"Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart."
The monstrous waves surged forward, threatening to devour everything in their path, yet Kakuzu remained calm and unshaken.
He swiftly formed hand seals and stood his ground. A massive flow of chakra surged from the soles of his feet, rushing into the earth like an underground river.
In an instant, a colossal rampart, tens of meters high, erupted beneath him. The ground trembled violently under the sudden force, emitting a deep, resounding roar.
The Akatsuki members steadily rose atop the towering wall. The terrifying waves that once loomed over them were no longer a threat. This massive structure, like an impenetrable fortress of stone, exuded an imposing and unyielding presence.
Clatter—
The waves crashed against the wall in vain, their once-mighty force reduced to nothing. What remained was only scattered puddles, proof of the futile assault.
"Well done."
"Now, watch me."
Konan rarely praised Kakuzu, and for a brief moment, a small smile tugged at her lips.
As soon as she spoke, a pair of paper wings spread open behind her, and she ascended higher.
"Paper Secret Technique: Paper Drizzle."
With a low call, she rapidly beat her wings, unleashing countless sharp paper blades that shot out like a storm.
The Kiri shinobi below looked up, watching in horror as the razor-sharp projectiles rained down from the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out continuously as the paper blades clashed with the bubbles, both detonating with tremendous force.
"Interesting."
Seeing his attack neutralized by a mere girl, Shin Aoki couldn't help but smirk. His excitement grew.
"Haha!"
As he charged forward, an astonishing amount of chakra erupted from his body, causing his form to shift.
Dark red Tailed Beast chakra enveloped him, and six tails emerged behind him. Though he still maintained a humanoid shape, his movements had shifted to all fours.
Opening his mouth, he quickly formed a small Tailed Beast Ball.
"Jinchūriki?"
Yahiko's eyes narrowed. He had heard from Kawakaze that the Mizukage might be the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, but this guy, with six tails, was clearly someone else.
Before he could think further, the Tailed Beast Ball struck the city wall.
Rumble—
A massive hole was blasted into the once-impenetrable structure. Cracks spread rapidly like a spider web, and the collapse was imminent.
Chunks of debris rained down, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Let's go."
Seeing the situation turn dire, Kakuzu channeled his chakra to slow the collapse, but the wall's height was already decreasing.
Once they reached a safe level, Yahiko leaped off first.
Behind him, the Akatsuki members followed suit, jumping down one after another.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."
Yahiko formed hand seals and spat out a massive water orb, aiming straight at Shin Aoki.
He knew the attack wouldn't do much against someone in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, but he only needed to stall him. There was no way he would let an ordinary Akatsuki member face this monster alone.
"Are you here to die?"
Under the influence of the Tailed Beast's chakra, Shin became even more agitated.
He made no attempt to dodge. With a casual flick of his tail, the water orb shattered on impact.
"I'll help you."
Konan's voice rang out from above as several massive paper spears rained down from the sky.
"Heh heh heh~ What difference do two people make?"
Shin Aoki's laughter grew increasingly twisted. The Tailed Beast chakra on his forelimbs extended outward, forming a massive hand that effortlessly swatted the spears aside. His speed remained completely unaffected as he charged straight at Yahiko.
Meanwhile, Yagura halted in place, setting his gaze on Kakuzu.
This notorious bounty hunter—he knew exactly who he was.
"Waiting for me to make a move?"
A greedy glint flickered in Kakuzu's green eyes. If he remembered correctly, the bounty on the Mizukage was no small sum. Though he wasn't short on money at the moment, his love for bounties was unwavering.
"Yes, Kakuzu."
Yagura was surprisingly polite, though the sight of him wielding a coral staff taller than himself looked slightly out of place.
"I'd love to trade your head for some cash."
Kakuzu licked the corner of his mouth, his killing intent nearly tangible.
"If you can manage that, I wouldn't mind."
Yagura smiled faintly, showing not the slightest hint of anger.
"Haha~ Then I won't hold back."
In an instant, Kakuzu activated Earth Grudge Fear. Hideous black tendrils burst from his body, tearing through his clothes.
Already far from handsome, Kakuzu now resembled a monstrous figure covered entirely in writhing black threads. Four masks split from his back, transforming into four freely moving black puppets.
Revealing his trump card immediately, Kakuzu showed Yagura the utmost respect.
For the first time, Yagura's composed expression faltered. What kind of secret technique was this?
"Water Release: Great Water Mass Bullet"
Without hesitation, Yagura raised his coral staff and launched a massive chakra-infused water sphere.
"You might not last in that state."
Kakuzu's words carried an ominous tone as his fire-element puppet unleashed a jutsu, blocking the incoming attack.
Then, in a blur, Kakuzu lunged at Yagura.
The four puppets split off, surrounding Yagura and launching attacks from different angles.
Four elemental jutsu converged upon him from all directions, while Kakuzu himself bore down from the front.
A bad feeling surged through Yagura.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"
A human-sized, oval-shaped water mirror formed before his coral staff. From its surface, five identical copies emerged, intercepting Kakuzu and his puppets in perfect synchronicity.
Unable to evade the assault, Yagura had chosen the perfect moment to counter with his secret technique.
"Impressive defense."
As the duplicates dissipated, Kakuzu offered genuine praise.
He had expected Yagura to withstand his attack but hadn't anticipated such a peculiar jutsu.
Though the copies weren't under Yagura's direct control, their identical techniques and raw power were more than enough.
"You're not bad yourself."
Yagura swung his coral staff, clashing with Kakuzu in direct combat.
However, Kakuzu's unpredictable black threads proved to be a major hindrance, forcing Yagura to remain on high alert while fending off the puppets' sneak attacks.
Before long, he found himself completely overwhelmed.
"Got you."
Kakuzu sneered as his detached hands shot forward, locking Yagura's arms in an unbreakable grip.
Black threads surged from Kakuzu's body, aiming straight for Yagura's chest.
If he could crush Yagura's heart, it would be over.
"Ah—!"
A sharp pain pierced through Yagura's chest, forcing a pained cry from his lips.
He could no longer afford to hold back.
A surge of immense Tailed Beast chakra erupted from within him.
Dark red chakra enveloped his entire body, solidifying into a tangible cloak in an instant.
Kakuzu could no longer restrain Yagura in his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Even the black threads piercing his chest were torn apart.
With a mighty sweep of three massive tails, Yagura sent Kakuzu flying like a ragdoll.