Three days later, Jugo, having mostly recovered, was once again mercilessly drained by Orochimaru.
"Kakuzu," Orochimaru said, twisting his neck 180 degrees to look at Kakuzu.
Damn it!
With the demeanor of a man walking to his execution, Kakuzu stepped forward. It was just a bite—no big deal!
"Ugh!" As Sage Chakra rapidly surged into him, Kakuzu's body began to swell, just as Hidan's had before.
However, Kakuzu was also immortal. As long as his hearts remained intact, no amount of bodily destruction mattered to him.
After half an hour, Kakuzu's skin turned the earthy color of the Cursed Seal state, and wings sprouted from his back.
"Orochimaru, why don't you spar with me?" Kakuzu said, directly calling out Orochimaru. Whether this was to settle the score for the earlier bite was anyone's guess.
"Of course," Orochimaru agreed without hesitation. This time, the two moved outside the base, as their ninjutsu was too destructive to be contained within a training field.
Kakuzu bent slightly, and his back opened up as five heart monsters emerged.
But unlike before, they too seemed to have entered the Cursed Seal state, each sprouting a pair of wings.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
A Fire Release jutsu that Kakuzu frequently used burst forth, its power at least twice as strong as before. It easily incinerated the swarm of white snakes Orochimaru had summoned.
"Not bad," Orochimaru said, licking his lips as he began forming hand signs. "Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A towering wall of earth rose, effortlessly blocking Orochimaru's Vacuum Bullets.
Next, the lightning heart monster opened its mouth. "Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Zzzzt!
A powerful surge of electricity engulfed Orochimaru, but he remained calm. Opening his mouth, he shed his electrified body like a snake shedding its skin, revealing a new body underneath.
"Myriad Snake Net Formation!"
A massive wave of white snakes surged toward Kakuzu.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A Wind-Fire combination jutsu erupted, its flames engulfing the entire sky. Not only were Orochimaru's white snakes incinerated, but even Deidara and Hidan, who were watching from the sidelines, had to retreat to avoid the heat.
"That's enough. It seems you've indeed grown much stronger, Kakuzu," Orochimaru remarked.
Kakuzu let out a hearty laugh. Finally, the old man was back on his feet.
"No, I have one more move. Let me show you," Kakuzu said. Perhaps due to the frustrations of being beaten down repeatedly in recent times, the old man's desire to show off was unusually strong.
The fire heart monster began gathering energy, exuding a different kind of aura.
"Sage Art?"
"Sage Art?" Orochimaru and Deidara both noticed it. They hadn't expected that Kakuzu, enhanced by the Cursed Seal, could also utilize Sage Arts.
It made sense, though. The Cursed Seals they had received weren't ordinary—they were pure Sage Energy directly extracted from Jugo. If one could master it, using Sage Arts was entirely plausible.
"Sage Art: Searing Migraine!"
Kakuzu unleashed a torrent of flames toward the sea. Instantly, everything within sight turned into a sea of fire, with steam rising in massive plumes.
When Kakuzu's Fire Release ended, everyone looked out to see that the sea level within the jutsu's range had dropped by nearly half a meter due to the intense heat.
Retracting his heart monsters, Kakuzu stood there with a composed demeanor. Deidara, ever the opportunist, walked up with a look of shock on his face.
"Incredible! I, Deidara, acknowledge you as the strongest in Fire Release!"
"Hmph!"
"There's always someone stronger out there," Kakuzu said.
"Deidara, while my strength has indeed increased, I wouldn't call myself the strongest. Remember, a ninja must always maintain a humble heart."
"Cut the act, Kakuzu. If you weren't smirking while saying that, I might've believed you," Hidan said, scythe on his shoulder, clearly unimpressed.
"Hidan!"
In a certain city within the Land of Fire, a blonde woman had once again gambled away all her money and was now evading debt collectors.
Suddenly, a man leaning on a cane, his right arm and eye bandaged—a visibly aged man—appeared before her.
"Tsunade, Konoha needs you," Danzo said, his expression unreadable.
Tsunade looked at Danzo, her face openly showing her disdain and disgust. "What happens in Konoha has nothing to do with me anymore."
Danzo's expression turned to disappointment, and his left eye grew colder.
"As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, a member of the Senju Clan, and even the princess of Konoha, you abandon your responsibilities when Konoha needs you most. Instead, you live freely, shirking your duties."
"You disappoint me. Sarutobi would be disappointed too. And your grandfather, the First Hokage, would be even more disappointed."
"Hmph!"
"I don't need a lecture from you!" Tsunade retorted sharply.
"It seems mere words won't sway someone as self-indulgent as you. Then, submit to my will."
Tsunade frowned, a sense of foreboding rising within her. "What do you mean by that—"
Before she could finish, her expression suddenly relaxed, and her demeanor became calm.
"Yes, Lord Danzo. I will follow your will."
"Come, return to Konoha with me. Once you've transplanted your grandfather's cells, you will restore the glory of the Senju Clan and Konoha."
From the shadows, Shizune, who had just bought some food, witnessed the scene.
"Lady Tsunade!" she thought, horrified but too afraid to make a sound. Though she didn't know what Danzo had done to Tsunade, her sudden change in behavior was far too suspicious—something terrible must have happened.
But what could she do?
There were too many enemies, far more than she could handle. She needed help.
As she racked her brain, the first person who came to mind was the white-haired Jiraiya. If it were him, he would surely help Lady Tsunade.
No, wait!
Shizune reconsidered. Jiraiya was currently in Konoha. What if he was also under Danzo's control? Going to him might be walking into a trap.
Even if he wasn't controlled, heading straight into enemy territory alone was far too dangerous. She knew her own limits—there was no way she could pull that off.
Who else could she turn to?
Desperate and spinning in circles, another figure came to mind.
She had no choice. She would have to seek out Orochimaru. Though he was a dangerous individual, based on their last encounter, Orochimaru might be willing to help. At this point, he was Shizune's only option.
Far away, just beyond the city limits, Danzo suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"You have a companion, don't you? I heard she's Kato Dan's niece," Danzo said.
"Yes," Tsunade replied.
"You two, take care of her. Leaving her alive may cause unnecessary trouble," Danzo ordered the two Root ninjas beside him.
A flicker of struggle crossed Tsunade's face, but she ultimately remained silent.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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