A Killing Blow Still Required Close Combat
Blunt blows cannot damage the flexible tentacles. No matter how strong Sakura's Nintaijutsu is, it is useless if the power cannot hit the target.
Kakuzu, who had withstood a punch from Star Cannon Hammer head-on, understood this very well.
Therefore, even when Sakura used her Body Flicker Technique to get close, he remained fearless.
But...
Who says Sakura Haruno has to use her fists to hit people?
"Nintaijutsu: Sword Drawing Slash!"
The girl grasped at the enormous icicle, which was deeply embedded in the ground and completely disproportionate to her size.
The ice ledge, over forty meters long, made Sakura's figure appear incredibly small. The sight of her grabbing the ice ledge was as ridiculous as a baby trying to wield a hundred-pound Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
However, when the girl wielded the ice horn weighing tens of tons as if it were nothing, and when she raised the forty-meter-long ice sword to slash at the enemy, the scene was no longer laughable, but terrifying.
Kakuzu's expression changed slightly.
"Drink!" she roared.
The earth is its scabbard, and the ice horn its sharp sword.
Sakura Haruno unleashed a powerful sword -Sword Drawing Slash!
If Yugao's Iai Slash, when released instantly, is powerful enough to cut through iron and steel, it is close to the limit of ordinary humans;
Sakura Haruno's sword -Sword Drawing Slash was a power that only a true giant could unleash; the force of this strike was so great that it could even cleave mountains in two!
Whoosh--
The giant horn Shape Transformation in her hands, becoming thinner and sharper, revealing a blade; the spot where her cherry-like hand gripped it became the hilt, extending into a guard.
It transformed into a giant ice blade forty meters long.
It left a deep, bottomless trail on the ground, and with overwhelming, thunderous force, slashed at the enemy in front of her!
Kakuzu's murky yellow eyes instantly shrank to a point.
"Oops...!"
The enormous blade enveloped his entire body within its attack range!
If this strike lands squarely, the entire Earth Grudge Fear Will likely be severed in two!
Kakuzu retreated rapidly, but it was all in vain. How could he possibly dodge an opponent who was moving so fast?
Immediately following the Body Flicker Technique, she launched a Taijutsu attack. In her Cherry Blossom Impact state, the girl's attack was faster than the blink of an eye!
Despite all that, in reality, from the moment Sakura Haruno Body Flicker Technique to the ice corner to the moment she unleashed her Sword Drawing Slash at Kakuzu, less than a tenth of a second had elapsed...
In that instant, the icy blade of the ice sword had already approached Kakuzu's tentacle body.
Swish--
As a Kage Level opponent, Kakuzu's reaction speed was definitely not slow. In the blink of an eye, countless black tentacles surged wildly, rushing towards the huge ice sword, trying to use their own bodies to block the sharpness of the Sword Drawing Slash.
Then, Kakuzu's remaining three masked monsters and his true form simultaneously unleashed the fastest Hand Seals of Ninjutsu in an attempt to stop the ice sword!
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!" "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!" "Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!" "Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears!"
Boom--!
The ice sword collided head-on with Kakuzu's main body, producing a deafening roar and stirring up a cloud of dust!
Crackling sounds.
Even though the ice sword in Sakura's hand was strengthened by Chakra, it was only a temporary enhancement. After being swung out by the Monstrous Strength Technique, it eventually shattered into pieces of ice, leaving only the empty hilt in her hand.
The dust obstructing the view quickly dissipated, revealing Kakuzu's disheveled figure.
"They got beaten up pretty badly..." Sakura said with a cold laugh.
Broken Earth Release pillars, messy Wind Release cuts, charred Fire Style scorch marks, and tree-like Lightning Release crackles came into her view.
Before Sakura, the tentacle monster that was once tens of meters long was now like a phoenix with its feathers plucked, with only a core part less than a few meters long remaining.
Most of the tentacles, having Kakuzu used to block the attack, had been cut in two by the ice sword and lay limply on the ground, forming a thick layer.
The giant masked monsters that had been floating in the air had shrunk considerably and were now listlessly perched on Kakuzu's shoulders.
Yes, one on the left and one on the right, only two are left...
Sakura saw it clearly: the masked monster that used Lightning Release had been completely cleaved in two by her attack, along with its mask and the source of Chakra behind it, and collapsed lifelessly to the ground!
So the ground, already covered with severed tentacles, was then covered with an even thicker layer of...
"Looks like, once I take down you and the other two masks at the same time, you'll be completely dead, right?"
The girl's cold voice rang out, a chilling killing intent emanating from her lips.
My Chakra is running low; the Ninjutsu and Sword Drawing Slash just now have drained a lot of my stamina, and next I might have to deal with that guy named Hidan, who seems unkillable...
Therefore, let's use Taijutsu.
Since the opponent is also in poor condition, Taijutsu alone will suffice; other large-scale Ninjutsu should be conserved as much as possible!
Two crystal-clear ice blades materialized in her hands.
By pushing the Ice Release Nature Transformation to its limit, the ice blades, already extremely hard at very low temperatures, reaching a Mohs hardness of around 8, become even harder, comparable to diamonds, after being enhanced by the Chakra of the Kekkei Genkai!
Those indifferent, emotionless emerald eyes cast a cold gaze at the listless and weak Kakuzu not far away.
We can't give him a chance to breathe.
"I'll take care of you now," she said softly, her thin lips slightly parted.
Lean slightly forward, feet firmly on the ground, ready to exert force.
Snap!
But suddenly he stepped into thin air!
Kakuzu's black tentacles, somehow, had already reached her from underground, corroding the ground beneath her and rising up from her feet in a frenzy!
Unexpectedly... even when forced into such Kakuzu, Kakuzu still had the spare strength to launch a sneak attack on her!
Did he extend his tentacles into the ground the instant she Body Flicker Technique, intending to ambush her from underground?
Sakura Haruno immediately realized this. The combat awareness of Kage Level expert was indeed not to be underestimated...
At this moment, strong and long tentacle lines rapidly extended from Sakura's feet, reaching up from her ankles, wrapping around her legs, thighs, hips, waist, and chest—making her breasts swell instantly—as well as her arms. The wildly growing black threads quickly bound the girl's body tightly!
"Hmph..." the girl scoffed dismissively, "A mere trifle!"
Ice Release: Frost Battle Armor!
Before her hands were bound by the tentacles, Sakura had already completed the hand seals and unleashed her Ninjutsu.
After communicating with Sasuke, she had a sudden inspiration and further upgraded and modified the Ice Release Armor, resulting in the Ninjutsu she has now.
In pursuit of ease and flexibility, she further reduced the protective area of her Ice Release Armor, making it only form ice armor on vital areas. This was not enough to free her from the tentacle bindings.
However, the key was the Nature Transformation the Frost Battle Armor's Ice Release... The extreme cold was transmitted through the armor to the tentacles, freezing them stiff and brittle in less than a second. The tentacles, which were originally incredibly tough and painfully constricted her skin, now shattered into pieces with the slightest touch.
Crack! At extremely low temperatures, even the normally incredibly tough tentacles become as hard and brittle as glass!
Kakuzu's move was merely a waste of his few remaining tentacles.
This tactic, aside from disgusting her and making her feel uneasy, uncomfortable, and covered in goosebumps, serves absolutely no purpose...
Have they run out of ideas?
"They didn't even try to attack me?" she thought to herself, raising her head and gazing intently in Kakuzu's direction.
But then they spotted Kakuzu...
It has disappeared!
(Minimum update complete, bonus update coming tonight.)