"When will this finally end…"
Senju Haruto narrowed his eyes, staring at the apocalyptic scene of explosions raging before him. To be honest—even he wasn't entirely sure how long it would last.
This was the first time he had unleashed his improved version of Tobirama's Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags in an actual battle. The number of tags summoned wasn't counted in thousands or millions—it was in the billions.
The only thing Haruto could be certain of was this:
By the time this technique finally ran its course, there would be no way Hidan could still be standing.
No—there wouldn't even be a scrap of flesh left behind.
"I can't give an exact answer," Haruto said in a calm, almost casual tone, as if explaining the details of a slightly more advanced jutsu. "But when you unleash a billion explosive tags in a continuous chain reaction… it's bound to take a while."
"A… a billion…"
Kakashi's brain went completely blank.
All his life, he had thought he understood explosive tags. He had used them countless times, seen them deployed in battle, studied their mechanics in detail. But right here, right now, he suddenly realized—he didn't know the first thing about them.
"After all, Hidan is only this level of opponent. Hardly worth using the unit of 'trillion' on."
Haruto's voice was steady, almost indifferent. He recalled how Konan had once detonated six hundred billion tags, creating a sea of paper bombs that drowned the battlefield.
If she had known how to combine that arsenal with the Mutually Multiplying variant…
Even Uchiha Obito, with an arm full of Sharingan, would have been finished in Amegakure.
"Trillion…"
Sasuke blinked hard, drawing in a sharp breath through clenched teeth. His Sharingan flickered, unable to fully process what he was seeing. Haruto had taken something as mundane as a single explosive tag and turned it into a weapon that defied logic.
This wasn't just innovation—it was madness.
"Haruto-nii…"
Naruto's voice trembled with awe.
Every time he thought he had finally grasped Haruto's strength, every time he thought he was catching up… his entire perception was shattered all over again.
How strong was Haruto, really?
How vast was the gulf between them?
Zabuza, meanwhile, broke into a cold sweat just thinking about it.
If he hadn't defected from Gato's side…
If, back then, he had made the foolish choice to strike at Haruto…
The consequences—
The thought alone was enough to make Zabuza shudder violently.
Thank the gods he hadn't been stupid enough to pick that fight.
No one knew how long had passed before the endless detonations finally began to die down.
The acrid stench of gunpowder spread across the battlefield, smoke curling thick in the air.
Especially for Gato and the terrified men behind him—just standing here, merely watching this spectacle, was enough to smother them under a wave of despair darker and heavier than storm clouds.
It wasn't exaggeration to say—
Following Gato here had just become the single worst decision of their lives.
"Senju brat…"
Kakuzu's gravelly voice rumbled low. "That technique just now—that has to be your trump card, doesn't it?"
As the last layers of smoke dispersed, what remained was laid bare:
A massive crater, barren and lifeless, stripped of even the faintest trace of vegetation.
Forget about Hidan's so-called immortal body.
They couldn't even find a single grain of ash.
Billions of explosive tags had annihilated him completely, erasing even the possibility of remains.
And yet—despite witnessing the absurd devastation of the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags—Kakuzu didn't flee.
He took a deep, steadying breath, then shrugged off his cloak and shirt.
To Kakuzu, it was obvious. That jutsu, for all its power, hadn't consumed chakra. It had consumed explosive tags.
And explosive tags didn't just appear out of thin air.
Every single one had to be purchased.
Which meant—Haruto's grand display had burned through mountains of money.
"A more idiotic jutsu I've never seen."
Kakuzu scoffed as he activated his Earth Grudge Fear technique. The masks of Fire and Wind fused into his shoulders, while the Lightning mask spread across his chest. Black tendrils erupted outward, writhing and snapping through the air.
"Explosive tags have limits. And so does that jutsu. There's no way you can use it twice."
His tone was firm, but his gaze was wary. He wasn't arrogant enough to underestimate Senju Haruto—not when the boy carried the Wood Release, a power thought lost with the First Hokage.
Just that alone demanded his respect.
"Still… to come up with something like that… I can't decide if you're a genius—or a fool."
On one hand, he acknowledged the devastation. Even Hidan's so-called immortality had been obliterated. In that sense, Haruto was Hidan's natural predator.
On the other hand… the amount of money required to prepare such a technique was staggering.
If anyone in Akatsuki had dared to burn through that much of the organization's funds for one jutsu, Kakuzu would have torn them apart without hesitation.
Haruto, however, only chuckled at his words.
He almost wanted to see Kakuzu's face if he ever learned the truth—that Konan had detonated six hundred billion tags in a single battle, and still hadn't managed to kill her target.
"True. Every technique has weaknesses. Even the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. To unleash it, you need preparation—mountains of explosive tags in advance. Right now, I can't use it again."
Haruto smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming.
"But that doesn't mean I have a weakness."
"No weakness? Hmph."
Kakuzu's laugh was low, harsh. He poured chakra into his masks, preparing to strike.
"Just because you inherited Wood Release? Don't make me laugh. I've faced users stronger than you."
The entire battlefield erupted in shock.
Especially Kakashi.
As Konoha's foremost tactician, his knowledge of shinobi history was encyclopedic. According to every record, only three people had ever wielded Wood Release:
One was Yamato, who had inherited Hashirama's cells.
The other… was the First Hokage himself.
And Yamato was nowhere near Haruto's level.
That left only one possibility.
As impossible as it seemed… it had to be the truth.
"You… don't tell me… you fought the First Hokage himself…" Kakashi's throat went dry, his voice trembling.
"That's right."
Kakuzu smirked, nodding. "That's why I call you brats. Back in my youth, I was given the mission to assassinate Hashirama Senju. I failed, of course…"
"I'm more curious about how you even tried."
Haruto cut him off, voice dripping with mockery. "What, did you throw a kunai from eight hundred miles away?"
Kakuzu: "???"
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
He had forced Hashirama to reveal his Wood Release! That was no small feat.
And yet here was this brat—dismissing it like a joke.