Chapter 194: The God of Shinobi's Power
The air was still. Uchiha Akira stood on a high cliff, his black robes unmoving, his Rinnegan a cold, purple lattice that seemed to judge all of creation.
Kakuzu, half a kilometer away, felt that gaze like a physical weight.
[There is no escape. He is too fast. His vision is absolute.]
Kakuzu understood that since he couldn't escape, he could only fight to the death!
"If I am to die here, you will not walk away unscathed, Uchiha!" Kakuzu roared, his voice a gravelly promise.
His body suddenly arched, a grotesque, tearing sound echoing across the barren rocks.
The stitches on his back, the ones that held his monstrous body together, burst open!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three writhing, dark masses of tendrils tore free from Kakuzu's back. The masses solidified, each forming a humanoid figure wearing a different, terrifying tribal mask.
They floated behind him, unholy puppets of chakra. One for Wind. One for Fire. One for Lightning.
This was his ultimate jutsu, the Earth Grudge Fear (地怨虞, Jiongu).
[Inorin's Note: The Earth Grudge Fear is a forbidden kinjutsu from Takigakure. It allows the user to steal the hearts of other ninja, giving Kakuzu five lives and access to all five elemental nature transformations.]
"Uchiha Akira!" Kakuzu shouted, his voice now layered with the echoes of his other hearts. "Don't think you're invincible just because you have the Rinnegan!"
"I admit you're strong. Stronger than any I have seen in decades. But if you want to kill me, an immortal, you'll have to pay the price in blood!"
He pointed, a declaration of war. "Destroy him! All of you!"
The three Earth Grudge Fear mask monsters opened their mouths at the same time.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!" (風遁・圧害, Fūton: Atsugai)
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!" (火遁・頭八苦, Katon: Zukokku)
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" (雷遁・偽暗, Raiton: Gian)
A devastating, high-pressure tornado of wind erupted. A rolling, all-consuming blast of fire. A blinding, branching spear of pure lightning.
The three powerful Ninjutsu, controlled by Kakuzu's single, malevolent will, did not just fly straight. They merged.
The wind fanned the flames, which were given a core of lightning, creating a single, massive, swirling vortex of elemental destruction. It was a jutsu designed to annihilate a Kage.
This storm of oblivion blasted towards Uchiha Akira.
"Oh? Are you finally going all out?"
A playful, almost bored, smile appeared on Uchiha Akira's face.
He watched the approaching apocalypse, not with concern, but with... curiosity.
[Perfect. This will be a good test.]
"I just acquired Senju Hashirama's Wood Release not long ago. It's time to try it out."
His voice was soft, for his ears only.
"I'll use you, this old fossil, as my first test subject."
As the elemental storm neared, Akira spoke, his voice now calm and clear, easily crossing the distance to the horrified Kakuzu.
"Didn't you always boast about fighting the First Hokage? Then let me show you the First Hokage's Wood Release!"
Uchiha Akira slowly brought his hands together, palm to palm.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!" (木遁・樹海降誕, Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan)
[Inorin's Note: Wood Release (木遁, Mokuton) is a legendary kekkei genkai formed by combining Earth and Water natures. It was famously wielded only by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, to found Konohagakure.]
Rumble—!
The ground did not shake. It exploded.
Under Kakuzu's horrified, disbelieving gaze, the entire geography of the region was rewritten.
Countless, incomparably thick trees, at a terrifying speed that defied all laws of nature, burst forth from the hard, dead rocky ground!
Roots like charging serpents shattered the cliffs. Trunks as wide as castles rocketed towards the sky.
The combined jutsu of wind, fire, and lightning—that Kage-killing vortex—smashed into the wall of rising wood.
It was swallowed.
The fire was smothered. The wind was blocked. The lightning was grounded.
In just an instant, this once-barren rocky area transformed into a boundless, dense, primeval forest. The battlefield was gone, replaced by Akira's domain.
"This... this is..."
Kakuzu, floating in mid-air with his masks, stared blankly at the vast, dark sea of trees that had suddenly appeared below him.
He was completely, utterly stunned.
"Wood Release... It's... it's his Wood Release!"
Kakuzu's voice was filled with an unconcealed, ancient horror.
This was the power possessed by the First Hokage. The power that had defeated Madara. The power of the man who once single-handedly pacified the chaotic world and was hailed as the "God of Shinobi."
[Why?! How?!]
[Why could Uchiha Akira use Wood Release?! He's an Uchiha! This is impossible!]
Kakuzu couldn't understand.
And he didn't have time to understand.
From the swirling sea of trees below, the forest itself began to move.
"Roar!"
A terrifying, giant dragon, made entirely of intertwined, living wood, roared and soared from the forest. Its massive, fanged maw bit fiercely towards Kakuzu's Wind Release mask!
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Jutsu!" (木遁・木龍の術, Mokuton: Mokuryū no Jutsu)
"Don't even think about it!"
Kakuzu's mind reeled. He snapped out of his shock and immediately controlled the Wind Release mask monster to spew out even more violent, compressed wind blades, attempting to shred the Wood Dragon.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Countless sharp, invisible air currents cut deep into the Wood Dragon's body, sending large amounts of wood chips and splinters flying.
But the Wood Dragon seemed to possess infinite, malevolent vitality.
The wounds that were cut open healed and regrew in the blink of an eye. Its power was not diminished in the slightest!
"How can this be!" Kakuzu shrieked. [Hashirama's dragon was strong, but this... this regeneration is... faster!]
Kakuzu didn't know that Uchiha Akira possessed a perfect, awakened Sage Body.
The Wood Release spawned by this Sage Body had reached a terrifying, absurd level of vitality and resilience.
It could even be said, without exaggeration, that even if Senju Hashirama himself were present, he might not be able to unleash a stronger Wood Release than Uchiha Akira.
Howl—!
The Wood Dragon let out an earth-shattering roar. It dodged the last volley of wind and coiled its massive body, directly wrapping itself tightly around the Wind Release mask monster, which was still futilely resisting!
The Wood Dragon's body tightened continuously. The mask monster, made of pure chakra and tendrils, let out a mournful wail under the overwhelming, crushing pressure.
What made Kakuzu even more terrified was that the Wind Release heart's chakra was being frantically absorbed by the Wood Dragon!
"No! My heart!"
Kakuzu's eyes were bloodshot.
He immediately controlled the Fire Release mask. "Burn it! Burn it all!"
The fire mask spewed a massive torrent of fire, intending to burn the Wood Dragon.
But it was too late. The forest below answered its master.
Countless more tree branches, alive and intelligent, swept in from all directions, instantly enveloping the Fire Release mask as well.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu!" (木遁・挿し木の術, Mokuton: Sashiki no Jutsu)
Uchiha Akira's cold voice echoed from the canopy, a god passing judgment.
Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
Countless sharp, hardened wooden spikes suddenly pierced out from the branches wrapped around the Fire Release mask.
The mask monster was instantly impaled from a hundred different angles, turning it into a grotesque, wooden porcupine.
The Fire Release heart was shattered!
At the exact same time, the Wind Release mask, which had been entangled by the Wood Dragon, was finally, completely crushed after its chakra was drained.
The Wind Release heart was shattered!
"Ah... AHHHH!"
Kakuzu let out a painful, desperate howl.
In an instant... in less than ten seconds... he had lost two hearts!
Kakuzu gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling in rage and abject terror.
He had one last chance.
He controlled the only remaining Lightning Release mask monster. It dove towards him, merging with his body, covering his skin in dark, crackling tendrils.
He transformed into the most brilliant, violent flash of lightning and actively charged towards Uchiha Akira!
He intended to fight to the death, engaging the Uchiha in a close-combat, suicidal strike!
Uchiha Akira stood calmly atop a giant tree, watching the approaching bolt of lightning with a somewhat amused expression.
[A final, desperate act. How... predictable.]
He didn't move. He didn't even flinch. He simply... willed it.
Boom—!
Rumble—!
The very forest around him seemed to rise in his defense.
Countless trees began to converge, intertwine, entangle, and merge beneath Akira's feet in an even more violent, groaning, twisting manner!
A giant wooden titan, unimaginably massive, with a demonic, fanged face, slowly rose from the sea of trees!
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Jutsu!" (木遁・木人の術, Mokuton: Mokujin no Jutsu)
[Inorin's Note: The Wood Golem is a massive, humanoid creature of pure wood, renowned for its immense defensive and offensive power, famously used by Hashirama in his fight against Madara's Perfect Susanoo.]
The Wood Golem, which towered over the forest, merely raised its giant, bark-covered palm.
It casually, almost lazily, slapped the incoming bolt of lightning that was Kakuzu.
Bang—!
A dull, wet thud.
The brilliant lightning vanished.
Kakuzu, and the mask that had been covering him, were directly smashed to pieces.
The Lightning Release heart was completely annihilated.
Kakuzu's own body, now missing three hearts and most of his tendrils, was sent flying like a broken doll. He slammed heavily against a thick tree trunk, then rolled onto the ground, a mangled, steaming heap.
He was defeated.
Completely and utterly defeated.
All his hearts, save his original one, were gone.
The Wood Golem's enormous shadow enveloped Kakuzu's entire broken body.
Boundless, paralyzing fear drowned Kakuzu's reason.
Money... Bounties... Eternal life...
In the face of absolute, god-like power, all the things he had pursued his entire life seemed so pale, so utterly, laughably ridiculous.
[This is... this is worse... He... is worse than Hashirama...]
"It's over."
Uchiha Akira's voice came from high above. He now stood on the shoulder of the giant Wood Golem.
His voice was cold, devoid of all emotion.
The Wood Golem's massive fist slowly rose, aimed at the tiny, broken black dot on the ground.
Kakuzu had no doubt that with this punch, he, along with this entire land, would be reduced to dust.
"Just a Wood Golem... it doesn't seem impactful enough."
Uchiha Akira murmured softly, as if speaking to Kakuzu, and yet also to himself.
Kakuzu, bleeding and broken, completely failed to understand what he was saying. [Not... impactful enough...?!]
The next second, Kakuzu understood.
And he wished, for the first time in his long, arrogant life, that he hadn't.
Uchiha Akira stood on the Wood Golem's head. He looked down, not at Kakuzu, but at the world he had created... and found it lacking.
He clasped his hands together again.
"Wood Release: Sage Art... True Several Thousand Hands!" (仙法木遁・真数千手, Senpō Mokuton: Shin Sūsenju)
Boom—!!!
A terrifying, divine chakra erupted from Uchiha Akira's body. It was not the chakra of a man. It was the chakra of the world.
An even larger, grander, and indescribably terrifying existence began to slowly rise from the ground behind the Wood Golem.
It was a colossal, wooden Buddha statue, so large its scale was beyond imagination!
Its back was adorned with a thousand (or more) massive, spear-tipped hands.
It rose above the forest, it rose above the Wood Golem. It blotted out the moon. It cast a shadow of pure, divine judgment over the entire land.
Kakuzu, in his last moments of consciousness, could only stare, his immortal mind finally broken by the sheer, impossible scale of the god he had challenged.
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