Schlick!
Blood trailed down the side of Kakuzu's face, flowing from his left temple and cheek. The forehead protector tied to his brow came loose and fell to the ground, revealing a deep grazing wound that stretched across his entire left temple, a bullet burn that had nearly split his skull. You could even glimpse the pale-white of exposed bone.
"Hey! Kakuzu!"
From the side, Hidan, who had been watching casually, let out a shocked shout. Kakuzu wasn't like him; he wasn't immortal. If that bullet had struck just a few inches over, it might've blown his head clean off! Even though Kakuzu had five hearts and could survive losing four, getting his brain blown apart wasn't something even he could come back from.
That shot had almost ended it.
Kakuzu had barely twisted his head at the last second. The bullet tore through his palm, grazed his temple, and left behind a brutal furrow of shredded skin. A fraction slower, and his skull would've been obliterated.
"You little bastard!"
Veins bulged from Kakuzu's forehead. His glare burned with murderous rage, far more terrifying than anything Hidan had shown thus far.
Even Hidan began to sweat.
Shit... I've never seen Kakuzu this pissed off. That kid's gonna die...
Clack.
Kirito lowered his gun, clearly disappointed.
The shot hadn't killed. He'd used Reinforcement Tracing to power up the Desert Eagle, and the damage was significant, but it wasn't enough. He had only recently begun studying Tracing techniques and wasn't skilled enough to use them on command in rapid succession.
He could only do it once at a time, and even that required several seconds to charge up. Now, the silver glow around the gun had faded. Reinforcement was over.
And judging by Kakuzu's rage-filled aura, there was no way he'd get time to re-cast it.
"Very well," Kakuzu growled.
"You've pissed me off for the last time."
He tore away his cloak, revealing a grisly body stitched together with black threads. Four strange, mask-like constructs were embedded across his back, each a different shape and color.
Slice!
With a crackling sound, the threads connecting the masks to his body snapped. From them, four writhing creatures emerged, formed entirely from Kakuzu's black tendrils, each one bearing a mask that pulsed with energy.
"Uraaaaahhhh!!!"
The first one had four legs like a beast, thin wings, and a blue-striped mask. Its mouth opened wide, generating intense air pressure.
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"
A high-level Wind Release that required mastery of chakra nature transformation! A massively compressed vortex of high-density air fired like a supersonic cannon shell, capable of tearing through fortresses like paper.
Even before the wind hit, Kirito could feel the ripping force in the air.
He didn't dare meet it head-on.
Kirito leapt into the air, dodging the swirling storm blast beneath.
But waiting above him was the second creature, this one with an oblong body, long arms, and a green-striped mask. It crouched low and chomped into the earth, devouring rocks and dirt.
Moments later, it fired a massive stone spear, thicker than a man's torso. Veins of black thread wound around it like cables, snapping taut as the spear was hurled at Kirito like a harpoon.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear Lance!"
It was a javelin that could pierce fortress walls with ease.
Kirito instantly raised his left hand.
"Senbonzakura!"
The cherry blossoms whirled to life, swirling violently around the stone spear. Thousands of micro-blades shredded it apart, whittling the mighty lance down to the width of a sewing needle.
Shing!
With a simple swipe of Sode no Shirayuki, the whittled lance crumbled into harmless shards.
But the third mask creature had already fired.
This one was tall, broad-shouldered, and bore a yellow mask with a demon-like design. Its mouth lit up with raw energy as crackling thunder surged within.
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
A widespread, high-voltage attack. The entire battlefield, tens of meters in all directions, was instantly flooded with a deafening surge of electrical discharge.
"First Dance: Moon-White!"
Kirito struck the ground beneath his feet.
An icy pillar erupted upward, lifting him above the blast zone as lightning scorched the forest below.
No time to rest.
The fourth and final creature opened its mouth. This one had a plump, rounded body, large red lips, and an absurdly comical face. But its attack was no joke.
A crimson orb formed, a condensed fireball the size of a boulder, burning with blinding heat.
It swallowed the orb.
Then spat out a massive fireball, exponentially larger than the Fireball Jutsu used by most ninja. Its searing heat alone warped the air and charred the sky.
"Fire Style: Massive Flame Bullet!"
If this connected, it wouldn't just scorch the forest, it would vaporize it. Even stone wouldn't survive.
But Kirito didn't retreat.
He advanced.
"Second Dance: White Ripple!"
From the tip of Sode no Shirayuki, a flood of frigid mist burst forth, quickly forming a surging wave of ice and snow.
Fire and ice collided midair, one side blazing red, the other shimmering white.
The result?
An enormous explosion.
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