On July 11th, Year 42 of Konoha, the merchant caravan reached its destination in the Land of Bears.
Sarutobi Asuma and the others had also completed their covert mission excellently.
After resting for three days in the Land of Bears, the caravan set off again, embarking on the road back to Konoha.
Upon re-entering the Land of Birds, Sarutobi Asuma noticed that his Charm attribute had suddenly increased again.
"Charm is at 74. It looks like Kakuzu sold my information."
Sarutobi Asuma guessed inwardly.
He just didn't know what his bounty was now.
"I'm less than 50,000 experience away from leveling up. I need to push myself!"
With that thought, Asuma, on the horse-drawn carriage transporting goods, lowered his head and continued studying the theoretical knowledge of Fūinjutsu.
As for the mission, for now, his Shadow Clone could handle it.
It wasn't until they entered the Land of Rain that he became vigilant again, temporarily putting aside his studies.
The Land of Rain was simply too chaotic; caution was necessary.
On the second day of entering the Land of Rain, the atmosphere grew heavy.
Ninja were frequently appearing around the caravan, as if they were being watched.
"Prepare for battle. We've been targeted!"
Hatake Sakumo said solemnly.
Yūhi Kurenai asked, "Could it be that Kakuzu from before?"
Hatake Sakumo shook his head, "Whether it's him or not, we can't be careless!"
"If we are attacked, Kurenai, Shizune, you two will continue to be responsible for guarding the caravan. As backup, Asuma and I will handle clearing out the enemies."
Sarutobi Asuma and the other two nodded in unison.
Half an hour later.
The caravan stopped.
Under the hazy rain, figures emerged.
They were blocked from the front, back, left, and right.
"A total of twenty-four people!"
Yūhi Kurenai immediately stated with a grave expression.
Hatake Sakumo's gaze flickered towards the depths of the rain: "Twenty-five. That Kakuzu from last time has also come!"
Sarutobi Asuma blew out a breath, and a gust of wind swept out.
Very quickly, he sensed something was wrong and frowned, "Teacher Sakumo, eight of them have very strong chakra reactions, only slightly weaker than mine."
While having a lot of chakra didn't necessarily mean great strength, in battle, it was one of the factors used to judge a ninja's ability, especially for sensory ninja.
Hatake Sakumo frowned, sensing something was amiss.
Since when did bounty hunters have so many strong individuals?
"Teacher Sakumo, I'll hold off that Kakuzu fellow!"
Sarutobi Asuma pulled off his raincoat, and clusters of flames appeared on his body.
He was becoming more and more proficient!
Hatake Sakumo hesitated slightly, but considering how troublesome Kakuzu was, even with his own strength, he couldn't achieve a quick victory. He nodded, "Alright, just delay him!"
"Don't worry, Teacher, I really value my life!"
Sarutobi Asuma laughed.
From the previous battle, he knew that completely defeating an old guy like Kakuzu was not simple; he absolutely couldn't be impatient.
"Kurenai, Shizune, be careful!"
After speaking, Sarutobi Asuma vanished from his spot with a whoosh.
Immediately after, Hatake Sakumo also disappeared from his position.
The enemies had already charged within a hundred meters.
From the depths of the rain, Kakuzu scoffed, "To think he'd send a mere brat to tie me down!"
However, this suited his intentions perfectly.
His original mission was to tie down the strong ninja Hatake Sakumo. Now, by directly confronting Sarutobi Asuma, the true target, he could simply capture him and collect the bounty.
As for the lives of others, they were none of his concern!
With that thought, Kakuzu's stitches burst open, and two mask monsters appeared on his shoulders. One mask monster flew high into the sky.
"Brat, I'll take your heart!"
Kakuzu shouted as he saw Sarutobi Asuma appear.
The next moment, the mask monster in the air opened its mouth, electricity gathered, and then shot towards Sarutobi Asuma.
"Kakuzu, don't talk too big when you're old, or you might choke on your own words."
Sarutobi Asuma moved at high speed, dodging the lightning chasing him.
Kakuzu snorted, performed hand seals, and a water whip like a snake coiled towards Sarutobi Asuma.
Water Style: Water Whip!
This ninjutsu was a specialized control technique. Once the enemy was ensnared, using lightning style would instantly result in a kill.
Most importantly, the two mask monsters on Kakuzu's shoulders were also gathering chakra, brewing ninjutsu.
Sarutobi Asuma frowned, "I must reduce his heart count first!"
He suddenly stopped, brought his hands together, his clothes fluttering, and a fierce wind swept out in all directions, with himself at the center.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
The snake-like water flow was torn apart by the fierce wind.
However, the lightning from the mask monster in the air pierced through the sweeping storm.
Bang!
Before the lightning strike arrived, Sarutobi Asuma's body exploded into a cloud of smoke.
Almost simultaneously.
The ninjutsu from the two mask monsters on Kakuzu's shoulders erupted.
Fire Style: Headhunter!
Wind Style: Suppression!
The two ninjutsu engulfed the lightning mask monster in the air.
At this very moment.
Behind the lightning mask monster caught by the strong wind, Sarutobi Asuma's figure appeared, his blue blade flashing, slicing the lightning mask monster in half.
"He predicted my attack and deliberately used the lightning mask monster as bait!"
Sarutobi Asuma smiled.
The next moment, wind and fire enveloped him, and he vanished into ashes.
"Go!"
Behind Kakuzu.
In the rain, Sarutobi Asuma shouted.
Two Shadow Clones moved at high speed, heading straight for Kakuzu.
"It's also Shadow Clones!"
Kakuzu's gaze deepened, and as he turned his head, he saw a terrifying fiery storm sweeping towards him.
Water Style: Water Curtain!
Kakuzu quickly formed hand seals, and water rapidly gathered around him, forming a ten-meter-high water wall in an instant.
Using water style in the rain was incredibly convenient.
The fiery storm collided with the water wall, erupting with a roar, and steam billowed.
The next moment, Sarutobi Asuma's two Shadow Clones tore through the steam and charged from both sides at high speed.
The two mask monsters on Kakuzu's shoulders immediately unleashed their ninjutsu.
Wind balls and fireballs shot out one after another, continuously attacking Sarutobi Asuma's two Shadow Clones.
Suddenly, a sharp buzzing sound could be heard.
Kakuzu's pupils constricted fiercely. He saw the steaming water vapor in front of him completely disperse, and a rapidly spinning, glaring white big pinwheel roared towards him.
"This ninjutsu..."
Cold sweat broke out on Kakuzu's forehead. "I absolutely cannot be hit, otherwise..."
He retreated repeatedly, simultaneously forming hand seals at rapid speed.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!
A massive stream of water gathered, forming a water dragon that charged towards the rapidly approaching Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
Boom!
The water dragon was hit by the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken and instantly exploded.
The Wind Style: Rasenshuriken also expanded drastically, and a terrifying storm swept out in all directions, mixed with incredibly fine needles of Wind Release Chakra.
The closer one was to the center of the ninjutsu explosion, the denser they became.
At this moment, Kakuzu was only ten meters away from the core of the ninjutsu explosion.
Earth Style: Multiple Earth Flow Wall!
Kakuzu retreated repeatedly, and layer after layer of earth walls erupted from the ground.
But they were immediately torn to shreds by the surging storm.
"S-rank Wind Style ninjutsu..."
Kakuzu's heart pounded. The Wind Style mask on his shoulder immediately abandoned its attack on Sarutobi Asuma's shadow clone and turned to cooperate with the main body in casting.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Wind Style: Suppression!
BOOM!
A water vortex surged into the sky, finally blocking the encroaching storm.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Asuma's two shadow clones had already circled behind Kakuzu.
Fire Style: Flame Bullet!
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Kakuzu didn't turn around.
But behind him, wall after wall rose from the ground.
He had anticipated the attacks from Sarutobi Asuma's two shadow clones.
Too bad it was a bit late.
Otherwise, with attacks from both front and back, he would have been in quite a predicament.
But the next moment, his expression changed: "What?"
Hearing the sharp, piercing sound, Kakuzu looked up to see a giant windmill descending from the sky.
"Damn it, no time!"
Kakuzu's pupils constricted.
Less than five meters above the ground, the second Wind Style: Rasenshuriken detonated.
Blinding white light bloomed, like a massive sphere of light rapidly expanding, devouring everything around it.
Bang! Bang!
Sarutobi Asuma's two shadow clones were dispelled one after another.
In mid-air, Sarutobi Asuma's figure also vanished with a bang, turning into a cloud of smoke.
He had used the Substitution Technique to swap places with a shadow clone, and the shadow clone in mid-air was dispelled before it was engulfed by the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
A hundred meters away.
Sarutobi Asuma dropped to one knee, squinting as he faced the surging storm.
"He's definitely dead this time, right?"
"Five meters from the ground, that's considered the core area. Even if Kakuzu still has four hearts, he wouldn't be able to withstand it, would he?"
Sarutobi Asuma thought to himself.
After the storm passed, he immediately flashed forward to check.
"Huh?"
In the giant crater, Sarutobi Asuma couldn't see Kakuzu's figure.
"He still escaped?"
Sarutobi Asuma frowned.
At this moment, Hatake Sakumo landed beside him: "Asuma, how was it?"
"What a cunning fellow, he escaped!"
Sarutobi Asuma said regretfully.
Two Wind Style: Rasenshurikens weren't enough to finish him.
"My combat experience is still insufficient, and my coordination with shadow clones isn't good enough to hit him at close range!"
Sarutobi Asuma sighed inwardly.
Anyone else would have certainly died if they took a Wind Style: Rasenshuriken at such close range, but Kakuzu was no ordinary opponent. His body had been modified into a monster, with five hearts and five lives.
He's troublesome!
Hatake Sakumo, however, smiled and said, "It's already remarkable that you could repel such a powerful opponent on your own!"
Sarutobi Asuma was taken aback.
Before he knew it, he could be considered on par with a powerhouse like Kakuzu?
Sarutobi Asuma couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, but he quickly suppressed the emotion.
"There's still a gap between me and an old monster like Kakuzu, otherwise he wouldn't have escaped."
"My current physique, chakra, and my mastery of Wind Style and Fire Style ninjutsu are absolutely on par with any Jonin, even a Kage."
"Besides, one Kakuzu isn't anything to worry about!"
After some self-encouragement, Sarutobi Asuma chuckled, "This time, it was because the opponent didn't know my information. If we meet again, it probably won't be so easy to deal with!"
Hatake Sakumo nodded with a smile. He was very gratified that Sarutobi Asuma could still remain calm and show no arrogance, and said, "Then, before we meet again, we'll think of a way to defeat him!"
"That's right, teacher!"
Sarutobi Asuma readily agreed.
Afterward, the two returned to the merchant caravan.
Sarutobi Asuma looked at the bodies piled up by the samurai. A single glance was all it took for him to understand.
All were killed with a single blow.
Either to the neck or the heart.
The wounds were scorched black.
Clearly, all were the work of Hatake Sakumo.
"There could have been eight Jonin among them!"
Sarutobi Asuma clicked his tongue inwardly.
The samurai, and even Yūhi Kurenai and Shizune, looked at Hatake Sakumo with immense reverence.
They had undoubtedly heard of Konoha's White Fang before.
But it was the first time they had witnessed the terrifying power of this strong individual.
Konoha's White Fang lived up to its name!
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