As Tsunade found herself grappling with the greatest dilemma that many new Pokémon players in Natsuhiko's previous life encountered, the waterspout not far from the arcade continued to rage.
Crack-crack-crack-crack...
At the center of the waterspout, a piercing friction sound echoed incessantly.
Faintly visible, Kakuzu's figure stood rooted to the ground like an immovable reef, enduring the relentless battering of the waterspout.
By now, his clothing had been torn to shreds, revealing large patches of pitch-black, hardened skin.
Clearly, just as before, Kakuzu had activated his lifesaving technique—Earth Release: Earth Spear—to fend off the attack before it struck.
From the hazy outline of his figure, it was evident that this time he had pushed the Earth Spear technique to its limits, forming an even thicker rock layer over his skin, making him look like a stone giant.
Kakuzu's caution was not without reason, as the so-called impenetrable black rock layer now bore countless visible, deep scratches!
Had it been his usual application of the Earth Spear, it would have already been breached by the violent currents.
One must understand that the water wasn't just water; it carried countless wind blades and debris. With astonishing rotational speed, it resembled less a washing machine and more a grinder, relentlessly challenging the invincible defense of the Earth Spear with countless attacks per second!
Dripping water wears away stone…
Standing immobile like a stone Buddha, Kakuzu's mind couldn't help but recall this adage.
Ordinary drops of water, given enough time, can penetrate even the hardest rock.
Kakuzu had always appreciated this saying, as it symbolized that even someone as initially unremarkable as himself could, with sufficient time, surpass the chosen geniuses.
Indeed, reality had borne this out. The prodigies of his generation had long turned to dust, while he, blessed with extended life, thrived more than ever.
Even the man once hailed as the God of Shinobi was no exception…
However, Kakuzu never imagined he would one day personally validate this principle.
Although the form was different, the essence remained the same.
This violent water vortex was akin to a dramatically accelerated process of water wearing away stone. Countless seemingly insignificant attacks accumulated, actually threatening the solid rock protection crafted by his Earth Spear technique!
The key lay in the fact that, despite its overwhelming display, Natsuhiko's technique derived its lethality from the grinding effect of debris carried by the water current.
This meticulous form of attack targeted the Earth Spear's Achilles' heel perfectly!
Even Kakuzu, who had honed this technique for years, couldn't ensure that the rock layer encasing his body was free of weaknesses.
And even the smallest flaw, under the terrifying speed and omnidirectional onslaught of Natsuhiko's attack, would become a critical vulnerability.
The subsequent attacks would exploit these openings, expanding them until the Earth Spear's defense was completely obliterated!
Even the fundamental principle of Earth Release overcoming Water Release was rendered ineffective against this composite ninjutsu, which combined Wind and Water Releases.
This left Kakuzu feeling both frustrated and ironically amused.
As a master of all five chakra natures, Kakuzu was also well-versed in composite techniques.
One of his signature moves, Intelligent Hardwork, was a deadly combination of Wind and Fire Releases.
Yet in this battle, he found himself the first victim to experience the devastating power of a composite technique!
Thus, a combination of factors granted Natsuhiko's waterspout immense destructive power.
Even as Kakuzu continuously refined his chakra to repair the Earth Spear's rock layer, he found himself experiencing the rare sensation of fatigue from excessive chakra consumption.
For someone with multiple hearts and seemingly limitless chakra reserves, this was a novel experience!
But Kakuzu knew all too well: if the rocky barrier separating him from the raging waters was completely destroyed, he would undoubtedly suffer catastrophic injuries.
This was perhaps the greatest weakness of his immortality.
His unkillable nature depended on the preservation of his hearts. If struck by a sufficiently large-scale, powerful ninjutsu, even his numerous hearts could be wiped out in a single blow!
Perhaps it was for this reason that, unlike his future partner Hidan's recklessness, Kakuzu developed the Earth Spear technique to bolster his already formidable defense.
Thus, no matter the chakra cost, Kakuzu dared not allow his body to be exposed directly to Natsuhiko's waterspout.
For that could truly lead to his death…
After a long while, the waterspout Natsuhiko had created finally began to dissipate.
Even the chakra-generated water currents from both combatants disappeared due to exhaustion, leaving behind a wasteland littered with scattered branches and debris flung by inertia.
Nearby, Natsuhiko, bracing himself on his knees, struggled to stand, his face showing clear signs of exhaustion.
Even with Kakuzu's Water Release aiding him, maintaining the waterspout had drained a massive amount of chakra.
At this moment, Natsuhiko fully understood why Kakashi often ended up in the hospital after battles in the original story.
Against enemies far stronger than oneself, there was no time to worry about conserving chakra.
It was better to collapse post-battle than to hold back and die mid-fight.
And it seemed Natsuhiko's all-out attack had yielded results.
At the very center of where the waterspout had raged, a large crater had formed.
Regaining some composure, Natsuhiko cautiously approached the crater's edge and peered inside.
What greeted his eyes was Kakuzu lying face down on the ground.
His clothes were almost completely gone, with only a sturdy black pair of shorts remaining intact.
His exposed skin no longer bore the black rock layer of the Earth Spear but was instead covered in countless tiny, bloody wounds. His flesh was mangled and appeared utterly miserable.
Judging by the situation, Kakuzu seemed to have failed to maintain his Earth Spear defense and had ultimately succumbed to Natsuhiko's full-force attack.
"Did I succeed?"
Natsuhiko observed cautiously for a long while. Seeing no movement from Kakuzu, he finally exhaled slowly, a relieved smile appearing on his face.
"It's finally over…"
"Who'd have thought Mr. Kakuzu would be so tenacious, forcing me to use my trump card?"
Muttering to himself, Natsuhiko chuckled softly, his tone light and relaxed.
"I heard that although Mr. Kakuzu is a bounty hunter, his own bounty is actually quite substantial."
"Who would've thought I'd gain such a big reward on this trip?"
From his tone, it seemed he had completely let his guard down…
He didn't notice at all that behind him, a hand—emerging from the ground and connected to a mass of black tendrils—was silently creeping toward him…
(To be continued)