Kakuzu actually appearing here, then following Akatsuki's conventions, there should still be... oh, possibly not anymore. The Akatsuki organization enjoyed collecting rogue ninja. These people all had bounties. Those partnered with Kakuzu basically became his side income.
However, it did not actually count as Kakuzu's side income. Ultimately, it all entered Akatsuki's treasury.
Huh... calculating this way, wasn't Akatsuki some degree of compound operation?
Shuji pulled back his somewhat derailed thoughts.
Since Kakuzu currently appeared in Kirigakure's camp, openly assisting their attacks, one could almost certainly determine that at this stage, Fourth Mizukage Yagura was under Obito's control.
This way, reasons behind Kirigakure's recent numerous abnormal actions seemed partially explainable.
However, the current priority was not investigating masterminds behind scenes but resolving enemies before him.
Kakuzu possessed five masks. Besides the currently released Wind-Fire Earth Grudge mask monsters, three remained. Each mask could release tremendously powerful ninjutsu, further capable of mutual coordination forming exponentially destructive combination techniques.
If allowing him to completely unleash here, for Shisui and others needing to handle Kirigakure shinobi, the situation would become abnormally difficult.
He must be lured away or... quickly resolved.
"Earth Release: Flying Gravel!"
Shuji pressed one hand to the ground. The ground before him violently shook. Countless stones of varying sizes were forcibly stripped away, shooting toward Kakuzu.
Facing such attack level, Kakuzu did not even intend to move. His exposed skin instantly turned black.
Fragmented stones struck his body like raindrops yet only splashed some dust, unable to make him even sway.
"Boring petty tricks."
Kakuzu's voice revealed no emotion. His green eyes narrowed slightly.
The previous Earth-Style Rampart and earlier Wind Release both proved this Konoha jōnin possessed considerable strength.
Such attacks, were they probing? Or provocation? Wanting one-on-one, preventing him from interfering with companions battling Kirigakure?
However, this suited Kakuzu perfectly. Ordinarily, constrained by the Five Great Shinobi Villages' deterrence plus organization leader's orders requiring maintaining low profile, he struggled to target high-value targets like Shuji.
Now, taking advantage of Kirigakure's endorsement, he could first secure ten million ryō.
Mind decided, Kakuzu's figure abruptly blurred, transforming into a black thread racing along the ground, actively charging toward Shuji's location.
Seeing this, Shuji unhesitatingly turned, withdrawing toward denser forest depths behind. Both figures, one ahead and one behind, rapidly disappeared among trees.
During high-speed pursuit, the mask monster floating beside Kakuzu opened both wind and fire mask mouths wide again.
Combination Ninjutsu: Flame Wind Chaotic Wave!
Scorching flames intertwined and merged with whirlwinds, forming an even thicker shockwave, directly bombarding toward Shuji.
Sensing the terrifying high temperature and impact force behind, Shuji did not look back. His hands had already completed seals while running.
A solid earthen wall rose, blocking before the flame torrent.
Flames struck the earthen wall. Scorching heat waves and pervasive smoke dispersed. Borrowing this brief visual obstruction, Shuji immediately completed another technique's seals.
A Wood Clone completely identical to himself, taking advantage of thinner smoke gaps, assumed a ninjutsu-preparing posture.
"As expected, only using such defensive methods."
Seeing the earthen wall rise, Kakuzu inwardly snorted coldly, having already anticipated the opponent would continue relying on Earth Release for defense. This was precisely the effect he wanted.
Earth Grudge: Lightning Release mask monster separated from his body. The mask's giant mouth opened. Highly concentrated Lightning Release chakra transformed into an incomparably sharp azure lightning spear.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
The lightning spear shot at astonishing speed, instantly penetrating smoke that had not completely dissipated plus that wall already at its limit.
Almost simultaneously with the wall's collapse, Kakuzu's right wrist suddenly severed. Countless pitch-black tentacle-like Earth Grudge threads explosively shot forth, grasping that "Shuji" who stood frozen in place, caught off guard by the wall's breach.
"Got it, ten million..."
Slightly exerting his right hand, those incomparably tenacious black threads immediately tightened. Kakuzu pulled the completely wrapped, restrained Shuji toward himself.
However, just as he prepared to advance and deliver a fatal strike, a subtle sense of incongruity flashed through his mind. This feeling seemed somewhat wrong...
Distant memories suddenly surged uncontrollably into his mind. Without thinking, Kakuzu almost instinctively tried releasing the black threads and rapidly retreating.
But just as his nerves issued commands and his body had not yet fully reacted, from the "Shuji" he grasped, several incomparably sharp branches shot forth without warning from the body's surface.
These branches not only easily pierced the entangling black threads but also rapidly stabbed toward Kakuzu!
This is... Wood Release?!
That person's... Wood Release!
Kakuzu's eyes widened. His body agilely leaned backward.
Wind, Fire, Lightning—three Earth Grudge mask monsters gathered before him at maximum speed. Tremendous chakra poured forth without reservation. Mixed energy torrents bombarded that Wood Clone wildly growing branches.
Earth Grudge: Final Shot!
Violent explosion instantly completely engulfed and destroyed the Wood Clone. Blinding light flashed briefly. Countless scorched wood fragments and broken branches scattered outward. Powerful shockwaves raised ground dust layer by layer.
However, before the explosion's dense smoke completely dispersed, a figure closed on Kakuzu at astonishing speed.
So fast!
No time for detailed thought, Kakuzu's entire skin again transformed into that pitch-black hardened state. He raised Earth Release: Earth Spear's defensive power to its limit.
The next moment, a fist appearing not particularly strong, wrapped in pale blue chakra airflow, solidly struck his chest!
This kind of... divine strength...
BOOM!!
A dull, heart-palpitating tremendous sound exploded!
Kakuzu's defense layer, strengthened by Earth Spear and capable of withstanding most ninjutsu attacks, emitted subtle shattering sounds under unbearable strain.
His entire body, like being frontally struck by a high-speed train, feet leaving ground, uncontrollably flying backward, rolling miserably across the ground repeatedly, bouncing up, smashing down again, dragging out a long trajectory.
Not until over ten meters away did Kakuzu barely manage to insert his hand into the ground, halting his momentum.
His chest cavity transmitted severe pain and an indescribable emptiness.
A heart... shattered...
Ten million? This is ten million?!
Giving him absolutely no breathing room or cursing opportunity, before Kakuzu even recovered from the dizziness of suffering heavy blows, the ground around him violently churned again.
Countless thick plant roots and vines burst from earth, entangling and strangling him from all directions.
Watching this familiar power reappear, Kakuzu finally could not maintain customary coldness, somewhat losing composure.
He roared furiously. Black threads throughout his body erupted explosively like an explosion.
Earth Grudge Mode: Full Deployment.
Countless black threads supported his body in various bizarre postures violating human physiology, narrowly evading Wood Release's capture and strangulation at high speed.
Those green eyes, through wildly growing forest, locked onto that faintly visible, terrifyingly calm figure behind the smoke.
"Wood Release... are you kidding me?!"
"A ten million ryō bounty for a shinobi using Wood Release?! Do those idiots posting bounties even know what they're doing?!"
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild