Although Kongang saving Shi Li with his life had indeed stunned Shi Li for a moment, he was also a veteran rogue ninja with a firm will. Naturally, he would not lose his head and rush Kakuzu in a suicidal fight just because his companion had died.
That would not be revenge. It would only be throwing his life away.
"Damn it! Xiang Lianhua, run!"
After that brief daze, he hurriedly called to his sole remaining companion and turned to flee.
"Hmph, pointless struggling."
Kakuzu snorted. Rather than pursuing them immediately, he took out a scroll and stored Kongang's corpse inside.
"Only two hundred thousand, but it's still money. Can't waste it."
Muttering his principles of making money as he packed away his first haul of the day, Kakuzu watched Shi Li and Xiang Lianhua flee into the distance before slowly sinking into the ground.
"Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage!"
As his most proficient nature transformation, Kakuzu's speed underground was astonishing. Before long, he had caught up to within a short distance behind the two of them.
But just then, he heard a somewhat youthful voice.
"Captain, look. Isn't that redhead Shi Li?"
"Huh, they actually came right to us. Looks like we're pretty lucky! Get ready to fight!"
At Araki's command, Kaguya Black Bone charged out at once. As he ran, he manipulated the bones in his body to proliferate rapidly. By the time he reached Shi Li, an enormous white bone blade had completely formed.
"Bone Slash!"
With a loud shout, the bone blade drew a white arc through the air in his hand as he unleashed a powerful horizontal slash at his enemy.
Clang!
Shi Li raised his gloved right hand and actually blocked Kaguya Black Bone's strike one-handed, catching the blade barehanded.
"Though I was indeed in