Sasuke Uchiha had never seen Earth Grudge Fear before.
But Kakuzu's earlier performance had truly impressed him.
Even as an enemy, he couldn't help but give credit where it was due.
Under normal circumstances, a member of the Uchiha clan with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan could match a Jonin.
Yet after awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan, Sasuke found himself clearly outmatched by Kakuzu.
That alone spoke volumes about Kakuzu's strength.
Now that Kakuzu had revealed a new form, Sasuke naturally wouldn't be so arrogant anymore.
Kakuzu stared at him without speaking.
But the aura radiating from him made his intentions unmistakable.
[Magical Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique]!
As Sasuke met his gaze, his Mangekyo Sharingan flickered.
The innate genjutsu spread outward automatically.
"It won't work."
Kakuzu completely ignored it. He scoffed coldly, saying, "You don't even understand my existence."
He had five beating hearts inside him.
In other words, five distinct chakra cores.
Genjutsu was naturally ineffective.
Hearing that, Sasuke curled the corner of his mouth into a smirk.
He recalled his earlier encounter with the Third Raikage.
He was beginning to understand the limits of genjutsu.
[Lightning Release: False Darkness]!
Kakuzu didn't waste another word.
Since he'd already revealed Earth Grudge Fear, he intended to end this quickly.
After all, his other opponent had already been dealt with and was watching him now.
He didn't want to fail here.
The Lightning Mask under his control opened its mouth, releasing a dazzling burst of lightning.
It coalesced midair into a spear of raw lightning.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
Until now, Kakuzu had mainly used Earth Release techniques.
And now, suddenly, Lightning Release.
Looking at the three remaining masks, Sasuke had a bad feeling about what came next.
With a single thought, his body vanished from sight, leaving behind a streak of lightning.
Though Kakuzu's lightning spear was fast, it still didn't escape the range of Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan.
He reappeared beneath the lightning spear, slicing it in half at the waist with his Chidori.
Then, without hesitation, he launched another attack straight toward Kakuzu, his right arm crackling with electricity.
[Combined Ninjutsu: Inferno Gale Barrage]!
Kakuzu stepped back.
The Wind Release mask and Fire Release mask activated simultaneously.
A wave of danger crashed over Sasuke.
Instantly, he stopped advancing.
In the next moment, fire rained down.
The wind fanned the flames, sending them roaring outward and forming a whirlwind of searing heat.
This time, there was no escaping.
Everywhere he looked, flames surrounded him completely.
Sasuke took a deep breath.
At this point, if he didn't use his Dojutsu technique, he'd have no chance of winning.
Though he wanted to keep testing his Taijutsu a little longer, Kakuzu wouldn't allow it.
[Futsu-Kami]!
His left eye twitched violently.
Kakuzu suddenly stiffened.
The air around him twisted and distorted.
Years of combat experience screamed that something was terribly wrong.
"What is this?!"
He tried using the Shifting Body Technique, only to find the space itself had been locked down.
There was nowhere to escape.
The confidence on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by shock—fleeting though it was.
In that instant, the entire space shattered like broken glass, invisible waves transforming into tangible blades and swords.
Radiating outward from Kakazu's position, they engulfed everything in every direction—
In that instant, death arrived.
Kakuzu's combat experience saved him.
All five of his hearts glowed simultaneously.
A massive surge of chakra erupted outward.
[Earth Release: Earth Spear!]
Kakuzu's body instantly turned dark and hardened, swelling in size compared to before, transforming him into a muscular powerhouse.
The remaining four masks surrounded him, taking the forms of lightning, fire, wind, and water.
In an instant, the entire space was filled with chaotic currents.
Natsume brought his hands together in a seal.
A wall of rushing water rose up to block their path.
Although unaffected himself, Chiriku—who lay unconscious—could not withstand it.
Sasuke Uchiha caught his breath.
Even at his young age, using Mangekyo Sharingan techniques placed a heavy strain on his eyes.
Still, the Futsu-Kami was undeniably a powerful dojutsu.
Kakuzu's speed was still within normal human limits.
After the space seal, he had no choice but to take the hit directly.
Regarding this, Natsume could only think—no matter how experienced you are, against someone with overwhelming power, it's ultimately useless.
However, Kakuzu didn't die.
The chaotic chakra calmed down.
Sasuke Uchiha narrowed his eyes, staring at Kakuzu wrapped in black threads.
It was Earth Grudge Fear that saved him.
These black threads weren't just weapons—they could also save lives.
They could reattach body parts.
Kakuzu had used them to repair Hidan's body.
But in truth, they worked on himself too.
Amidst the clash of five jutsus, the power of Sasuke's dojutsu weakened significantly by the time it reached Kakuzu, becoming manageable.
At least while being strangled, he could use Earth Grudge Fear to heal.
Of course, the process was extremely painful.
Simultaneous destruction and reattachment.
Even with Kakuzu's iron will, he couldn't suppress the pain.
Right now, he stared at Sasuke Uchiha with a twisted, furious expression.
"I'll kill you!"
"Your mask has already lost three pieces," Sasuke Uchiha said without fear. "How can you kill me now?"
Kakuzu froze upon hearing this.
Futsu-Kami.
Having experienced it once, he'd already come up with a countermeasure.
That was to immediately move far away the moment it activated.
But he had already lost both his Lightning and Wind heart.
His speed simply wasn't enough anymore.
"Kishi."
Kakuzu straightforwardly called for backup.
He knew Natsume's strength well.
Back during the Three-Tails battle, they had fought—he'd been beaten so severely he couldn't even resist.
Oh...
Now that they were allies, he naturally wouldn't hesitate.
Upon hearing this, Natsume smiled.
He stepped between the two.
Sasuke Uchiha had defeated Kakuzu.
Mostly due to his dojutsu.
Now, nearly all his strength had been revealed. If he faced off again with Kakuzu at full power, the outcome would be hard to predict.
But that was something for later.
"You know what Susanoo is, right?" Natsume asked calmly.
"I've seen your brother Itachi Uchiha's Susanoo. If that's all you've got, today might be the day you die."
Sasuke's face tightened.
Mikoto Uchiha had explained Susanoo to him.
After awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan, he'd tried to master Susanoo as well, but still hadn't figured it out.
Hmph... I won't die here.
Sasuke Uchiha didn't hesitate. As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his dojutsu once again.
[Futsu-Kami]!
Kakuzu watched with the intensity of a tiger ready to pounce.
Natsume's true strength was still a mystery.
In this situation, ending this decisively with his dojutsu was clearly the best move.
"Get out of its range!"
Recognizing the familiar distortion in space, Kakuzu shouted a warning.
But Natsume still stood in place.
The space around him twisted into countless blades slashing down at once.
Just as they reached him, a massive tree erupted from Natsume's right arm, engulfing him entirely.
When Warped Space struck, the outermost leaves and branches shattered entirely. Yet when they reached the trunk, the attack stalled against its resistance.
"Wood Release?!"
Sasuke Uchiha's expression changed dramatically, shock filling his heart.
Wood Release was his mentor Natsume's signature Kekkei Genkai.
He never imagined such a power could resurface through a complete stranger.
Yet he had no doubts about this ninja named Kishi.
In his mind, there was no way this ninja could be connected to the Hokage.
Right now, he believed this mysterious organization must be incredibly powerful.
He needed to survive and bring this intelligence back.
That's right—he'd abandoned any thought of capturing Kakuzu alive.
After witnessing how Natsume took Futsu-Kami head-on without sustaining damage, he realized something was deeply off.
He found himself in serious trouble.
But Sasuke Uchiha had no intention of going down without a fight.
He slammed his hand against the ground.
[Summoning Jutsu]!
Suddenly, an enormous purple venomous snake appeared.
Manda.
Natsume narrowed his eyes, giving the beast no time to react.
[Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique]!
A seed dropped and rapidly grew.
As soon as Manda saw Natsume, it was immediately wrapped by the wooden dragon and couldn't move.
Its enormous eyes reflected shock.
Although the White Snake Sage once warned it to protect Konoha ninjas whenever possible, in this situation, it could barely save itself.
Feeling the increasing restraint, Manda didn't hesitate—it fled immediately.
Sasuke Uchiha gawked in disbelief.
He had hoped Manda would at least buy him some time.
At minimum, several seconds.
But it lasted only one second.
Now he had no chance to escape.
Sasuke Uchiha's face darkened. This was really bad.
After losing its target, the wooden dragon swept through the air and headed straight toward him.
Next to this colossal creature, Sasuke Uchiha seemed like an ant.
His hands formed seals rapidly, then spat out three fire dragons.
However, when they collided with the wooden dragon, only minor sparks were created.
Electricity flickered over Sasuke Uchiha's body as he quickly dodged away.
His Mangekyo Sharingan pulled him through once again.
But continuing like this wouldn't work.
The wooden dragon showed inexhaustible stamina, relentlessly pursuing him.
Mid-air, he leaped upward, narrowly dodging another strike, then turned his gaze toward Natsume.
[Futsu-Kami]!
[Watatsumi-Kami]!
He activated two dojutsu techniques at once.
Immediately, space around Natsume became sealed off.
Trying to pull the same trick again, he suddenly noticed his chakra flow faltering.
This was the negative effect caused by Watatsumi-Kami.
Interesting.
His body shattered apart inside the Warped Space.
"Did it work?"
Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help murmuring to himself.
The next moment, wooden vine-like tendrils suddenly erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around his body.
"How is this possible?!"
Sasuke stared at Natsume before him, completely unable to believe his eyes.
Even with two Dojutsu techniques (pupil-based abilities), he still hadn't taken him down.
Nearby, Kakuzu's heart also gave a jolt.
He hadn't expected Sasuke had another trick up his sleeve.
If he had used Watatsumi-Kami just now as well, things could've been much worse.
Yet even so, Natsume remained completely unharmed.
Kakuzu now felt even greater fear toward him.
"Is that all you've got?"
Natsume raised his hand and asked, "How many more times can you use your Dojutsu now?"
The wooden vines tightened again.
Pain flashed across Sasuke's face.
Gritting them, his Mangekyo Sharingan suddenly started spinning rapidly.
[Magical Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!]
As the Genjutsu manifested, Natsume didn't budge an inch.
[Futsu-Kami!]
Sasuke's face twisted as if space itself were distorting.
Blood tears streamed from his left eye.
This clearly signaled excessive use of his ocular powers.
If this continued, he would surely die!
Watching Natsume evade his Dojutsu techniques once again with casual ease, despair crept into Sasuke's heart.
"You're just not as strong as your brother, Itachi Uchiha."
Natsume chuckled. "With skills like yours, wanting revenge is impossible in this life—you'll have to seek revenge in your next life."
"Aaaaaaah!"
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more exciting content ahead!
Sasuke's eyes turned completely bloodshot.
His chakra flared unpredictably.
"You don't need to worry."
Seeing this, Natsume pressed on, "After you die, I'll pay Konoha Village a visit and wipe out whatever remains of the Uchiha clan—let them accompany you."
"You dare?!"
Sasuke looked like a demon incarnate.
What Natsume said was undoubtedly stepping on a landmine.
His pupil power exploded outward like howling winds.
In an instant, centered on Sasuke, a purple skeletal torso burst skyward.
[Susanoo!]
But this was only the first form—far from complete.
Even so, given Sasuke's age—not yet twelve years old—this level of power was undeniably superhuman cheating.
Natsume arched a brow.
In his sensing ability, Satori sealed within Sasuke had vanished completely.
Clearly this was the cost for forcefully activating Susanoo.
But worth it.
"What the hell is that?"
Kakuzu was gaping in disbelief by now.
Sasuke had exceeded his expectations again and again.
"Die!"
Sasuke had already broken free from the wooden bindings.
He raised his hand.
The massive fist of the skeletal figure behind him swung downward.
Natsume leaped backward, reappearing beside Kakuzu.
"The Konoha ninja have arrived."
"Trying to escape?"
Kakuzu caught his meaning immediately, frowning disapprovingly, "With your strength, why fear Konoha?"
"I'm not scared, but are you?"
Natsume replied casually, "If they capture you, it'll disrupt the organization's plans."
"Sasuke!"
As the two conversed, a deep voice suddenly boomed out.
Might Guy entered the scene.
He cast a glance at Sasuke Uchiha and couldn't help but gasp in shock.
This oppressive aura—could an eleven-year-old genin really be emitting something like this?
Alongside Might Guy were Kakashi Hatake and Gaara.
Kakuzu instantly became alert.
He was somewhat familiar with all three, especially Gaara.
A One-Tailed Jinchuriki.
In his current condition, he had no chance of defeating them.
Natsume didn't wait for Kakuzu's response—he grabbed Fuyo and vanished without warning.
As for Chiriku, Natsume left him for them to deal with.
After all, the only valuable thing about Chiriku was his Immortal Lineage talent.
After leaving the Fire Temple, the two met again.
"Failing the mission isn't a big deal," Natsume said carelessly.
He let go of Fuyo and smiled. "I'll give you thirty million ryo."
Kakuzu twitched his lip.
He owed Natsume a favor today.
Naturally, he wouldn't accept any money.
Right now, replacing the three hearts he'd lost was his top priority.
"I'll explain what happened regarding the mission to the organization," Kakuzu exhaled before saying, "Let's part ways here."
Without hesitation, he turned and fled.
[*Your actions have altered the fates of Sasuke Uchiha, Kakuzu, Chiriku, Ku, and Fuyo. You've earned a total of 470 destiny points.*]
A chime from the Tamaki of Destiny echoed out.
Natsume gave a satisfied nod.
Inside the Konoha Research Facility.
"What is it?" Kabuto Yakushi asked, without looking up, sensing an unusual spatial fluctuation.
"I brought back something interesting for you," Natsume replied.
He pointed toward Fuyo behind him.
"What makes her special?" Kabuto scrutinized Fuyo with eyes like scalpels, peeling away layers to analyze her.
"Her true form… is hair," Natsume said.
Kabuto's eyes lit up.
Fascinating.
"Study her," Natsume added, not staying any longer than needed. After all, Fuyo was just an unexpected bonus.
[The Flying Thunder God Technique] activated, he reappeared in the Hokage's office.
"Welcome back, Natsume," Kurenai Yuhi greeted, as if she'd been waiting for him all along. She handed him a document as soon as she saw him.
It was the intelligence report delivered by the summoned beasts sent by Sasuke Uchiha.
Since Natsume wasn't in Konoha, Kurenai had dispatched Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake to provide support at the Fire Temple.
Four thousand words. P.S.—I'm launching a new original novel alongside this one. If you're interested, feel free to check it out. It follows the same style, features multiple female leads, includes daily updates, and has ample stored drafts—I guarantee it won't face discontinuation issues.
(End of chapter)
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