"You damned bastard!"
Baki swore outright.
But the Daimyo was already dead. At this point, there was nothing more to say.
"Wind Release: Blade of Wind!"
Facing an enemy who looked anything but easy to deal with, Baki opened with his strongest attack.
A vast amount of Wind Release chakra gathered between his fingers, forming a razor-sharp current of air that slashed toward Kakuzu as Baki swung his hand.
The Earth Release masked monster beside Kakuzu immediately moved to intercept it, trying to withstand the blow with the durability granted by Earth Grudge Fear and Earth Release.
But Baki was, after all, Sunagakure's Jonin Commander. Though he had not reached Kage Level, he surpassed ordinary Elite Jonin.
This full-power strike, unleashed in his fury, packed considerable destructive force.
The sharp wind blade sent dazzling sparks flying as it scraped across the black monster. Strand after strand of black thread snapped beneath it, until the entire masked monster was cut in half.
Baki's wind blade likewise dissipated in the collision.
"Impressive attack power."
Kakuzu rolled his wrists, and the Fire Release and Wind Release masks beside him opened their mouths once more.
"Composite Ninjutsu: Flame-Wind Turbulent Wave!"
Fueled by the fierce wind, terrifying flames instantly engulfed the entire Castle Tower. The violent explosion lit up the night sky over the capital, inflicting unimaginable damage on the ancient palace that night.
"Begin the retreat."
After that spectacular explosion, Kakuzu's voice rang out from the Transponder Snails everyone carried.
Kimimaro and Haku quickly found Gaara and regrouped with him.
A cloud of iron sand then rose beneath their feet, carrying them swiftly out of the capital.
By the time the smoke from the explosion cleared, the entire palace lay in ruins.
There was no telling how many nobles had died in the disaster,