A second ago, the tentacles that had been charging toward Aoba's heart with unstoppable force, and the poisonous needles that filled the air, the instant they neared Aoba, it was as if they struck an invisible wall of power and were blasted away, exploding midair and crashing back into the water.
Kakuzu froze on the spot, "How is this possible? That's the Leader's jutsu, why do you know it too?"
Long ago, after leaving Takigakure, Kakuzu had stopped believing in any sort of bond. He learned that only money was something that would never betray him.
From then on, he lived for money alone. He had no interest in so-called friends, villages, or organizations. He was a thorough bounty ninja, one who acted without conscience or principle.
Until one day, a young man with ringed eyes came looking for him.
As an old man already in his seventies or eighties and rich in experience, there was no way he'd simply accept an invitation from what looked like a cocky brat of a ninja. The two ended up fighting.
And as expected, even with his Earth Grudge Fear technique and five hearts, Kakuzu couldn't even get close to the Deva Path Pain's body.
He was sent flying again and again, beaten into the ground, four of his five hearts destroyed. In the end, Kakuzu surrendered.
Aside from being beaten senseless by Hashirama Senju's Wood Release, Kakuzu's second deepest psychological trauma was Deva Path Pain's Shinra Tensei.
And now… That very jutsu had appeared before him again.
The same repelling force, the same motion, just a raised hand.
Only the eyes were different. Deva Path Pain's eyes were ringed like onions, while Aoba's were sky-blue.
'There are actually two pairs of such terrifying eyes in this world? The ninja world is too unfair.'
Sasori, too, was panicking a little, his core was pulsing faster and faster.
"Is this all the strength of the man who once fought the First Hokage?", Aoba looked utterly disappointed.
Kakuzu took a deep breath and forced down his fear, "I haven't even gotten serious yet! Don't underestimate me, brat!"
He tore off his black cloak patterned with red clouds, revealing a body covered in stitches, with four hideous masks on his back.
Immediately, the stitches on his body split apart, and the four masks burst out, entangled in thick black threads.
They transformed into four grotesque masked monsters before everyone's eyes.
"Ugh! That looks so gross," Fu and Kurotsuchi said in disgust.
"This is also part of Earth Grudge Fear," Shibuki explained, "It allows him to transplant others' hearts into his own body through physical stitching. Each of those monsters was created by converting a stolen heart, and they can even use all the ninjutsu of the people those hearts once belonged to."
"So strong?"
Both girls widened their eyes.
"That handsome guy is facing such terrifying enemies alone… will he be okay?", Fu asked worriedly.
She was optimistic, but not stupid.
"Relax," Tsunade said, "That kid said it's fine, so it'll be fine."
Though her words were confident, she was already prepared to step in.
This ability was indeed strange.
"Aoba, from here on, you'd better watch yourself!"
Kakuzu's expression turned grim, those who truly wanted to win didn't smile.
The four masked monsters all turned toward Aoba, beginning to prepare their own jutsu.
One gathered flames in its mouth, Fire Release: Zukokku.
Another crackled with lightning, Lightning Release: False Darkness charging to strike.
The third stirred up roaring gusts of wind, forming a dense sphere of high-pressure air, Wind Release: Pressure Damage, so sharp it seemed it could slice through anything.
And the last was building up a Water Release: Water Curtain Barrier, a torrent ready to surge forth.
A terrifying amount of chakra gathered in the center of the field. The ninjutsu Kakuzu was preparing emanated an unmistakable pressure.
Whether or not the attacks were powerful, one thing was certain, the sight of four great elemental jutsu taking form at once was nothing short of spectacular.
This Kakuzu really did know how to make an entrance.
Tsunade almost thought she was watching the Third Hokage again, except Kakuzu's aura was far weaker than Hiruzen's.
'At least Hiruzen used five elemental releases, this guy is still a notch below.'
Seeing Kakuzu unleash such powerful jutsu, Sasori didn't hold back either. After all, if he didn't go all out, he wasn't sure he could even retreat safely.
Hiruko likewise tore off his Akatsuki cloak, revealing his grotesque puppet body, complete with a demonic face on its back.
Then Sasori pulled out two scrolls and summoned his most prized works.
From the first scroll emerged a hundred puppets, each wearing a crimson cloak and wielding a different weapon.
All of them were hand-crafted by Sasori himself and were directly controlled through chakra threads connected to his "core of life."
Because these puppets were linked directly to his core, Sasori could project his will into them perfectly.
So even while controlling a hundred puppets at once, he could move them as freely as his own limbs.
There was no time delay between Sasori's will and the puppets' actions.
Thanks to the wondrous properties of his living core, if not for his limited chakra reserves, Sasori alone could match an entire ninja army.
The second scroll contained one of his ultimate trump cards, the human puppet made from the corpse of the strongest Kazekage, the Third Kazekage.
Whether it was Kakuzu's combined ninjutsu or Sasori's simultaneous control of a hundred puppets, both made Fu and Shibuki pale with fear.
If not for the arrival of Tsunade and her companions, Takigakure would have had no chance against such enemies.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage! Lightning Release: False Darkness! Fire Release: Zukokku! Water Release: Water Curtain Barrier!"
"Combined Ninjutsu: Chaos of Flame, Wind, Lightning, and Water!"
Kakuzu roared, and the four elemental jutsu were unleashed at once toward Aoba.
Brilliant light flashed over the surface of the lake.
The sea of fire, driven by the storm winds, intertwined with lightning, while torrents of water cannoned forth behind it.
At the same time, Sasori was not idle.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
The countless red-cloaked puppets obeyed Sasori's will, hurling shuriken and kunai in a storm of steel, drawing chakra-forged weapons, axes, swords, great blades, and charging at Aoba without fear of death.
Any ordinary ninja witnessing this would have already been trembling, scalp tingling, ready to kneel and surrender, or just turn tail and run.
Meanwhile, the Third Kazekage's human puppet unleashed his signature jutsu, waves of iron sand surging up from beneath the lake of Takigakure, sweeping toward Aoba.
And yet, Aoba simply stood there, unmoving, unflinching.
His sky-blue eyes, calm and cold as the heavens themselves, gazed quietly at the ninjutsu rushing in from every direction.
[T/N: Hollow Technique: Purple!]
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