86-90

Chapter 86: A Single Clone Takes Down the Four Heavenly Beings  

“Hmph! Another clueless fool looking to die!” 

Seeing that her attack didn’t even scratch Kazama, Kujaku was surprised but still didn’t take him seriously. 

To her, Kazama was just a snot-nosed kid, barely worth a second glance. 

“Listen, brat, I’m warning you—don’t play hero. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the rest: sliced to bits by me. But if you kowtow ten thousand times and cut off your own arms and legs, I might just let you live like the dog you are. How’s that sound? Haha!” 

Kujaku cackled wildly as she spoke. 

“This chick’s about to get her face slapped hard!” 

Shikamaru and Temari said in unison. 

They knew all too well just how terrifying Kazama’s strength was. 

“Cut off my own arms? I’d rather die and get it over with!” 

With a cold smirk, Kazama unleashed an even more powerful Fūton, charging straight at Kujaku. 

“Fūton: Senpūzan!” (Wind Release: Whirlwind Slash) 

“What?! You can use my ninjutsu?!” 

Senpūzan was a Fūton exclusive to Kujaku’s twin sword ninja tools, so her shock was understandable. 

“Fūton: Kaze Hanten!” (Wind Release: Wind Reversal) 

Kujaku immediately tried to deflect Kazama’s technique. 

But Kazama’s jutsu wasn’t your average Fūton—it was infused with the power of his Strange Flame. 

Not only did Kujaku’s Kaze Hanten fail to work, but it was burned to nothing by the flame within. 

Boom! With Kujaku’s defeat, Kazama’s body instantly turned into a wooden humanoid figure. 

“He took out a powerful enemy with just a clone? And so effortlessly?” 

Temari and Shikamaru exchanged stunned glances. 

They were completely floored by Kazama’s overwhelming power. 

Meanwhile, the remaining three of the Four Heavenly Beings had finally completed their revival ritual. 

The revived Seimei, the founder of the Artisan Village, was now equipped with Kujaku’s twin swords, the Dragon Eye Telescopic Sword, and the Infinite Armor. 

In his hand, he held the divine artifact Kazama had been dreaming of: the Fentenkyū. 

Seimei’s strength was now unprecedented. 

Even Gaara, the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, was being pummeled without a chance to fight back. 

“Gaara, a monster like you is just a waste of space. I’ll be taking the One-Tail inside you!” 

Seimei declared, drawing the Fentenkyū to finish Gaara off and absorb the power of Shukaku, the One-Tail. 

“Guess this is the end for me.” 

Facing the overwhelming flames, Gaara closed his eyes in despair. 

“That’s right, trash like you can only wait to die, haha!” 

“What?!” 

Seimei’s maniacal laughter came to an abrupt halt. 

A red skeletal frame had appeared before him. 

Not only did it block the flames of the Fentenkyū, but it also enveloped Gaara, shielding him. 

“As expected of the divine Fentenkyū! It’s even left scars all over my Susanoo.” 

“You showed up just in time!” 

Gaara felt that if Kazama had arrived even a second later, he’d be on his way to the afterlife. 

“Sorry! But a hero’s entrance is always a little late, right?” 

“Hmph! A nobody like you dares call himself a hero?” 

Seimei noticed that while Kazama’s Susanoo blocked the Fentenkyū’s flames, it was riddled with holes. 

Assuming Kazama’s strength was nothing special, Seimei mocked him. 

“Kid, since you’re begging for death, don’t blame me. Under my Fentenkyū, no living thing can escape!” 

“Oh, really? I’d love to test that.” 

“Fine, today I’ll open your eyes, you little punk—but the price is your life!” 

With that, Seimei drew the Fentenkyū once more. 

Chapter 87: Collecting All Six Sacred Weapons  

The Tengan Rekka (Heavenly Flame) contained within the Futen Kyū (Heaven-Burning Bow) was clearly far more powerful than anything Kazama had encountered before.  

“Crap! Get out of here, don’t worry about me!”  

Gaara, sensing the extraordinary power of the Futen Kyū, shouted urgently at Kazama standing in front of him.  

“Relax. No jutsu can stand up to my Susanoo!”  

“You dare call my jutsu trash? I’ll turn you into trash!”  

With Seimei’s furious roar, the Futen Rekka came crashing down.  

But Kazama’s perfect-form Susanoo materialized in an instant.  

Its surface was coated with layers of Ika (Otherworldly Flame).  

Just when Seimei thought his invincible Futen Rekka would burn Kazama to nothing, he saw something unbelievable—his flames were consumed and reduced to nothing by the Ika enveloping Kazama’s Susanoo.  

Flames burning flames to ash? Even Seimei, the founder of the Craftsman Village, was utterly shocked by the sight.  

“Impossible! I’m the great founder of the Craftsman Village! How could I fail to kill a nobody like you? In my eyes, you’re nothing but trash!”  

Though he knew Kazama’s strength was immense and unfazed by the Futen Kyū, Seimei seemed to lose his mind, relentlessly attacking Kazama’s perfect Susanoo.  

“You can keep attacking, but I’d appreciate it if you kept your mouth clean!”  

Kazama despised being called a “nobody,” and Seimei just wouldn’t stop throwing the insult around.  

“Clean? Screw that! You worthless punk, what gives you the right to tell me how to talk? I’m the founder of the Craftsman Village! I was building this place before you were even born! Eat dirt!”  

Kazama never would’ve guessed that Seimei, the so-called founder, cursed like a street thug. He seriously wondered if Seimei had been some kind of gangster in his past life.  

Seeing Seimei’s reckless defiance, Kazama had his Susanoo use the Gyokukyo Hyōkyō (Imperial Void Ice Mirror) to reflect the Futen Kyū’s Tengan Rekka back onto Seimei.  

The flames scorched Seimei, leaving him screaming in agony.  

Kazama leaped forward and snatched the Futen Kyū into his hands.  

“Now that you’ve lost your trump card, the Futen Kyū, tell me—who’s the real trash?”  

“Haha! You little nobody, you think stealing the Futen Kyū means you can use it? Let me tell you, the Futen Kyū is a sacred weapon! Without massive chakra, it’s useless. A weakling like you trying to wield it? Keep dreaming! If you can even draw that bow once, I’ll swim in a cesspool!”  

“Oh, you’re definitely swimming then!”  

Kazama gripped the bow with both hands and effortlessly pulled it into a full crescent shape.  

“How is this possible?! This is the sacred Futen Kyū! It takes an insane amount of chakra to draw it! How can a nobody like you do it?!”  

Seeing the Futen Kyū in Kazama’s hands radiating even greater power than when he’d used it, Seimei stumbled back in shock, sweat pouring down his face.  

In front of Kazama’s infinite chakra, a single Futen Kyū was nothing. He could draw ten thousand of them with ease.  

“Since you’re already dead, you should stay that way and rest in peace!”  

With Kazama’s furious shout, thousands of Tengan Rekka flames engulfed Seimei, reducing him to nothing.  

Poor Seimei had just been revived, only to be cut down by Kazama again.  

“Kazama, you’re way stronger than you were during the Chūnin Exams…”  

With Seimei defeated, Gaara let out a sigh of relief.  

He started to praise Kazama, but before he could finish, Kazama turned and left without a word.  

“What the—?!”  

Gaara stood there, feeling incredibly awkward.  

Kazama’s sudden departure was because he was eager to fuse with the Futen Kyū.  

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Kazama’s three-headed, six-armed perfect Susanoo was now equipped with six ridiculously overpowered sacred weapons:  

Two Susanoo no Ken (Susanoo Swords) that could cleave mountains and split stones.  

A Kusanagi no Tsurugi that could extend infinitely.  

A Samehada that could absorb chakra.  

The Gyokukyo Hyōkyō, capable of reflecting any attack in existence.  

And the Futen Kyū, which could incinerate all things under the heavens.  

With the six sacred weapons united, the once crimson Susanoo now shimmered with golden light.  

Like a golden titan standing between heaven and earth, it exuded an aura that could swallow mountains and rivers.  

At that moment, Kazama suddenly felt a pulse from the Enraku Shin’en (Falling Heart Flame) within his body.  

“Not good! Yugito must be facing Akatsuki!”  

Kazama immediately used Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) and raced toward Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning.  

Back when he’d set out to thwart Akatsuki’s plan to collect the Tailed Beasts, he’d given Yugito Nii a wisp of the Enraku Shin’en to use in a crisis.  

Now that the Enraku Shin’en in his body was reacting, it meant Yugito was under attack by Akatsuki and in grave danger.  

Otherwise, as the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, she wouldn’t be defeated so easily.  

No one but Akatsuki could have that kind of power. 

Chapter 88: Crushing the Immortal Duo  

“The Two-Tails Jinchūriki using Katon? That’s a rare sight!” 

At this moment, Kakuzu had the unconscious Yugito Nii slung over his shoulder. 

“What’s scarier is that this flame is some nameless fire, born from the heart. Cost you a heart, didn’t it? Haha!” 

Hidan mocked Kakuzu with a laugh. 

“Jerk! If that nameless fire had hit you, let’s see what you’d do!” 

Hidan fell silent at Kakuzu’s retort. 

The “nameless fire” Yugito had unleashed was actually a trace of Enraku Shin’en (Fallen Heart Flame) given to her by Kazama. 

At the time, Yugito was on the verge of defeat and had tried to use Enraku Shin’en to take down her enemies. 

Unfortunately, she targeted Kakuzu, who happened to have five hearts in his body. 

Those hearts could even detach and act independently, allowing Kakuzu to dodge what could’ve been a fatal blow. 

In truth, this mission to capture the Two-Tails wasn’t planned. 

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Kakuzu and Hidan. 

While hunting for bounty targets in the Land of Lightning’s black market, they stumbled across Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, alone. 

Seizing the opportunity, they captured her. Itachi wasn’t aware of this mission, so he hadn’t tipped off Kazama in advance. 

“I heard there’s a kid in Konoha named Sanada Kazama. He’s been making waves lately, supposedly pretty strong. Maybe on our way back, you can snag his heart.” 

“Hmph! No matter how famous he is, he’s just a kid. Not worth my time!” 

“Underestimate me, and you’ll end up dead!” 

At that moment, a figure appeared before Kakuzu and Hidan. 

“You? Are you that Sanada Kazama kid?!” 

Kakuzu was startled that someone could appear so silently in front of them. 

He immediately sized Kazama up. 

“Kakuzu, your new heart just showed up. Take your time—I’ll chill over here!” 

To Hidan, no matter how famous Kazama was, anyone who faced them was as good as dead. 

“You guys!” 

Seeing Yugito, bloodied and barely clinging to life on Kakuzu’s shoulder, Kazama’s rage boiled over. 

His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan seemed to pulse with his fury. 

In the pitch-black night, his eyes glowed a vivid scarlet. 

“No wonder Hidan says you’re famous. So, you’ve got the Mangekyō Sharingan. That makes you just barely worthy of having your heart taken!” 

Kakuzu said, setting the barely conscious Yugito down. 

“You two aren’t even worth my effort. The best way to deal with you is to make you kill each other!” 

“Haha! Kid, did a donkey kick your brain or something? You’re saying we’ll kill each other?” 

Hidan burst into wild laughter at Kazama’s words. 

“Kid! Mangekyō Sharingan genjutsu doesn’t work on us!” 

“Hidan! Kill Kakuzu!” 

Just as Kakuzu was boasting that they were immune to Mangekyō Sharingan genjutsu, Kazama turned his gaze to Hidan. 

At Kazama’s command, Hidan instantly grabbed his Bloody March Scythe and charged at Kakuzu. 

“Idiot! You actually fell for this kid’s genjutsu?!” 

Kakuzu, who’d just bragged that they’d never fall for genjutsu, watched in disbelief as Hidan, caught in Kazama’s illusion, came swinging at him. 

Talk about getting slapped in the face at light speed. 

Chapter 89: Acquiring the Flying Thunder God Technique  

“I don’t know what’s going on, but right now, I just wanna kill you, haha!”  

In Hidan’s eyes, Kakuzu had become his prime target.  

“Genjutsu, release!”  

Kakuzu dodged frantically while trying to break Hidan’s genjutsu, but it was no use.  

“This technique is called Beppu Tennin (Another God). From now on, Hidan is my puppet!”  

“The ultimate genjutsu?”  

Kakuzu’s heart skipped a beat at Kazama’s words.  

He’d heard of the legendary Beppu Tennin before.  

But he never imagined it would be as terrifying as the rumors claimed.  

Without any warning, Hidan had fallen under its spell.  

“Even if it’s the ultimate genjutsu, if I take out the caster, the technique should lose its effect, right?”  

“Give it a shot.”  

“Damn it! You dare underestimate me?!”  

Kakuzu used Doton (Earth Release) to block Hidan’s attack, then charged straight at Kazama.  

“Fūton: Atsugai (Wind Release: Pressure Damage)!” 

“Raiton: Gian (Lightning Release: False Darkness)!” 

“Katon: Zukokku (Fire Release: Head Engraving)!” 

“Suiton: Suimudan (Water Release: Water Curtain)!”  

Knowing Kazama was no pushover, Kakuzu unleashed his strongest trump cards right off the bat.  

“Hmph! Under the combo of my four ninjutsu, even the God of Shinobi would fall!”  

Ding! Successfully absorbed Fūton, Raiton, Katon, and Suiton!  

Ding! Congratulations, host, for acquiring Fūton: Tatsumaki Gufū (Wind Release: Tornado Hurricane), Raiton: Retten Raiso (Lightning Release: Sky-Splitting Thunder Snake), Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku (Fire Release: Majestic Fire Annihilation), and Suiton: Bakusui Shōha (Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave)!  

“You… you’re completely fine?!”  

Kakuzu had been certain Kazama would die, but as the attacks dissipated, Kazama stood unscathed.  

His jaw dropped in disbelief.  

What shocked him even more was that Kazama hadn’t even moved a single step.  

Seeing his trump cards not only fail to harm Kazama but get entirely absorbed, even a cold-blooded killer like Kakuzu felt a twinge of fear.  

“You don’t have time to be scared!”  

The moment Kazama spoke, Hidan’s attack pierced through Kakuzu’s body.  

“Haha! Finally got your blood!”  

Hidan began forming hand seals.  

Kakuzu knew exactly what those seals meant and rushed to stop him.  

But it was too late.  

“Cursed Ritual: Spear Rebound!”  

With Hidan’s maniacal laugh, a pitch-black spear pierced his own heart.  

The rebound damage hit Kakuzu instead.  

Hidan’s move destroyed Kakuzu’s second heart.  

“Hmph! Kid, you really think controlling Hidan can kill me? Let me tell you, I’m not like you—I’ve got five hearts!”  

“Too bad you’re down to three now!”  

“Three’s more than enough to take you out! I fought the First Hokage himself! What right does a nobody like you have to kill me?!”  

Kakuzu unleashed his Jiongu (Earth Grudge Fear) technique, turning his three remaining hearts into separate entities to attack Kazama again.  

“You threw a kunai from 800 miles away and call that fighting the First Hokage? The next technique is for your three hearts—and I’ll throw in an extra one for free!”  

“Fūton: Tatsumaki Gufū!” 

“Raiton: Retten Raiso!” 

“Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!” 

“Suiton: Bakusui Shōha!”  

With Kazama’s four elemental ninjutsu unleashed, Kakuzu’s three remaining hearts and his main body were instantly overwhelmed.  

Even Hidan, with his immortal body, was blasted to bits alongside him.  

Ding! Congratulations, host, for consecutively using Wind, Lightning, Water, and Fire ninjutsu. You have been rewarded with Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)!  

“Hiraishin no Jutsu! Awesome! With this, I can be anywhere in an instant, even a thousand miles away!”  

Kazama began using Yōhi (Yang Fire) to heal Yugito’s injuries.  

“Show yourself!”  

But at that moment, thanks to his superhuman perception, Kazama suddenly sensed someone else hiding nearby. 

Chapter 90: Rejecting the Akatsuki’s Invitation  

At that moment, the gleaming golden hand of Susanoo reached down and yanked someone out from beneath the ground. 

“Zetsu!” 

Seeing that it was the instigator of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kazama’s heart skipped a beat. 

Black Zetsu was a manifestation of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki’s will. 

Since the time of the Sage of the Six Paths, it had sparked the conflict between Asura and Indra. 

Later, it manipulated Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama into their fateful battle at the Valley of the End. 

Its goal? To sow chaos in the ninja world, gather the nine Tailed Beasts, and revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. 

White Zetsu, on the other hand, was formed from those who fell under the Infinite Tsukuyomi in ancient times. 

“As expected of Konoha’s genius. You actually sensed my presence!” 

Though caught by Kazama, Zetsu showed no trace of panic, as if it could slip away at any moment. 

“What would happen if I used Betsutenshi to control Zetsu?” 

With that thought, Kazama immediately unleashed his strongest genjutsu, Betsutenshi, on both Black and White Zetsu. 

To his surprise, Betsutenshi had no effect on them whatsoever. 

“Kid, I don’t know what you tried with those Mangekyō Sharingan, but we’re not bound by such eye techniques. Save your energy!” 

“As expected of something born from Ōtsutsuki. Even Betsutenshi can’t control it.” 

Realizing this, Kazama prepared to kill Black Zetsu to prevent the Fourth Great Ninja War. 

“Kid, you killed our Akatsuki members Kakuzu and Hidan. By all rights, you should be dead. But I see your strength and your ability to absorb attacks. Join the Akatsuki and hand over the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.” 

“Hmph!” 

Kazama let out a cold smirk at Black Zetsu’s words. 

“Join the Akatsuki? Not a chance. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki stays with me, and your life is mine!” 

As soon as he spoke, the giant Susanoo hand crushed White and Black Zetsu into pieces. 

“Kid, you’re nowhere near strong enough to kill me. We’ll meet again!” 

The shattered Black Zetsu instantly burrowed into the ground, while White Zetsu died on the spot. 

“To escape my Susanoo? Impressive.” 

Kazama knew Black Zetsu was a creation of Ōtsutsuki’s will, nearly impossible to kill without the power of the Six Paths, so he let it go for now. 

But he wasn’t careless. While grabbing Black Zetsu, he had planted a Hiraishin seal on it. 

Once he gained the power of the Six Paths, he could easily track Black Zetsu and finish it off. 

Kazama collected White Zetsu’s remains, planning to give them to Orochimaru for research. 

After all, White Zetsu was a relic of ancient times. 

Who knows? Orochimaru might actually uncover the secret to immortality from it. 

By now, Kazama’s Yōhi power had healed Yugito’s injuries. 

However, her severe wounds had taken a mental toll, leaving her unconscious. 

Kazama quickly brought Yugito to the Hidden Cloud Village, delivering her to the Fourth Raikage. 

He also left behind a kunai marked with his Hiraishin seal. 

“Thank you, Kazama, for stepping in to help!” 

The Fourth Raikage was deeply moved. 

He and Kazama had only met once before. 

Yet Kazama had traveled far to save a ninja from his village. 

Even he, the Raikage, hadn’t known about Yugito’s attack. 

But Kazama, all the way from Konoha, not only knew but arrived in time to rescue her. 

The Raikage secretly suspected Kazama had a thing for Yugito. Why else would he go to such lengths? 

Watching Kazama leave, the Raikage chuckled again. “Even heroes fall for beauties. If Kazama’s got feelings for Yugito, the Hidden Cloud will rise above all others!” 

At this point, the Raikage was practically playing matchmaker, constantly scheming to pair Kazama with Yugito. 

“Kakuzu and Hidan are dead!” 

“What?!” 

Black Zetsu, having escaped Kazama, reported the news to Pain. 

Pain and the other Akatsuki members were utterly shocked. 

They all knew how formidable Kakuzu and Hidan were. 

For two immortals to be killed? 

Everyone was suddenly very curious about the one responsible.