"Hahahahaha!!"
"The legendary Kakuzu truly has an extraordinary spirit. No wonder my brat was completely subdued by you."
"But I wonder if you can show me your true strength!"
Kakuzu looked at the Raikage, feeling a bit speechless.
"Just a few days ago, I praised the people of Kumogakure for being meticulous despite their rough exteriors. And now you're acting like this? Mind explaining why?"
The Third Raikage waved his hand with authority. "Fleeing in the face of a powerful enemy is the act of a coward. I accept my son's filial piety, but I will not accept charity from outsiders. I would rather die carrying the weight of my courage than live in disgrace!"
"So, you've already decided to die here today?" Kakuzu sighed in exasperation. The Raikage's reasoning was ridiculous, but in this world, it wasn't entirely surprising. Everyone had their own beliefs.
Would you say Danzo wasn't truly devoted to Konoha? Considering he had the courage to seal an entire bridge, he clearly wasn't afraid of death. As the self-proclaimed shadow of the village, he protected Konoha in his own way. Correcting his extreme ideology? Sorry, but Kakuzu was no Naruto.
The same applied to the Raikage before him—Kakuzu wasn't one for persuasion.
"Kakuzu, I have a request." The Raikage extended a finger, pointing at the Iwa-nin across from them.
"Rather than dying at the hands of these nobodies, I would rather have a battle between men. Ever since I became Raikage, I haven't had a truly exhilarating fight. This is my request—please, grant it!"
"Heh." Kakuzu slowly turned around. "I came to rescue someone, not to kill. Got that?"
"There's no difference."
The Third Raikage's golden hair stood on end, his Lightning Release Armor surging to its maximum state. His veins bulged across his body, a sign that his speed, strength, and defense had been pushed to their limits.
"I can take on ten thousand enemies, but I can't fight forever. However, I will not retreat. This is the final lesson I'll teach my son—please, let me see it through!"
"Third Raikage, if I kill you, do you realize I won't be getting my payment?"
"That's not an issue. If you can take my body back and keep it from falling into Iwa's hands, that alone would be the greatest help to Kumogakure. My son and the others will understand... in fact, they will even double your payment."
Double the payment?
More money!!!
Kakuzu wasn't sure whether the Third Raikage was truly foolish or just pretending to be, but those words struck him right in his heart.
Swish!
His cloak billowed in the wind as he tossed it aside, revealing his explosive, muscular physique. He raised a hand and pointed at the surrounding Iwa-nin.
"This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it and watch quietly."
Kakuzu's entire body began to strengthen.
"Normally, I don't like causing trouble for my clients. I'll fight you using only taijutsu, the skill you take the most pride in. That way, you'll have no regrets."
"Much appreciated!"
The Third Raikage's Lightning Release Armor surged to its peak.
Rumble!
Thunder roared in the clear sky, echoing the fury of the raging lightning.
"Here I come, duck neck!!"
In a flash of blinding electricity, the Raikage charged at Kakuzu.
A thunderous explosion erupted.
The mountain peak of the Thunder Plateau was obliterated...
...
Three days later.
Kōtsuchi hadn't eaten or drunk anything, yet sweat covered his forehead. The other Iwa-nin were in similar states.
"What the hell is this monster?!"
"They expect us to fight something like that...?"
"We're on completely different levels! What do we do?!"
"Good thing we didn't attack right away. If we had, we'd probably all be dead by now."
...
The Iwa-nin had just witnessed the most shocking battle of their lives.
In three days, the Thunder Plateau had been completely devastated. The destruction was solely the result of the battle between Kakuzu and the Third Raikage.
But what was even more terrifying was what happened next.
Though Kakuzu had multiple injuries, he acted as if nothing had happened. He now stood before the fallen Raikage.
The Third Raikage had finally closed his eyes.
Throughout these three days, Kakuzu had honored his promise, fighting only with taijutsu and allowing the Raikage to exert his full strength.
Taking out a sealing scroll, he crouched down and carefully placed the Raikage's body onto it.
"If our battle had taken place two years ago, in terms of taijutsu, I wouldn't have been your match. I might've even been killed by you." He sighed. "At this moment in the shinobi world, I acknowledge you as the strongest in taijutsu."
Some might argue that this title belonged to Might Duy, that the Eighth Gate was the pinnacle of taijutsu. But the strength of the Eighth Gate depended on one's foundation.
Might Duy's foundation was lacking. Even with the Eighth Gate, he could only reach a level between high-Jonin and low-Kage at best. Defeating a hundred Mist-nin had been his limit.
But the Third Raikage could easily do the same.
So when it came to taijutsu, the Third Raikage was unmatched.
The only potential challenger in the future would be the Blue Beast of Konoha.
Poof!
A puff of white smoke rose as the Raikage's body was sealed away.
Kakuzu put away the scroll and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Leaving now... wouldn't be so easy.
His gaze shifted slightly, locking onto Kōtsuchi.
Under that intense stare, Kōtsuchi felt an overwhelming pressure. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The killing intent was too strong—so strong that even someone of his caliber couldn't withstand it.
Kakuzu's gaze didn't linger on him for long. After all, the mastermind wasn't him—it was someone else.
High above, a small, slender middle-aged man slowly descended from the sky, a stark contrast to the towering figure of Kōtsuchi.
Ōnoki, are you sure Kōtsuchi is really your son?
That was the question lingering in Kakuzu's mind.
"Heh heh, Kakuzu-sama, long time no see!"
"Indeed. Decades have passed, and you're still as slippery as ever."
Tucking the scroll into his robes, Kakuzu remained as composed as ever.
"Ōnoki, it's been decades since you last stretched your limbs. I assume you're eager to get moving? So, will you send your men up one by one to die, or will you fight me yourself?"
"Oh? Kakuzu-sama, after all these years, you're still so impatient. Heh heh heh." Ōnoki kept his usual mischievous smile, but his mind was rapidly weighing the pros and cons of the situation.
"Kakuzu-sama, you just fought the Third Raikage, didn't you? You must be exhausted."
"What do you think?" Kakuzu's breathing was steady, his expression relaxed. Aside from a few minor scrapes, he looked nothing like someone who had just endured a three-day, three-night battle.
"Ahem... Kakuzu-sama, I think you misunderstand me. I don't intend to be your enemy. All I want is the Third Raikage's corpse."
"Heh. Ōnoki, are you joking? On a larger scale, this is my mission contract. On a smaller scale, he's my kill. And you think you can just take him for free?"
"No, no, Kakuzu-sama, you misunderstand..."
"Enough."
With a wave of his hand, Kakuzu cut off the pointless exchange. He turned away from Ōnoki and faced the thousands of Iwa-nin gathered before him.
"Let's test that jutsu on you all."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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