Araki's sword came too fast—so fast that Kakuzu had no time to finish the remaining hand seals.
If he insisted on doing so, his hands would probably leave him for good.
With no other choice, at that critical moment, a layer of black reinforced rock covered Kakuzu's hands and collided head-on with Araki's longsword!
Clang!
[Earth Spear] truly was Kakuzu's most practiced ninjutsu. He had mastered this B-rank technique so thoroughly that he no longer even needed to form hand seals.
Fist and sword met, and a layer of black powder drifted away on the wind. A sharp pain shot through Kakuzu's palm.
His equally black left fist followed through and slammed into Araki's blade, forcing him back for the moment.
Looking at the faint blood seeping from his palm, Kakuzu spoke grimly. "What a sharp sword!"
He had already forgotten how long it had been since he had last felt pain.
Ever since he had failed to assassinate the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and defected from Takigakure, Kakuzu had not experienced the sensation of injury in a very long time.
Because of his personality and past experiences, Kakuzu had always lacked a sense of security. Thus, the ninjutsu he excelled at most was this offensive and defensive technique, [Earth Release: Earth Spear Technique].
Aside from Lightning Style Ninjutsu, this was the first time he had encountered a technique capable of piercing his defenses.
Compared to Araki, what kind of trash had the former owner of that Wind Style heart been? At that level, how had he dared call himself a Wind Style ninja?
"Kid, you have successfully enraged me. Playtime is over! I'll be taking your heart!"
After declaring his release, two bulges gradually rose from Kakuzu's back, tearing through his clothes and appearing side by side beside his