"Naraku, Kakashi, run!"
Might Duy's tone was anxious; he knew they weren't yet at a level to remain on this battlefield. One mistake, and Konoha would lose two geniuses—a heartbreaking loss for everyone.
Naraku and Kakashi didn't hesitate, turning to run.
Logically, Kakuzu, wanting to escape quickly, wouldn't bother with two Chunin. However, after blasting several Jonin away with Wind Release: Pressure Damage, he went straight after Naraku.
"Naraku!"
Minato wanted to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to get there, but he had only left a mark in Matsukata Seigou's room and hadn't marked every teammate, so he could only rely on the Body Flicker Technique.
The black elemental clone wearing a fire-attribute mask unleashed another Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work, blocking the pursuit of the others.
Naraku drew his ninja sword, turned, and slashed.
Clang—
The blade was barely blocked by Kakuzu's right hand, hardened with Earth Release: Earth Spear. The immense force that crashed into him sent Naraku, already unstable from turning, flying backward and crashing through several bushes.
Minato had already caught up, temporarily hindering Kakuzu's steps.
Naraku stood up, enduring the sharp pain in his back and spitting out bloody foam, his heart filled with shock and uncertainty.
Seeing the missing fire-attribute mask on Kakuzu's back, he finally understood.
Naraku: So, the only suitable heart replacement here is me, an Uchiha?
Seeing how troublesome Minato was, and with the fire-attribute clone he had just split off being blocked by two Water Release users, plus the strange ninja with immense taijutsu power rushing towards them, Kakuzu decisively split off another wind-attribute clone to entangle Minato and Might Duy, who had just arrived.
He himself lunged again in the direction Naraku had been thrown.
Naraku knew that, injured, he absolutely couldn't outrun Kakuzu; sooner or later, he would have to confront him. So, he stopped fleeing, gripping his ninja sword with both hands, ready to face the enemy.
[You have purchased Chakra × 10, Strength +20, Speed +20]
Kakuzu's Earth Spear continuously stabbed, each strike aimed at a vital point.
Naraku defended with great difficulty. Carelessly, he was grazed under the ribs, immediately feeling two or three fracture. Blood flowed from the wound, soaking his clothes.
His eyes glowed faintly red, on the verge of opening.
Without activating his Sharingan, he couldn't even clearly see Kakuzu's moves. He was about to die, let alone save chakra.
But remembering Sakumo's instruction not to expose it unless absolutely necessary, he gritted his teeth and suppressed his ocular power.
Kakuzu lunged again. Naraku barely parried one attack, unable to react to the second.
Just as the hand, enhanced with Earth Spear, was about to pierce his chest, a blue-white flash of lightning streaked by. Kakashi, wielding a chakra blade, stood in front of Naraku, severing that incredibly tough forearm with a single strike.
Immediately, Kakashi carried Naraku away, disappearing with the Body Flicker Technique.
Kakuzu's anger surged.
This was the second time this white-haired brat had cut off his arm. He hadn't expected him to seem so ordinary yet possess a valuable weapon like a chakra blade.
Kakashi, carrying Naraku, ran wildly. Feeling the wetness and strong smell of blood on his hands, he felt his heart tremble incessantly.
"Naraku, how are you?"
"N-nothing..." Naraku leaned on Kakashi's back, turning to urge him, "You run by yourself, Kakashi... He seems to be after me..."
"No!"
"Go... That guy is really strong..."
"I said no!"
Naraku wanted to say more, but then he saw a huge black shadow fly up from the grass in front of them, looming over the pair.
Kakuzu, with murderous eyes, was in mid-air, bathed in the sacred, pure moonlight like a giant eagle spreading its wings and talons, ready to hunt. Countless black tendrils writhed and twisted around him, emitting an eerie and terrifying aura.
Kakashi quickly turned, but with someone still on his shoulder, he couldn't react in time and could only shield Naraku with his own body.
The next moment, both were slammed to the ground by the tendrils.
Naraku saw several tendrils on Kakuzu's body tense at their tips, thrusting like spears towards Kakashi, who was struggling to get up. It would only take an instant to tear him to shreds.
No!
No!
No matter what—
Kakashi absolutely cannot die!!!
[Two-Tomoe Sharingan activated for you]
Naraku's eyes instantly turned red, with two tomoe rapidly spinning in his irises.
He finally saw the attack trajectory of each tendril; the originally swift and fierce stabs became slow, and he could even see the ripples as they cut through the air.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—
The tendrils striking at Kakashi were all blocked. Naraku, who had used Body Flicker to stand in front of Kakashi, gasped for breath, gripping his ninja sword tightly, his eyes glowing with a faint bloody light in the darkness.
"Oh, Two-Tomoe..." Kakuzu showed an expression of having made a profit. "An Uchiha Sharingan is priceless on the black market."
"Run, Kakashi."
Naraku coughed twice, not looking back, and cursed insincerely, "Who told you to save me... I can handle it myself!"
"You... you're really bad at lying..."
Kakashi got up from the ground, wiped away the blood from his eyes, and picked up his sword that had fallen in the dirt.
"Don't worry," Kakuzu said in a sinister tone. "You'll meet in hell soon."
Then, he raised his right arm, on which countless living tendrils writhed.