"Kid, are you here to throw your life away?"
Kakuzu's voice was deep, brimming with a murderous intent so palpable it felt like the air itself had thickened.
To him, this brat was nothing more than a recent graduate from the ninja academy—hardly a threat. Under the crushing weight of his killing intent, Kakuzu was confident the boy would soon crumble and become a bargaining chip.
But Kakuzu quickly noticed something odd.
This kid seemed completely unfazed by his murderous aura.
Naruto's lips curled into a slight smirk, his tone mocking. "Oh my, this old man has quite the scary presence, doesn't he?"
But scary? His killing intent couldn't even compare to the Nine-Tails.
The first time Naruto had faced the Nine-Tails, the overwhelming malice had been bottomless, leaving a shadow over his childhood.
A chuckle escaped Orochimaru as he furrowed his brow, roughly yanking out the tendril embedded in his body—a crude and ruthless maneuver.
"Naruto, I'll take the lead. You support me."
Orochimaru swallowed a soldier pill and a painkiller without even looking back.
"Let's go."
With those words, Orochimaru shot forward like an arrow, heading straight for Kakuzu.
Naruto followed closely behind, ready to draw his blade. The two moved with such speed and precision, they seemed like fleeting phantoms.
---
Kakuzu's sharp instincts quickly discerned the flaw in Naruto's current state: a weakness in taijutsu. However…
Suddenly, Kakuzu's body began to writhe, the area behind his heart convulsing violently.
In the blink of an eye, five black creatures, each donning a bizarre mask, erupted from his back.
"Stop," Orochimaru commanded, raising his pale hand.
Naruto and Orochimaru halted immediately, exchanging glances before deciding to observe for now.
The five grotesque creatures stood behind Kakuzu, exuding an ominous aura.
In the span of a single breath, the creature representing the Earth element disintegrated, its mask shattering into dust.
"This is taking too long. My patience is running thin. Your hearts—I'll be taking them now."
Kakuzu tilted his head slightly. "So... It's better to say your last words now."
"Orochimaru-sensei," Naruto remarked, turning his head toward him, "it seems these creatures represent the five chakra natures. The masks are likely their weak points."
Having read the original work, Naruto knew Kakuzu's weaknesses and offered his advice.
"I see. Then, you handle the four creatures, and I'll deal with the bounty hunter," Orochimaru said, charging toward Kakuzu without hesitation.
"Underestimating me will cost you dearly," Kakuzu snarled, his masked face flashing with anger as his thoughts raced.
The four creatures surrounded Orochimaru, their sharp claws striking in unison.
Orochimaru remained expressionless, his pale golden slit pupils fixed solely on Kakuzu.
"Clang!"
In the pouring rain, sparks flew as four clones of Naruto, each wielding a Zanpakuto, intercepted the attack.
"Sorry but you cannot pass."
Meanwhile, Kakuzu and Orochimaru had begun their duel.
Naruto's original body faced the fire-element creature. Within moments, the intense heat had already slightly burn his golden hair.
"Oh, managing to burn so fiercely even in the rain—impressive," Naruto remarked with a grin.
The fire-element mask lunged forward and kicked Naruto into the air.
"Fire Release: Head Incineration!"
A massive wave of flames surged from the creature's mouth, hurtling toward Naruto.
"Not bad," Naruto mused, showing no fear. Tightening his grip on his blade, he swung it with immense force, splitting the inferno apart.
Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible. Is this kid a samurai descendant?"
"Dividing your focus will only make you vulnerable, Mr. Bounty Hunter," Naruto mockingly remarked.
Kakuzu, distracted by his creatures, found himself overwhelmed by Orochimaru's relentless assault.
"Don't underestimate me, brat!" Kakuzu roared, his voice filled with fury.
After the flames dissipated, the fire-element creature's speed and strength noticeably weakened.
Naruto seized the moment, his left hand crackling with lightning as he unleashed Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear.
A blue-white streak of light pierced through the creature's head.
Crack!
The fire-element mask shattered, and the creature's body disintegrated into ash.
Meanwhile, Naruto's clones struggled slightly against the water-element creature.
After a brief clash, one clone planted its blade into the ground and formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."
An enormous wave of fire, larger and hotter than the earlier attack, erupted from the clone's mouth, engulfing the water-element creature and leaving no trace of it behind.
---
"This is bad. I only have two hearts left. If this continues, I'll be in real trouble."
Realizing the situation, Kakuzu decided to retreat.
After landing a powerful kick to force Orochimaru back, Kakuzu recalled the lightning- and wind-element creatures, merging them into his own body.
"Escape is not an option. Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as venomous snakes shot from his arms, latching onto Kakuzu.
"Feels... insubstantial."
Kakuzu's body shimmered with lightning before collapsing into fragments—his real body had escaped.
The clone struck Orochimaru with a bolt of electricity. "Lightning Clone!"
"Farewell, Orochimaru. Next time, it won't be so easy," Kakuzu said, leaping away into the storm and disappearing without a trace.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host, on completing the task.
Reward: System Synthesis Panel Unlocked.
====================
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