"Nara Shoroku, ever since you arrived, Konoha's momentum on the battlefield has surged."
"I have to admit, you're an outstanding commander. But the more capable you are, the less I can afford to let you live. This is our fate."
Gari offered a candid evaluation of Nara Shoroku while making his stance clear. On the battlefield, they stood on opposing sides—only by killing the other could this battle truly end.
Clang! Clang!
Gari clenched his fingers into a fist, repeating the motion twice. Each time, a metallic clashing sound rang out. Then, with a single leap, he launched himself toward Nara Shoroku. If his iron fist struck, not only would Shoroku be impaled by his Steel Release, but he would also have to withstand Gari's infamous technique—
Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!
This technique concentrated chakra into a single point, triggering an explosion upon impact. The destructive power of Explosion Release was immense, though not enough to shatter Gari's own Steel Release. However, any ordinary ninja's flesh and blood would be reduced to ashes under its force.
"Die!"
With a furious roar, Gari's iron fist closed in. Shoroku's pupils dilated as the deadly strike approached. Just as disaster was about to strike—
A black fist suddenly blocked Gari's attack.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The metallic reverberations echoed across the battlefield as two iron fists clashed like blunted weapons in a fierce collision. Gari narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected anyone on this battlefield to rival his Steel Release in pure hardness. This was an unexpected turn of events.
"Not bad. So you know advanced Earth Release."
"But my ability surpasses Earth Release—it's a Kekkei Genkai. Can you really stop me?"
As Gari's voice fell—
Boom! Boom!
A chain of violent explosions erupted from his fists, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Both Iwagakure and Konoha shinobi were caught in the blast's radius, hurled away like broken kites. The area around them was completely cleared.
Amid the swirling smoke and debris, Gari's figure emerged. His body still gleamed with an unyielding metallic sheen. The synergy between his Explosion Release and Steel Release was formidable—he could trigger explosions without hesitation, knowing his body could withstand them. Countless enemies had perished by his hand because of this terrifying combination.
He dusted off the residual debris from his body.
Clang! Clang!
Once again, the metallic ringing resonated as he moved. Gari had great confidence in his Kekkei Genkai and combat style. However, he wasn't reckless—he could sense that Konoha's hired reinforcement was no pushover.
About thirty meters away, Kakuzu slowly straightened. The hardened Earth Release armor covering his body had completely dissipated. His cloak, once intact, was now in tatters, barely hanging onto his frame.
Exhaling a thick breath, Kakuzu muttered to himself. Throughout his long years in the shinobi world, he had fought countless battles, but this was the first time someone had actually managed to destroy his cloak.
It seemed he needed to take this fight seriously.
Casually, Kakuzu tore away the remaining scraps of cloth and flicked them aside. The fabric fluttered in the air before settling onto the ground.
"This was made from high-grade materials. The shopkeeper said it was crafted using Nine-Tails' fur, Eight-Tails' hide, Seven-Tails' silk, and Six-Tails' fibers…"
Gari furrowed his brows in confusion.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Kakuzu remained unfazed, replying at a leisurely pace.
"I'll keep it simple: this cloak was expensive. It was custom-made for me. You ruined it—so you'd better be ready to pay up."
"Oh? Is that so…?"
Gari smirked, crossing his arms. "Fine, name your price. As long as you're willing to leave this battlefield, I'll compensate you."
From Kakuzu's chakra signature, Gari could tell that he wasn't a Konoha shinobi. If he could be bought off, then the remaining Konoha forces would be easy pickings. Settling this matter with money wasn't a bad option.
Hearing this, Kakuzu raised a hand and pointed at Gari's head.
"The bounty on your head in the black market should be enough to cover my losses."
Gari's brow twitched.
"Are you kidding me? My bounty is 88 million ryo. Are you saying your cloak was worth that much?"
"Heh, I never said the cloak was the only thing I was charging for."
Kakuzu rolled his neck, his green pupils gleaming with a dangerous light. The price he had in mind wasn't just for the cloak—it included compensation for his lab, as well as a request from Senju Momoka.
There was no room for negotiation.
Gari shrugged. He could tell that Kakuzu was a formidable opponent, but so what? With his two Kekkei Genkai, even against a Kage-level shinobi, he had the confidence to fight on equal footing.
Since they couldn't come to a deal, there was only one solution—battle.
Standing behind Kakuzu, Nara Shoroku took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. He gazed at Kakuzu's back, his tone filled with a hint of guilt.
"Kakuzu-san… My apologies. We haven't seen each other in years, and the first thing I ask of you is to fight for Konoha."
"Shoroku, no need for formalities. You go ahead and continue commanding the battle elsewhere—I'll handle things here."
Nara Shoroku fell silent for half a second before replying, "Kakuzu, be extra careful of his Steel Release and Explosion Release."
"I understand." Kakuzu nodded. As if he needed the reminder. An opponent with Steel Release and Explosion Release was a tough one, no doubt.
And from their brief clash just now, Kakuzu had already assessed the situation. Steel Release was similar to his Earth Release in some ways—they both hardened the body to enhance offense and defense. Their principles were fundamentally aligned.
However, he had to admit, in a direct comparison, his Earth Release fell short. If he had to quantify it, his Earth Release could harden his body about tenfold. But Gari's Steel Release? At least thirtyfold.
Their fists had collided, and though Kakuzu seemed unharmed, that was only because his Earth Grudge Fear threads had swiftly repaired his shattered arm. His opponent's defense was practically maxed out.
If he tried to go head-to-head in a pure contest of strength, he might actually suffer a loss.
Against enemies like this, Kakuzu had a simple approach—play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The Earth Grudge Fear threads on Kakuzu's body suddenly snapped apart, and from his back emerged a black figure.
It was Water Release, the masked entity with a blue face.
Seeing this, Gari frowned slightly, his mind already racing.
What exactly did he summon?
He couldn't figure it out immediately, but one thing was clear—whatever this thing was, its physical durability wasn't on his level.
Even if Kakuzu and his summon attacked together, they wouldn't be able to break through his defense.
And if they couldn't even breach his defenses, what did Kakuzu plan to fight him with?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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