this stage, was at most at a Chunin level.
Even the grown Gaara couldn't defeat the lowest-ranking members of the Akatsuki.
And young Gaara had been completely dominated by Kimimaro back then, making the idea of him confronting Kakuzu head-on nothing but a pipe dream.
"Run!"
Uchiha Yujin didn't waste words. He shouted to Kimimaro while forming hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
The instant the wall of water rose, the flames of Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work instantly engulfed both of them.
The intense heat turned Uchiha Yujin's water wall into steam in less than three seconds.
Kimimaro's head dripped with sweat as he realized just how far behind he was compared to their enemy.
"His target is me! You run!"
Uchiha Yujin gritted his teeth and unleashed the water wall once more.
"Lord Orochimaru ordered me to bring you to Konoha!" Kimimaro didn't even think about the consequences of defying orders—he was stubbornly determined to obey.
"I advise you to get out of here fast, or you'll all be dead. Orochimaru doesn't keep useless people around, and I don't want to be grabbed early to do hard labor. Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A thunderous boom followed.
The enormous fireball set the tree where Kakuzu had just stood ablaze.
Uchiha Yujin, midair, scanned the battlefield with blinks of the Sharingan and the keen perception of Observation Haki.
He locked onto Kakuzu's position and suddenly flung more than twenty shuriken at once.
"D-d-d-d!"
All the shuriken struck the big tree behind Kakuzu.
Kakuzu only shifted his body slightly and dodged every attack.
"Damn brat."
Kakuzu, an old man with a violent temper, was holding back by not mindlessly throwing Lightning Release: False Darkness.
He didn't know how his Earth Grudge Fear had lost one of its masks, and he was afraid that if he burned Uchiha Yujin to ashes, he would lose that mask forever.
If he lost that Wind Release mask, Kakuzu's power would be greatly reduced.
It wasn't a small decrease.
The wind-mask of Earth Grudge Fear could combine with Fire Release to make a composite ninjutsu: Flame‑Wind Chaos Wave.
Even with the Lord God Yujin's chakra levels, he could kill someone like Uoguro strengthened Da Qiang and Freddy whose spiritual world had collapsed when they were weakened.
Not to mention Kakuzu's enormous chakra when he used the technique.
Kakuzu rolled his shoulders and said, "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you here?"
Uchiha Yujin answered guiltily, "Do you know how long I've felt guilty?"
Kakuzu snorted coldly and threw a shuriken at Uchiha Yujin.
"Whoosh!"
The shuriken grazed Uchiha Yujin's side and flew into the trunk of a tree behind him, piercing straight through.
The force was so great it made the weaker Kimmimaro sweat.
"Damned Uchiha brat!" Kakuzu took Uchiha Yujin's dodging of the shuriken as proof of the Sharingan's power.
He snarled, "I've never tasted the heart of a three‑tomoe Sharingan awakened Uchiha. Hand it over!"
As he finished speaking, Kakuzu lunged and fired a punch at Uchiha Yujin.
Kakuzu's use of the Earth Grudge Fear far exceeded that of "Yujin."
He could manipulate the black veins of his Earth Grudge Fear, splitting his body while using the veins as a connection between his fists and body, achieving an effect similar to a rubber-like rocket punch at certain angles.
But, while young Luffy's rocket punch could be resisted by Uchiha Yujin, he wouldn't dare block Kakuzu's.
He raised his arm, silently chanting in his heart.
"Shadow Snake Hand!"
At the same time, the first-level Gene Lock and the second stage of the Curse Seal activated.
Seeing the several massive snakes entwined with his tentacle fist, Kakuzu's eyes widened, filled with a mix of anger and surprise.
He cursed under his breath, "So this brat really is connected to that traitor Orochimaru!"
The black snakes formed by the Shadow Snake Hand flicked their crimson tongues, tightly coiling around the tentacle fists extended from Kakuzu's black veins.
Their serpentine bodies writhed violently, struggling against Kakuzu.
Kakuzu felt a strong pulling force on his arms.
He tried to pull back, but the snakes clung tightly, trapping him in a stalemate.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
How could this be possible?
Uchiha Yujin allowed himself a rare smile.
Kakuzu really had wasted his life.
If he had even basic knowledge of physics, he would know that at this angle, with his arms stretched so far and Uchiha Yujin braced against a tree, it should have been Kakuzu who was struggling to pull—and yet here he was, the one being resisted.
As the two remained locked in a tense tug-of-war, a strange opening suddenly appeared in Kakuzu's back.
From it, a black creature wearing a teal mask slowly emerged, crawling out of Kakuzu's body.
The creature was enormous, radiating an aura that made the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive.
Seeing this, Uchiha Yujin's heart sank.
He had been planning to exploit the stalemate and find a chance to escape, but Kakuzu's sudden transformation shattered his plan instantly.
Now, his movements were restricted by the tug-of-war at his wrist.
The water-style creature leapt straight toward Uchiha Yujin.
Just as he was about to sever the snake tail himself, a white figure shot forward.
"Shikotsumyaku: Camellia Dance!"
Kimimaro showed no fear.
Clutching his bone blade, he charged directly at the water-style Earth Grudge Fear creature.
The creature, seeing Kimimaro attack head-on, immediately began gathering power in its mouth, preparing to unleash a water jutsu.
Kimimaro's figure flickered rapidly, trying to get close to the monster before it could unleash its jutsu.
However, the Water Release: Earth Grudge monster completed its jutsu preparation in an instant.
With a deafening boom, a powerful water cannon shot out from its mouth, roaring like a raging torrent, sweeping straight toward Kimimaro.
Where the water cannon struck, the ground was instantly torn apart, mud and rocks flying high into the air, and the atmosphere filled with thick mist.
Seeing this, Kimimaro immediately changed his strategy.
He activated his agile taijutsu—Shikotsumyaku: Willow Dance!
Kimimaro darted along the edge of the water cannon, searching for even the slightest weakness.
But the Water Release: Earth Grudge monster constantly adjusted the direction of its water cannon, keeping Kimimaro tightly pressured.
Spotting a gap, Kimimaro leapt into the air, avoiding the brunt of the water blast.
In midair, he twisted his body, using the momentum of his descent to swing his bone knife toward the Water Release: Earth Grudge monster!
The monster quickly raised its arms, enveloping them in the water flow of Water Release: Water Curtain, blocking Kimimaro's strike head-on!
The clash of bone knife and water splashed violently, metal scraping sharply against liquid.
Using the recoil, Kimimaro leapt back several meters, landing firmly on the ground.
Watching this, Kakuzu laughed loudly, his voice echoing with malice.
"Two hearts with kekkei genkai… I'll take them both!"
But as he spoke, his expression shifted.
He quickly retracted his tentacle-like fists and darted to the side.
Just as he moved, on a nearby branch, a figure with thick brows and sharp eyes appeared, kicking through the air!
Stabilizing his stance, Might Guy raised a thumbs-up toward Uchiha Yujin…
His teeth gleamed in the sunlight, momentarily blinding Kakuzu!
Guy shouted, his voice booming:
"No wonder you're Kakashi's student! Hang in there! I'm coming to save you!"
****
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