Kakuzu was utterly powerless.
The Wooden Human Technique by Akihara Kagura was like a monster; no ninjutsu could break through the Wood Human Technique, even the hearts of the Earth Grudge Fear that he had painstakingly collected were crushed to death.
If Kakuzu's real body were to be killed, it would mean the complete death of his body. Being alive, at least he had the chance to collect the hearts again with Earth Grudge Fear and survive!
Akihara Kagura, a kid, even had a rather venomous mouth, not only controlling the wooden figures to chase after him but even asking him how he had broken the Wood Release of the First Hokage!
How could he ask such a thing?
Did the First Hokage, Hashirama, need to use the Wood Human Technique against him?
Kakuzu desperately dodged the attacks of the wooden figures, looking for gaps in their attacks, just like many years ago, hoping to barely survive!
"This is not a battle of equals..."
Watching Kakuzu fleeing in a sorry state, Sasori of the Red Sand snorted coldly, "He really brings shame to the Akatsuki... That guy is good for nothing but collecting funds."
"Do you want to save him?"
Orochimaru asked with a light laugh.
"Let's save him."
Sasori glanced at Pain in the distance and said softly, "If Kakuzu dies here, it would be difficult to explain to Pain, not to mention, do you really think just because that kid is afraid of snakes, you can stop him with just the two of us?"
After saying this, Sasori's Red Secret Technique produced several chakra threads, directly binding Orochimaru's body! "You bastard!"
Orochimaru's eyes suddenly narrowed!
However, with Sasori's Red Secret Technique holding Orochimaru, he directly flung Orochimaru towards the wooden figures. The massive wooden figure immediately dropped the pursuit of Kakuzu, instantly attracted by Orochimaru flying over!
The wooden figure's hand grabbed Orochimaru's body!
Akihara Kagura stood on top of the wooden figure, looking at Orochimaru held in its hand, slightly frowned, and asked softly, "If I now control the wooden figure to tighten its fist, can you survive?"
"I can."
Orochimaru nodded.
At that moment, Orochimaru seemed to have understood Akihara Kagura's thoughts, appearing unfazed by the incoming danger, even smiling brilliantly, as if sending a signal, "Go ahead, Kagura, you are my most perfect creation after all..."
Snap!
The massive wooden figure suddenly clenched its fist!
Orochimaru's body was instantly crushed into a pulp by the wooden figure! However, from this mass of pulp, a long snake emerged, directly falling to the ground. The snake opened its mouth wide, spitting out Orochimaru's body!
"..."
Akihara Kagura's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Let's go together!"
While controlling a puppet that flew over, Sasori of the Red Sand loudly called out to Orochimaru and Kakuzu: "This kid is not something we can deal with alone!"
"You..."
A flash of anger crossed Orochimaru's eyes.
Because Sasori of the Red Sand, taking advantage of his unpreparedness, directly attacked with chakra threads, forcing him to rescue Kakuzu, otherwise, he wouldn't have been caught by Akihara Kagura's wooden figure just now.
Fortunately, his life was resilient enough...
Otherwise, wouldn't he have been killed by Sasori of the Red Sand?
However, Sasori of the Red Sand, who had almost killed him just now, acted as if he had done nothing and called him to deal with Akihara Kagura together!
But...
Orochimaru really couldn't refute him.
Because the real victory or defeat in battle was with Pain.
Orochimaru, Sasori of the Red Sand, and Kakuzu kept attacking the wooden figure, the first two having a myriad of connections with Akihara Kagura, exemplifying the epitome of effort without contribution, leaving only Kakuzu, who even lacked the support of the Earth Grudge Fear, making even assisting a bit of a stretch.
The battle here was fierce.
Jiraiya and Pain had yet to make a move.
Pain was somewhat leisurely at first, believing that the three members of the Akatsuki could easily take down Akihara Kagura...
However...
The three members of the Akatsuki were being dominated by Akihara Kagura.
"Teacher Jiraiya, is that your new disciple?"
Pain glanced at the rampaging wooden figure in the distance and said solemnly: "You've always been so good at teaching disciples, producing students who are very excellent."
"Does that include you?"
Jiraiya stared intently at Pain, focusing on that face identical to Yahiko's: "Pain, you're Yahiko, aren't you?"
"What on earth is going on? Hanzo of the Salamander told me Yahiko was dead, but I see Yahiko alive, even wearing Nagato's eyes!"
"It seems you know everything now..."
Pain seemed unmoved, speaking as if he were a dead man without any emotion: "Hanzo was right, that guy named Yahiko, he's indeed dead... The one alive now, is just a Pain experiencing agony."
"..."
Jiraiya continued to watch Pain, hoping to see through Pain's appearance to the truth, trying to discern what was different.
There's only one pair of Rinnegan...
Pain had the Rinnegan, but where are Nagato's eyes?
Even though Jiraiya had already traveled and seen the various unique abilities in the ninja world, he still could not imagine the power of the Rinnegan.
However...
No matter what...
This person was definitely his disciple.
"No matter if you are Yahiko or not…"
Jiraiya ceased to ponder, spreading his palms open, attempting to persuade his disciples: "Anyway, I already know about your affairs. It's all Shimura Danzo's fault. We can't let the mistakes of others lead us down the wrong path..."
"Teacher Jiraiya."
Pain lifted his gaze to his former teacher and said, "What happens with us has nothing to do with you anymore. The path we're on is not a mistaken one. The true god should assume its rightful place, naturally following the path it was meant to..."
"You are my disciples!"
A mix of guilt and unease appeared on Jiraiya's face: "The messenger toad from Mount Myoboku told me you were dead. I always thought you had left this world. If I had known that you were harmed by Shimura Danzo at that time..."
"It doesn't matter."
Pain, indifferent to his teacher's guilt, continued: "After all, we've grown up. I'm grateful for Teacher Jiraiya's care in the past, but ignorant and foolish children must eventually grow into adults after experiencing pain..."
"And I..."
"Simply underwent a transformation after experiencing pain."
"From a mortal, transformed into a god."
Swoosh!
A figure landed beside them!
It was Konan, who, unknown to them, had been sent flying by a punch from a wooden figure earlier!
Pain, completely ignoring the tragic state of his subordinate, quietly shared his mental journey with his teacher: "Once becoming a god, all thoughts and words are considered from the perspective of a god..."
"Your subordinate..."
Jiraiya even glanced at Konan.
"It doesn't matter."
Pain's voice remained unfluctuating, his demeanor subtly becoming more aloof, continuing: "Teacher Jiraiya, after all, you are but a mortal. It's already remarkable that you've come this far, so understanding the thoughts of a god is indeed difficult..."
"Don't you care about them?"
Jiraiya glanced again at the distant figures of Sasori of the Red Sand and Orochimaru being beaten by the wooden figure: "Kagura's power is strong, possessing strength comparable to that of the Rinnegan..."
"No one can stand against these eyes."
Pain immediately stopped his discourse on divinity to retort: "Heaven bestowed these eyes upon me to end the chaos of this world. No force can stand against the power contained within these eyes, not even the Wood Release of the First Hokage..."
"But…"
Jiraiya, on the contrary, seemed even more concerned about the members of the Akatsuki organization than Pain himself.
The main reason was that his old friend Orochimaru was among them, and he was somewhat worried that his friend might be killed by Akihara Kagura, especially since he had just witnessed Akihara Kagura crushing Orochimaru to death once.
This scene was always somewhat eerie.
As the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain showed no concern for his subordinates, focusing solely on catching up with his former teacher and discussing his own ideological transformation.
Jiraiya, who had come to deal with the trouble caused by the Akatsuki, found himself gradually losing interest in reminiscing and began to worry about the life and death of the Akatsuki members.
Just at that moment.
Sasori of the Red Sand's puppet Hiruko tumbled through the air, landing on the ground unscathed. Despite the difficult battle, Sasori still did not reveal his true form!
"…"
Jiraiya suddenly became even more worried.
If only Orochimaru was left, it felt like a return to that day, worrying about which one, his disciple or his friend, could survive.
"Pain!"
Sasori of the Red Sand's Hiruko got up and took the initiative to speak: "Hurry up and deal with that kid! Orochimaru won't last much longer!"
"…"
Pain's expression slightly changed.
Just moments ago, he had been expounding his divine ideology to his teacher, presenting himself as a deity of the ninja world. Yet, the defeat of his subordinates quickly lowered the tone.
"Are you not done talking?"
The voice of Akihara Kagura came over; he had already defeated the feigning Orochimaru and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear beside Jiraiya.
"Uh…"
Akihara Kagura glanced at Pain before turning to Jiraiya: "Teacher Jiraiya, perhaps we overestimated the strength of the Akatsuki. Except for Orochimaru, the others seem strong but the organization is like playing house…"
"…"
Pain's hand slowly clenched into a fist.
Akihara Kagura seemed unaware of Pain's gesture and continued: "They look flashy, like street magicians, intimidating to those less powerful but none could withstand me. They're somewhat like swindlers."
"…"
Pain felt his fist getting harder.
Akihara Kagura kept spewing venom, completely disregarding Pain's feelings: "I haven't even used Sage Mode yet. I could probably kill everyone here within a minute, including the two hiding in the cave…"
"…"
Pain felt his fist getting harder and harder.
If it weren't for the fact that he was older than Akihara Kagura and was also Akihara Kagura's senior brother, he really wanted to have a big fight with Akihara Kagura!
Ever since Pain believed his spirit had ascended to that of a god, he had never been so angry before. The new junior brother taken in by the teacher was just too formidable with his words!
Of course.
This junior brother wasn't just formidable with his words.
To be serious, his strength was also very powerful. Before he even had a chance to talk with Teacher Jiraiya, he had already defeated Orochimaru, Kakuzu, and Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Two people in the cave...?"
Jiraiya, hearing Akihara Kagura's words, suddenly realized a possibility!
If Konan hadn't rushed out with the members of Akatsuki, she must be staying inside. Why stay inside?
Because...
There was another more important person inside!
"Pain..."
Jiraiya stared tightly at Pain in front of him and asked, "Nagato and Konan, they are both inside, right?"
"..."
Pain did not deny it.
The leader of Akatsuki raised his palm and said solemnly, "If you want to know the truth, then survive my hands first!"
"I know the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Akihara Kagura looked at Pain in front of him, voluntarily revealing one of his cards: "I just left the mark of the Flying Thunder God in the cave, I can teleport directly inside and kill at any time..."
"Kagura!"
Jiraiya was startled by his disciple.
"If you can do it..."
Pain's eyes narrowed slightly, not caring about Akihara Kagura's threat at all.
Because Pain was very clear, even if Akihara Kagura could use the Flying Thunder God to enter the cave, he couldn't do anything to the people inside, where the most terrifying existence in the ninja world was...
"Teacher Jiraiya."
Akihara Kagura looked at Pain in front of him but was asking for Jiraiya's opinion, "Can I really not kill this guy in front of me?"
"If you can do it..."
Pain was always confident in his own strength.
"You two... are too extreme..."
Jiraiya rubbed his temples, feeling a headache.
In this world, what gives a teacher a headache is undoubtedly a disciple being too extreme; what gives a teacher more of a headache is having two disciples who are both too extreme; what gives a teacher the most headache is having these two extremely opposite characters of disciples happen to be in a hostile state.
"Interesting."
Pain gazed at Akihara Kagura before him, speaking coldly, "Originally, I wanted to test the divine power I awakened with my teacher's life... Now it seems, I have found a more suitable candidate. There is no one more suitable than defeating the God of Ninjas with Wood Release."
"What a coincidence."
Akihara Kagura, facing the expressionless Pain, extended his hand, "Actually, I've had the same thought..."
"I've heard your Rinnegan is the Eye of the Sage, and coincidentally, some say I possess the Body of the Sage. I'm curious which is more powerful... the Eye of the Sage or the Body of the Sage..."
"The Body of the Sage?"
Pain felt a sense of destiny.
Initially, Pain thought it was just a provocation from a kid, but it turned out to be a challenge from someone with the Body of the Sage. No wonder Teacher Jiraiya took him as a disciple!
This young fellow, like him, was a student of Jiraiya. They both possessed the most terrifying abilities in the ninja world, one with the Body of the Sage and the other with the Eye of the Sage...
However...
Their stances were not the same.
If he killed Teacher Jiraiya now, this young man would surely seek revenge for Teacher Jiraiya, meaning they were bound to fight sooner or later.
Of course.
This young man would definitely try to stop all of this now.
Then it might as well take this opportunity to understand the destiny between them!
Although this young man appeared young, the power he possessed was already strong enough. To be fair, Pain would also only use the abilities of Tendō Pain!
"Then... let's try!"
As Pain said this, he extended his hand towards Akihara Kagura, surprisingly forming a seal of confrontation according to ninja etiquette.
"A bit of politeness."
Akihara Kagura chuckled lightly, raising his finger.
This guy...
He even has a sense of ceremony?
"..."
After the two disciples had formed their seals of confrontation, they looked towards Jiraiya standing by. Jiraiya awkwardly stretched out his finger, turning it to point at himself.
"I... am the referee?"
"..."
Neither Akihara Kagura nor Pain said anything.
Because both were disciples of Jiraiya, even if Pain wanted to kill Jiraiya, their teacher, they would still acknowledge this fact.
According to the rules taught by Jiraiya...
The teacher responsible for guiding the Jonin is the one who calls the start of a ninja battle and announces the victor.
The guide, a Jonin ninja, also bears the responsibility of stepping forward to terminate a dangerous fight when his two disciples' duel becomes perilous.
Of course.
Neither Pain nor Akihara Kagura would take the last rule seriously; they wouldn't stop when the fight becomes dangerous!
Jiraiya's expression was serious.
Feeling unable to stop his two disciples' will to fight, Jiraiya could only slowly move between them, solemnly shouting the slogan to start the fight!
"Ninja battle, begin!"
As Jiraiya's voice fell, two figures charged at each other simultaneously, launching a flurry of punches and kicks!
At this moment...
Pain suddenly felt as if he had returned to the past!
The techniques of both sides were exactly the same!
Akihara Kagura threw a punch at Pain, which was met with Pain's fist!
Pain kicked towards Akihara Kagura's head, but it was also blocked by Akihara Kagura's raised leg!
The hand-to-hand combat between the two seemed as if it were carved from the same mold, with both using the same techniques to defend against each other's attacks!
Pain grabbed Akihara Kagura's left fist, but his right fist was also caught by Akihara Kagura, and the two were directly confronting each other!
"Your taijutsu really is terrible..."
Pain looked at the young man before him, sarcastically saying, "Is this all there is to the legendary Sage Body?"
"Your taijutsu isn't any better..."
Akihara Kagura responded to his sarcasm, "The legendary Sage Eye can't even break through the most basic taijutsu?"
...
Jiraiya stood by, somewhat silent and uneasy.
Although these two youngsters were using the taijutsu he taught, and even had the mood to mock each other, Jiraiya always felt this was the calm before the storm...
Pain's eyes suddenly trembled, coldly staring at Akihara Kagura before him: "Let's end this warm-up of a battle here, Almighty Push!"
The next moment!
A repulsive force suddenly exploded!
This was Pain's most frequently used ability, never blocked by anyone, turning the ground and even the forest upside down in the direction of the repulsion, stirring up clouds of dust!
However...
When the dust settled…
The ground on both sides of Akihara Kagura was deeply plowed open, leaving wide gorges, while the ground behind him remained untouched, as the young man had not moved a single step from his spot.
Akihara Kagura withstood the massive repulsive force, and the repulsive force of the Almighty Push directly rebounded, sending the user of the technique, Pain, flying away!
"Your ability is not bad."
Akihara Kagura looked at Pain, who was sent flying by the repulsive force, and did not skimp on his praise: "But your physical condition seems not very good, you appear to be somewhat frail and sickly..."
Pain did not speak, only stood up and dusted off his clothes.
This was the first time Almighty Push had failed...
Even Pain had never imagined that this technique would fail one day.
However, thinking that the enemy was the legendary body of a sage, all this seemed to be as inevitable as fate.
This young man...
Will be the enemy that stops him!
This man with orange hair suddenly stretched out his left hand towards Akihara Kagura, and in an instant, a black rod of Yin-Yang Release was formed in his right hand!
"Universal Pull!"
Akihara Kagura's body involuntarily flew over!
Just as Pain extended the black rod of Yin-Yang Release, throwing it towards the incoming Akihara Kagura, Akihara Kagura's figure instantly disappeared from the spot!
"Flying Thunder God Technique..."
Pain's eyes narrowed, thinking of this technique.
Without needing to think, Pain knew where Akihara Kagura had gone and also knew why the other would engage in a physical confrontation with him!
The purpose of engaging in a physical confrontation with Akihara Kagura was to test out the strength of the sage's body, and the kid was actually very cooperative. His purpose must have been for...
The next moment!
Akihara Kagura, using the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleported behind Pain and kicked him in the waist, sending the leader of the Akatsuki flying!
"I've already told you, I can use the Flying Thunder God Technique..."
Akihara Kagura watched Pain's body roll up a cloud of dust on the ground and coldly said: "We all learned physical techniques from the same teacher, you can't break through the moves. Do you think I would leave a Flying Thunder God mark on you and play house for no reason?"
~~~
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