Amidst the chirping sound of the Chidori, Kakuzu, whose heart had been pierced, dissolved into a puddle of water.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine."
Flames surged forward, and the moment they hit Uchiha Gen, his figure also dissipated into white smoke.
Kakuzu was a Water Clone, and Uchiha Gen was also a Shadow Clone.
Amidst the rolling thick smoke, two figures crossed paths, locked in a fierce confrontation.
The longer the battle lasted, the more Uchiha Gen felt that Kakuzu was a troublesome opponent.
Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, defense, survivability—every aspect was exceptional, forming a comprehensive suppression over Uchiha Gen, and his combat experience was also incredibly vast.
He could only play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, engaging Kakuzu in close-quarters combat.
It couldn't be helped; although he now mastered three types of Chakra Nature Transformation and was considered outstanding among Jonin, he still had a significant gap compared to Kakuzu in both Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation.
Only in close combat, by fully utilizing his Sharingan and Monstrous Strength, could he try to find an opportunity.
However, Kakuzu had no weaknesses in close combat either. His ability to freely manipulate black threads via Earth Grudge Fear and stitch his body together allowed him to do things in close-quarters combat that other Ninjas couldn't.
If it were only that, it would have been fine; the real trouble was a Ninjutsu Kakuzu mastered called "Earth Release: Earth Spear."
After using it, he could harden his skin, turning it black, which significantly strengthened his body's resistance to attacks without affecting his flexibility. He could even withstand an exploding tag's blast head-on without a scratch.
Unless it was a highly explosive Lightning Release Ninjutsu, other conventional Ninjutsu could hardly break through this layer of hardened skin.
In the original timeline's battle, if Kakashi and the others hadn't relied on tactical cooperation and used Lightning Cutter in a sneak attack to destroy the Earth Release heart first—crippling Kakuzu's most important defense—they really wouldn't have been able to win. The whole plot felt somewhat like a "scripted kill."
Uchiha Gen had started by using Earth Release to obscure vision and Chidori for a sneak attack, hoping to replicate the tactics of that battle, but he hadn't succeeded.
Now that Kakuzu was on guard against his Chidori, breaking through the Earth Spear defense would be difficult.
The Sengoku Ninja Sword swept across, leaving a shallow mark on Kakuzu's black hardened skin, then quickly reversed to cut through the black threads and intercept Kakuzu's attack.
There was ultimately a gap in strength between the two sides; Uchiha Gen had to use every trick in his book just to hold out for a few more rounds against Kakuzu.
As time went on, it was inevitable that he would eventually be suppressed by Kakuzu.
Bang!
Uchiha Gen took a solid, heavy kick to the chest and went flying into the ruins of a watchtower made of wood and stone. He coughed up a mouthful of blood but didn't dare to be careless.
Because Kakuzu was already charging at him again.
If he couldn't block it in time, he would continue to be on the defensive, quickly becoming completely suppressed and then falling into defeat.
In a moment of desperation, Uchiha Gen's left hand quickly formed two signs. The Summoning Formula engraved on his left arm like a tattoo took effect at that moment, instantly summoning several large snakes that flew out of his sleeve, their bloody maws wide open as they lunged at Kakuzu.
"Hidden Shadow Many Snake Hands!"
The black threads and pythons strangled each other as Kakuzu also drew near.
"Rasengan!"
The advantage of this technique being instantaneous and signless was once again demonstrated perfectly, as it could be launched immediately following the extremely fast Hidden Shadow Many Snake Hands.
Whether used for a sneak attack or for self-protection in a critical moment, it could produce excellent results.
Boom!
This time, it was Kakuzu who was sent flying.
However, with that annoying turtle shell of a defense, Kakuzu still didn't suffer any damage.
Fortunately, reinforcements had arrived.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A water dragon with a blurred outline emerged from the distance and crashed into Kakuzu's location.
"Are you alright, Gen?"
A figure carrying a large pot on his back stood in front of Uchiha Gen, followed by a tall figure holding a sword.
Maruboshi Kosuke, Kome Aki.
The massive commotion of the battle had attracted two Konoha Elite Jonin-level experts to come and help.
"I've sustained some injuries, but it won't affect my combat capability."
Uchiha Gen scrambled up from the ground, picked up his Sengoku Ninja Sword, and pressed his left hand to his chest to release the Mystical Palm Technique, healing his injuries as he spoke.
That kick was truly too powerful; not only did he suffer external injuries, but he also felt rough on the inside.
"The enemy is proficient in all five Nature Transformations and also masters an Earth Release that can harden his body's surface; it can't be broken without a powerful Lightning Release Ninjutsu.
Also, be careful—his body has been modified, so weaknesses like the heart might not exist for him. Don't fall for his tricks."
"Lightning Release? Then Aki and I will distract him for you, and you find an opportunity!"
Maruboshi Kosuke said in a low voice.
He specialized in Water Release and Kenjutsu passed down from the Second Hokage, and Kome Aki wasn't proficient in Lightning Release either, so the role of the main attacker could only be taken by Uchiha Gen.
"Alright!"
Just as he finished speaking, two strange black-masked monsters flew into the sky, simultaneously spitting out Fire Release and Wind Release attacks toward their position.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A thick earth wall rose from the ground following Kome Aki's hand signs, blocking the attack.
At the same time, Maruboshi Kosuke pulled out a shuriken and threw it with one hand. It transformed into a sky full of shuriken shadows, each making a whistling sound as it cut through the air, blasting out like artillery shells.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique."
Uchiha Gen exhaled a breath of turbid air. Lightning light flickered in his palm, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he charged straight at Kakuzu.
With one person focusing on defense and another on cover, the pressure on him was greatly reduced.
With three Elite Jonin working together, even if the opponent was Kakuzu, they were capable of standing their ground and protecting themselves until the end of the great battle, even if they couldn't defeat him.
"It seems I'm going to fail."
Kakuzu looked at Uchiha Gen with some regret, but his hands were not slow. Powerful Ninjutsu of all five elements were unleashed from his hands. He stood his ground against three Elite Jonin-level fighters single-handedly and still had strength to spare as he calmly retreated.
This mission was most likely a failure.
That Uchiha brat was slippery; for some reason, he seemed to have some knowledge of Kakuzu's intel and responded extremely appropriately.
Moreover, the boy had well-rounded abilities. Even though he was no match for Kakuzu, he managed to hold out until reinforcements arrived without sustaining any serious injuries, maintaining his combat strength.
Now, he could only retreat.
The Konoha Ninjas had already gained an absolute advantage on the battlefield, and Chiyo couldn't defeat the combined forces of Orochimaru and Tsunade. If he didn't retreat, he would eventually be trapped in the army's encirclement.
No matter how confident Kakuzu was in his survivability, he was unwilling to be besieged by a thousand-man force led by two Kage-level Experts.
He only had five hearts and five lives; his lifespan could be extended by renewing his hearts, but he wasn't truly immortal.