The one who launched the attack was, without question, Kakuzu—the man who had been lurking silently in the shadows all along.
He was a rogue ninja from Takigakure.
When he defected from his village, he did not leave empty-handed. Instead, he stole one of Takigakure's most forbidden secret techniques: Earth Grudge Fear. After mastering this terrifying jutsu, Kakuzu's body could no longer be described as human in the conventional sense.
Within him grew countless black threads, like living tentacles, capable of extending and retracting at will. These threads allowed him to stitch flesh, seize organs, and even launch attacks from underground, striking his enemies from impossible angles.
It was precisely such an attack that struck Tsunade.
Under normal circumstances, Kakuzu's sneak strike would have torn her heart straight from her chest, killing her instantly.
But Tsunade was no ordinary ninja.
The moment she sensed danger, she reacted on instinct, twisting her body away at the critical instant. Although Kakuzu's attack still pierced through her torso, her heart narrowly escaped fatal damage.
Even so, the wound was grievous.
Her body was pierced clean through, blood spilling freely, and the violent trauma instantly triggered her long-buried hemophobia. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, her breathing became ragged, and her strength rapidly drained away.
In that state, Tsunade completely lost her ability to fight.
"Go! Kill Tsunade while you still have the chance!"
Seeing her collapse, the remaining bounty hunters surged forward like starving wolves, eyes filled with greed and killing intent.
Before any of them could get close—
Boom!
Six massive water dragons burst into existence out of thin air, roaring as they slammed into the charging bounty hunters.
Some were sent flying on the spot, bones shattering under the impact. Others were thrown to the ground, coughing blood and unable to rise.
Water Release: Six Water Dragon Bullets!
After forcing the bounty hunters back, Aomizu turned just in time to see Tsunade's body pierced through, blood soaking the ground beneath her. His pupils shrank sharply.
Without hesitation, he rushed to her side.
"Are you kidding me?! Can a human really use Water Release like that?"
One of the surviving bounty hunters stared at Aomizu in horror, his face pale with disbelief.
They had initially thought Aomizu was nothing more than an inexperienced kid—someone easy to hunt down for a quick bounty.
Now it seemed laughable.
Hunting him was no different from courting death.
"S-spare me!"
One bounty hunter dropped his weapon and began begging desperately.
What answered him was the cold flash of Aomizu's ninja sword.
Slash!
Blood sprayed into the air.
"Run!"
The remaining bounty hunters were instantly terrified. No longer daring to fight, they scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives.
With a cold snort, Aomizu formed seals rapidly.
Several Shadow Clones appeared and immediately gave chase.
His main body remained behind.
Tsunade was more important.
Kakuzu had shown no mercy. Tsunade's injuries were terrifyingly severe, her flesh torn open to the point where bone stained with blood was clearly visible.
If she was not treated immediately, even Tsunade—the legendary Sannin—would not survive.
"Lady Tsunade, lie down. I'll treat you right away."
But Tsunade's entire body was shaking violently, her hemophobia overwhelming her rationality. Her eyes avoided the blood at all costs, fear rendering her limbs unresponsive.
Aomizu had no choice but to carefully lower her to the ground himself.
Then he began emergency treatment, ignoring the horrific sight before him.
Suddenly—
A sharp sense of danger exploded in his mind.
Kakuzu attacked again.
This time, his target was Aomizu.
Originally, after successfully injuring Tsunade, Kakuzu had intended to reveal himself. However, when he saw Aomizu effortlessly unleash Six Water Dragon Bullets in a place with no water source, his judgment instantly changed.
Such terrifying Water Release…
Even Kakuzu had to admit that Aomizu was no mere illusion of reputation.
At the very least, Kakuzu himself could not perform Water Release at that level.
Just as Kakuzu believed his sneak attack would succeed—
Another Aomizu suddenly appeared and intercepted the attack.
It was a Shadow Clone he had prepared earlier.
Knowing that an enemy was lurking in the shadows, Aomizu had never left himself undefended.
"Got you."
Shadow Clone Qingshui grabbed Kakuzu's black tentacle arm with both hands and, with a violent surge of strength, yanked him out of hiding.
Bang!
Kakuzu was smashed heavily into the ground.
Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the earth, the impact point collapsing inward.
If it were anyone else, they would already be dead.
But Kakuzu activated his defense in time.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Despite its name, Earth Spear was not purely offensive. It hardened the user's skin like steel, drastically increasing defensive power.
And defense, when pushed to its limit, could become a terrifying form of offense.
"Brat," Kakuzu said coldly as he rose, "your strength isn't simple."
As a shinobi who had lived since the era of the First Hokage, it was only natural for Kakuzu to call Aomizu a brat.
"But it's unfortunate for you to meet me."
His voice deepened.
"Back then, I assassinated your Konoha's First Hokage—Hashirama Senju. Even he couldn't kill me!"
The moment those words fell—
Tsunade, lying on the ground, trembled and looked up sharply.
She was the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju.
But Aomizu's expression did not change in the slightest.
Kakuzu frowned.
He had spoken those words to shake Aomizu's will, to create fear and hesitation. Hashirama Senju's name was legendary—the God of Shinobi, a figure who dominated an entire era.
Any normal ninja would have been shaken.
Yet Aomizu remained calm.
"So that's why," Aomizu said flatly, "you could only become a rogue ninja, running around the shinobi world like a stray dog."
Before Kakuzu could respond—
Shadow Clone Qingshui formed seals rapidly, summoning a large number of Shadow Clones that charged forward all at once.
At the same time, he condensed chakra in his hand.
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.
"To think you've even mastered such a terrifying Wind Release technique…"
He could clearly feel the destructive power contained within the Rasenshuriken.
In response, Kakuzu's back split open.
A masked monster emerged.
Fire Release: Head Hard Work!
The monster opened its mouth, releasing a vast sea of raging flames.
The inferno swept across the battlefield, annihilating every Shadow Clone in its path.
And it continued forward—toward Shadow Clone Qingshui, Aomizu's main body, and Tsunade behind him.
"Aomizu! Run!" Tsunade shouted urgently. "Don't worry about me!"
She knew no Shadow Clone could withstand such an attack.
Kakuzu was far more dangerous than she had imagined.
"I will never abandon a comrade."
Aomizu's reply was firm.
Shadow Clone Qingshui raised the Rasenshuriken in one hand while forming a one-handed seal with the other.
Water Release: Water Wall!
A towering wall of water appeared instantly, colliding head-on with the sea of fire.
Boom!
Scalding steam exploded outward, mist filling the battlefield.
Tsunade stared in shock.
Her trembling stopped.
Not because her hemophobia was cured—but because her mind was completely overwhelmed.
When she was Aomizu's age, she had never possessed such power.
Perhaps…
I truly belong to the old era now.
"What?!"
Kakuzu was equally stunned.
One-handed seals. Water Release in a waterless battlefield. Perfect defense.
How could such a shinobi be worth only ten million ryo?
Before he could react—
Shadow Clone Qingshui used Body Flicker, appearing behind Kakuzu.
The Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was slammed down with killing intent.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)