41-45

*Chapter 41: Turning a Corner and Finding Love – Kakuzu: Hello.*

“I’m going to kill you!”

Hidan erupted in impotent rage, as he really couldn’t walk on water or trees.

Seeing this, Shinon, who had been quietly spectating as a bystander, narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly:

“I don’t need to fight. I can carry him down.”

Shinji glanced over skeptically, thinking to himself that if the old man could carry Hidan down, he could probably carry him through a marathon without breaking a sweat.

However, letting Shinon carry Hidan down would be like sending meat buns to a dog. This guy already had his eyes on Hidan, looking for something to exploit. Although he acted all honest and innocent, just watching from the sidelines, giving him free rein might lead to unpredictable outcomes.

“Let’s scout the area first,” Shinji said, shaking his head and pointing at the city wall clinging to the cliff below.

Then he turned his head to Hidan:

“And Hidan, be ready to stay here if necessary.”

Hidan said nothing, but Terumi Mei nodded and reminded him:

“Then we’ll count on you, Shinji.”

“From here, there’s a tree halfway down the cliff. Hide there. With your Sharingan, you should be able to observe the defenses on the city wall. Record the situation every 15 minutes. After three rounds, we’ll move out.”

“There’s not much time. Dawn is coming.”

With that, Terumi Mei removed her ninja tool pouch from her slim waist and tossed it over.

“I’m not a ninja specializing in shuriken techniques, so my tool supply is limited—just three kunai, ten shuriken, and two explosive tags.”

“That’s enough.”

Catching it in one hand, Shinji weighed the pouch briefly and instantly gauged its contents. He slung it behind his waist.

Standing at the cliff’s edge, he looked down, estimating the nearly 400-meter drop.

The wind blowing up from the bottom ruffled Shinji’s bangs. Mist lingered in the shadow of the mountain wall, like the gaping maw of a hidden abyss.

He smiled, then leaped off in front of the three onlookers.

*Whoosh!*

Falling rapidly, Shinji activated his Sharingan mid-air and quickly spotted the tree Terumi Mei had mentioned.

Pulling a bandage from his body, he folded it and tied it to the end of a kunai before throwing it downward.

The kunai, along with the bandage, wrapped around the tree trunk. Gripping the bandage, Shinji swung and shifted his descent, landing lightly on the tree.

He then carefully observed the city wall below, which was now clearly visible.

As Hidan had said, the castle’s defenses were tight.

The night passed quietly, and after 30 minutes, Shinji climbed back up the cliff.

Compared to running up the cliff with chakra, climbing saved much more energy.

As soon as Shinji’s head appeared over the edge, Terumi Mei’s tense face turned toward him.

“How is it?” she asked.

“Reporting, Captain,” Shinji said with a grin, summarizing the intelligence he had gathered.

“It’s a bunch of nobodies, no big deal. Six of them have chakra reactions, all Genin-level. They’re patrolling in two shifts.”

“Most of them are guarding the underground cave entrance, with two stationed on the wall.”

Climbing over the edge, Shinji analyzed the situation:

“If we take out one guard, we’ll have at least ten minutes to rush underground, and then—”

But before he could finish, Shinji froze mid-sentence, his gaze shifting past Terumi Mei to the space behind her.

Through his Sharingan, he saw something terrifying.

In the darkness, a massive chakra signature—so overwhelming it was almost suffocating—was slowly approaching.

“What happens then?” Terumi Mei asked, frowning.

Shinji suddenly felt his mouth go dry. Pressing his lips together, his expression grew more serious.

“Well... let’s just say I saw a big crocodile.”

“A crocodile?” Terumi Mei blinked, thinking, Is this guy really scared of seafood?  

She rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t be afraid, Shinji. Honestly, the crocodile is probably more scared of you.”

“Tch.” Shinji clicked his tongue, his hand quietly moving to the ninja tool pouch at his waist.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that…”

Seeing Shinji’s actions, the other three tensed and turned their heads to follow his gaze into the dense darkness behind them.

In the moonlight, the steady sound of footsteps began to emerge from the forest beyond the cliff.

From the shadows appeared a tall figure wearing the rogue ninja forehead protector of the Hidden Waterfall Village, a black mask, and a long black cloak. His ghostly green eyes gleamed as he slowly approached.

Shinji’s heart sank when he saw the man’s appearance.

This was no ordinary opponent.

It was Kakuzu, the master of the forbidden technique “Earth Grudge Fear,” a future member of the Akatsuki organization, its treasurer, and currently a top enforcer for the underground bounty network.

An elite ninja of Kage-level strength.

*Step, step—*

The crunch of his footsteps crushed the sand beneath him, kicking up a faint cloud of dust.

Kakuzu’s cold, indifferent eyes scanned the four of them. His gaze lingered momentarily on Shinon before shifting to Hidan at the back of the group.

“I’ve been looking for you for a while. I didn’t expect you all to come back on your own,” Kakuzu said as he approached, his tone icy and calm.

In a low mutter, he said:

"Tch, what a bother."

"This money isn’t enough. I’ll make them pay more when I get back."

After saying that, Kakuzu suddenly stepped forward, his gaze icy cold. He said in a deep voice:

"Hand over the child behind you."

"Otherwise, die."

As soon as his words fell, a terrifying and overwhelming killing intent erupted from Kakuzu’s body!

Under this suffocating pressure, both Shinji and Mei Terumi couldn’t help but shuffle backward, their feet grinding against the ground.

As for the still-young Hidan, when faced with his future "best partner,"

his pupils shrank to the extreme, and his body started trembling uncontrollably. Without even realizing it, he stumbled back several steps.

It wasn’t until his foot hit the edge of the cliff that he snapped out of it.

"W-Who is this guy?!"

Hidan’s face was filled with fear.

He had never encountered a fighter of this caliber before. To think that sheer killing intent alone could overwhelm someone to the point of losing consciousness and trembling all over.

On the other hand, Shinon stood completely still, unfazed. Kakuzu’s killing intent passed over him as if it were nothing more than a gentle breeze.

However, he still backed away—taking seven or eight steps, distancing himself far from the three-member team.

His stance was clear: You all can fight, I’m just here to watch.

"S-rank rogue ninja from Takigakure, one of the top bounty hunters in the ninja world—Kakuzu."

Mei Terumi’s pupils contracted sharply, recognizing him immediately.

She drew a kunai from the strap around her pants leg, her hands already forming the Serpent Seal, fully prepared for battle.

Shinji stared gravely at Kakuzu, who had come for Hidan, his heart filled with disbelief.

The butterfly effect he had caused was now stirring up a storm!

The duo originally known as the "Immortal Pair" had turned against each other at this moment.

And now, Shinji was actually about to fight Kakuzu in order to protect Hidan’s brain?!

Am I playing Plants vs. Zombies here?!

After a moment of shock, Shinji quickly turned his head, his gaze sharp as he pointed toward the cliff. He shouted at Hidan:

"Hidan, jump!"

"What did you just say?!"

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 42: The Team’s First Battle! The Pressure of a Kage-Level Fighter!

Hidan was utterly shocked, his head snapping up to look at Shinji in disbelief.

What the hell, dude? Did you just toss our bond to the dogs or something?!  

Below them was a goddamn 400-meter cliff!

And you're telling me to jump off just like that?!

Before Hidan’s expression could change further, Shinji’s eyes hardened.

Without a word, he raised his leg and kicked Hidan squarely in the backside, sending him tumbling off the edge of the cliff!

“You bastard, Shinji! I’ll *** you! ***!! Beep! Beep!”

Hidan clutched his rear and cursed up a storm as he plummeted down the cliff, the sound of his voice fading until there was silence.

Only then did Shinji turn back, meeting Terumi Mei’s dumbfounded yet impressed gaze.

He turned to Kakuzu with a brilliant smile.

“Well, Mr. Kakuzu, as you can see, the guy’s gone.”

“Your mission is complete.”

“Honestly, I brought that brat here because I planned to kill him anyway.”

“Since our goals aligned, I didn’t mind lending you a hand.”

Shinji paused, spreading his arms wide.

“See? We’ve got no grudges, no beef. Now that it’s all sorted out, how about we pretend this meeting never happened and go our separate ways?”

Kakuzu, momentarily stunned by Shinji’s outrageous actions, finally came to his senses.

When Hidan had fallen off the cliff, even Kakuzu’s eerie green eyes had widened slightly. He stared at Shinji for a moment, his thoughts racing.

What’s this guy’s deal? What did that brat ever do to him?  

That kick was way too decisive!  

But Kakuzu’s expression quickly darkened after hearing Shinji’s words. Clouds of anger and frustration shadowed his face.

“Who the hell told you to interfere?” Kakuzu’s teeth ground together, his gaze icy and sharp.

“My mission was to bring that brat back alive!”

“What?!”

Hearing this, Shinji’s brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of malice flashing in his eyes.

But outwardly, he trembled, his face turning pale.

He shivered and waved his hands frantically in explanation.

“I-I swear I didn’t know! Sir, you see... he’s already dead...”

(つд⊂)

However, Kakuzu, having lost a hefty payday for no reason, was too furious to listen.

Raising his right hand, his eyes gleamed with a cold and deadly light.

“Then you’ll die in his place!”

With those words, Kakuzu’s hand began to unravel. Threads of dense, black fibers emerged from the seams.

He twisted his body, stepping back, and then whipped his arm forward with immense force!

Swish!  

His right hand shot out, extending rapidly and closing the ten-meter gap in an instant, aiming straight for Shinji.

This was the Earth Grudge Fear technique—a secret jutsu.

The technique allowed Kakuzu to manipulate his own body, using the black threads to extend his life and attack enemies with deadly precision.

The threads could even stitch together human blood vessels and chakra pathways with unnerving delicacy.

As the hand came hurtling toward him, Shinji couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

If I had that kind of ability, I wouldn’t need to spend a fortune on ridiculously overpriced ninja tools anymore.  

Still, as the hand closed in, Shinji’s eyes narrowed.

If it’s a contest of string techniques, I’m the real expert here!  

With a swift motion, he drew a kunai from behind his back.

In that same instant, his black pupils turned crimson, transforming into Sharingan.

“What are you standing there for?!”

Beside him, Terumi Mei frowned as she saw Shinji standing motionless. She pivoted sharply on her heel, hurling a water blade she had already prepared.

Swish!  

The Water Release: Water Fang Blade arced through the air, slicing toward the tendrils connecting Kakuzu’s hand to his body.

The spiraling pressure of the blade sliced into the threads, spraying fine droplets of water everywhere.

However, it only managed to sever a few strands before they were quickly replaced by more threads surging to reinforce the connection.

As the water blade dissipated back into droplets and fell uselessly to the ground, Terumi Mei’s gaze hardened.

“These threads... they’re so tough that even the Water Fang Blade can’t cut through them.”

“There’s no choice. I’ll have to use that technique!”

She took a defensive stance in front of Shinji, her feet digging into the ground shoulder-width apart.

Then, forming a series of hand seals—Dog → Boar → Tiger → Ox → Rat → Rooster—she exhaled deeply.

“Lava Release: Acidic Mud Technique!”

Terumi Mei pressed her fingertips together, forming the rooster seal, and took a deep breath before her lips parted to unleash the jutsu.

---

A substance resembling lava, with terrifyingly high temperatures capable of dissolving even Susano'o,

spewed forth from Mei Terumi's mouth!

"Huh? What is that?!"

Kakuzu's pupils narrowed slightly. Seeing the strange substance Mei Terumi had unleashed, he instinctively felt a sense of dread.

He immediately extended a portion of his Earth Grudge Fear tendrils to block it, preventing the corrosive Lava Release from destroying his outstretched hand.

As the lava splattered onto the tendrils, it burned through them effortlessly, melting them away like they were nothing.

Sizzle, sizzle—  

The scene resembled hot oil pouring over cheese, with steam and smoke rising into the air!

Retracting his hand, Kakuzu's eyes narrowed further, his expression becoming more serious. His gaze shifted between Shinji and Mei Terumi, as though reevaluating their worth, before he nodded slightly.

"The Sharingan and Lava Release Kekkei Genkai... not bad. You might actually compensate for some of my losses."

"I'll try to keep your corpses intact."

"So, rest in peace."

As soon as he finished speaking, a line of text appeared in front of Shinji:

*[Kakuzu thinks you're worth a little money.]*

Hearing Kakuzu's dismissive words, Mei Terumi's face turned icy.

She immediately retorted in a cold voice:

"Your tendrils are useless against me!"

"If you keep pushing, I will kill you!"

Kakuzu shook his head slightly, his cold green eyes staring indifferently at the two of them.

He cracked his neck, and his black cloak stirred ominously. Then, he asked in a calm tone:

"And how do you plan to deal with this?"

With that, Kakuzu spread his arms and pulled open his cloak, revealing a blue-striped bird mask on his chest.

The mask opened its pitch-black mouth,

and everything around them—grass, insects, rocks—was sucked inside, compressed into a screeching, swirling mass of wind!

Boom!  

A piercing screech tore through the air!

*Wind Release: Pressure Damage!*

This jutsu, said to be the strongest Wind Release technique in its conventional form across the Naruto series, made its debut before the duo.

Under the cutting power of the wind bullets fired by Pressure Damage,

the river of molten lava from Mei Terumi's Lava Release was instantly overwhelmed and pierced through!

The wind projectile not only blasted through the magma but narrowly missed Mei Terumi, flying past her ear at incredible speed, before continuing for another 500 meters.

It crashed violently into the mountain across from them!

Boom!  

A storm of wind and debris erupted!

Massive chunks of rock fell,

and the anguished screams of refugees from the Land of Hot Water echoed from below.

The chaos ignited the stillness of the night in an instant!

Mei Terumi's eyes widened in shock, her face frozen. Her mind went blank as blood trickled slowly from her ears, ruptured by the sonic boom.

"Ah, I almost killed you outright. Too weak... I suppose I’ll try something else," Kakuzu muttered, exhaling. He frowned slightly as if troubled.

Clapping his hands together,

the bird mask on his chest climbed up to his shoulders, shifting to reveal a yellow-striped dog mask.

Kakuzu began to walk toward the duo at a slow, deliberate pace.

Step, step.  

His feet crushed dust, rubble, and fragments of the dissolved earth beneath him. The destruction extended even to Mei Terumi’s once-proud composure, shrouding her in a haze of despair.

The next moment—

Countless tendrils from Earth Grudge Fear surged from Kakuzu’s back, forming eight massive black threads!

They coiled like eight pitch-black serpents.

Kakuzu’s cold, detached voice fell like a hammer as he announced the name of his technique:

*"Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear Mode!"*

Sweat trickled down Mei Terumi’s forehead as she looked up in horror.

---

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 43: Gold Release – The Art of Being Super Rich!*

Terumi Mei tilted her head back,

staring at Kakuzu’s icy cold expression, the eight massive black spears behind him, and the countless dark tendrils gradually filling her vision.

The sky suddenly darkened, until even the glow of the full moon was swallowed up.

In the next instant,

the killing intent surged! In the blink of an eye, thousands upon thousands of tendrils came crashing down like a violent tide!

It seemed as though they would completely engulf and shred the two of them!

“We’re going to die! We’re going to die! We’re going to die!”

Looking at the terrifying scene before her, Terumi Mei’s eyes widened in disbelief. She frantically scanned every corner with her gaze, her body drenched in cold sweat, but she couldn’t find a single way to escape.

In front of her were the tendrils, behind her was a cliff.

Although she could suppress the black tendrils with her *Lava Release: Dissolving Monster Technique*, the sheer number of tendrils and their relentless regeneration made it clear that even if she exhausted all her chakra, she wouldn’t last long.

And these tendrils weren’t the real issue!

No matter how many she melted, it wouldn’t solve anything!

The real problem was the S-rank rogue ninja who had summoned them—Kakuzu!

The masks on his body seemed to act as extensions of himself, allowing him to unleash incredibly powerful jutsu without hand signs.

That blue bird-head mask represented *Wind Release: Pressure Damage*, a top-tier Wind Release technique. So what about the yellow dog-head mask on his chest?

Earth Release? Or something else?

How many masks does he have?

Do these masks only release jutsu, or do they have other abilities too?

This is bad. This is bad. This is really bad.

A profound sense of fear churned in Terumi Mei’s heart.

She looked at the tendrils closing in and felt utterly hopeless. Even her hands forming hand signs were trembling, and she nearly caused a chakra backlash due to a misstep.

After all, Terumi Mei was, at this point, just a young girl the same age as Shinji, exceptionally talented but far from being the future Fifth Mizukage who would later reign over the "Bloody Mist."

Seeing Terumi Mei frozen in fear, Shinji, who had been standing behind her, stepped forward. He placed a protective hand on her shoulder, pulling her behind him with a righteous expression.

“A real man always makes his entrance at the last moment. Leave this to me!”

ᕦ(✧╭╮✧)ᕥ

“What did you just say?” Terumi Mei stared at him in shock. “Could he be a hidden master? Has he been pretending to be weak this whole time?”

But she immediately recalled how he had almost been killed by three cultists from the Jashin cult not long ago.

Her face twisted in disbelief as she grabbed Shinji by the waistband, trying to drag him back, her urgency so strong she nearly kicked him.

“Run! You’re no match for him!”

Shinji merely smirked with disdain. Silly girl, you don’t understand what it means to be a true hero descending from the heavens.  

With that thought,

facing the raging tide of tendrils, Shinji showed no fear. He swiftly raised his hand, revealing a bankbook, and declared with supreme confidence:

“I! Have! Money!”

乁ʕ •̀ ۝ •́ ʔㄏ

Terumi Mei’s breath caught, her heart filled with disbelief.

Are you seriously trying to bribe one of the coldest, most ruthless bounty hunters in the ninja world?

Do you not realize this man makes more from a single mission than you’ll earn in your entire life?  

How could Kakuzu possibly care about your little bit of money? What a joke!  

Terumi Mei couldn’t help but rant internally. She wished she could shove Shinji’s head into his pants to shut him up and carry him off to escape.

But just as Shinji’s bold declaration echoed—

Whoosh—  

In an instant,

the wind stopped, the waves calmed, and an eerie silence fell over the area.

The surging tendrils suddenly froze, revealing Kakuzu behind them. His eerie green eyes locked onto Shinji,

his tone gradually becoming cautious, even slightly deferential. The corners of his mouth, barely visible beneath his black mask, twitched upward as he coldly asked:

“How much?”

( =①ω①=)

Terumi Mei’s breath hitched again. She almost choked on the air in her lungs, barely suppressing a coughing fit.

She stared at Kakuzu in utter disbelief, her shock no less intense than when Shinji had pulled out the bankbook to bribe him.

Kakuzu, you’re an S-rank rogue ninja and Kage-level powerhouse. Where’s your dignity?  

And now you’re seriously asking how much money he’s offering?  

Is it them who are crazy, or is it me?  

For a moment, Terumi Mei felt like she didn’t understand the world anymore.

The suffocating tension lifted in an instant.

Shinji grinned widely, laughing to himself. Of course, he wouldn’t admit he was broke—that his seven-figure savings had already been spent on ninja tools and explosive tags, leaving him with nothing but bandages and underwear.

Instead, he struck a proud and disdainful pose, raising his eyebrows as he looked down at Kakuzu, asking slowly:

“Kakuzu, have you heard of the Gold Release: The Art of Being Super Rich?”

Hearing the words "Gold" and "Super Rich," Kakuzu’s eyes widened slightly with curiosity. He couldn’t help but ask eagerly,

“What kind of Kekkei Genkai is that?”

Shinji smirked smugly and replied with a calm, confident air:

“The so-called Gold Release is the art of using money to pave your way. It’s the ultimate power that can solve 99% of life’s problems!”

"Although I may not be very talented, as a member of the immensely wealthy Uchiha clan, I have some insights into this matter."

"Just last year, the clan assigned me the deed to a piece of land in the core business district of Konoha, valued at over a million."

"Now, all my money is in this small account book, including my real estate, shops, and various fixed assets."

"And you, my friend, Kakuzu-san,"

"You only need to let me live."

Shinji raised the small green account book between his two fingers, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

"All of this will be yours!"

Gulp.  

Kakuzu swallowed hard, his gaze fixated on the account book in Shinji's hand.

He began to imagine—just how much money could be in there?

A million? No, property in Konoha’s core district is worth at least three million at a minimum. Plus, this kid mentioned other assets... If you add everything up—

Eight million? Or maybe even ten million?!

Kakuzu’s breathing quickened. "Th-this... sounds quite appealing."

Hearing this, Terumi Mei looked at Shinji's account book in astonishment.

She wondered if this kid’s hidden identity could be that of the Uchiha clan's eldest son, Uchiha Itachi?

But that couldn’t be right—the age didn’t match. Could he be the illegitimate child of Uchiha Fugaku, the head of Konoha's police force?

However, before Terumi Mei could fully process her thoughts—

Noticing Kakuzu showing a moment of hesitation, Shinji’s eyes sharpened. Twisting his step and mustering all his strength from his waist, he made his move!

With masterful skill in Uchiha-style wire-shuriken techniques, he gripped the account book and hurled it backward with all his might.

The thin account book sliced through the air like a streak of white light,

Tearing through the silence!

Without checking if Kakuzu pursued the account book,

Shinji quickly turned, scooping up Terumi Mei by her slender waist and legs in one swift motion.

With a resolute gaze, he dashed to the cliff’s edge

And leaped fiercely downward!

ε=ε=ε=ε=ε=ε=┌(￣ー￣)┘

---

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 44: Transforming Taijutsu into Gymnastics—Ouch!

What does it feel like to leap off a 400-meter cliff while holding a beautiful girl?

The wind blowing from below lifted Shinji's hair as he squinted against the fierce gusts, his crimson Sharingan darting around, searching desperately for something to slow their descent.

“Wha-wha-wha-wha-what?!”

In his arms, Terumi Mei's face was filled with terror. Instinctively, she grabbed onto whatever she could—one hand pulling at Shinji's face and the other clutching the soft flesh at his waist.

The pull was intense.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Shinji cried out in pain. He quickly freed one hand to pry her fingers off his face.

“Lady, stop flailing around! You're blocking my view!”

“You’re insane, you’re insane, YOU’RE INSANE!” Terumi Mei shrieked, looking at the rapidly approaching ground. Even as ninjas, there was no way they’d survive such an impact.

“Hit the brakes!!!”

“Calm down!” Shinji bellowed. “Listen carefully! When I count to one, I’m throwing you out!”

“Grab onto the cliff wall yourself!”

“If you can’t hold on, just accept your fate!”

Terumi Mei stared at the boy in front of her, forcing herself to remain calm despite the life-or-death situation.

Calm down. Calm down. Stay calm...

Spit! How can I stay calm?!

We’re jumping off a cliff!

Why on earth am I jumping off a cliff with this guy?!

I’ve only known him for less than a day! Even cheesy romance novels don’t have plots this rushed!

While Terumi Mei was mentally cursing, Shinji’s gaze sharpened. He pulled out a kunai and slammed it into the cliff wall.

*Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!*

Rocks flew and dust clouded the air.

Shinji ignored the sting in his eyes, forcing them wide open. The whites of his eyes soon became streaked with blood.

The kunai dragged along the cliff, carving a deep groove and slowing their descent slightly.

Calculating the timing in his mind, Shinji braced himself. When the kunai finally jammed into a crack in the rock, he used all his strength, his muscles straining to the breaking point.

“One!” he shouted, using the anchor point to hurl Terumi Mei upward.

“What?! That’s it?!” Terumi Mei cried out as she found herself flying through the air. Her trajectory brought her to a tree growing out of the cliffside.

The tree trunk was wrapped with bandages, one end tied to a kunai. The other end...

Well, it was tied to Hidan.

Earlier, Shinji had kicked Hidan off the cliff, but somehow, he was still alive, clinging to the bandages and shakily trying to climb up.

Looking up, Hidan saw Terumi Mei flying toward him.

His face twisted in horror, eyes wide. “Are you kidding me?!”

“Stay away from meeeee!!!”

Fortunately, Terumi Mei wasn’t an ordinary ninja. After her initial shock, she quickly regained control, landing lightly on the tree like a nimble cat.

The tree barely swayed under her weight. She even had the presence of mind to extend a hand and pull Hidan up.

Meanwhile, Shinji’s kunai snapped with a loud crack.  

He resumed free-falling at high speed, but seeing his teammates safe, he finally felt a bit of relief. Turning his attention to the rapidly approaching ground, he quickly formed hand seals.

He thrust his hands forward in a move resembling the start of a Kamehameha.

“Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Wave!”

A massive burst of chakra surged from his palms, creating a violent wave of compressed air and ultrasonic force that blasted toward the ground.

*Whoosh!*

The resulting gale swept through the dense forest below, shaking the trees wildly.

Flocks of birds scattered in panic, their wings flapping chaotically.

Using the counterforce of the wind jutsu, Shinji not only slowed his fall but even managed to propel himself upward again.

Next, his Sharingan glowed brilliantly in the night, leaving a crimson streak in the darkness.

Like a professional gymnast, Shinji executed a series of dazzling maneuvers in mid-air—360-degree spins, wide-loop swings, knee-to-hand flips, and back arches—each move more ridiculous than the last.

Finally, with a splat, he embedded himself into the cliffside.

“Ow!”

On the tree, Terumi Mei and Hidan watched the scene unfold. Secretly, they were impressed.

“As expected of an Uchiha. Is this the escape route you meticulously planned?”

“By the way, it’s my first time hearing a cliff scream like that,” Terumi Mei said, stepping off the tree and walking over to where Shinji was stuck.

With some effort, she pried him out of the rock and couldn’t help but click her tongue in admiration.

"Ptui, ptui!" Shinji spat out two small stones and wiped the blood dripping from the cut on his forehead.

He let out a long sigh, then flashed a smug smile at Mei Terumi:

"Piece of cake. Except for the final part where my eyes couldn't quite keep up, I think I deserve a solid 98 out of 100 for the rest!"

He redistributed chakra to the soles of his feet and stood up straight on the sheer cliff face.

Looking down, he immediately saw the twisted, almost sinister-looking face of his younger comrade, Hidan.

"Haha, what the hell, man!"

"You actually have the nerve to laugh?!"

"I almost died because of you! Do you have any idea what would've happened if I hadn't grabbed onto this strap when I fell?!"

Hidan's eyes flared with rage as he waved the strap in Shinji's face. His expression screamed, Look! Look how dangerous that was!  

"This is how you save people?! Are you kidding me?"

Without a word, Shinji took the strap from Hidan, removed the kunai tied to the end, and tucked it back into his ninja pouch.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice:

"You’d better make sure you grab onto either this strap or that tree next time."

Hidan froze, sensing that there was more to Shinji's words than met the eye.

“By the way, was that check you gave to Kakuzu real?” Mei Terumi suddenly asked, recalling the heart-stopping moment from earlier.

“Of course not. It was fake,” Shinji replied, turning to look upward at the cliff face with a serious expression.

“There was only enough money on that check for a Number Three Combo Meal. I doubt that’s enough to pay for our lives.”

Mei Terumi blinked, clearly confused as she stumbled into unfamiliar territory. “A Number Three Combo Meal? What’s that?”

Just as her words fell,

Eight enormous pitch-black tentacles burst out from the top of the cliff, smashing through rocks and tearing into the cliff face with terrifying power.

The next moment, the tentacles stabbed into the rock, bending like a drawn bow.

The tension grew as the "bowstring" tightened, emitting an eerie creaking sound!

Whoosh!

A dark, shadowy figure shot straight down like an arrow!

It was Kakuzu, his back bristling with eight massive, pitch-black, cursed tentacles. His face was grim, dark as a storm cloud, radiating anger.

His expression was a mixture of betrayal and fury as he roared:

“You broke-ass punk! How dare you trick me!”

“Prepare to die!”

Shinji was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to explain this situation to Mei Terumi. Awkwardly, he let out a dry laugh, scratched his head, and looked up at the descending Kakuzu with a serious expression.

“Uh, let’s just say that’s a combo meal that every guy would love to order.”

Then, he turned back to Mei Terumi, forming hand seals with both hands. With a smile, he asked:

“Are you ready?”

“The real battle starts now!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 45: Charging Toward Death – Justice of the Firm Gate!

Thanks to chakra,

Ninjas can fight in the most extreme terrains.

At this moment,

Shinji stood on an almost vertical cliff face, his Sharingan eyes filled with seriousness.

Ahead of him was the dim night sky, and Kakuzu, in his Earth Grudge Fear mode, darted toward him like an arrow!

Behind him was an abyss—falling meant certain death.

There was no retreat. Only battle remained!

The wind swirling from the valley floor tangled in Shinji's long hair. His gaze was steady as he formed hand seals, a faint red chakra swirling in his palms!

Then, his five fingers pressed down hard on the cliff face.

With a loud slap, a massive circular sealing jutsu expanded rapidly. The faint red glow of the barrier locked onto the approaching Kakuzu and suddenly illuminated the area!

An enhanced and transcendent version of the Hidden Cloud's Super Deathmatch Barrier—

At this moment, the domain was activated!

Midair, Kakuzu's eyes suddenly narrowed. Instinctively, he sensed that something was off.

This kid in front of him, as weak as a chick,

Not only wasn’t he running away, but he also dared to counterattack?

And even wanted to trap him in a barrier?

This left Kakuzu completely bewildered.

What was this kid trying to pull against a seventy-something veteran ninja?

A trick? A sneak attack?

With a calm and composed personality, sharp analytical skills, and combat intelligence that had carried him from the Warring States period to the present, Kakuzu's mind raced through countless tactical possibilities, trying to figure out what this kid was planning.

Eight tentacles suddenly stabbed into the cliff, halting his momentum.

But it was too late. A faint red barrier wall had already formed, enclosing both Shinji and Kakuzu!

When the dust settled,

Kakuzu stared dumbfounded at the barrier containing only him and Shinji.

His mental "CPU" was practically smoking as he failed to decipher what the kid was up to.

Was this kid out of his mind? He had isolated his teammates outside the barrier. With just a single-tomoe Sharingan, what could he possibly do against him?

Nearby,

Terumi Mei, upon hearing Shinji's fiery and resolute battle cry, regained her composure.

Her eyes even flickered with a faint spark of battle spirit.

For someone like Mei, who had dreamed of becoming the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist since childhood, had an overwhelming sense of ambition, and aspired to lead the Hidden Mist to glory,

Her earlier performance had been nothing short of embarrassing.

Now, determined to regroup and fight again,

She was ready to display the spirit of a true Hidden Mist prodigy!

With Shinji's barrier in place, her other Kekkei Genkai—Boil Release—could finally be put to good use!

Even if their opponent was Kakuzu, an S-rank rogue ninja and an elite mercenary from the underground exchange,

She...

Wait.

Terumi Mei froze, dumbfounded.

Was Shinji’s barrier misplaced?

“Hey, hey, hey! Shinji! I’m not inside yet!”

Terumi Mei frantically pounded on the barrier, shouting in alarm:

“Open the door! Let me in!”

“What are you doing?”

Sweat poured down Terumi Mei’s forehead as she stood there, dumbstruck. She stared at Shinji, separated by a single step but as unreachable as the heavens.

It was as if she could already see the boy before her, a halo over his head, smiling and waving goodbye as he ascended to the afterlife.

Between the two of them, a faint red barrier had risen.

Terumi Mei’s pupils shrank abruptly. She shouted urgently: “Are you crazy? Do you intend to fight this monster alone?”

With the barrier already in place, completely enclosing himself and Kakuzu in the same space and even breathing the same air,

Shinji smiled.

He turned his head toward Terumi Mei, his gaze like the flowing stars in the night sky, filled with an indescribable depth.

“Sorry, Tsukimi Mei.”

“This is my escape route.”

Shinji paused, glanced back at the two behind him, and smiled brightly as he explained:

“Our opponent is an S-rank rogue ninja with Kage-level strength.”

“This is an enemy we can’t possibly defeat, no matter how hard we fight. So the only plan I could think of was this.”

“Lure the opponent to a suitable location, then use a barrier to stall him.”

“Tsukimi Mei, take Hidan and leave immediately!”

“Whatever you decide to do afterward, I don’t care.”

“But—”

“Right now, this is my battlefield!”

With that, Shinji calmly turned his head.

Then,

He reached into his ninja pouch, drew a kunai, and held it in a reverse grip near his cheek. The blade gleamed coldly as he pointed it at Kakuzu, a defiant smirk forming on his lips.

“Mr. Kakuzu.”

“Want to harm them?”

“Then you’ll have to step over my dead body first!”

ლ(̿▀̿ ̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿ლ)

“Tch.” Kakuzu frowned slightly, his gaze filled with irritation as he looked at Shinji.

This farewell scene, drenched in the emotions of life and death, struck an invisible nerve deep within Kakuzu’s heart.

Once upon a time, as an elite of Takigakure, he had encountered a similar situation.

Faced with a life-and-death crisis, in a moment of utmost urgency,

unlike Shinji, who was now willingly sacrificing himself to cover the retreat, Kakuzu had faced betrayal instead.

During the mission to assassinate the God of Shinobi, the team fell apart halfway. His teammates betrayed him and fled, leaving all the responsibility squarely on Kakuzu’s shoulders, forcing him to take the first step forward alone.

When Kakuzu, trembling with fear, went to assassinate that godlike existence, failure was inevitable. Upon returning to the village, defeated and despondent,

he wasn’t met with comfort from his village, nor understanding from his comrades. There were no flowers, no praise—not even a hospital bed to mend his wounds.

Instead, what awaited him was the blame for mission failure and severe punishment.

A ninja who bet his life for his village had been treated with utter cruelty.

“Ah, yet another one of these boring ninja games.”

Kakuzu shook his head and, for once, found himself in the rare mood to say a few more words as he looked at Shinji.

It was as if he were gazing at his younger self, speaking across the chasm of time, with clarity and indifference:

“You poor kid,

wake up to reality! The world doesn’t bend to your will.

The longer you live, the more you’ll come to understand that reality is filled only with helplessness, pain, and emptiness.

Teammates who fight alongside you will stab you in the back;

faith you stake everything on will be shattered into worthlessness by a wooden slap;

and those you swear loyalty to at the top will treat you as nothing but a disposable tool.”

Kakuzu paused, a flicker of fervor passing through his gaze.

“But,”

“money is the one thing that will never betray you.”

After hearing this, Shinji took a deep breath and thought to himself, *Old man, you’ve got a point!*

Bonds, friendship—those are just things to trick kids.

Everything I’ve done, wasn’t it all for those five billion ryo? Wasn’t it all for this moment?

Shinji nodded in agreement, then suddenly activated his Sharingan,

adjusting his state to its peak.

From this moment on,

he would give everything he had trained and fought for up until now,

igniting it all in an instant, transforming it into power!

He looked at Kakuzu, his gaze clear and firm as he coldly declared:

“Come on, monster!”

“Here and now!”

“Grant me my destined death!”

(ง ͠ ᵒ̌ Дᵒ̌ )▬▬ι═══════ﺤ

With a flash of crimson in his eyes, Shinji lunged forward!

In one fluid motion, he unleashed three shuriken. One shot straight toward Kakuzu’s chest, while the other two collided mid-air, changing trajectory and curving toward the masks hidden beneath Kakuzu’s black cloak.

Armed with knowledge of Kakuzu’s abilities, Shinji naturally understood the secret of his opponent’s “immortality.”

To kill him completely, he would need to destroy the five hearts hidden behind those masks.

However,

faced with Shinji’s relentless attack and unyielding resolve, Kakuzu’s expression remained unchanged. Without even a flicker of emotion, he watched as the younger man charged at him.

Instead of unleashing the tendrils of his Earth Grudge Fear technique, Kakuzu retracted them. His gaze turned colder, and his indifference intensified.

Slowly, he undid the buttons on his black cloak and tossed it aside.

A towering, muscular body covered in stitched seams was revealed in the night wind.

Raising a hand into a fist, Kakuzu shrugged his shoulders and looked at Shinji with disdain and contempt. With a mocking smile, he sneered:

“Poor kid, you think you’re good at fighting?”

“Then let this old man teach you—”

“What it means to face—”

“Reality!”

---

*[Kakuzu looks down on your bravery, seemingly intent on beating you to a pulp.]*

*[Courage is the crystallization of human wisdom, and anyone who belittles it shall face the justice of righteousness!]*

*[S-Rank Long-Term Mission Triggered—]*

*[Convince Kakuzu that courage is greater than money!]*

*[The mission’s progress will be determined by his level of understanding: 1) Understand, 2) Join, 3) Surpass. Current progress: 0/3.]*

(End of Chapter)