The flames subsided, revealing Kakuzu's charred figure. His clothing had been burned away, and his body was covered in severe black burns.
Even with the enhanced durability from his Earth Release: Earth Spear technique, he had sustained significant damage from Uchiha Fugaku's Fire Release, one of the most powerful Fire Style techniques.
"Agh... Uchiha Fugaku, you hid your true strength well!" Kakuzu coughed, struggling to support himself as he glared fiercely at his opponent.
He had considered Fugaku his prey, but to his shock, he was the one who suffered a major loss. Not only had he failed to inflict any real damage, but he was the first to be severely injured.
It was now clear that Fugaku's strength had reached the Kage level. To inflict such injuries on someone of Kakuzu's caliber was proof of that. The Uchiha clan's so-called decline had clearly been a ruse all along.
"You've hidden your power too well," Kakuzu muttered bitterly. Fugaku had managed to deceive everyone, keeping his true abilities in the shadows.
"It's too late for you now," Fugaku said coldly.
Without forming any hand signs, a massive fireball, as large as a meteor, formed and hurtled toward Kakuzu at incredible speed.
*Boom!*
The already injured Kakuzu had no chance to dodge and was struck again by the enormous fireball. His body was completely consumed by the scorching flames.
When the flames finally burned out, Kakuzu's charred body lay motionless on the ground, seemingly lifeless, though the faint rise and fall of his chest indicated he was still alive.
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, Fugaku appeared beside him and drove a kunai into Kakuzu's chest. The kunai pierced deep into his heart, causing a fountain of blood to spill from the wound.
*Thunk!*
Kakuzu's body, now still, no longer showed any signs of life.
Suddenly, the surroundings shifted.
Moments ago, the area had been scorched black, the air thick with the smell of fire. But in an instant, all traces of the destruction vanished, and the area returned to its original state.
Only Kakuzu's body remained, lying on the ground with a gaping wound in his chest.
"What just happened? They barely exchanged words, and now Kakuzu is down?" Yamanaka Inoichi, observing from a distance, was utterly shocked.
He couldn't comprehend how Kakuzu had been so severely injured in such a short span of time. From the moment the two confronted each other until Kakuzu collapsed, only a few heartbeats had passed.
During that brief period, he had seen them exchange a few words but no signs of battle.
Inoichi dismissed the idea that it was a genjutsu since the damage Kakuzu sustained was all too real. He had no idea that Fugaku had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and possessed an ability akin to a "real illusion."
The short time interval from when the two confronted each other to Kakuzu being injured was due to the effects of Fugaku's new power. While not as overwhelming as Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi, it could manipulate time within the illusion.
"When the target dies, does the illusion automatically lift?" Fugaku mused as he looked down at Kakuzu's still body.
With Kakuzu's "death," the illusion surrounding them had dissipated. Only the real damage inflicted on Kakuzu remained.
"Others may not understand the secret of Kakuzu's Earth Grudge technique, but I certainly do," Fugaku said, mockery glinting in his eyes.
Kakuzu had indeed been killed, but only once. Thanks to the Earth Grudge technique, Kakuzu had five hearts, giving him the potential for five lives.
To truly defeat him, Fugaku would need to kill Kakuzu four more times.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation."
Fugaku quickly performed hand signs, and another enormous fireball, reminiscent of a falling meteor, formed in the sky and crashed toward Kakuzu's body.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Just as the fireball was about to strike, Kakuzu, who had been feigning death, sprang up, crouching as he quickly formed seals.
A torrent of water surged forth, creating a massive curtain of water that intercepted the blazing fireball.
*Sizzle!*
The collision of fire and water created a deafening hiss, and the fireball was extinguished as the water evaporated.
"How did you know I wasn't dead?" Kakuzu asked, his voice gruff as he locked eyes with Fugaku.
His Earth Grudge technique gave him five hearts, and he had used this to catch enemies off-guard, pretending to be dead to strike when they let their guard down. Yet Fugaku had seen through his ploy.
"I'm aware of your forbidden technique, Earth Grudge," Fugaku replied coldly.
Had the sneak attack succeeded, it would've saved Fugaku considerable effort. But Kakuzu had been too cautious, abandoning his ruse the moment he sensed something was off.
"No wonder..." Kakuzu rasped.
The fact that Fugaku knew the secrets of his technique explained why he hadn't been deceived. The Earth Grudge technique wasn't Kakuzu's invention; others before him had used it, and it was likely that Fugaku's clan had records of it.
"Quite the disappointment. The bounty for a Kage-level shinobi is only 30 million..." Kakuzu muttered with regret.
Having failed in his assassination attempt, he knew there was no turning back now. Fugaku would never let him leave alive. Now, his only option was to kill Fugaku.
He threw off his Akatsuki cloak, revealing his muscular frame stitched together in various places. On his back, four strange masks were embedded, connected to his body by thick black tendrils.
*Snap! Snap!*
The masks detached, and four grotesque, mask-covered creatures crawled out from his body. One of the creatures, its mask cracked, collapsed and died immediately, but the other three remained, radiating a terrifying aura.
Each one exuded power beyond that of an elite jōnin.
(End of the Chapter).
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