"Where the hell did this guy come from? That chakra pressure is terrifying!"
"Careful! This man's strength might be on par with the Hokage!"
The figure's entrance was too horrifying. The four instantly leaped back, putting distance between them and the newcomer before daring to examine him closely.
A man with a Takigakure rogue-nin forehead protector. A black mask covering his face, leaving only a pair of jade-green eyes visible.
Add in his burly frame and the corpse of a Konoha ANBU captain slung over his shoulder, and he screamed "serious trouble."
"…Sigh. Why am I not even surprised?"
In stark contrast to Nawaki's, Gen's, and Nonō's grave apprehension, Chiba just let out a heavy sigh. He had a lot he wanted to say, but he was a man of culture. He didn't swear.
An elderly man crossing borders alone for freelance work, his hard-earned money later squandered by a young woman in his household…
No need to say more. This sixty-nine-year-old comrade before them was none other than the immortal warrior who once assassinated the First Hokage—Kakuzu!
It was said their battle back then shook the mountains and rivers, blotted out the sun and moon, and in the end, Kakuzu lost to the First Hokage by a mere hair's breadth.
"He's not attacking. What's he doing?"
Seeing Kakuzu standing there, acting strangely, Nawaki whispered with growing unease. "Why's he pulling out a little book now? Preparing some terrifying sealing jutsu?"
"No. He's just counting money."
Chiba rubbed his temples, a headache coming on. "In a moment, I'll hold him off with everything I've got. You three watch for an opening and run. Don't look back, don't wait for me. Just get back to Konoha at your absolute top speed!"
"Chiba, but—"
"No 'buts'! You being here will just distract me!"
Nawaki wanted to argue, but Chiba cut him off sharply. Swallowing his frustration, Nawaki clenched his jaw.
'It's all because I'm too weak. When did I become a burden to Chiba?' The thought settled like a stone in Nawaki's gut.
He made a decision. Once back, he'd beg Lord Orochimaru to teach him how to get stronger. Only then could he keep walking beside Chiba.
Gen and Nonō's eyes were filled with worry, but they remained silent. Officially, Nawaki was the team captain, but Chiba was the real leader. As team members, they trusted Chiba's judgment.
Chiba began a quiet countdown. "On my mark. Three… two… one… Run!"
The instant the count ended, two great white paper wings unfurled from Chiba's back. Before the other three could even blink, he shot into the nearby forest like an arrow from a bow.
Whoosh!
"Huh?!"
"What?!"
Kakuzu tucked away his ledger and looked over. Nawaki, Gen, and Nonō—still rooted in place—stared back.
Four pairs of eyes met. Silence. The atmosphere turned profoundly awkward.
'That bastard Chiba! He said he'd cover us, then ran first?!' Nawaki raged internally.
'What is Chiba-san's deeper meaning here? If he leaves like this, won't the enemy just attack us directly?' Nonō was deeply confused.
Gen, ever the man of action, said nothing. He simply gripped his sword hilt tighter, readying himself.
"Tch. At most, twelve million ryo."
Just as the three braced for a desperate fight, they saw it—a flicker of pure, unadulterated contempt pass through Kakuzu's ancient, placid green eyes.
Then, he didn't even grant them another glance. His toes tapped the ground. He pulled out a storage scroll to seal his "trophy." And he shot into the forest after Chiba.
Kakuzu just liked carrying his prizes. And Chiba… Chiba was about to become his newest one.
"What was that look supposed to mean?! He was looking down on us, wasn't he?!" Nawaki finally pointed at the retreating back and cursed, now that the danger had passed.
"I think I understand Chiba's plan now," Gen said, sheathing his sword. "Let's get away from here, fast. Then contact Konoha for backup."
"Right!"
…
In the forest.
Chiba didn't take to the skies immediately. He sped through the trees, confident Kakuzu would abandon the "cheap" trio and come for the bigger prize—him.
He'd used the Paper Dance earlier precisely so Kakuzu would recognize him.
This way, he could use himself as bait to tie up Kakuzu, buying Nawaki and the others time to escape.
Swish!
Sure enough, within a few breaths, Chiba's peripheral vision caught Kakuzu's form closing in fast from behind.
"Honestly, Kakuzu is pretty much the perfect counter to my Paper Dance," Chiba muttered to himself.
The Paper Dance was near-unbeatable in most situations. But it had two weaknesses: opponents with anti-air or flight capabilities, and large-scale elemental ninjutsu—like Obito's Blast Wave Wild Dance or Madara's Great Fire Annihilation.
And Kakuzu had both. No wonder Konan never spent money recklessly while Kakuzu was around.
(Kakuzu: What, like explosive tags cost anything?)
"But I'm not Konan. With my balanced nin-taijutsu, I should be able to give Kakuzu a run for his money… right?"
Chiba wasn't so sure.
He did carry a certain "lucky charm" on him. But it was useless right now. To Kakuzu, he was just walking cash. Who listens to a stack of bills? You just stuff it in your pocket first.
So, Chiba had to prove his strength first. Then the "charm" might work.
Swish!
Kakuzu was gaining. Chiba spun and flung three kunai behind him. Each was tagged with an explosive note and a poison capsule.
"Hmph. Earth Style: Earth Spear!"
Kakuzu snorted. His arms instantly turned pitch-black. He didn't slow down at all, charging straight through the incoming kunai.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three explosions lit up the forest. Purple poison gas billowed. Kakuzu's figure shot through the cloud without the slightest pause, his speed undiminished.
"Useless effort. No physical attack can harm me!" Kakuzu's cold voice cut through the air.
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
Kakuzu formed a hand seal. A white mask pushed from his shoulder, gaping wide towards Chiba.
CRACKLE-BOOM!
Lightning blazed under the canopy. Two massive lances of terrifying energy, crackling with arcs of electricity, screamed towards Chiba's back.
Faced with such an attack, Chiba naturally didn't dare block it. He was about to ascend when a sudden, chilling realization struck him.
'No. Kakuzu has surely seen my intel. A veteran like him wouldn't waste a move.'
'…He's trying to force me into the air!'
In that critical moment, Chiba's instincts screamed the answer.
Just as Kakuzu had intel on him, Chiba—having "played" Kakuzu countless times in simulated battles—knew the man's skill set.
If he took to the air now, Kakuzu would lead with Wind Style: Pressure Damage to pin him, then follow up with any other technique to finish the job.
"Oh?"
Seeing Chiba forcibly arrest his upward momentum, Kakuzu's brow twitched. A flicker of surprise.
"Earth Style: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!"
Abandoning flight, Chiba twisted to a stop. Hands flew through seals before slamming palm-down onto the ground.
CRUMBLE! CRUMBLE! CRUMBLE!
Because lightning overpowered earth, and because False Darkness was devastating, Chiba played it safe. Three massive, thick earthen walls erupted in succession before him.
ZZZTT—CRACK!
The lightning arrived in an instant, piercing through the first two walls with ease. But at that moment, Kakuzu—who should have been far away—suddenly materialized right behind the crumbling barriers.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Tendril Fist!"
Kakuzu's forearms exploded. No blood. Propelled by black tendrils, his fists shot forward like missiles aimed at Chiba.
"Konoha-Style: Hazy Moonlit Night!"
Facing these steel fists capable of piercing through a body, Chiba chose to draw his sword. He wouldn't recklessly use the Paper Dance and give Kakuzu the opening he wanted.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Blade met fist in a frantic exchange. Kakuzu's taijutsu was formidable. His fists, connected by writhing black tendrils, whipped like lashes one moment, hammered like maces the next. He pressed Chiba relentlessly.
"Damn!"
Blocking Kakuzu's right fist with his blade, Chiba's peripheral vision caught the white mask on Kakuzu's shoulder opening its maw once more.
At the same time, Kakuzu's left fist coiled around from behind, trying to seal off Chiba's escape route.
"Rasengan!"
Chiba reacted instantly. His left hand formed the spiraling sphere of chakra. He yanked himself back while slamming the Rasengan squarely into Kakuzu's incoming left fist.
BOOM—ZZZAP!
The Rasengan's detonation and the crackle of lightning overlapped. In the split second before the lightning beam could scorch the ground beneath him, Chiba managed to bat the fist away and Shadow Dance-stepped to a new position.
Thwap. Thwap.
Kakuzu retracted his fists, in no hurry to press the attack. His turtle-like eyes studied Chiba intently.
"You're worth your bounty, skill-wise. But your battle experience is leagues below mine. I'll be turning you in to the exchange soon."
"…Haah."
Chiba didn't reply. He just let out a long, weary breath.
Fighting a monster like Kakuzu was exhausting. It demanded absolute focus. Zero mistakes.
In just a few minutes, he'd faced death's edge multiple times. And that was just the probing phase.
Now, with Kakuzu having gauged his level… the old monster was about to get serious.
Squelch… Creak…
Amidst unsettling, wet sounds, two bulging lumps swelled on Kakuzu's back. Then, two more white masks shoved their way out, scrabbling up to perch on his shoulders.
"Three masks… Probably his strongest: Wind, Fire, and Lightning."
Chiba's expression hardened. Kakuzu's Wind and Fire releases had terrifying range and scale—whirlwinds and seas of flame.
"With my Paper Dance constrained… how do I stop a fully-powered Kakuzu? How do I even hurt him?!"
Chiba's mind raced, his focus sharper and grimmer than ever before.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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