"Minato, be careful. That guy seems to be immortal," Kurama's half-spirit warned from within Minato.
Minato nodded calmly. "I know. There's definitely something strange about him."
"But his strength isn't all that impressive. Even if he's immortal, it's nothing I can't handle."
As Minato conversed with Kurama, Kakuzu stepped forward, his tone cold.
"Let me make one thing clear: I'm nothing like that weakling you just faced."
"Minato Namikaze, prepare to meet your end."
Five hearts emerged from Kakuzu's body, a clear testament to his cautious respect for Minato's strength.
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Blazing flames surged toward Minato, but with the flicker of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he vanished from the spot.
Where did he go? Kakuzu frowned, his sharp senses scanning the battlefield. He had made sure to cover every location Minato had touched earlier.
"Ah! Damn it, Kakuzu, he's here!" A loud yell came from Hidan, who was flailing wildly.
As it turned out, Minato had left a Flying Thunder God Technique mark on Hidan earlier and had teleported to him. He rummaged through Hidan's pockets briefly but found nothing of value—not even basic ninja tools.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" Kakuzu launched his attack, enveloping Hidan in the blast without hesitation. However, it was futile—Minato had already teleported back to his original position.
"That Flying Thunder God Technique… what a terrifying jutsu," Orochimaru remarked from the sidelines.
Deidara nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's like Obito's Kamui—completely broken."
"Damn it! Are you just going to keep running, you brat?" Kakuzu roared, his frustration boiling over as he entered his second form, his chakra surging explosively.
"Sorry, but I'm not skilled in large-scale ninjutsu. This is the only way I can fight," Minato replied, his tone calm and cheerful even amidst the tension of battle.
"But dragging this out won't do either. Let's see how you handle a more direct approach."
Minato formed a cross with his index and middle fingers.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, five identical Minatos appeared. Thanks to Kurama's chakra, he didn't have to worry about expending too much energy.
The six Minatos charged at Kakuzu in unison. One of Kakuzu's hearts reacted first.
"Fire Release: Majestic Fire Annihilation!"
The Minatos all teleported away in an instant, reappearing at different angles to launch their attack.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!" Kakuzu fired a barrage of air blasts, while the other hearts didn't lag behind.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Kakuzu unleashed a relentless torrent of ninjutsu, each attack powerful enough to overwhelm most opponents. But his foe was Minato Namikaze.
"Rasengan!"
Two Minatos managed to slip through the barrage, their Rasengan smashing into Kakuzu despite his defensive techniques.
"Earth Spear!"
Even with his hardened body, Kakuzu was sent flying. Although the attack didn't cause fatal damage—thanks to his multiple hearts—it was enough to rattle him.
"Another immortal, huh?" Minato muttered, frowning slightly.
"Minato, his immortality comes from something called Earth Grudge Fear. To kill him, you need to destroy all five of his hearts," Kurama explained.
"And you're only telling me this now?"
"I don't get out much. Give me a break," Kurama replied smugly.
Minato sighed. "Kurama, you're too cheeky."
"Who's cheeky?!" Kurama snapped.
"Fine, fine. My bad, okay?" Minato chuckled.
"Hmph! You'd better mean it," Kurama grumbled, turning his head away in mock indignation.
Kakuzu climbed to his feet, his expression grim.
"You're good, kid. Too good. You remind me of the first Konoha ninja I ever fought… the First Hokage."
"Really? You fought the First Hokage? How old are you?" Minato asked, scratching his head.
"I'm…"
"Wait, Kurama says you're lying. You couldn't even handle the First Hokage's wood clones," Minato interjected with a sly grin.
Kakuzu: "…"
Just let the world burn already!
"Enough! If you're so confident, then prepare to face this!"
Kakuzu's hearts began to gather energy, the wind heart at the forefront. After about half a minute, it unleashed a massive attack.
"Sage Art: Vacuum Wave!"
Countless razor-sharp wind blades, infused with Sage Chakra, tore through the battlefield, leaving no room for escape.
Deidara and Orochimaru quickly ascended into the air to avoid the attack.
"Hey! Take me with you!" Hidan shouted from below.
"You've got the enemy's mark on you, idiot. If you come up here, he'll follow," Deidara retorted.
"Besides, you're immortal. Just tough it out," he added dismissively.
Hidan collapsed dramatically. "I may not die, but I don't want to be sliced into pieces either!"
"Relax. Kakuzu can sew you back together later," Orochimaru said with a smirk.
Faced with Kakuzu's all-encompassing attack, Minato stood firm.
"Sage techniques, huh? Impressive," Minato remarked, his voice calm.
"You won't escape this time!" Kakuzu declared triumphantly.
"You're right. I can't dodge this one with Flying Thunder God Technique. I guess I'll have to use Sage Mode," Minato said with a faint smile.
"You know Sage Mode?!" Kakuzu's instincts screamed danger.
Minato nodded humbly. "Yeah, but I'm not very good at it."
"Ha! Sage Mode takes time to activate. You—"
Before Kakuzu could finish, orange pigmentation appeared around Minato's eyes. He had already entered Sage Mode.
Kakuzu's face twisted in disbelief.
"Minato Namikaze, you sneaky thief! Just kill me already! Must you humiliate me like this?!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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