"Asakawa Kiyosuke-san, you're not wrong there."
Kisame bared his rows of shark-like teeth in a grin.
"We knew you'd be coming, so we've prepared quite a welcome party."
Another figure stepped forward. He was as tall as Kisame, his sclera blood-red while his pupils glowed green. A mask hid most of his face, but his forehead protector revealed him as a rogue from Takigakure.
"Kiyosuke Asakawa. Black market bounty: five hundred million for your head, one billion if captured alive. Quite the fortune."
The sight of him made Kiyosuke laugh.
"Oh, oh, oh… isn't this Kakuzu? The man who supposedly crossed blades with the First Hokage himself. What's the matter? Got your eye on my expensive head?"
A shuriken tossed from eight hundred li away—yeah, that probably counts as crossing blades…
"Oh? You actually know?"
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with pride.
"My last real battle against Konoha was with Hashirama Senju. And now, my next opponent is you."
"What, the First Hokage? No way. Just how long do you plan on living?"
"Don't be ridiculous. There's no way this guy's from Hashirama-sama's time."
After all, even Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage—was a decrepit old man by now. Yet this Kakuzu looked barely in his forties. It had to be nonsense.
"Believe it or don't. Makes no difference to me."
Chiyo, with her vast experience, spoke up.
"What Kakuzu says… he's an old rogue from Takigakure, several decades ago. He attempted to assassinate Hashirama but failed. Banished from his village, and before leaving, he stole their forbidden technique—Earth Grudge Fear. Seems that's what has kept him alive this long."
Kakuzu turned his masked gaze toward her.
"Chiyo of Sunagakure, eh? You've aged. From our generation, only scraps of us remain. Still, your head would fetch a decent price."
"Gahaha! You want this old lady's head? Let's see if you have the skill to take it."
Chiyo cackled, her toothless gums showing.
"Oi, Kakuzu, why waste breath on this lot?"
Another man swaggered out, a blood-red triple-bladed scythe slung over his shoulder. His attitude screamed arrogance.
"Let's just kill them all and offer them as sacrifices to Jashin-sama!"
"Oh, looks like Sasori and Deidara are tied up elsewhere. Even your leader can't be bothered to show up? Tch… I feel insulted."
Kiyosuke scratched his hair lazily, then spoke to his allies.
"You guys go on ahead. Leave this bunch to me. I can handle them alone."
"How arrogant! Don't think just because you're strong you can do whatever you want!"
Hidan snarled.
"Sorry—being strong really does mean I can do whatever I want."
Kiyosuke burst out laughing, his smile twisting into something manic.
"I thought I wiped out every last one of Jashin's fanatics. Didn't expect any survivors. Fine then—my first target will be you!"
He pointed at Hidan.
"Kiyosuke, wait!"
Kakuzu barked a warning.
"Hidan! Be careful! He's not normal!"
Boom!
Kiyosuke's foot slammed down, leaving a crater as his body shot forward like a thunderclap. In an instant, he was in Hidan's face, his fist exploding forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hidan's body flew back, smashing through several thick trees before coming to a halt.
"Arghhh! Dammit, my spine's broken! My ribs too! Half my bones are shattered!"
He screamed out his injuries. Any normal man would be long dead. Yet Hidan howled with vitality, alive through it all.
"You've got to be kidding. How is he still moving?"
Karin and Sakura, both trained medics, were stunned. That blow should have killed anyone. But Hidan wasn't just alive—he was loud.
"Jashinists are always troublesome."
Kiyosuke muttered.
Hidan was the cult's only true success—a man granted immortality. His healing was no faster than anyone else's, but he simply could not die.
Even so, Kiyosuke reminded himself. Once chakra ran dry, it would vanish. Hidan's 'immortality' wouldn't save him from that.
"Idiot. I told you to be cautious. That man isn't ordinary. That's why his head fetches so high a price."
Kakuzu showed no concern for Hidan's condition. Instead, the fabric on his back bulged, and four black, masked monsters burst forth to his side.
"Our mission is to stop you. Nothing more."
He formed hand signs.
"Water Colliding Wave!"
" Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Kakuzu and Kisame unleashed torrents of water, transforming the battlefield into a roaring sea.
"Run!"
Kiyosuke faced the oncoming tsunami. With one hand raised, flames swirled into his palm, condensing into a blazing sphere that shone like a miniature sun.
The burning sun crashed into the waves. Steam exploded across the forest, cloaking everything in a suffocating mist—buying Kakashi and the others time to escape the deluge.
But not all the water evaporated. A massive surge still rushed toward Kiyosuke. He leapt lightly, landing atop the surface with perfect balance.
Sensing his allies' chakra steady and unharmed, he allowed himself a breath of relief.
"Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
From the depths, a massive shark leapt upward, jaws wide.
"Out of my way!"
Kiyosuke lashed his arm, flame coiling into a whip that shattered the shark apart.
But Kisame burst out of the spray immediately after, Samehada cleaving down hard.
The living blade tore at Kiyosuke, stripping away fragments of chakra. Kisame smirked.
"So that's all? Still, I have to admit… as expected of you. Physical strikes just don't work against you."
Four whirling vortexes erupted around Kiyosuke, transforming into drills of water.
"Water Formation Wall!"
Water surged up, forming a barrier. The drills slammed against it, then dissolved into spray.
Above, a black shadow leapt into the sky. Fireballs rained down, each one hiding shuriken within the blaze.
"Phoenix Flower!"
The flaming barrage streaked downward. Kiyosuke exhaled flames of his own, dispersing the assault while driving a counter-blast straight toward the airborne Itachi.
But Kisame swung Samehada again, absorbing the fire mid-air.
"Pressure Damage!"
Kakuzu struck in that instant. A sphere of compressed wind roared forward, blasting Kiyosuke's form into scattered fragments—leaving only his two feet standing on the water's surface.
"Tch. What an annoying ability."
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with greed.
"But no matter. That head… will be mine."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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