In Kakuzu's mind, he wanted to end this battle quickly.
A bounty of 100 million ryō was enough to excite him!
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Kakuzu stepped forward swiftly and suddenly threw a punch. His sallow skin darkened with a metallic luster, turning as hard as steel.
This jutsu hardened the skin using Earth Release chakra, maximizing defense while simultaneously enhancing the destructive power of his taijutsu. It was a technique that combined both offense and defense. By reinforcing his body to the hardness of diamond, he could withstand attacks while also dealing devastating blows to his opponents.
"So, it's an Earth Release technique that hardens the body?"
Facing Kakuzu's oncoming strike, Kazuki's expression shifted slightly, showing interest.
"This is perfect. I love testing hard objects. Let's see if your skin is tougher than my hammer!"
Boom!
As soon as his words fell, Kazuki raised his black war hammer.
Without dodging, he swung it directly at Kakuzu's hardened fist.
The moment hammer met fist—
A thunderous impact echoed, followed by a high-pitched screech, like metal grinding against metal. A powerful shockwave rippled through the air, stunning everyone around them!
"This hammer… it's not ordinary!"
After the clash, Kakuzu felt an overwhelming force crash into him like a tidal wave.
Even with his Earth Spear technique fully active, a sharp pain shot through his hardened fist.
"How is this possible? This kid's strength…"
Kakuzu's eyes widened in disbelief. The sheer power Kazuki had just unleashed was monstrous.
"Surprised?" Kazuki smirked.
"That was only 30% of my strength. Are you already struggling with this level of power? No way… this can't be all you've got, right?"
His mocking tone made Kakuzu's irritation flare.
"Hmph! Arrogant brat!" Kakuzu scoffed.
"Did you just find a powerful ninja tool and think you could flaunt it in front of me?"
Suddenly, black tendrils burst from Kakuzu's body.
His form twisted unnaturally as his limbs separated, as if he were a puppet coming apart at the seams. From the gaps, thick, writhing black threads poured out.
Earth Grudge Fear!
Kazuki's expression turned more serious.
This was Kakuzu's ultimate technique, the forbidden jutsu of Takigakure. Many shinobi had fallen to it.
"Go!" Kakuzu roared.
The black threads coiled together, forming eight thick tendrils, each as wide as an arm, lunging toward Kazuki from all directions.
His arms, legs, torso, and even the war hammer in his grip—
The threads blocked every possible escape route.
The hammer itself was ensnared, rendering him unable to swing it.
"What is this black thread? Captain won't be in danger, right?" Qing asked, her face pale with concern.
"Don't worry too much." Haidao remained composed.
"If Captain Kazuki has made a move, he must be confident in his plan. We just have to trust him."
He had spent enough time with Kazuki to understand his methods.
Kazuki never acted without preparation. If he had even sought Tsunade's assistance earlier, it meant that their current strength alone wasn't enough. Their role was simply to follow orders and ensure their own survival.
"Sunflower, aren't you worried about Captain Mink? You don't seem anxious, even though he's been restrained by that strange enemy. Before, you were always the most concerned about the captain's safety."
Qing glanced at Sunflower, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"I—Where am I?! No, wait, that's not right!" Sunflower huffed, crossing his arms. "Is it wrong for me to worry about our captain getting injured? Hmph, that's our Lord Mink!"
Then he hesitated, his expression shifting slightly. "But… don't you think this scene looks kind of familiar?"
"Familiar?" Qing frowned.
This was their first encounter with this enemy who manipulated black tendrils. They knew nothing about his abilities or origins—so how could this situation seem familiar?
"Oh, I remember now!" Sunflower suddenly exclaimed, eyes widening.
"When Captain Mink fought against Captain Tenzo before… he was also restrained by the vines from Tenzo's Wood Release jutsu!"
Qing and Haidao both froze for a moment. Then, their eyes sharpened as realization dawned.
Back then, during Captain Mink's battle with Captain Tenzo, he had been entangled in those vines. However, rather than having his chakra drained by the technique, something unexpected had happened—Mink had actually absorbed chakra from Tenzo instead!
At the time, they had assumed Captain Mink was simply caught off guard. But now…
They had all witnessed his speed. If he were truly fighting at full power, there was no way those black tendrils could completely restrain him. Their speed simply wasn't enough to keep up with him.
Which could only mean one thing—
Captain Mink had let himself be bound on purpose.
But why?
What was he planning?
Wrapped tightly in the black tendrils, Mink remained still, his mind clear. At that moment, a system notification echoed in his thoughts.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the task: Devouring the Tentacles.
Quest Reward: Puppet Silk Thread Forging Blueprint]
[Ding! New Quest Released: Obtain a Complete Resentment Body.
Quest Reward: Puppet Doll Forging Blueprint]
Huh?
A new mission?
And the reward this time… a puppet doll forging blueprint?
Mink wasn't sure what it would be used for, but since the system's blueprints always resulted in high-quality creations, it had to be something valuable.
First, though—he needed to deal with this enemy.
Kakuzu sneered beneath his mask. "Hmph, brat. Now that you're caught, you're completely powerless, aren't you?" His eyes gleamed with arrogance as he looked at the bound Mink.
But the very next second—
Something changed.
Kakuzu's pupils contracted sharply as he sensed something was wrong.
From within the mass of writhing black tendrils, a figure exploded outward.
Shkk!
The black lines snapped and scattered like severed threads. In an instant, Mink had already closed the distance, appearing right in front of Kakuzu.
"The Leaf Hurricane!"
Kakuzu reacted quickly, spreading out more black tendrils in defense.
"Secret Art: Earth Grudge Fear!"
The dark threads shot out, aiming to intercept the attack.
But—
Just as Mink's right leg was about to smash into the mass of black lines, his body twisted unnaturally in midair.
With an abrupt shift, he canceled his kick and executed a flawless mid-air rotation.
His real target—Kakuzu's wrist!
"What?!"
Kakuzu's eyes widened in alarm.
Only now did he realize—the initial kick had been a feint.
He attempted to pull back, but it was already too late.
Mink's grip latched onto his wrist like a vice. Using the momentum of his rotation, he swung Kakuzu into the air—just like swinging a hammer.
Then—
With another burst of power, he twisted his body and launched a devastating kick straight into Kakuzu's chest!
"The Leaf Whirlwind!"
Boom!
A thunderous impact rang out.
Kakuzu had always heard tales of Konoha's Taijutsu specialists, particularly the infamous Blue Beast, Might Guy. But he had never imagined that this so-called "Black Reaper" could match—or even surpass—that level of power.
The force of the blow shattered his chest—obliterating one of his hearts on impact.
Kakuzu's body was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the ground with a resounding thud.
This battle… was far from over.
T/N: Shinigami means death.
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