A suffocating murderous aura erupted from Kakuzu, shaking the air and filling the forest with tension.
The Konoha ninjas could feel the weight of it pressing down on them, an aura honed through countless battles and years of experience.
"This is… terrifying," Shikamaru murmured.
"He really fought the First Hokage?" Ino added, her voice trembling.
Choji clenched his fists, his nerves on edge. "This is… worse than I thought."
Satoru, on the other hand, stood unimpressed.
"Motivated, aren't we?" he said, his tone teasing. "Well, fine… I guess I'll take this seriously."
As he spoke, his pale blue eyes gleamed with amusement, his casual demeanor shifting into something more focused.
In a blink, Satoru disappeared.
"What?!" Kakuzu's eyes darted around, his senses heightened as he tried to locate him.
"Where did he go?" Shikamaru whispered, scanning the area.
Suddenly, Satoru's voice came from behind Kakuzu.
"Looking for me?"
Kakuzu spun around, his composure faltering for a split second.
"You…"
But before he could react, a devastating force slammed into his chest.
The attack wasn't flashy—it was precise and overwhelming, like a blade cutting through paper.
Kakuzu staggered backward, clutching his chest as a sickening realization dawned on him.
Three of his five hearts had been destroyed in a single strike.
"Impossible!" Kakuzu gasped, his voice filled with disbelief.
He had fought countless opponents over his long life, but none had ever dealt such catastrophic damage so quickly.
"How did you…?"
But Satoru stood calmly, his hands folded, a faint smile on his lips.
"How? That's a secret," he said, his tone almost playful.
Kakuzu gritted his teeth, his mind racing.
His only chance of survival was to abandon the destroyed hearts and protect the remaining two.
"Secret Technique!" he muttered, releasing black threads from his body to expel the damaged hearts.
As Kakuzu restructured his body, he launched a counterattack, spewing a massive wave of fire from his mouth.
The inferno surged toward Satoru, consuming everything in its path.
When the flames died down, Kakuzu scanned the scorched battlefield, his breath heavy.
"Finally… it's over," he muttered.
But as the smoke cleared, his heart sank.
Satoru stood unharmed, not a single scratch on him. Even his clothes were immaculate.
"How… how is this possible?!" Kakuzu's voice cracked with shock.
Satoru brushed some imaginary dust from his shoulder, his pale blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Missed me," he said simply.
"You were in the blast radius!" Kakuzu shouted. "I know I hit you!"
Satoru tilted his head, his expression a mix of amusement and pity.
"Well… technically, you did," he said, cryptically.
"But let's just say… you're not really hitting me."
The Konoha ninjas exchanged confused glances.
"What does he mean?" Choji whispered.
Shikamaru's sharp mind worked to piece it together. "It's like… he's untouchable. Everything passes through him."
Kakuzu's fear deepened as he stared at Satoru.
"This… this power," he muttered. "It's like he doesn't exist in the same plane."
The image of the First Hokage flashed in his mind, memories of an opponent who had seemed just as invincible.
Satoru's grin widened.
"Thinking too much, old man," he said cheerfully. "Maybe you're just too rusty. All those years catching up to you?"
Kakuzu clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over.
"Enough!"
Before Kakuzu could launch another attack, Satoru moved faster than the eye could follow.
In a heartbeat, the battle was over.
Kakuzu's remaining hearts were destroyed, and his body crumpled to the ground.
The Konoha ninjas stood frozen in shock.
"It's over," Kakashi muttered, his voice tinged with awe.
Not far away, Shikamaru and the others had finished dealing with Hidan, trapping his immortal body beneath layers of stone and dirt.
As the dust settled, reinforcements arrived.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto's familiar voice broke the tense silence as he and other Konoha shinobi rushed into the clearing.
Naruto skidded to a stop in front of Kakashi, his wide eyes taking in the battered state of the group.
"Sensei! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kakashi replied, though his exhaustion was evident.
Naruto's gaze shifted to the white-haired figure standing nearby.
"Hey… wait a minute!"
Naruto pointed at Satoru, recognition dawning on his face.
"Mr. Bandage?!"
Satoru blinked, clearly unimpressed.
"Mr. Bandage?" he repeated, his tone laced with mild offense.
"You know him?" Ino asked, surprised.
Naruto nodded, pointing an accusatory finger at Satoru.
"Yeah, he helped us before… and then caused trouble! What's he doing here?"
Satoru shrugged, tossing the bloodied rabbit into Naruto's arms.
"Souvenir," he said casually.
Naruto yelped, nearly dropping the rabbit.
"What am I supposed to do with this?!"
"Cook it," Satoru replied with a grin.
"Anyway," he continued, turning to Kakashi, "looks like my job here is done. You're welcome."
Without waiting for a response, Satoru vanished, leaving the group staring at the spot where he had stood.
"That guy…" Shikamaru muttered, rubbing his temples.
Naruto looked at Kakashi. "Who is he, Sensei?"
Kakashi sighed, his expression unreadable.
"Someone who's more trouble than he's worth… but also someone you want on your side."
To be continued…