Preparing to thrash Kakuzu, Uchiha Yorin opened with his real kit.
Lightning crackled over him—terrifying, invincible. Kakuzu said nothing, simply released Earth Grudge Fear masks one after another, making his stance clear.
The fight ignited in an instant.
…
At a steady quasi–beyond-Kage level, Uchiha Yorin has few peers in today's shinobi world. It's rare for anyone to earn even a second glance from him.
Kakuzu is one of those rare few.
Earth Grudge Fear is said to be the pinnacle attainable by a non–bloodline shinobi. Even for Yorin, it warrants caution.
A man who mastered such a secret art is, naturally, a prodigy—one in ten thousand. Ugly, sure, but exactly the kind of talent Akatsuki needs. If Yorin handed him to Nagato, Nagato would be thrilled.
However…
"One last question, Kakuzu. Besides money—do you have anything else in your heart?" Yorin asked evenly. "If I recall, when you were young you were an idealistic loyalist. What about now?"
"Loyalty, ideals—those things are long out of date."
Kakuzu replied calmly: "Now, I have only money."
Yorin: "I see."
Yorin: "Then there's no helping it."
"What a shame."
…
The next second, with a Body Flicker, Uchiha Yorin charged.
Almost simultaneously, Kakuzu vaulted back while two Earth Grudge masks—Wind and Fire—unleashed their attacks.
Two mask-headed abominations of tangled black threads loomed, jaws yawning wide.
The two hairy monsters' thread-bodies merged in a blink—becoming an even larger, uglier two-headed beast.
Two mouths, two natures—Wind Release: Pressure Damage and Fire Release: Head-Hard Kata—combined into the composite ninjutsu: Scorching Gale Rampage!
An overwhelming sea of flame surged forth, riddled with explosions that layered the composite jutsu's power yet higher.
…
The inferno roared as if to drown heaven and earth, swallowing Uchiha Yorin. Even if it couldn't match Jiraiya's Sage Art: Goemon, the spectacle alone was staggering.
Ridges blasted apart, forests annihilated, towering trees launched skyward like weeds—then incinerated in an instant.
…
He said he didn't care—but the moment the bell rang Kakuzu threw out his trump. It's fair to say shinobi these days don't bother with honor.
"Yorin?!"
"Yorin!"
Seeing it, the harem Sannin trio were shaken—this kind of massive-area kill jutsu is exactly Yorin's apparent weak point.
Ordinary shinobi facing such a field-wipe would counter with their own big guns.
If it were Jiraiya, one Sage Art: Goemon would slam Scorching Gale Rampage back. In canon, Naruto used Rasenshuriken to pierce through and win big.
But Uchiha Yorin had neither a huge area nuke nor a hyper-concentrated spear. Chidori Spear is a tad short—he can't exactly trade Great Fireballs with Kakuzu.
…
But it's fine! Body Flicker answers all! With Lightning Armor boosting defense, he won't be in danger for a short burst!
After a heartbeat of worry, the trio relaxed—they all arrived at the same solution:
Dodge with Flicker, circle, then use his overwhelming speed and mobility to close and finish.
It's how he fought Nagato.
Originally, Yorin planned exactly that.
But this time, he felt a power he'd never known surge through his body.
Senju—Yang Release!
Before, Yorin's Yang chakra only nourished his body, silently bumping stats. Now, with the Senju physique, this Yang power made him feel reborn.
Not just faster, higher, stronger—but linked with his eyes—his Sharingan's pupil power.
The pupil force that ordinarily blooms at the Mangekyō stage ignited early under the Senju's Yang—flowers and fruit all at once!
And the fruit was one of the most iconic Mangekyō techniques—one of the strongest defenses in the shinobi world—Susanoo!
A standard Susanoo is a towering, Gundam-like avatar. Yorin's was smaller—tighter.
His Lightning Armor mutated, fusing with Susanoo.
Ominous black-violet and blood-red chakra clung to Yorin like a carapace.
You could call it Lightning Armor: Susanoo—akin to Sasuke's ultimate Kengo-Raijin Susanoo, but a youth version.
This black Lightning Armor Susanoo gave him what he needed most—and what 99% of shinobi lack: defense.
From this moment, Uchiha Yorin shed the "glass cannon" label.
Uchiha Yorin: "Hn-hn-hn-hn… HAHAHAHA!"
Feeling his power spike—surge—erupt, he laughed with delight.
Forget circling—a real man meets head-on!
Watch me, with Lightning Susanoo and Monstrous Strength Thunder–Fire Sword, launch your masks into the sky!
Kakuzu: "?!?!!"
Under everyone's shocked gaze, Uchiha Yorin himself—like a baleful, alien blade—split the composite ninjutsu Scorching Gale Rampage clean in two!
Kakuzu: "What is that?!"
Staring at the man plated in black-violet chakra, Kakuzu felt a jolt of real fear—and the urge to retreat now.
The bounty board only listed Yorin's head at "ordinary jōnin" rates; that won't pay Kakuzu enough to die for.
But he also knew—it wasn't about whether he wanted to fight; it was whether Yorin would let him go—
At that speed—nearly beyond Kakuzu's eyes—if he turned to run, he'd become a target.
"Kicked an iron wall. No matter—I'll flip the board!"
The immortal warrior thought as he flashed through seals—summoning three more masks.
He would mob the Uchiha!
Even if that Uchiha was strong, with his power and vitality Kakuzu might not lose—
The next instant, Yorin's twin blades erased that fantasy.
5× Output: Chidori Blade.
5× Output: Chakra Flame Blade.
Both swords pierced the Wind and Fire masks—
Ordinarily, this means nothing; Earth Grudge bodies are bundles of black threads—cut them and they knit back together. Usually.
Yorin's strikes were surgical—thrust straight through the hearts within the masks.
Those hearts—Kakuzu's greatest weakness.