Sunlight filtered through the forest, breaking into scattered patches of light. A breeze stirred the mottled shadows and brought waves of coolness.
But no chill could compare to the coldness in Kakuzu's heart.
When he came back to his senses, Kakuzu found time frozen at the instant he and the Masked Man had locked eyes.
How could I have fallen under a genjutsu? Move already!
Kakuzu found himself completely immobilized, unable to move at all. He tried channeling the Chakra throughout his body to break the genjutsu, but it was useless.
A genjutsu that even Chakra can't break... is it because of the Sharingan?
Looking ahead again, a pair of crimson Sharingan watched him and Hidan with amused interest, as though they were two fish laid out on a chopping board, waiting to be slaughtered.
Such powerful Sharingan. Such terrifying genjutsu.
Kakuzu felt that he had to carve this person deeply into his memory.
Though he boasted of having five lives and being impossible to kill, the reason Kakuzu had survived for so long was because he knew when to yield and when to bend.
Now, facing a powerful enemy who could take his life at any moment, he felt the same helplessness he had felt when facing the Leader of Akatsuki's Rinnegan.
No, this was even more terrifying.
The person before him possessed stranger abilities. A single genjutsu was enough to take his life.
Kakuzu had no idea what state Hidan was in behind him, but he was probably no different from himself.
Why? Why did I have to encounter someone this strong?
Kakuzu glared fiercely at the man's mask.
Through those eyes, he saw the Masked Man eagerly enjoying the sight of the two of them. Then, suddenly, those eyes became listless and bored.
"Congratulations. You're lucky. Big Boss doesn't let me slaughter innocents indiscriminately, because even he doesn't know whether this so-called Akatsuki Organization is good or bad."
Big Boss?
Kakuzu was inexplicably horrified. Was there someone even stronger above this guy?
"Kakuzu, right? You can leave."
Liutong glanced at Kakuzu, boredom flashing through his eyes as if he had lost a toy.
"But Hidan, right? Since you attacked me, you are now the defendant and will soon be sent to court. Everything you say next will be entered into evidence."
"Oh." Liutong paused, a mischievous smile appearing on his face as he said smugly, "I forgot to mention that I'm the plaintiff, the judge, and the jury!"
"I now declare you guilty and sentence you to Lifetime Servitude!"
That string of words sent a flash of despair through Kakuzu.
How had he lost to someone like this?
"However," Liutong's gaze returned to Kakuzu as he said teasingly, "before I let you go, let me show you a good show."
"Now, let the show begin!"
Kakuzu was shocked to see the Three Tomoe in the Masked Man's eyes spin rapidly, merging into a special shuriken-shaped form.
Is it a Mangekyo like Itachi's?
Then Kakuzu discovered, for no apparent reason, that his body was slowly turning behind him. At the same time, he was unable to control his own body.
Why can't I control my body? And why is my Chakra circulating so frantically? Who is this man? What kind of genjutsu is this?
This indescribable experience made Kakuzu feel, for a moment, as if physics no longer existed!
How could such a genjutsu possibly exist?
When he turned around, Kakuzu found the village official he had supposedly killed standing alive and well before him.
Meanwhile, Hidan on the other side was undergoing much the same experience.
"Welcome to the First Ninja World Martial Arts Tournament—no, the First Ninja World Unlimited Combat Championship!"
Uchiha Liutong leaped onto a large rock nearby, pulled out a bag of chips, and began excitedly commentating as he ate.
"On the stage, we have Kakuzu from the Akatsuki Organization and Hidan, also from the Akatsuki Organization."
"Contestant Kakuzu opened with his ultimate move! His body has actually split apart, and four pitch-black monsters have jumped out!"
"Eek! Are these things people or monsters?"
"Oh? Each of these four monsters possesses a different attribute. Kakuzu actually gathered all Five Attributes through this method! What a genius idea."
"Now, let's look at the other side!"
"Our criminal contestant Hidan is no less impressive. He hasn't done anything at all and is standing perfectly straight. What is he trying to do?"
Liutong flashed a brilliant smile and said maliciously, "Oh, it turns out he wants to test the limits of his immortal body."
"What? He doesn't want to? This is what the referee wants to do!"
"Guards, drag out whoever just spoke!"
Don't ask what Kakuzu was feeling at that moment.
He could not hear anything. His five senses had been completely controlled, and his heart was filled with only one desire: kill the person before him.
Hidan truly was excellent material. After enduring Kakuzu's Five Attributes bombardment, he still stood tall and proud.
"Very good. Big Boss will definitely be very satisfied with this material."
After saying that, Liutong's voice became somber again. "Unfortunately, Contestant Kakuzu has lost four lives. He's about to die too, so it seems our tournament must end here."
"Then, genjutsu release!"
As his voice fell, Kakuzu found that the village official he had been unable to kill no matter what had suddenly turned into Hidan, standing motionless.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu himself was lying on the ground, barely alive.
I had absolutely no ability to fight back.
Muttering that inwardly, Kakuzu painfully closed his eyes and awaited judgment.
By then, Uchiha Liutong had finished watching the show and had also finished six bags of chips. He jumped down.
He walked over to Kakuzu's side and picked up the money case.
After counting it, he found 3.2 million ryo.
"That's quite a lot of money. In that case, I'll take it."
Kakuzu glanced at him, not daring to harbor even the slightest hatred.
He had already developed a deep fear of this man.
"As part of the transaction, these two are for you. Consider them something you bought."
As though to convince Kakuzu, Uchiha Liutong emphasized again, "Look carefully. This is a fair trade. Don't say I robbed you."
Something landed on his chest.
Kakuzu opened his eyes and found two red pills.
Why do these look familiar? Wait, aren't these the Carefree Pills sold in the Gold Exchange for 200,000 ryo each?
Kakuzu tremblingly picked them up and fed them into his mouth. He knew they could save his life.
The instant he swallowed them, vigorous life force began spreading through his entire body.
Five minutes later, the medicine had fully taken effect.
Kakuzu found that he could actually stand up.
"Thank you, sir," Kakuzu said with exceptional politeness.
"Thank yourself. Not attacking me was your greatest stroke of luck. You were only a little short of it, you know. If we'd waited a little longer, you definitely would have attacked."
At those words, cold sweat ran down Kakuzu's face.
Did this man really want his life?
"You can go."
Liutong glanced at him and prepared to let him leave.
Kakuzu looked at Hidan, who was still standing stiffly there, trapped in the genjutsu and unable to free himself. He did not even dare to ask.
"Oh, right."
Liutong's voice suddenly rang out. Kakuzu jumped in fright, terrified that the other man had changed his mind.
"Don't be afraid. I just want to ask how you got this money."
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[Liutong: Big Boss, we finally have enough money to buy that thing you've always wanted!] [Image] [Image] [Image]
While having barbecue with his teammates, Naruto, who had happened to join Team Ten for dinner, suddenly glanced in surprise at Team Ten's Team Leader Teacher.
Asuma Sarutobi-sensei was actually worth that much money?
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