171-175

Chapter 171: Kakuzu's Test

"Nagato, Zetsu told me that Kimimaro's medical ninjutsu is very powerful, not inferior to Tsunade's. Do you want him to come and treat your legs? Maybe there's a chance of recovery."

Konan said, looking at Nagato's legs.

Ever since his legs were injured by Hanzo's Explosive Flame Formation, Nagato had lost the ability to walk.

If it weren't for this reason, he wouldn't have created the Six Paths of Pain to act in his place.

Konan always felt guilty about Nagato's leg injury.

If she hadn't been captured by Hanzo, maybe Yahiko wouldn't have died and Nagato wouldn't have been crippled.

So Konan wanted to try anything that might have a chance of healing Nagato's legs.

"There's no hope for my legs anymore. There's no need for anyone to see them."

Nagato refused directly.

"But your legs aren't completely hopeless, before..."

"Enough, Konan. I know my own body. No one can cure me. And that Kimimaro is not trustworthy yet. If he comes to treat my legs, he will definitely guess the secret of the Six Paths of Pain. We can't let that happen."

Nagato was very firm.

Konan could only give up temporarily.

"I understand, Nagato."

Nagato looked at his immobile and deformed legs on the bed, the emotions in his Rinnegan eyes were somewhat complex.

Meanwhile.

Kimimaro stopped his training after successfully condensing his chakra into thought waves.

Kakuzu glanced at him.

"Kid, you have good talent. You learned this technique so quickly."

This was the first sentence Kakuzu said to Kimimaro after they set off.

"Thank you for the compliment, senior."

"I heard that Shikotsumyaku is very resistant to damage. I wonder if it's true?"

There was a hint of provocation in Kakuzu's words, he seemed a little itchy.

"Do you want to try it, senior?"

Killing intent spread between the two.

Their eyes met!

Kimimaro could clearly see the killing intent emanating from Kakuzu's green eyes.

It was a dark and windy night, a good time for killing.

Kakuzu was not a kind person, and Kimimaro did not intend to pretend to be weak in front of him.

At the very least, this status had to be leveled first.

Otherwise, the days ahead would be difficult.

In the Akatsuki organization, only Obito had the habit of playing the pig to eat the tiger, and the others would fight if they were不服.

Kimimaro felt that it was relatively simple to get along with such people.

Whoever had the harder fist had the final say.

There were not so many twists and turns.

"If you try, you might lose your life."

Kakuzu clenched his right fist, which immediately turned pitch black.

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

He could harden his skin with earth attribute, which could not only increase his defense but also his attack power.

It was one of Kakuzu's main methods of fighting enemies.

"Or maybe it's your life that's gone, senior?"

Kimimaro said coldly.

"Heh."

The next moment, Kakuzu attacked!

One punch!

The pitch-black fist slammed towards Kimimaro's face.

The fist wind swept over, blowing his white hair.

It was like a typhoon passing through.

Slap!

Kakuzu's eyes widened.

He saw Kimimaro raise his right palm and block the punch.

The power of his punch was enough to shatter a stone wall, but now it was easily caught by a fifteen-year-old boy?

What was this guy's hand made of?

"Senior Kakuzu, didn't you eat enough? You don't even have the strength to hit people? And you still call yourself a mercenary ninja?"

Kimimaro's voice was still cold.

Kakuzu frowned slightly, but didn't get angry.

He was almost a hundred years old, and he didn't have as much temper as a young man.

He looked at Kimimaro's indifferent eyes, and couldn't help but feel a trace of surprise in his heart.

At such a young age, he could have such an aura.

Should it be said that he was gifted, or that Orochimaru's guidance was effective?

Kakuzu didn't speak, but instantly increased his strength!

Tentacle Fist!

Kakuzu's fist shot out directly, and the powerful force knocked Kimimaro, who had caught the fist, several meters away.

The fist and arm were covered with black lines, looking extremely strange.

Kimimaro's feet dragged two long black lines on the ground before he stopped.

The impact of this fist was really not small.

"How was that punch?"

"It's a bit more like it."

"Humph, still talking tough? Let me see if your bones are as hard as your mouth!"

Kakuzu launched another attack.

The black lines tightened, and the flying right fist immediately retracted.

Then he shortened the distance and punched with both fists.

The black fists punched out continuously, each blow full of power.

But for Kimimaro, the force of these punches was still within an acceptable range.

Kakuzu's fists were still a bit weaker than Tsunade's.

With his agile movements, Kimimaro dodged all of Kakuzu's punches.

Both of them were testing each other and hadn't gone all out yet.

"Kid, weren't you very arrogant just now? Are you only going to dodge now?"

Kakuzu sneered, and at the same time, he was surprised by Kimimaro's taijutsu skills.

Such amazing dodging ability was rare.

Generally, only powerful medical ninjas would max out their dodging ability.

The taijutsu of the Kaguya clan shouldn't be mainly about dodging, but about head-on confrontation.

"Do you want a passionate battle, senior? Alright, I'll satisfy you!"

Kimimaro immediately stopped dodging, clenched his right hand into a fist, and smashed it directly at Kakuzu's right fist!

Power!

Golden light enveloped his right fist.

Boom!

One black and one gold, two different fists collided, and a shockwave exploded!

The surrounding trees were blown crooked, and leaves fell all over the ground.

The two of them each took a step back and stabilized their bodies.

They were evenly matched!

Kakuzu's expression became serious.

Kimimaro's strength clearly exceeded his expectations.

"Do you want to continue, senior?"

Kakuzu took a deep look at Kimimaro and said, "Kid, you have some skills. It seems you'll be a good teammate. Let's stop here. It's also troublesome for me to keep changing teammates. I hope you can last a little longer."

The brief exchange and test ended here.

Kakuzu completely recognized Kimimaro's strength as his teammate.

Kimimaro walked up to Kakuzu and extended his right hand.

"Don't worry, senior. Based on the current situation, I should live longer than you. When you die one day, I will take care of your funeral for you."

Kakuzu looked at Kimimaro's young face and held his right hand.

"I've lived for almost a hundred years and have seen many young people pass away. Who will send off who in the end is not certain yet."

"You are quite long-lived, senior."

Kimimaro pretended to be surprised.

"Humph."

Letting go of his hand, Kakuzu ignored Kimimaro and sat back in his position, closing his eyes to rest.

The killing intent was also mostly released through the fight just now.

Seeing this, Kimimaro didn't say anything and sat back down as well.

"Congratulations to the visitor for successfully taking a photo with the character Kakuzu, and obtaining the reward: Hado #63 Raikoho!"

(End of chapter)

Chapter 172: The Hope of the Akatsuki

The Akatsuki organization's management of its members is actually quite loose. When there are no missions, core members are not restricted in what they want to do.

The small matters of the organization's operation are arranged by Konan and then carried out by non-core members.

These non-core members also play an important role as sacrifices.

For example, when the Gedo Statue needs to be used, these members have to come out and die.

In general, the treatment of non-core members in the Akatsuki organization is very poor.

They do a lot of work, get paid little, and are always in danger of being pulled out as sacrifices.

The core members, on the other hand, are more comfortable.

For example, during the previous meeting, Pain asked the core members to make money, but in fact, except for Kakuzu, the others would probably slack off.

They are not interested in this kind of thing.

Even if Pain knew, he would only turn a blind eye and wouldn't bother with them too much.

The Akatsuki's hope of making money rests on Kakuzu.

And Kakuzu would not disappoint Pain's expectations. He had just taken on a bounty mission.

"This is?"

Kakuzu handed Kimimaro a photo. The photo showed a middle-aged man with long green hair.

"The target of the mission I took. Someone is paying for his head, and they are very willing to pay, a full 30 million Ryo. So I think I'll keep him alive and finish him off in the next two days."

"Kurosuki Raiga? One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the wielder of the Lightning Blade, Kiba? Are you going to kill this person without discussing it with Kisame?"

Looking at the information recorded on the back of the photo, Kimimaro asked curiously.

"Although Kisame and Kurosuki Raiga are both members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, they don't belong to the same batch and don't know each other at all. When Kurosuki Raiga defected, Kisame wasn't even one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen yet.

Besides, do I need Kisame's permission to kill someone? Back then, I even dared to kill the First Hokage. A mere Seven Ninja Swordsman is nothing."

Kakuzu's face was full of disdain.

As a veteran of the ninja world, there were few people he was afraid of.

"Senior Kakuzu even fought with the First Hokage?"

Kimimaro looked at Kakuzu with a half-smile.

"Although the First Hokage was called the God of Shinobi back then, I wasn't afraid of him. That battle lasted for a day and a night, and I only lost by one move. Speaking of which, it was a long time ago. Kid, why are you looking at me like that? Don't you believe me?"

Kakuzu was a little unsure of himself under Kimimaro's gaze.

"Of course not, I was just thinking that Senior Kakuzu has really had a rich experience."

"Hehe, in my nearly hundred years of ninja career, I naturally have many legendary experiences. Alright, let's not talk about the past anymore, let's talk about serious business now.

According to the information, this Kurosuki Raiga is in a nearby town. We need to find this guy as soon as possible and kill him. This way, we can get the 30 million Ryo bounty.

I'll say it upfront, I took this mission, so all the bounty will be mine in the end. Don't have any ideas about it."

"Senior Kakuzu seems to be very attached to money."

Kimimaro didn't expect Kakuzu to be so stingy, not even planning to give him a share of the reward.

"In this world, everything will betray you, but money will never. Who doesn't like money?"

Kakuzu said, a look of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

This was a money-loving person with a story.

"Senior Kakuzu has a point."

"Oh? I didn't expect you to know the beauty of money at such a young age. That's rare."

"That's also a very long story. Senior Kakuzu, let's split up and look for this person. It will be faster."

"Okay. Whether we have any news or not, we'll gather here after dark."

Everyone in this world has a story. Kimimaro didn't want to elaborate, and Kakuzu didn't want to ask in detail. This was a kind of tacit understanding.

The two of them dispersed and searched for Kurosuki Raiga.

But...

Kimimaro walked a few steps, and after seeing Kakuzu go far away, he found a secluded cave and went in to rest.

Help Kakuzu find someone?

Sorry, not familiar.

When working in the Akatsuki organization, slacking off is the way to go. They don't even pay wages, so why risk your life?

Kakuzu, the stingy guy, didn't even give him a reward.

In the cave, Kimimaro opened a small bottle.

Dozens of small purple bugs crawled out of the bottle and landed on his hand.

These were the Explosive Bugs he had obtained from the Raikage before.

But now they should be called Starburst Bugs.

After obtaining the Explosive Bugs, Kimimaro wanted to cultivate them, but unfortunately, the cultivation had not been going well.

It wasn't until he obtained the Insect Jamming Technique from Shino that the process of cultivating the Explosive Bugs became smooth.

Under the cultivation of the Insect Jamming Technique, the number of Explosive Bugs increased from the original few to dozens now.

Although it was far less than the number of Aburame clan's kikaichu, it was a good start.

The kikaichu and the Explosive Bugs were inherently different.

The larger Explosive Bugs naturally couldn't compare in number to the kikaichu, which were smaller than ants.

Although the number couldn't compare, the quality of the Explosive Bugs was higher than that of the kikaichu.

As for why they were now called Starburst Bugs instead of Explosive Bugs, it was because the Explosive Bugs had mutated.

The so-called Insect Jamming Technique was to feed the bugs with one's own chakra using special methods.

Originally, Kimimaro used his own chakra to feed them, but after obtaining the Star Fragment, he had a sudden idea and withdrew his own chakra, using the Star Fragment's chakra to feed the Explosive Bugs.

The result was that the originally white Explosive Bugs turned purple, and their size also decreased. Several star patterns appeared on their backs, making them look more mysterious.

At this time, Kimimaro took out the Star Fragment and placed it on the ground. The Starburst Bugs, as if they had found their target, crawled onto it directly.

Not long after, the Star Fragment was covered with densely packed Starburst Bugs.

About fifteen minutes later, the Starburst Bugs were full and began to secrete purple liquid, wrapping their entire bodies and turning into cocoon-like crystals.

Kimimaro had an expression of not being surprised, obviously this wasn't the first time.

He skillfully put these dozens of cocoons back into the small bottle and then closed the lid.

"This is the third time they have cocooned. I wonder what they will look like after the transformation."

The transformation of Explosive Bugs into Starburst Bugs wasn't just a change in color and size.

After the previous two transformations, Kimimaro had already discovered that their explosive power had more than doubled.

If they continued to evolve, they might be comparable to Deidara's explosive clay.

Thinking of this, Kimimaro's eyes lit up.

"That's right. Explosive Bugs can be fed with chakra, so Deidara's Explosion Release chakra might be a good feed. If I use his chakra to feed the Starburst Bugs once, their power will definitely increase by another level!"

Kimimaro was tempted.

Deidara, who was discussing art with Sasori, couldn't help but sneeze.

"Strange, the weather isn't cold yet, why am I sneezing?"

Deidara looked puzzled, unaware that his chakra was being targeted.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 173: The Ninja Who Loves Funerals

"Let's wait for the Star Fragment Bugs to hatch again, then find an opportunity to approach Deidara. I probably don't even need to scheme against him, Deidara himself will be interested in the Star Fragment Bugs."

Deidara pursues fleeting explosive art, and the Star Fragment Bugs undoubtedly fit his taste perfectly.

Kimimaro felt that he only needed a little trick to turn Deidara into Star Fragment Bug food.

And Deidara would even thank him for it.

After dealing with the Star Fragment Bugs, Kimimaro began practicing the Spirit Transformation Technique.

It was also quite a magical thing. Ever since he started using the soul-training method within the Spirit Transformation Technique, Kimimaro discovered that the power of his Kidō also increased.

At this rate, once the Spirit Transformation Technique was fully mastered, both the speed and power of his Kidō would be greatly enhanced.

Seeing this effect, his motivation to practice the Spirit Transformation Technique became even stronger.

An hour later, Kimimaro finished his training and walked out of the cave.

"It's still early. Let's go to the nearby town for dinner before meeting up with Kakuzu."

Wearing a black robe with red clouds, Kimimaro was quite conspicuous wherever he went.

On his shoulder stood the long-unseen Pikachu.

From now on, he didn't need to hide his identity anymore, so Pikachu didn't have to stay in the Poké Ball.

"Little guy, you've been wronged these days."

Kimimaro stroked Pikachu's little yellow head, enjoying the feeling.

"Pika!"

Being able to breathe the free air outside, Pikachu was naturally very happy too.

Walking into the town, Kimimaro quickly sensed something was amiss.

The atmosphere here was very similar to the Land of Waves back then.

The people in the town were lifeless, looking like walking corpses.

Suddenly, mournful music sounded, accompanied by bursts of crying.

"Is this... a funeral?"

Kimimaro looked ahead and saw four people carrying a coffin, crying as they walked.

"These guys are really strange."

Shaking his head slightly, Kimimaro didn't pay much attention. His gaze fell on the restaurant signs on the street.

"This town is really shabby, is there only one curry shop?"

With no other choice, Kimimaro walked into the curry shop.

"Welcome."

The owner of this curry shop who greeted Kimimaro was named Granny San Sho.

"Hello, do you have any recommendations?"

"Our specialty here is curry. The most recommended is our signature dish, Life Curry. It's not only delicious but also quickly restores stamina. The only downside is that this curry is too spicy, not something ordinary people can handle."

"Life Curry that can replenish stamina?"

Kimimaro raised an eyebrow, instantly interested.

There were many strange things in this world, so he didn't doubt the authenticity of this curry.

"Then please give me one serving, thank you."

"Alright, just a moment! It'll be ready soon!"

Seeing Kimimaro choose the Life Curry, Granny San Sho immediately became excited.

Life Curry was her masterpiece, but because it was too spicy, not many people appreciated it.

Finally encountering someone who knew how to appreciate it, she naturally wanted to show off her skills.

Soon, a plate of black, bubbling curry rice was placed in front of Kimimaro.

"This..."

Even Kimimaro was surprised.

He had inherited Liu Maoxing's culinary skills, so his ability to judge food had also improved dramatically.

This curry in front of him, in terms of both color and aroma, could be judged as unqualified.

This was simply dark cuisine.

"Young man, give it a taste."

Granny San Sho looked expectant.

Pikachu jumped onto the table, sniffed it, and quickly covered its nose.

"Pika Pika!"

Its face was full of rejection.

Seeing this, Kimimaro rubbed Pikachu's head, then picked up a spoon, scooped up some curry rice, and under Pikachu's worried gaze, put it into his mouth.

Explosive spiciness upon entry!

Kimimaro's expression changed slightly.

This level of spiciness was indeed a bit outrageous.

However, it was still okay.

After accepting this spiciness, the taste of this Life Curry was actually quite good.

He moved his teeth slightly, gently chewing the curry rice in his mouth. Soon, he felt a surge of power flowing into his body.

The fatigue from the day was actually slowly disappearing, and the consumed chakra was also recovering faster.

It really worked!

Surprised, Kimimaro, under Granny San Sho's delighted gaze, quickened his eating pace.

Not long after, the entire serving of Life Curry entered his stomach.

The fatigue and consumed chakra were completely swept away!

"How does it taste?"

"Not bad."

After swallowing the last bite, Kimimaro continued, "This Life Curry being able to have such spiciness and effect must be related to the ingredients. But I haven't eaten this kind of ingredient before. Boss, can you tell me what it is?"

Kimimaro looked at Granny San Sho with curiosity.

"Young man, your tongue is quite good. You could even taste that. Then I'll tell you, I put this thing in it!"

Granny San Sho placed a black chili pepper in front of Kimimaro.

"What is this?"

"Found it on the mountain, don't know its name, I call it Black Blood Pepper."

"Black Blood Pepper?"

Kimimaro muttered, broke off a piece of the Black Blood Pepper, and put it into his mouth.

The Black Blood Pepper was even spicier than the Life Curry just now, but the effect was also better.

"Good stuff. If this Black Blood Pepper is used to make soldier pills, one pill could instantly restore most of the chakra and stamina."

Kimimaro thought to himself, even more surprised. He didn't expect such a good thing to exist in such a remote place.

"Boss, can you sell this Black Blood Pepper to me?"

"It's not something valuable, if you want it, I'll give it to you. It's rare to meet someone like you who appreciates it. Unfortunately, this is also the last one. If you want more, you'll have to go pick them on the mountain."

"Which mountain?"

"The mountain right outside the town. But you can't go there now, it's too dangerous."

Granny San Sho sighed.

"Dangerous? Are there ferocious beasts there?"

"Alas, you don't know. Three months ago, a ninja who could control lightning came here. He directly occupied our town's mine and captured all the young and strong men in the town to help him mine.

That's not even the worst part. The worst part is that this person loves holding funerals, so he has to kill someone every day, hold a funeral for them, and then mourn himself.

The mountain you want to go to is where he lives now. If you go there and encounter him, I'm afraid he'll hold a funeral for you too. So, you'd better give up."

The ninja world was a chaotic place.

Things like this, while not common, weren't rare either.

A ninja who loved holding funerals was quite peculiar.

Kimimaro suddenly thought of something and placed a photo on the table.

"Boss, is the person you're talking about this guy?"

"Yes! It's him! How do you have his photo? Do you know him?"

Granny San Sho immediately became alert.

"I don't know him, but I've heard of his name."

"Is this guy famous?"

"Sort of. His bounty is 30 million Ryo."

Kimimaro smiled.

"30 million Ryo?"

Granny San Sho was startled.

She couldn't earn that much even if she sold curry her whole life.

"Thanks for the meal, I'll be taking my leave."

Kimimaro put down the money for the meal and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To kill and gather herbs."

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 174: The Lightning Blade's Fang*

Night fell.

Two figures appeared at the foot of the mountain.

Both wore black robes with red clouds, but their appearances were vastly different.

One had a hideous face, while the other was a handsome young man.

"Are you sure Black Hoe Lightning Fang is on this mountain?"

"Don't worry, Senior Kakuzu. This is the information I just got. It's still fresh."

"Very good. After we take Black Hoe Lightning Fang's life, I'll treat you to a meal."

As for the distribution of the bounty, Kakuzu didn't mention a word.

Kimimaro didn't care about this either. A mere thirty million Ryo was not attractive to him at all now.

In this world, having great strength would bring wealth.

When money reached a certain level, it was just a number.

Kakuzu liked to see the numbers grow, while Kimimaro was interested in longevity.

The two quickened their pace and headed up the mountain.

Byakugan!

Pupil power released!

Kimimaro used the Byakugan's telescopic vision to search for the Black Blood Pepper.

This was the purpose of his trip.

Kakuzu was just a tool he called to deal with Black Hoe Lightning Fang.

Soon, he found traces of the Black Blood Pepper.

"Found it."

Kimimaro's face lit up with joy.

"Senior Kakuzu, I found something interesting. I'll go ahead first."

After saying that, Kimimaro didn't wait for Kakuzu's agreement and disappeared into the night.

"This kid..."

Seeing Kimimaro leave, Kakuzu was too lazy to say anything and continued towards the mountaintop.

Soon, his infiltration was discovered by Black Hoe Lightning Fang's subordinates.

"Who's there! Ah!"

Before the man could finish his words, Kakuzu punched him, causing a scream.

"What a noisy guy."

Kakuzu went up the mountain, and everyone he encountered was directly dealt with.

The best infiltration was to kill everyone who saw him. Kakuzu was obviously well versed in this and had no intention of hiding his figure.

Soon, the news of his infiltration reached Black Hoe Lightning Fang's ears.

"Lord Lightning Fang! A strange ninja is coming up the mountain. He's aggressive, and anyone who blocks him will be killed. Seven or eight people have already died!"

A subordinate hurriedly came to report.

Black Hoe Lightning Fang was not surprised but delighted.

"Great! It seems a worthy person for a funeral has appeared. I'm tired of holding funerals for these trash all the time. Ranmaru, let's work together to kill this person and hold a grand funeral for him. What do you say?"

Lightning Fang said, looking at the backpack behind him.

A young boy's head emerged from the backpack.

The boy was named Ranmaru and had a pair of red eyes.

Red eyes!

A type of Kekkei Genkai, possessing a chakra sensing ability even stronger than the Byakugan, and also able to create images with chakra that even the Byakugan couldn't distinguish.

Ranmaru was born with a weak constitution. After Black Hoe Lightning Fang discovered his talent, he kept him by his side and became his partner.

The two fought side by side, further enhancing Lightning Fang's reputation.

"Okay, Lord Lightning Fang, I will definitely clear all obstacles for you."

"Hahaha! Good! Let's go!"

The two, one big and one small, set off to meet the challenge.

On the other side, Kimimaro had arrived at the cliff.

"This should be the Black Blood Pepper. It's exactly the same as the one the curry shop owner gave me before."

Looking around, the number of Black Blood Peppers was obviously not large, only about a hundred or so.

Kimimaro was looking for Black Blood Peppers, not to cook, but to use them as the main ingredient to create new soldier pills.

If he could successfully develop them, with the effects of the Black Blood Pepper, one soldier pill should be able to restore about eighty percent of Kimimaro's current chakra.

His stamina could be fully recovered.

After that, the more chakra he had, the smaller the recovery ratio would be.

Of course, this was all data based on his preliminary calculations. Whether it would really have such an effect depended on the finished product.

After harvesting more than half of the Black Blood Peppers, Kimimaro stopped.

This kind of thing should have high requirements for its growth environment, and he didn't have time to cultivate it.

Leaving seeds here, he could come back and continue harvesting if needed in the future.

Overfishing was not a good thing.

After putting dozens of Black Blood Peppers into the space scroll, Kimimaro showed a satisfied smile.

"This trip was not in vain."

After getting what he wanted, Kimimaro activated his Byakugan and looked towards the mountaintop.

"Kakuzu is really blatant, killing his way up..."

Such a simple and crude infiltration method, truly worthy of Kakuzu.

With a tap of his foot, Kimimaro prepared to watch the show.

On the mountaintop.

It was foggy.

After casually killing the tenth man blocking his way, Kakuzu looked at the thick fog in front of him.

"The people of Kirigakure really like the Hiding in Mist Technique, using it everywhere."

As he spoke, the wind mask on Kakuzu's back moved to his face.

"Wind Style! Pressure Damage!"

Kakuzu formed hand seals, and strong wind gushed out from the mask's mouth!

Boom!

A gust of wind swept through!

The thick fog was immediately blown away, revealing the figure of Black Hoe Lightning Fang within.

"Lord Lightning Fang, this person's chakra feels very dangerous."

Under the power of his red eyes, Ranmaru quickly discovered the terrifying aspect of Kakuzu and immediately warned Lightning Fang.

"Only such a person is worthy of having a funeral held for them. Ranmaru, let's kill him together!"

Black Hoe Lightning Fang's expression was somewhat crazed.

Kakuzu's gaze locked onto his face, then he took out a photo and compared it.

"There's no mistake. He's the S-rank bounty target, Black Hoe Lightning Fang."

Confirming the mission target, a flash of joy crossed Kakuzu's eyes.

At this moment, what he saw was not Black Hoe Lightning Fang, but thirty million Ryo.

"Lightning Style! Lightning Fang!"

Black Hoe Lightning Fang gripped his twin swords, Lightning Fang, and then crossed them.

The blades rubbed against each other, and for a moment, thunder rumbled in the sky.

Soon, lightning descended from the sky, striking towards Kakuzu.

In the distance, Kimimaro sat on a boulder, quietly watching the battle between the two.

"The ability of this Lightning Fang is really good. It can actually attract lightning from the sky. It's similar to Sasuke's later Lightning Style: Kirin, but the power difference is too great. It's probably not even one percent of Kirin's.

Kirin should be one percent lightning chakra attracting ninety-nine percent natural lightning, while Lightning Fang is ninety-nine percent lightning chakra attracting one percent natural lightning. It's not surprising that the power difference is so great."

Lightning Fang's气势looked intimidating, but its power was indeed lacking.

"Pika."

Pikachu on his shoulder seemed somewhat interested in this lightning power.

"Little guy, are you interested in that sword?"

Seeing Pikachu's gaze fall on Lightning Fang, Kimimaro raised an eyebrow and said.

"Pika Pika!"

Pikachu nodded repeatedly.

"You like it? Then I'll snatch it and give it to you."

Hearing this, Pikachu's big eyes curved into a smile.

"Pika!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 175: Earth Grudge Fear

The Thunder Sword Kiba had already been reserved by Kimimaro, intended as a gift for Pikachu.

However, it wasn't time for him to act yet.

His gaze fell upon Ranmaru.

More precisely, it landed on Ranmaru's crimson eyes.

"Red eyes, capable of seeing through objects, sensing, and creating images with chakra, known as the nemesis of the Byakugan. Their ability to observe chakra surpasses even the Byakugan. Despite such impressive descriptions, they haven't earned a place among the Three Great Dojutsu.

However, judging from the current situation, the red eyes' abilities are indeed remarkable. Ranmaru effortlessly sensed all of Kakuzu's movements, allowing Kurosuki Raiga to evade most of the attacks."

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes, observing the coordination between Kurosuki Raiga and Ranmaru.

Through his recent training, his visual prowess had also improved significantly.

Both his observation and perception skills had been enhanced.

It was still quite easy for him to clearly see a battle of this level.

"But with just this level of ability, they can't survive against Kakuzu."

Just as Kimimaro was observing Kurosuki Raiga and Ranmaru, Ranmaru's heart skipped a beat as he sensed a prying gaze.

Ranmaru looked up, towards the direction where Kimimaro was.

Seeing Kimimaro's attire, he easily made a judgment.

These two were together.

"Lord Raiga, that person has a companion watching from the side."

"What?"

Kurosuki Raiga was startled. The current opponent was already difficult enough to deal with, and now there was another teammate.

"Lord Raiga, the current situation is too unfavorable for us. Let's retreat first."

Ranmaru made the decision.

The feeling of Kimimaro's chakra made him want to retreat.

They were already struggling to cope with Kakuzu; adding another one, they might not survive the day.

Seeing that he had been discovered, Kimimaro tapped his toes and arrived near the trio.

"Senior Kakuzu, haven't you finished yet?"

"This kid is a bit strange. I didn't expect him to have a kid with such powerful sensory abilities with him."

Kakuzu's attacks were repeatedly dodged, and he naturally noticed Ranmaru's presence.

"Need help? I'm quite interested in that Thunder Sword Kiba."

"Hmph, no need. If you like that broken sword, I'll kill this guy and give it to you later."

"Then I'll thank Senior Kakuzu in advance."

Seeing Kimimaro and Kakuzu so blatantly wanting to snatch his Thunder Sword Kiba, Kurosuki Raiga's anger flared up.

"Ranmaru, as long as we two cooperate, we can defeat any enemy. We don't need to retreat. Let's hold the grandest funeral for them! Lightning Release! Lightning Dragon Tornado!"

Kurosuki Raiga roared, and the Thunder Sword Kiba in his hand erupted with powerful lightning energy.

With a spin of his body, a lightning dragon condensed, exuding an imposing aura.

"This kind of attack does have the strength level of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Kimimaro gave his assessment.

The strength of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen varied, with Kisame likely being the strongest among them throughout history.

And Kurosuki Raiga was probably a strong contender for the weakest among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"Wind Release! Pressure Damage!"

Wind counters lightning!

When facing Kurosuki Raiga, Kakuzu didn't use his most proficient Earth Release techniques but instead kept using Wind Release.

Because Earth Release was countered by Lightning Release, while Wind Release happened to counter Lightning Release.

This was the advantage of having all five elemental nature transformations; he could flexibly change his attack methods and handle any enemy with ease.

At this moment, he fully unleashed his Wind Release, releasing a high-pressure wind sphere from his mouth, its power far surpassing the Wind Release used earlier to dispel the mist technique.

Boom!

The high-pressure wind sphere slammed into the lightning dragon.

After a brief collision, the balance of victory immediately began to tilt.

The lightning dragon let out a mournful cry, then was directly blown apart by the high-pressure wind sphere!

With a boom, the lightning dragon shattered.

Kurosuki Raiga and Ranmaru were sent flying, their bodies covered in numerous wounds, looking extremely battered.

"As expected of Senior Kakuzu, to possess such powerful Wind Release techniques."

Kimimaro couldn't help but admire.

This level of Wind Release surpassed even Danzo's.

With a single strike, Ranmaru and Kurosuki Raiga were already on the brink of death.

Kakuzu walked forward and grabbed Kurosuki Raiga by the neck.

"This kid has a good heart. It's just the right time to replace the aging lightning-attributed heart in my body."

Kakuzu thought to himself, then black tentacles emerged from his wrist.

These black tentacles directly pierced Kurosuki Raiga's chest.

"Ah!"

The intense pain instantly woke the unconscious Kurosuki Raiga, causing him to scream.

He struggled violently, but under Kakuzu's control, he had no chance of resisting.

Kimimaro watched quietly from the side, even activating his Byakugan to observe this surgery.

"So this is Earth Grudge Fear? Such astonishing vitality. Kakuzu's body can no longer be called human."

Through the Byakugan's perspective, Kimimaro saw five hearts within Kakuzu's body. One was Kakuzu's own earth-attributed heart, while the other four were kept by four masks.

Therefore, his body was also divided into five parts by Earth Grudge Fear.

With such a monstrous body, if it weren't for the powerful abilities of Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu would likely be dead.

"Indeed, these guys with immortality abilities are almost all monsters."

Kimimaro sighed.

At this point, Kakuzu had already extracted Kurosuki Raiga's heart, and the chakra within his body was also stripped away along with the heart.

The lightning mask on his back emerged, discarding the original lightning-attributed heart and taking in Kurosuki Raiga's young heart instead.

The surgery was complete!

Kakuzu didn't put down Kurosuki Raiga's corpse but instead carried it on his shoulder.

This was worth 30 million Ryo. Kakuzu probably wouldn't put it down until he exchanged it for money.

Kimimaro stepped forward, picked up the Thunder Sword Kiba, and handed it to Pikachu on his shoulder.

Pikachu excitedly took it, but the Thunder Sword Kiba was still a bit too big for it.

"Little guy, when we have time, I'll help you modify this sword to be smaller."

"Pika!"

Pikachu nodded, excitedly waving the Thunder Sword Kiba in its hands.

"Kid, let's go."

Kakuzu shouldered the Thunder Sword Kiba and prepared to leave.

Kimimaro's gaze fell upon the unconscious Ranmaru, and he grasped his right hand.

"Congratulations, tourist, for successfully taking a photo with the character Ranmaru. You have received the reward: Dojutsu Fragment (5/7)."

Another Dojutsu Fragment?

So far, Kimimaro had obtained five Dojutsu Fragments.

Two from Kakashi and Sasuke, likely representing the Sharingan.

Two from Neji and Hinata, likely representing the Byakugan.

And the current one from Ranmaru, needless to say, should be the red eyes.

He wondered who the remaining two Dojutsu Fragments would be associated with.

(End of Chapter)