"My apologies, hehe!" Onoki's lips curled into a smirk as he unleashed his Dust Release. Kakuzu's eyes narrowed slightly. The situation on the battlefield wasn't quite what he had expected. No—more accurately, it was Onoki's devious tactics that had thrown things off.
In a clash of warriors, the braver one usually prevails, yet Onoki had no intention of engaging in a direct fight at all.
Boom!
Everywhere the Dust Release passed, the ground disintegrated into nothingness. As it neared Kakuzu, now only a few meters away, he leaped backward with ease, dodging the attack. But the technique continued forward, forcing him to retreat repeatedly. Since Onoki's Dust Release was indiscriminate in its destruction, Kakuzu had no choice but to withdraw his ambush units from their hiding spots.
He retreated for nearly seventy to eighty meters before the destructive force of Dust Release finally dissipated. When he looked up again, he saw Onoki floating in the air, gripping the half-dead Han, swiftly flying toward Iwagakure.
During his flight, Onoki even took the time to turn back and laugh.
"Hahaha, my apologies, but I'll be taking my leave! If we get another chance, let's fight again! Hahahaha!"
Onoki's laughter echoed through the air, every note ringing crystal clear in Kakuzu's ears. Beyond the triumph of a successful rescue, Kakuzu could hear another layer to it—mockery. Blatant, undisguised mockery.
What gave Onoki the confidence to taunt Kakuzu so openly?
Simple—he was certain that Kakuzu couldn't catch him.
And why couldn't he?
Because Kakuzu couldn't fly.
Couldn't. Fly.
Couldn't...
Kakuzu's green eyes reflected Onoki's retreating figure. He could technically pursue him and strike him down with ninjutsu, but for someone like Onoki, a Kage-level opponent, such attacks would be little more than a minor inconvenience. Chasing after him would be meaningless.
Still, as he watched Onoki's smug expression up in the sky, Kakuzu felt a strange urge bubbling inside him.
"Onoki dares to mock me for not being able to fly? One day, I swear, I'll bring you crashing down!"
At that moment, Kakuzu's resolve was firm.
He calmed his thoughts and sealed away the horns of Kokuō into a scroll. He had obtained what he came for. Iwagakure's forces had been thrown into disarray by Konoha due to his presence. His revenge was complete. There was no longer any need to press forward.
Kakuzu knew that Iwagakure had laid numerous explosive Earth Release traps along the borders to defend their territory. Anyone unaware of them would be blown to smithereens upon stepping into those zones. Given that his Earth Release: Earth Spear was no longer as effective as before, it wasn't worth the risk.
Better to return first, absorb the Steel Release, and then consider navigating Iwagakure's minefields.
With that thought, Kakuzu turned around and began walking back at a leisurely pace. Now that there was no immediate target to chase, there was no need to rush.
As dusk fell, a piercing cry echoed across the sky.
Keee!
Kakuzu looked up. Against the crimson horizon, a majestic eagle soared with its wings spread wide.
It was a breathtaking sight, particularly the massive bird gliding through the heavens. He couldn't determine its exact size, but by estimation, the eagle's body was no less than five meters in length, with a wingspan extending beyond ten meters. This was no ordinary bird—it was a high-altitude predator, a ruler of the skies.
Blood vessels bulged at the corners of Kakuzu's eyes as his vision shifted. His dark green pupils took on a hint of white, turning the world around him monochrome.
In an instant, the distance between him and the eagle seemed to close. Every vein running through the bird's body was laid bare before his enhanced sight.
The truth was, awakening the Byakugan was no easy feat—it was far more difficult than merely assimilating Hashirama's cells. Kakuzu had spent over a decade refining the bloodline of Hyūga Tennin within himself before finally succeeding.
Unfortunately, he had yet to advance beyond the standard Byakugan to the mythical "Thousand-Eyed Byakugan." Hyūga Tennin himself had required decades to achieve that evolution, so it was only natural that Kakuzu needed more time as well.
(T/N: "Thousand-Eyed Byakugan" refers to the level Tennin reached before his death.)
Moments later, the veins around his eyes gradually faded, and his white irises returned to their usual green hue. A look of intrigue crossed his face.
This was no ordinary beast—it was a summoning creature. Chakra flowed through its body, differentiating it from common wildlife.
"In that case… you, big guy, should come down and have a little chat with me."
Kakuzu raised his hand.
Whoosh!
A tendril of Earth Grudge Fear shot out, aiming straight for the eagle soaring above.
The scene of Onoki taunting him for his lack of flight was still fresh in his mind. Achieving Rinnegan in the short term was impossible. The best alternative? Using a summoning creature to make up for the deficiency.
This eagle was perfect. Kakuzu was determined to make it his.
Keee!
The eagle sensed the hostility from below. It merely lowered its head slightly, scanning the ground with sharp eyes. Everything below was clearly visible within its keen vision.
With a slight tilt of its body, the eagle evaded the grasping tendril, allowing only a few loose feathers to be caught in the gust created by Kakuzu's attack.
Kakuzu tilted his head at the scene before him. Truth be told, this was a bit troublesome—after all, the sky wasn't exactly his domain. Capturing this summoning beast would require a different approach.
As he was considering his options, several feathers from the eagle above began drifting down, swaying lightly in the air. Just as they were about to touch the ground, mere meters away, something strange happened—the feathers suddenly froze midair, standing upright as if suspended by an invisible force.
Swish!
In the next instant, they shot toward the ground at extreme speed, landing mere inches from Kakuzu's feet.
A dazzling light erupted.
Boom! Boom!
The earth cracked open, thick smoke billowed into the sky—another work of "art" had bloomed.
As the dust settled, Kakuzu, standing at the very center of the blast, slowly lowered the arms he had raised to shield himself. He opened his palm, glancing at his hands. The blackened surface of his skin hadn't completely faded yet, but his Earth Release had held up against the explosion.
Still, this incident revealed something interesting—the eagle's feathers could trigger explosions. Now, that was intriguing.
If just a few falling feathers could cause such destruction… what if more of them rained down? What if someone plucked the bird bald?
A certain old "artist" might just be out of a job.
Kakuzu dispelled the hardened state of his arms, then pushed off the ground and broke into a full sprint. That eagle was his now.
High in the sky, the eagle noticed Kakuzu giving chase. A sharp glint flashed through its eyes, but instead of stopping to attack again, it let out a piercing cry, spread its wings wide, and soared swiftly in another direction.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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