The Akatsuki always operated in pairs during missions. There was no way Kakuzu would be working alone. Knowing this rule, Aoyama had long since prepared for the appearance of a second member. He didn't know who it would be, but he wasn't foolish enough to come unprepared.
The clicking of gears echoed as one of Sasori's puppets, controlled by chakra threads, unfolded its mechanisms and unleashed a storm of hundreds of deadly projectiles.
But before the weapons could even land, a massive shadow leapt from afar—carrying a boulder the size of a door. With a thunderous crash, the rock smashed down on the puppet, shattering it into pieces.
"My puppet—?! Gone?!"
Sasori froze in disbelief. With just one strike, one of his painstakingly crafted creations had been destroyed. Never had he imagined something so crude, yet so effective.
Meanwhile, Aoyama dashed into the haze of dust, holding his breath as he searched for Kakuzu. His sharp senses quickly locked onto the man who had somehow survived Godzilla's earlier assault. Lowering his body, Aoyama gathered power into his fist, then roared:
"Fist of the Mountain-Crushing Bull!"
His punch cut through the air like a cannon shot, tearing the smoke apart before slamming into Kakuzu.
From the moment Kakuzu had stripped off his shirt, his defeat was sealed. Within the Akatsuki, there was an unspoken rule: no matter the battle, never remove your cloak. Those who did… always died. It was practically a curse.
The blow sent Kakuzu flying. He staggered back to his feet, only to hear the sound of something rushing at him. His eyes widened—
That's the summoned beast!
The smoke was thick enough to hide from human eyes, but it was useless against monsters. Godzilla's sense of smell and hearing easily tracked Kakuzu down. With a guttural growl, the beast lunged, claws poised to tear into him.
As the dust began to settle, Aoyama spotted another battle unfolding. Kong had arrived—his massive fists hammering down relentlessly, reducing Sasori's puppets to splinters in mere moments.
The battlefield was soon littered with puppet debris. Aoyama couldn't help but smirk. To him, it was obvious: Sasori facing Kong was no different than Chiyo facing Tsunade. There was only one outcome—being smashed into the ground.
After all, puppets were made of wood, not steel. They had no chance of withstanding Kong's raw strength. Even though the ape hadn't yet reached full size, each of his blows carried the weight of several tons. A single punch was enough to splinter wood like rotten twigs.
Sasori, grim-faced, pulled back. His puppet's carapace split open, and from his body shot out a sharp, steel-tipped scorpion tail, gleaming with venomous green light. He lashed it at Kong in a deadly strike.
"What power… I can't let it get close. If Hiruko is destroyed, I'll lose my advantage. I need to keep my distance and strike from afar."
But Kong was faster than he looked. The tail lashed out like lightning, but the beast roared and swung a massive fist, smashing into the wooden base of the weapon rather than the blade itself.
"Damn it! Even its speed is monstrous. No wonder Kakuzu is losing to him. Just what kind of summoning beast is this? Stronger than most taijutsu masters…"
The venomous tail splintered, the steel blade cracking under the sheer force of Kong's punch before being flung off into the ruins.
Kong pressed the attack, leaping onto Hiruko's armored shell. Like a savage mountain giant, he hammered his fists down again and again.
Sasori's carefully crafted puppet cracked under the relentless assault. Realizing Hiruko wouldn't last much longer, Sasori immediately abandoned it, escaping with what mechanisms he could salvage.
Elsewhere, Kakuzu was being utterly overwhelmed by Godzilla's relentless strikes. The battle-hardened veteran who had once fought the First Hokage himself now cowered, too terrified to even think of counterattacking. His only thought was escape.
Aoyama narrowed his eyes.
Is this all arranged by Obito, or is it Pain himself who wants to recruit me? Damn it… I know Akatsuki always tests strength before recruiting, but this is ridiculous. Even if I don't kill Kakuzu and Sasori, I'm going to leave them half-dead.
Outside the ruined village, dozens of villagers had been discarded on the ground like trash. Hungry wolves circled, but none dared approach. The presence of two figures made even starving predators feel only fear.
"Your classmate is strong," Zetsu observed. "Strong enough to defeat Kakuzu, and even suppress Sasori's puppets with his summons. If we bring him into the organization, he'll be a tremendous asset."
Beside him, Uchiha Obito—disguised as Tobi—removed his spiral-patterned mask, stared at it silently for a few seconds, then put it back on.
"In our graduating class, there were only two who trained in taijutsu to the extreme. One was Might Guy. The other… was Aoyama."
He continued, voice low:
"Somehow, Aoyama mastered summoning techniques and contracted powerful beasts. First was that ape, the one overwhelming Sasori now. Then, on the battlefield, he contracted another beast—Godzilla. Its strength surpasses even elite taijutsu specialists.
Relying on taijutsu and his summons, Aoyama was a one-man squad. He completed countless missions alone, so dangerous that enemy villages called him a monster no one should ever face alone. By the end of the war, he was among the top three of our entire class."
Zetsu nodded. "Then you agree? Recruiting him could change everything."
On the battlefield, Aoyama and Godzilla continued their merciless assault. Kakuzu, the man who once battled Hashirama Senju, could barely defend himself. Every blow from Aoyama and Godzilla drove him closer to the ground, until his body was little more than a broken heap.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Godzilla's guttural cry shook the air. Aoyama's expression shifted, and he quickly scolded:
"No! You can't eat him! Look at him—he's pitch-black with filth. If you eat that, your stomach will be ruined!"
Godzilla tilted his head, then turned his glowing eyes toward Kong, who was busy smashing through wave after wave of Sasori's puppets. With another deafening roar, he seemed to signal something to his ally.
"Roooaar!"
Aoyama groaned.
"What? Wooden puppets taste like nothing. And Kong's not for eating either! Look, after this fight, I'll take you hunting. We'll roast some wild game with cumin and chili powder. That'll taste way better."
Godzilla rumbled in thought. Kong, as if understanding Aoyama's words, grew even more excited. His fists crashed down harder, reducing puppets to splinters. He even raised a massive middle finger at Sasori in mockery before smashing another cluster of puppets to pieces.
Damn it! Sasori snarled. That beast's strength rivals even Tsunade of the Sannin. My standard puppets are useless. I'll have to bring out my finest masterpiece…