Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three consecutive Tailed Beast Bombs detonated, wreaking havoc across the battlefield. The explosions tore through the ranks of Iwagakure's forces, leaving the ground scarred and bodies scattered. The battle had reached a turning point—Konoha's shinobi merely needed to maintain their momentum, and victory would be within reach.
But for Kakuzu, the outcome of this war was irrelevant.
Iwagakure's forces might have been fighting tooth and nail, but all the destruction they caused had to be accounted for. And Kakuzu had already set his sights on his bounty—no one, not even the First Tsuchikage himself, could stop him.
With a swift motion, his Water mask surged back into his body. Kakuzu's foot barely touched the ground before he shot forward like a shadow.
The battlefield was in ruins, and Iwagakure's shinobi lay dead or wounded from the sheer devastation of the Tailed Beast Bombs. None had the strength to stop him. He swiftly exited the war zone, setting his sights on a retreating squad of Iwa shinobi.
Realizing Kakuzu was pursuing them, the remaining Iwa squads felt immense pressure. As they fled, they quickly made a decision—three would stay behind to stall him.
"Heh."
Seeing three Iwa shinobi abruptly change direction to intercept him, Kakuzu didn't even bother to slow down.
"Fire Style!"
A massive wall of flames erupted, sweeping across the battlefield like a giant net. The three Iwa shinobi were instantly incinerated.
However, their sacrifice bought their comrades some time. Another squad further ahead dispatched a few more shinobi to block Kakuzu's path. This time, they launched powerful Earth Style jutsu the moment they engaged.
Though their techniques were relatively small-scale, they were layered defensively, creating formidable barriers against Kakuzu's advance.
But against Kakuzu, defense was meaningless.
His body instantly hardened with Earth Grudge Fear, and in a single breath, he shattered three rising Earth Walls. In less than half a minute, he had cut down the shinobi standing in his way and resumed his pursuit.
Again, Iwa sent more shinobi to intercept him.
Again, they failed.
This pattern repeated over and over for thirty minutes.
Finally, on an open plain, Kakuzu stood victorious. In his grasp, barely clinging to life, was his bounty target—Gari. Scattered around him were three more Iwa shinobi, all beaten and unable to resist. They lay on the ground, staring at Kakuzu with hatred burning in their eyes.
But Kakuzu didn't care for their glares. He didn't even bother speaking.
Forming a single-hand seal, he prepared to finish them off with a casual Storm Style attack.
Then, out of instinct, his gaze shifted toward the horizon.
A figure—short but incredibly stocky—appeared in the distance. His arms hung loosely by his sides, his body leaning forward slightly as he sprinted toward them at breakneck speed.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes and momentarily paused his jutsu.
"This one's trouble."
This area was already beyond the borders of White Tree Town. Given that the war was still ongoing, it was inevitable that Iwagakure had stationed troops nearby. But the chakra signature he was sensing from this newcomer intrigued him.
"Interesting."
The approaching figure rapidly closed the distance. In mere moments, he had arrived just ten meters away and finally slowed to a walk.
It was a teenager, no older than fifteen or sixteen.
He was clad in thick, heavy crimson armor, his head covered by a matching red hooded cloak. A black cloth concealed the lower half of his face, adding an air of mystery to his presence.
'Didn't expect someone to be rocking this look already.'
For the three Iwa shinobi on the ground, however, the sight of this young man was nothing short of salvation.
"Han! You're finally here! We're saved!"
"Han! That bastard—he has Gari-sama! You have to take him back!"
"The front lines were hit by the Tailed Beast's attacks—right now, you're our only hope!"
Desperation gave their voices strength, their pleas filled with urgency. As soon as they realized Konoha's forces had gained the upper hand, they had immediately reported to headquarters. They never expected backup to arrive so swiftly.
And though it was just one person, this particular individual carried immense weight in Iwagakure.
If Han was here, then they had a chance—not only to defeat Kakuzu, but to turn the tides of battle entirely.
The thought alone filled them with hope.
Han, however, simply nodded at his comrades before motioning for them to step aside and focus on treating their wounds. He then shifted his gaze toward Kakuzu, his eyes filled with silent killing intent.
But Kakuzu barely acknowledged him.
Instead, he methodically pulled out a sealing scroll and stored away his hard-earned bounty. Only after securing the scroll and tucking it into his robes did he finally turn his full attention to Han.
His eyes, cold and calculating, took in the teenager's presence.
"The chakra flowing through your body… it's different." Kakuzu's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "I take it you're Iwagakure's secret weapon."
Hearing Kakuzu's words, Han's brow furrowed slightly. To be honest, he didn't like being called a "weapon." It was an insult to his pride.
"Hmph—word is that you summoned a Tailed Beast on the front lines. But I don't sense that kind of power from you at all. Looks like you're not as strong as the rumors say."
Han's retort didn't faze Kakuzu in the slightest. He merely chuckled. Young men—when weren't they arrogant? He didn't mind in the least. In fact, this pursuit had brought an unexpected bonus. Since the Jinchūriki had delivered himself right to the door, it would be foolish not to take advantage.
Cracking his neck, Kakuzu spoke with an air of indifference. "Alright then, since you're here to reinforce the battle, why don't you show some real skill? Unleash that energy inside you."
Han's expression darkened. "What the hell do you mean by that?"
It was one thing for Kakuzu to know he was a Jinchūriki. But the fact that he was demanding Han to use that power right away—was he implying that Han had no chance of winning without it?
Kakuzu let out a dry chuckle.
"Oh? You're a proud one, huh?" He didn't seem bothered in the slightest. "Don't take it the wrong way. I'm simply stating the facts."
Whether the kid understood his words or not was another matter. Calling Han "secret weapon" earlier had been a bit generous. If he couldn't use the Tailed Beast's power, to be honest, he wasn't much of a threat.
To be clear, Kakuzu wasn't saying Han was weak. He was saying that aside from himself, everyone else here was.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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