Defeat That Was Victory, Victory That Was Defeat!

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

Kakuzu's third Ninjutsu, along with his Earth Release: Earth Spear, was unleashed simultaneously. As the rock pillar rose and pierced Sakura's feet, a wind ball containing high-density Chakra also arrived.

Before the Wind Release: Storm Cannon even arrived, the raging winds carrying pebbles and sand struck Sakura's cat-face mask, creating a rustling sound.

"They came so fast!" Sakura Haruno was slightly surprised.

If Sakura had been stabbed by Earth Spear just now, Kakuzu's next technique would likely have been her death warrant.

However, Kakuzu is overestimating Sakura Haruno.

Did they think that without Ice Body Flicker Technique, she had no Ninjutsu to defend against enemies?

Simply extend the Frost Ice Armor's coverage to your feet, and once the Ice Release Nature Transformation is maximized, the ice skates, with a hardness comparable to diamonds, are completely unaffected by the rock spear's thrust. Although the granite ridges are not weak, they are completely unable to penetrate the ice skates' defenses.

Seeing the approaching Wind Release heavy cannon, Sakura's eyes narrowed, and her Frost Ice Armor subtly expanded its coverage area.

Just as Kakuzu's Wind Release Heavy Cannon was about to hit the ice armor, she leaned back from the stone pillar and jumped down.

Hiding behind the rock pillar.

Boom--

Kakuzu's wind bullet collided suddenly with the rock pillar he had released!

The Earth Spear, made of hard rock extracted from the Kakuzu, are tough, thick, and incredibly hard.

However, his wind ball, which contains high-density Wind Release Chakra, is also outstanding in terms of destructive power. With the ultimate Wind Release Nature Transformation, the storm that spins wildly and forms a vortex is comparable to high explosives, capable of blasting any target it encounters into fragments!

With a deafening roar, Kakuzu didn't even have time to withdraw his Earth Spear before Kakuzu's Wind Release shattered his stone pillar into dust.

"Using my Earth Release to block my Wind Release... You cunning fellow!" Kakuzu's face was gloomy as he coldly watched the wind ball that had unleashed most of its power onto the Earth Spear. After shattering the rock pillar, its destructive power was barely perceptible.

The Chakra that brushed against Sakura's face broke several holes in the girl's mask, rendering it completely harmless. It then transformed into a gentle breeze, causing her pink, shoulder-length hair to flutter and dance in the wind.

The girl simply removed her mask, revealing her fair face, which remained unscathed throughout the battle.

As the dust gradually settled, through the hazy, murky air, Kakuzu's indistinct figure appeared in Sakura's field of vision.

She Hand Seals without hesitation.

"Water Release: Super Water Gun Technique!"

As a lower-level version of Wind Blade Torrent, Water Gun Technique has slightly lower damage but a faster activation speed, making it very suitable for quick attacks and surprise assaults.

A white line of water swooped through the air, sweeping across a fan-shaped area and enveloping Kakuzu's afterimage within it.

Cut in two with one stroke.

Swish--

As the dust finally settled, Sakura Haruno finally saw the result of her Ninjutsu: it was merely Earth Clone that had been cut in half.

"You're too hasty..." Kakuzu's voice suddenly rang out from another direction in the distance, "I won't let myself be hit by that kind of Ninjutsu again and again!"

Sakura instinctively turned around, wanting to unleash another Super Water Gun Technique, but ultimately gritted her teeth and stopped herself from doing so.

Just like Kakuzu, trying to instantly kill Kage Level enemy with the Super Water Gun Technique when the enemy is on guard is indeed a bit too realistic.

Of course, she could also use some moves to test the waters a couple of times, and then strike with her deadly move when the time was right...

But if that were the case, switching to a slower-paced battle, she wouldn't be in a hurry.

The one who should be anxious is Kakuzu... after all, Konoha's reinforcements are already on their way.

The two then faced off briefly.

This was the first time Kakuzu had seen Sakura's face clearly. Her features were basically the same as the girl with the big forehead in the photo he had seen in the black market information, but the real Sakura was much more delicate.

Based on his extensive knowledge and intelligence, Kakuzu deduced that since she acquired her Ice Release Kekkei Genkai later, this was likely a side effect of the Ice Release Chakra beginning to feed back into her physical body, strengthening it. If this continued for a long time, the changes might become even more significant. The next time he used that photo from the black market intelligence to find her, it might not be accurate...

He subconsciously thought about meeting Sakura Haruno again, because he was gradually having the idea of backing out.

Although the Sanren Ninjutsu didn't injure Sakura, their only result was shattering a mask, but it also allowed him to see through Sakura's true strength.

Using his rock spear to block his wind ball was a clever tactic, but it also revealed that the girl's stamina was quite low, and she needed to start paying attention to details to conserve Chakra.

She didn't even bother using Chakra to protect her mask anymore.

And it is precisely because of this that Sakura Haruno's tactical approach has changed.

They no longer rely on large-scale, high-intensity Ninjutsu to gain the initiative in battle and launch proactive attacks.

Instead, he switched to clever tactics to conserve energy and buy time. With Konoha having reinforcements, delaying tactics Kakuzu. He was also not confident of defeating Sakura Haruno in a short time, so Kakuzu began to realize that continuing the fight would only lead to being surrounded.

He should go.

Sakura Haruno must have realized it too.

The girl's remaining Chakra was insufficient for her to launch another successful attack.

Even if she still had the strength to use Ninjutsu like "Leviathan's Wrath" and "Frost Ice Burial," she wouldn't be able to follow up with subsequent attacks.

Kakuzu can still use "Wind Blade Torrent" a few more times, but Kakuzu has already witnessed the power of this technique and is on guard against it. With Kakuzu's shameless burrowing style, it will probably be difficult for him to achieve anything.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

His orange-yellow eyes were gloomy and sinister, filled with a complex and intense murderous intent.

His green eyes were clear and cold, his aura icy and sharp.

Their powerful auras clashed across the distance, seemingly stirring up a gentle breeze.

The two, neither willing to back down, stood motionless in the wind, their eyes fixed on their opponent.

As Kakuzu sized up Sakura Haruno, the girl was also carefully observing her adversary, who resembled a tentacle monster more than a human.

The opponent is very strong.

To be fair, she can't beat Kakuzu right now.

Some results were achieved, but there Kakuzu some misleading factors involved.

When she unleashed her full power, she did manage to suppress Kakuzu for a time, but her Chakra reserves didn't allow her to continuously unleash her ultimate attacks.

So after that burst of power, Sakura, instead of immediately eliminating the enemy, decisively switched back to a strategy that conserved Chakra.

At this point, the outcome was already clear.

The girl stopped her aggressive attack, realizing that her chances of winning were slim.

After switching to tactics of attrition, wearing down stamina, and stalling for time, Kakuzu's advantages in stamina and experience gradually became apparent.

His three Ninjutsu just now, with Ninjutsu timing, precision, and fluidity, fully demonstrated the style of a Kage Level powerhouse.

Although these three Ninjutsu were simplified in order to maximize speed, Sakura found them more threatening than the full-power Ninjutsu he had just unleashed.

Of course, this was just an illusion she had because she didn't have the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals Body Flicker Technique medium and couldn't easily dodge other people's ultimate moves.

In fact, this kind of Ninjutsu rhythm is the combat rhythm that Kakuzu usually uses: by unleashing a continuous barrage of Ninjutsu, he keeps the enemy on the run, either toying with them to death while they are trying to escape, or wearing them down to death in Ninjutsu of powerful Ninjutsu...

With his five hearts, he can effortlessly unleash high-level Ninjutsu of B rank or higher. Each technique Ninjutsu uses can push the Nature Transformation of that attribute to an extremely deep level. Even if taken out individually, he would be Elite Jonin -level ninja.

In addition to the bizarre abilities of Earth Grudge Fear, the enormous Chakra, and the ability to coordinate as one and as one, all these factors allow Kakuzu's four clones plus his main body to surpass the level of Elite Jonin, demonstrating a strength far greater than 5. Even among Kage Level, he is a very strong type.

So, the previous attack didn't instantly kill Kakuzu, allowing him to recover quickly, and the situation suddenly became unfavorable for Sakura Haruno again.

Sakura is well aware of her own limitations; she is indeed no match for Kakuzu at the moment.

She couldn't beat him.

From a tactical perspective, adopting a delaying tactic is Sakura Haruno's slow death;

From the perspective of the battlefield situation, the rescue force is about to arrive; if it drags on any longer, it will be Kakuzu's own destruction.

Therefore, in this battle, Sakura Haruno, though defeated, was still victorious, while Kakuzu, though victorious, was still defeated.

In the end, it wasn't Sakura Haruno who wanted to escape.

A brief standoff ensued.

Both of them were silently considering the current tactics and situation.

What's the next step?

Then Sakura Haruno suddenly Hand Seals--

"Ice Release: Legion Ice Clone Technique!"

(1/. If the writing goes smoothly, there will be four updates today!)

(I've finally figured out how to create a list of thank-you notes for donations. I'll post it in a separate chapter after today's update... Thank you all for your continued support!)