chapter 68 part 2
Uchiha Ren narrowed his eyes and looked at the blue Wind Mask of the Earth Grudge Fear Wind Spirit. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forward and swung the sharp hook on his bikaku tail with all his might.
As long as he destroyed the Mask...
"Smack!"
A powerful pulling force from his tail held him fast, like a hydrogen balloon tied to a string in the wind!
The tail hook didn't fly out; he was nearly torn from his bikaku tail.
He whipped his head around. A humanoid monster with green eyes and wearing a face covering was looking at him expressionlessly.
The newcomer was none other than the North Star of the Akatsuki.
Kakuzu.
"A remarkable brat."
"At such a young age, to almost sneakily destroy one of my Earth Grudge Fear hearts. If you were allowed to grow for a few more years, you would surely become a great disaster!"
"It's just, this bikaku..." Kakuzu looked at the bikaku he was stepping on, finding it a bit strange.
But at that very moment, the stinger on the tail stabbed towards Kakuzu's eye!
The tail had actually grown three centimeters longer!
"Clang!"
The stinger on the bikaku struck the arm Kakuzu used to block the attack.
But the sound of metal clashing made Uchiha Ren's body go numb!
This was Kakuzu's own jutsu, Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Its effect was even stronger than Tekkai, and it could even withstand the explosion of a paper bomb.
High attack, high defense, high mobility, and five lives...
Even within the Akatsuki, Kakuzu's strength ranked among the top. He was a true Kage-level powerhouse!
In special circumstances, he could even tangle with those above Kage level!
With his tail pinned, Uchiha Ren's heart was filled with despair, but he didn't just stand there waiting to die.
His hands flew through Hand Seals.
Tiger - Ram - Monkey -
Just as he finished the third seal, he was violently yanked by Kakuzu's steel-pincer-like hand, interrupting his Hand Seals!
A smile hung on the corner of Kakuzu's mouth as he reached out to gouge out Uchiha Ren's heart.
Suddenly! Kakuzu's expression sank. He clutched his chest with both hands and stumbled backward.
In the distance, a piercing shriek lit up half the sky!
That sound was...
The signature technique of Konoha's Copy Ninja—Raikiri!
Cold sweat poured down Kakuzu's back as he cursed inwardly.
The jonin he had looked down on had actually destroyed his Water Release Earth Grudge Fear monster!
"Perfect!"
Kakuzu stabilized himself and roared!
"You use Water Release, so I'll use you to replace this heart!"
On the dim battlefield, Kakuzu's figure was like a great mountain, imposing and full of menace.
To be safe, he absorbed the Wind Mask into his body. The Mask of the Earth Grudge Fear Wind Spirit subsequently appeared on his left shoulder, and black threads flowed over his body, looking utterly terrifying and ferocious!
"Tentacle Fist!" Kakuzu growled, his fist suddenly shooting towards Uchiha Ren, propelled by the power of the black Earth Grudge Fear threads, rocketing straight at him.
That punch was like the attack of a giant beast, containing immense Chakra. The very air vibrated from its power.
Aided by his Sharingan, Uchiha Ren quickly captured the trajectory of Kakuzu's attack.
His body reacted in an instant. He desperately dodged, leaping nimbly to the side.
His bikaku tail also played its part at this moment. The thick, sturdy tail, like a solid pillar, met Kakuzu's fist!
"Bang!" With a loud crash, Uchiha Ren's bikaku collided with Kakuzu's Tentacle Fist. The immense force sent a tremor through him, almost knocking him back.
But he didn't retreat. He quickly adjusted his body, trying to knock the Tentacle Fist aside.
However, the Tentacle Fist's attack wasn't over yet.
Kakuzu's ability made the fist act like a heat-seeking missile. The black threads snaked through the air and rapidly wound around Uchiha Ren's body.
Uchiha Ren felt a suffocating pressure. He was bound by the Earth Grudge Fear threads! Unable to move.
"Dammit!" Uchiha Ren cursed inwardly. The Gene Lock stimulated the bloodthirsty, cannibalistic nature buried deep in his heart. He opened his mouth and bit down on the Earth Grudge Fear threads.
His teeth tore at the threads, his tongue straining with all its might! Uchiha Ren's will to survive reached its peak at this moment.
He was going to devour the Earth Grudge Fear threads! That way, he could break free from his bonds!
Kakuzu watched Uchiha Ren struggle desperately, a sense of absurdity rising in his heart.
He had never seen someone so desperate to live, actually trying to bite through the black threads of the Earth Grudge Fear. But the threads were extremely tough, far beyond what teeth could destroy.
Kakuzu walked step by step towards Uchiha Ren, who was tightly bound by the black threads. His steps were heavy and slow, demonstrating his absolute control over the situation.
The black threads on his body moved like living creatures, binding Uchiha Ren securely until he was completely immobilized.
Amidst the wrapping threads, Kakuzu precisely opened a gap, exposing the location of Uchiha Ren's heart.
There was no pity in Kakuzu's eyes, only focus on the new heart he was about to obtain.
Uchiha Ren's heart pounded wildly in his chest. He knew he was facing a moment of life and death.
His Sharingan spun rapidly, searching for any possible chance to escape.
Although his body was bound, his will had not surrendered. His heart burned with a thirst for life and a yearning for freedom.
Kakuzu reached out his hand, preparing to take Uchiha Ren's heart. A satisfied expression of imminent success appeared on his face.
However, just as his hand was about to touch Uchiha Ren's chest, Uchiha Ren's body suddenly erupted with a powerful wave of Chakra.
"This... this is!"
Kakuzu suddenly discovered that the Earth Grudge Fear threads on his own body were continuously being drawn away!
Looking again at Uchiha Ren, who was wrapped in the black threads, he saw him breaking free from his bonds bit by bit.
And the place where those black threads were burrowing into made Kakuzu's pupils shrink as if he had seen a ghost!
Uchiha Ren held a sharp kunai and cut a large hole in his own chest. With swift movements, he began to sew the black threads of the Earth Grudge Fear into his own body.
Kakuzu instantly sensed something was wrong. He yanked the Earth Grudge Fear threads, snapping them, and kicked Uchiha Ren away.
"Bang!"
Uchiha Ren slammed into a large tree, knocking it down!
A cloud of dust enveloped him, making it almost impossible for Kakuzu to see Uchiha Ren's figure!
"Cough, cough!"
Uchiha Ren spat out a mouthful of blood, which made Kakuzu sigh in relief.
That lunatic-like experience just now still left Kakuzu feeling a bit shaken.
One must know, the Earth Grudge Fear was the very foundation of Kakuzu's power. If that thing could be stolen...
Just then, the dust settled, and Kakuzu's body trembled!
Uchiha Ren rapidly formed the Hand Seals for a Great Fireball, but the ninjutsu he called out made cold sweat stream down Kakuzu's back.
"Combination Ninjutsu: Blazing Wind Ravaging Vortex!"
(end of chapter)