A Woman on the Brink of Death!

"Our battle is probably coming to an end here!" Kakuzu said, and the suffocating killing intent that had been emanating from him gradually faded away.

They seemed to have lost the will to continue fighting.

Sakura frowned slightly, not understanding Kakuzu's meaning.

Did he think... the battle could be ended unilaterally? He's a veteran of countless battles; he shouldn't be so serious.

"Do you think that by doing this, I'll end the fight and let you go?" the girl said coldly.

Even though she wasn't very confident of defeating Kakuzu in the upcoming battle, and although the two sides hadn't advanced the battle at all except for exchanging a few skills, Sakura could still hold Kakuzu off and delay him until the Konoha Ninja reinforcements arrived.

She wouldn't let the enemy who killed her fellow village ninja get away with it so easily.

Not to mention the opponent is someone from Akatsuki.

That organization has designs on Naruto's Nine-Tails... so now that they've caught its tail, they can't let them go easily.

Kakuzu didn't have much of a problem, but if Sakura Haruno were determined to keep him, things would get very complicated.

His strength was indeed formidable, but Sakura's tactics gave him a major headache, leaving him feeling frustrated that he couldn't use his skills.

His incredibly fast Ice Body Flicker Technique alone is enough to give anyone a headache. Opponents like Minato Namikaze are his nemesis. No matter how strong his Ninjutsu is, if he can never hit the enemy, there's nothing he can do.

Fortunately, Sakura Haruno's Body Flicker Technique still has significant flaws. Its speed is slightly slower than the Yellow Flash, and the fact that it uses conspicuous ice as a Body Flicker Technique makes it far inferior to the Fourth Hokage's less noticeable Flying Thunder God Formula or Kunai with the technique's inscription.

Kakuzu even developed a habit of reflexively trying to destroy the ice whenever Sakura used Ice Release Ninjutsu, until it turned into ice shards that could no longer be used for Body Flicker Technique.

What he feared even more was that Water Release with astonishing cutting power.

He felt this move looked familiar—it resembled the Second Hokage's Water Release: Water Severing Wave!

However, when used by that girl, it was more powerful, faster, and more jarring, and it didn't consume the amount of Chakra required for an S-rank Ninjutsu.

This makes that move many times more practical than the Water Severing Wave.

He still clearly remembered how the heart inside his body was destroyed; it happened in an instant, and his body, which had been tempered and refined over thousands of years, was cut open!

Faced with such a technique, even Kakuzu, who had several lives to his name, dared not be careless and walked on thin ice.

His words that the battle was about to end were not based on his confidence in defeating Sakura Haruno in a short time.

But on another battlefield, the outcome was quickly revealed.

Kakuzu pointed to the battle between Hidan, Yugao, and Shino.

"You don't have the energy to deal with my affairs anymore," he sneered mysteriously. "Take a closer look at the situation over there; they've already decided the winner!"

Then Sakura Haruno heard a short scream—it was Yugao's voice!

Then, I could clearly sense that her Chakra was rapidly dimming.

"Damn it..." Sakura's expression changed, and that rapid dimming was the reaction that only occurs when someone is seriously injured!

"It seems we'll have to take this one last step for now!" Kakuzu suppressed his rage, his gaze calm yet chillingly menacing. "Until I take your life again... you'd better keep your heart safe for me!"

Sakura Haruno glared at him fiercely.

The next battle?

I'm afraid that at that time, she wouldn't be Kakuzu easily deal with!

For now, let him off the hook. She had to get there immediately... to see what had happened.

With a flick of his silver thread, he unleashed a "Water Release: Super Water Gun Technique," forcing Kakuzu.

Sakura quickly Hand Seals, conjuring an ice mirror in the direction of Shino and Yugao. Then, she used the Body Flicker Technique of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals to teleport there instantly.

She only hoped that Yugao's injuries weren't too serious, and that her Medical Ninjutsu could handle them well, otherwise...

Sakura Haruno Body Flicker Technique appeared next to Shino.

Then they saw Yugao lying on the ground, almost completely lifeless, with a pool of blood flowing out and spreading into the distance beneath her.

A gaping hole had appeared in her chest, and the flesh, bones, and internal organs inside had completely vanished!

Through the bloody holes in her body, Sakura could see the blood-stained soil behind her.

Shino placed his hand on her chest, futilely using the only clumsy Medical Ninjutsu he knew to try and stop the bleeding.

But it just wouldn't stop!

Sakura's eyes widened immediately.

"Let me do it!" She rushed forward and pulled Shino aside, saying, "I'll stop the bleeding!"

Although she didn't put much effort into her healing Ninjutsu, it was still far superior to Shino's. With precise Chakra control, her Medical Ninjutsu quickly took effect and stopped the bleeding.

However, Yugao's condition showed no signs of improvement; on the contrary, she grew increasingly weak...

The Chakra senses are increasingly drawn to inanimate objects, that is, corpses.

Sakura had panicked just now, but after calming down a bit, she suddenly realized that what Yugao needed was not to stop the bleeding, but a heart!

Her heart... was completely gone.

The heart's function is to pump blood to all parts of the body. It connects to the most important veins and arteries and is the most vital organ in the human body. Without it, blood cannot circulate at all. If the body's most basic circulation stops, even a ninja would die in a very short time.

To save Yugao, Sakura must quickly come up with a plan.

However, she was at a loss.

If a person loses their heart, how can they be saved? Such a serious wound cannot be simply treated by stopping the bleeding and allowing it to heal; a new heart must be built to restore the body's functions!

Sakura felt a chill creep up from the bottom of her heart, rushing straight to her temples.

She needed to think of a solution... The girl's thoughts were in complete disarray. None of the Medical Ninjutsu she had learned could handle this situation!

The more urgent the situation, the less likely you are to come up with a solution.

A surge of emotion welled up inside her—a mixture of extreme anger and extreme panic. Sakura Haruno clenched her teeth, feeling the veins bulging on her forehead and her temples throbbing.

Suddenly, a burst of wild laughter rang out.

"Hahaha, don't waste your time!" Sakura turned her head and saw that the arrogant and irritating laughter came from a strange man not far from the battlefield. "She's beyond saving!"

She stared wide-eyed at the man and saw that his skin was extremely unnatural, as if he were covered in eerie black and white paint patterns. It was very eye-catching and gave people a strong sense of evil and foreboding.

"... Is that Hidan?" Sakura Haruno stared for a second or two before realizing that, stripped of the black and white paint, the man's features resembled those of the person she had blasted away earlier. "He's not dead?"

While she was fighting Kakuzu, she didn't dare to pay attention to who was rushing over from outside the battlefield to intercept Yugao and Shino.

Unexpectedly, it was Hidan, who had clearly had half his body shattered by her punch and was practically Hidan.

Right now, Hidan is not only alive, but he is also still able to jump around and speak to her with a strong voice, even though there is a sharp steel blade stuck in his heart in his chest!

What... what's going on?

Why can he act so nonchalant after suffering such injuries? Could it be... another immortal being?

The thought of this possibility sent chills down Sakura's spine!

(Bonus chapter for the flightless salted fish! Third update.)