The Undying Kakuzu, the Eternal Earth Grudge Fear

"Hm? He's still chasing?"

In the sky, Kazama Kaguya could see someone on the ground relentlessly pursuing him.

The pursuer wasn't slow. Although running on the ground had its inconveniences, he could still keep pace from a distance.

"Even though I have a bounty on my head, in my current state, no one should be able to recognize me. I want to see what you're up to."

Kazama Kaguya stopped and landed on a giant tree.

Just a regular Jonin. With my current strength, I can take on one easily.

Soon, the Jonin caught up.

He had short hair, a large sword strapped to his back, and a scruffy beard.

He adopted a condescending tone and said, "Brat, I saw you enter the exchange office with Kisame Hoshigaki. What's your relationship with him?"

"Teacher Kisame?"

Kazama Kaguya assessed his strength and said in surprise, "Are you a ninja trying to hunt his bounty? Why are you so weak?"

"What did you say?" The Jonin instantly became enraged, his forehead throbbing.

He fiercely drew his greatsword and snarled, "Damn brat, Kakuzu is one thing, but you dare to look down on me too?"

Just then, another person appeared via Body Flicker Technique.

He wore a forehead protector with the symbol of Takigakure, split down the middle by a single scratch.

He wore a mask, and his body was covered in scars formed by stitches, as if he were sewn together.

Upon seeing this distinctive appearance, Kazama Kaguya immediately recognized the newcomer.

"Kakuzu?"

He looked at the two of them in confusion, pointing at their clothes. "Where's your team uniform? The black one with red clouds."

As soon as he said this, Kakuzu and the nameless Jonin's pupils contracted.

"What's going on?" Kakuzu asked.

"How should I know? I thought he was Kisame's companion. Seeing that he could fly, I decided to deal with him first. You know, the corpses of ninja with special abilities are quite valuable at the exchange office."

"The organization's intel has been leaked," Kakuzu said, his eyes turning cold. "Then we'll kill him and hunt Kisame afterward."

As soon as the words fell, the two immediately launched their attack.

Kazama Kaguya shot up into the sky, dodging the thrown kunai.

He ascended hundreds of meters into the sky, extended his right index finger, and a bright blue orb, like a jewel, condensed at its tip.

"Storm Release: Thunder Roar Cannon."

The orb erupted into a terrifying laser, five to six meters thick, accompanied by crackling lightning, blasting towards the area where the two stood.

"???"

The two stared at the terrifying attack descending from the sky, momentarily stunned.

Don't you guys usually test each other with Taijutsu first when fighting?

Who opens with a giant cannon right off the bat? This isn't ninja-like at all.

But the Thunder Roar Cannon wouldn't give them a chance to regret.

The next instant, blinding light and deafening explosions engulfed the earth.

Kazama Kaguya had already activated his Byakugan. He clearly saw the cannon fodder Jonin disintegrated into nothingness by the Thunder Roar Cannon.

As for Kakuzu, he used the advantage of Earth Grudge Fear to evade the terrifying attack.

He stood at the edge of the massive crater, using the obscuring smoke and dust to his advantage. A masked head emerged from his shoulder, part of Earth Grudge Fear, its mouth open, forming hand seals to gather Wind Release.

Kazama Kaguya's eyes narrowed. He didn't wait for Kakuzu's attack to arrive.

"Storm Release: Nine Luminaries Bind."

He clasped his hands together, and nine bright blue, wedge-shaped light nails, about a foot long, rapidly formed. They were entwined with flickering lightning.

Using his Byakugan to pinpoint Kakuzu's chakra acupoints, the wedge-shaped light nails shot out with incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, Kakuzu had no time to dodge and was pinned in place.

The Nine Luminaries Bind sealed his acupoints. With a burst of lightning, it not only stopped the flow of chakra but also paralyzed his body.

Kakuzu froze in place. The Wind Release being gathered in the mouth of his Earth Grudge Fear dissipated as his chakra flow ceased.

As the smoke from the Thunder Roar Cannon cleared, Kazama Kaguya descended from the sky and landed beside Kakuzu.

His Byakugan was constantly active, allowing him to see that this was Kakuzu's true body, not some clone luring him into a trap for a killing blow.

He still remembered how he was deceived by a Water Clone of a Kirigakure Jonin when he defected.

Seeing Kazama Kaguya approach, Kakuzu twisted his neck to look at him, blood trickling from his lips. "Who exactly are you?"

He who hunts geese all day is finally pecked by a goose.

Ever since he joined the Akatsuki Organization and started taking on bounty missions, he had a feeling he'd eventually mess up, but he never imagined it would be so careless.

One strike shattered one of his hearts. This kind of power, even within the Akatsuki Organization, filled with freaks, was rare.

His appearance was disheveled, with his limbs, lower abdomen, chest, back, and throat—vital points where Chakra flowed—all bound by the Nine Celestial Needles.

Thin wisps of blood trickled down the corners of his mouth.

Most exaggeratedly, a large hole had been blown in his chest, revealing a shattered mask within.

Countless dark, vein-like threads of Earth Grudge Fear surged from the opening, frantically repairing the flesh and blood that had been blasted apart.

Clink, clank...

The Earth Grudge Fear pushed out the shattered mask, which fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

"Did I just get killed once?"

Kazama Kaguya knew Kakuzu's abilities.

His Earth Grudge Fear could steal five hearts, each with Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, or Lightning attributes. The masks contained these stitched-in hearts.

Now, with one mask shattered, it meant he had just been killed once by the Lightning Roar Cannon.

"Who exactly are you? The Hyuga Clan wouldn't have this kind of Ninjutsu."

As Kazama Kaguya approached, Kakuzu saw his pure Byakugan.

They were vast and white, like the deep winter snow covering everything, but possessed a nobility greater than any Hyuga he had encountered.

"Kakuzu, former Jonin of Takigakure, who stole the forbidden jutsu Earth Grudge Fear and became a Rogue Ninja. Currently, the Akatsuki Organization's financial manager, codenamed 'North'."

Kazama Kaguya glanced at the ring on Kakuzu's finger and said calmly, "Am I correct?"

Kakuzu's black pupils shrank to pinpricks, his shock immense.

The information about him being a Rogue Ninja was public, but his joining the Akatsuki Organization was not.

The Akatsuki Organization was currently secretly controlling Amegakure and operating only in the shadows. Logically, no one in the ninja world should possess such detailed intelligence.

But he had encountered such a person now.

Under the gaze of the Byakugan, he felt as if he had been stripped bare, all his secrets laid out.

He immediately fell silent, not uttering a word.

He desperately channeled Earth Grudge Fear, countless black threads surging within his body.

He was using the advantage of Earth Grudge Fear to alter his Chakra acupoints, attempting to break free.

Kazama Kaguya did not stop him.

He used his Byakugan, observing the changes within Kakuzu's body with great interest.

He had developed a strong fascination with Earth Grudge Fear.

"Earth Grudge Fear, a forbidden jutsu from Takigakure, its origin unknown. It allows for Eternal Life by stealing hearts and grants five lives. A very peculiar ability."

In the ninja world, few things could extend one's lifespan.

Earth Grudge Fear was one of the few forbidden jutsu that, theoretically, could achieve Eternal Life.

Besides the Otsutsuki Clan's "Karma," this was the only thing Kazama Kaguya had encountered that involved Eternal Life.

Although Earth Grudge Fear seemed somewhat anti-human, its usefulness was undeniable.

He was still contemplating how to add Earth Grudge Fear to his collection when Kakuzu had already broken free from the Nine Celestial Needles' restraint.

Countless black threads shot out from Kakuzu's body, quickly transforming into three strange, mask-wearing creatures.

They wore masks of different shapes and began accumulating elemental jutsu in their mouths.

Lightning, flames, and wind gusts began to flicker.

A fighting spirit ignited in Kazama Kaguya's eyes as well.

Right now, he needed a sufficiently powerful opponent to test his combat strength and identify his weaknesses.

And Kakuzu, with his five lives, was a perfect punching bag.