Sensing the opponent's presence, Reiki rushed forward. He knew Nozuki had enough potions and trusted Minato and the others to handle the remaining four enemies.
Within seconds, Reiki reached a familiar figure—a tall man with stitch-like marks covering his body, a mask concealing his face, and piercing green eyes.
Kakuzu.
The legendary ninja who claimed to have once fought Senju Hashirama and survived. Though, as rumors went, it was more like Kakuzu had thrown a kunai from miles away and fled.
"Reiki, Tsunade-hime's disciple. Your bravery is commendable, but reckless actions will only lead to regret," Kakuzu said, his voice low and menacing.
As he spoke, three dark figures emerged from behind him—his Earth Grudge Fear masks taking monstrous forms. The sight was unsettling even for someone who knew what to expect.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Earth Release: Earthquake Core!"
The four powerful jutsus erupted in quick succession.
"ROOM: Slaughterhouse!"
Reiki vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Kakuzu.
"Slash..."
Reiki wielded Murasame, now imbued with the power of his Op-Op Fruit. With a swift motion, he sliced through Kakuzu and his masked beasts, severing them into pieces.
"ROOM: Baton!" Reiki raised his hand, quickly reassembling the fragments within his operational space.
Panting, Reiki reached for a recovery potion and a stamina booster. Even in the ninja world, the power of the Op-Op Fruit came with a cost—draining chakra and physical strength proportional to the strength of the target. And Kakuzu, with his quasi-Kage level, was no joke.
He couldn't afford to deplete himself completely; after all, he was only eight years old.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu looked stunned, taking in what had just happened. Moments earlier, he had been certain of victory. Now, he was in pieces—literally—and had to reform using his Earth Grudge Fear technique.
Black tendrils emerged, pulling the pieces of Kakuzu's body back together. Ten agonizing seconds later, he stood whole once more.
During that time, Reiki remained motionless, watching Kakuzu with narrowed eyes. Kakuzu, the consummate mercenary, a model worker of the Akatsuki organization, would do anything for money. He was so dedicated that fans would later call him the "chosen worker" of Akatsuki.
Reiki had no interest in merely killing him. Instead, he saw an opportunity.
"Why didn't you attack?" Kakuzu asked once he had fully recovered. He didn't move, opting instead to assess Reiki. Every mission required thorough analysis, and this child was not behaving predictably.
"Because I don't want to kill you—not if you agree to my terms," Reiki said, shifting his gaze to the ongoing battle in the distance.
"You want to trade my life for theirs?" Kakuzu's expression turned even more severe as he looked where Reiki had directed.
Despite his pride, Kakuzu didn't dare gamble. Whatever technique Reiki had used, it was new, potent, and completely beyond his understanding. Without his Earth Grudge Fear, he would have been dead. And even with it, he was vulnerable.
"Fine," Kakuzu said after a moment's consideration. "But I expect you to honor your word."
Without further hesitation, Kakuzu turned and charged into the fray where Minato and the others were fighting.
"ROOM!" Reiki activated the power again, teleporting Minato and his team to his side.
"Huh? Reiki, what—" Minato began, startled by the sudden shift and the chakra radiating from Reiki.
"We've got reinforcements," Reiki explained. "We need to restore our strength in case more enemies show up."
Minato raised an eyebrow at Reiki's cryptic response but trusted his judgment.
"Understood. Let's recover first," Minato said, cutting off any questions Choza was about to ask. He knew Reiki wouldn't make such a decision without reason. They would find out soon enough.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu, facing the exhausted Jonin who had been fighting Minato's team, took them by surprise. Weakened and unaware of the unexpected ally, the Jonin stood no chance.
Within ten minutes, four enemies were down. Kakuzu harvested the heart of a Water Release user, restoring the organ he had lost in the earlier clash.
Afterward, Kakuzu looked back at Reiki, caution and fear flickering in his usually cold eyes.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 440 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss
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