When Kakashi and Guy were forced apart, Kitagawa Gen found himself facing off against Kakuzu.
'Kakuzu, huh?'
Gen raised an eyebrow as he observed the strange man before him.
This was the guy who had once pushed Kakashi to his limits—forcing him into near-catastrophic situations that only Naruto and Yamato had been able to salvage.
Still, Gen was curious about one thing—had this guy really fought against Senju Hashirama?
'Doesn't seem likely, does it?'
Kakuzu was certainly strong, but in a match against Hashirama…? That didn't quite add up.
After all, the only person who had ever truly pushed Hashirama to go all out was Uchiha Madara!
"So, kid... I hear you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
The tension between them was thick when Kakuzu suddenly spoke in a cold, gravelly voice.
"I've heard all the stories—how Senju Tobirama and Namikaze Minato used that technique to terrifying effect. I've always been curious just how powerful it really is."
"You'll see for yourself."
Gen swiftly drew his White Fang short blade, arcs of violet lightning crackling along its edge.
Against someone like this, he couldn't afford to be careless.
And in that moment—an audacious idea took root in his mind.
"Let's hope so. Because—"
[Whoosh!]
Kakuzu completed a series of hand seals in an instant. A massive wave of flame surged toward Gen like a tidal wave of fire!
"—right now, I'm seriously pissed off!"
And Kakuzu was in a foul mood. After all, he wasn't going to get the bounty on Uchiha Obito anymore!
'And this guy's supposed to be one of us?'
Kakuzu really didn't get it. Why did this tiny little organization have two bosses—one front-facing, the other lurking in the shadows?
Sure, he could pretend not to know, but it didn't change the fact that he had no way of dealing with Obito.
'That damned space-time technique…'
Against Obito, he couldn't land a single blow. And any hint of vulnerability would be instantly exploited.
He had already lost one heart—he wasn't about to lose another!
'And now Obito claims to be Madara's successor?'
Maybe Hidan didn't understand what that meant, but Kakuzu had lived through that era. He knew what the name Uchiha Madara signified.
Whether he believed it or not—whether these people were scheming something or not—he didn't care in the slightest.
He had no interest in politics. He didn't want to get involved. He just wanted money.
Money was all that mattered.
The only thing that made him feel a little better was that Obito had at least given him some useful intel.
'Two Konoha jōnin—one of them even happens to be Sharingan Kakashi. Both of them clearly worth a fortune. And this brat…'
As the blazing sea of fire surged forward, Kakuzu quietly switched over to his Wind Release heart.
He remembered that both Tobirama and Minato had used their technique by channeling it through marked kunai. If he used Wind Release to scatter any incoming weapons, he'd neutralize the teleportation.
"Hm?"
But to his surprise—no kunai ever came.
As the flames began to recede, what he saw instead was Gen standing there with one hand raised, violet lightning forming a barrier that had completely blocked his Fire Release attack.
"This Lightning Release…"
Kakuzu stared at the purple lightning in Gen's hand. A glint of greed flickered in his green eyes—but something didn't feel right.
"This kid's chakra… it's strange."
Before he could think further, Gen's entire body was suddenly wrapped in violet lightning—and the next moment, he vanished like a mirage.
In a flash, Gen was already right in front of him!
And cloaked in that lightning, Kakuzu hadn't noticed—
Gen's eyes had turned pure white.
...
Ever since Kitagawa Gen had awakened his 'exclusive' Byakugan, he hadn't had a chance to use it in actual combat.
This time was a perfect opportunity. Kakashi had been drawn away by Uchiha Obito, and Guy was busy dealing with Hidan—they were both quite far from him.
Still, just to be safe, Gen cloaked himself in Purple Lightning, making the Byakugan less noticeable.
'Too bad I haven't managed to develop a proper Lightning Release: Chakra Mode yet… but I can fake it with the Eight Gates for now.'
Activating the Eight Gates wasn't just to test his limits—it was also for speed.
Guy didn't have intel on Hidan. Even though he was the kind of man who mixed brute force with subtlety, Gen couldn't afford to be careless.
[Buzz—]
With a sharp whistle through the air, the White Fang short blade slashed toward Kakuzu.
'Lightning Release: Chakra Mode? This brat knows that move too?'
Gen was, indeed, faking it. But in Kakuzu's eyes, it was a different story.
With that kind of speed, that kind of power—how could it be a bluff?
A seasoned veteran, Kakuzu instantly retreated. The blade wrapped in Purple Lightning barely grazed his forehead.
[Boom—]
Although it didn't hit him directly, the blade cleaved through the trees behind him. A thunderous crash echoed as trunks tumbled to the ground.
'This brat's even more troublesome than I expected!'
Kakuzu glanced at the devastation behind him, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
This wasn't some ordinary little punk—he'd have to go all out!
But before he could react, Gen closed the distance again. The short blade of the White Fang lunged straight for Kakuzu's throat.
Suddenly, a burst of Wind Release chakra erupted from Kakuzu, making his movements appear lighter and more fluid.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
He crouched low to dodge the blade, his chakra shifting once again.
Then, one of his fists detached from his arm, black tendrils trailing behind it as it hurtled toward Gen.
His other hand tore open his cloak, revealing a body stitched together with countless threads.
"Hmph!"
With a guttural snarl, three grotesque creatures burst from his body—each wearing a white mask, their entire forms made of writhing black threads.
'Earth Grudge Fear, huh?'
Gen knocked aside the flying fist with a single slash. His Byakugan scanned everything rapidly.
His Byakugan had a unique appearance—just like a normal member of the Hyūga clan's eyes. There was no bulging of veins when it was activated, making it easier for him to keep it hidden.
Through his vision, he could clearly see the internal structure of both Kakuzu and the three masked creatures, as well as everything else in the surrounding area.
'Guy is playing it safe—he's not looking to trade blows. Kakashi has intel, so he should be fine for now. But… why is that guy missing a heart?'
Right at that moment, one of the masked creatures opened its mouth, and countless fireballs gathered in an instant, launching straight at Gen!
[Boom! Boom! Boom!]
Explosions rang out in rapid succession, but the Purple Lightning around Gen deepened in hue, enveloping him completely in protection.
His movements seemed almost spectral—as if no matter how dense the barrage, he could still read the trajectory of every fireball.
'Just as I thought—my vision is even clearer than before.'
As he dodged the attacks, Gen couldn't help but think back. When he first awakened this eye, he'd already felt that his insight was stronger than usual.
Now, that suspicion had been further confirmed. He might've really been affected by the tailed beast—or perhaps by Uchiha Obito.
'Has this caused my eye to inherit some traits of the Sharingan?'
Gen wasn't sure. But he knew one thing—it was a good thing for him.
And the blood-boiling effect brought on by the Eight Gates really did work wonders!
'It definitely made me stronger... but still not quite at the level I'm aiming for. In that case…'
In the next instant, the pressure radiating from his body surged to a new peak.
'Might as well use this chance to find out what my real upper limit is.'
...
"Yoo-hoo!"
Elsewhere, Hidan's speed suddenly picked up. With his right hand wielding a scythe and his left clutching a short blade, he launched into a wild flurry against Guy.
"What Konoha's proud Blue Beast? You're more like some stupid kappa!"
"Are you gonna fight or what?! All you do is dodge—if you're not up for it, just sacrifice yourself to Lord Jashin already!"
Hidan's mouth hadn't changed—he kept rambling non-stop even as he attacked relentlessly. Meanwhile, Guy had a rather strange expression on his face.
'This lunatic… there's definitely something off about him.'
Earlier, Guy had landed a solid kick to Hidan's head. But the man had gotten back up like nothing happened. Anyone else would've been dead by now.
And not only that—Hidan had been completely nonchalant about it, acting like it didn't matter in the slightest.
Throughout the fight, Guy had landed several more hits, yet Hidan remained lively and energized.
'An extremely fast healing factor?'
Guy started to form an assessment, narrowing his eyes as he watched the twin weapons flying at him.
'I see it now!'
'This guy could've used plenty of faster, simpler methods to attack me… but he keeps swinging those weapons.'
'There can only be one reason for that…'
Guy ducked low to avoid the scythe arcing over his head, then shifted left to dodge the short blade, quickly pulling back to avoid the returning chain of the scythe behind him.
By now, the answer had become clear in his mind.
'His weapons must be coated in poison. That's why he's so intent on cutting me—he wants me to get poisoned!'
With that realization, Guy now knew exactly what to do.
If Hidan really had extreme regenerative abilities, then simply knocking him down wouldn't help—but broken bones probably didn't heal quite so quickly.
And if his weapons were poisoned…
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