The Final Shot

"Are you getting serious, Kakuzu? I know you haven't used your true power yet, and I've been looking for someone to serve as my stepping stone. I think you'll fit the bill perfectly." Qingyun smiled, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Do you need help, Qingyun?" Yoshihime had already rescued Minato, who was currently busy waking up Kushina.

"No, just look after them. I'm the only one who can handle Kakuzu." Qingyun spoke the truth; neither Minato nor Yoshihime were a match for Kakuzu at this stage.

"Have you finished your last words? Since you have, prepare to die." Kakuzu was truly serious this time. He no longer had any intention of mocking Qingyun. The ninja world was vast, and there would always be monsters like Qingyun.

The threads along the cracks of Kakuzu's entire body unraveled automatically, and those black threads completely engulfed him.

Behind Kakuzu, four masks appeared one by one.

"A demon? It seems nothing has changed from the original story; you still possess five hearts." Qingyun said to Kakuzu.

"It seems you know quite a lot, but it doesn't matter. You are destined to die." Whether for public or private reasons, Kakuzu was determined to kill Qingyun.

"Here it comes!" Qingyun had already seen through Kakuzu's incoming attack.

"Lightning Style: False Darkness!" The demon of the Lightning mask opened its mouth, and the lightning transformed into a sharp laser gun, firing toward Qingyun.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" The demon of the Water mask also spat out a water curtain.

However, the Water mask demon had temporarily detached from his body, and the pincer attack from left and right made it difficult for Qingyun to defend.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"30 Million Volts: Thunder Bird!"

Qingyun performed the hand seals to use Earth Wall, temporarily blocking the lightning attack, then teleported to the top of the wall, utilizing a high-speed Thunder Bird to fly toward the Water mask demon.

"The lightning actually transformed into the shape of a bird. This guy is a genius at Lightning Style!" Kakuzu's combat experience was incredibly rich; he immediately abandoned the Water mask demon and shouted, "Tentacle Fist!"

Qingyun's Thunder Bird struck the Water mask demon instantly, destroying one of the hearts on Kakuzu's body.

However, Kakuzu gritted his teeth against the pain and used his tentacles to prepare to pierce Qingyun's heart once more.

Qingyun had intended to continue using electrical discharges to dismantle Kakuzu's attacks, but he hadn't expected the demons on Kakuzu's body to suddenly use a combined ninjutsu.

"So that's it. Using the tentacles to grab me, then using the demons on your back to launch a ninjutsu attack?" Qingyun realized the opponent's strategy.

"Kid, this isn't just some simple ninjutsu!" Kakuzu said with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"Combined Ninjutsu: Searing Wind Turbulence!"

This technique combined the Earth Grudge Fear Fire mask monster and the Earth Grudge Fear Wind mask monster.

Both used Fire Style: Searing Migraine and Wind Style: Pressure Damage simultaneously to create a massive sea of fire.

This level of combined ninjutsu was no weaker than the Third Hokage's, and Qingyun gritted his teeth.

"I didn't want to use this move, but since you're forcing my hand, don't blame me."

"Still talking tough when death is at your doorstep! Can you really conjure up a dragon?" Kakuzu said casually.

However, in the next second, Kakuzu froze. Qingyun had actually conjured a dragon.

That's right, Qingyun directly used the Goro Goro no Mi to create a Lightning Dragon. The dragon crackled with lightning, coiling around to completely protect his body.

"Lightning transformed into a dragon." Kakuzu could feel the violent power of that lightning; even at his level, approaching it mindlessly would result in being instantly killed.

Kakuzu's attack landed on the Lightning Dragon. The dragon roared, its pain turning into immense fury, yet Qingyun remained unaffected by the electricity on the dragon's body.

"60 Million Volts! This level of lightning, while not reaching the intensity of a natural bolt, is still extremely lethal, as the safe voltage for humans is only 36 volts."

"Even if you use combined ninjutsu, you are absolutely no match for this ability of mine." Qingyun said confidently.

"Is this Qingyun's trump card? It's too terrifying! Even the strongest Raikage couldn't be more than this!" Minato was also shocked; the gap between him and Qingyun had widened significantly without him even realizing it.

"Terrifying! A terrifying brat. With your body, it should be impossible to sustain a ninjutsu of this level, yet you managed to pull it off?"

"Is it a Kekkei Genkai?" Kakuzu was somewhat stunned at this moment, unable to find a good way to counter Qingyun.

"Kakuzu, besides the Water mask demon, you have four hearts left. I don't want to engage in a war of attrition with you. Why don't we decide the winner with this one move?" Qingyun said directly.

"Oh? Kid, is it because your body can't maintain this ninjutsu for long?" Kakuzu immediately assumed Qingyun couldn't sustain such a powerful Lightning Style.

"No, that's not it. I just don't want you to suffer so much. This is only 60 million volts; my lightning can reach up to 200 million volts!" Qingyun smiled and said, "But I don't think you could withstand an attack of that magnitude."

"So, I hope to make it fair. Why don't we end this battle with a combined ninjutsu?" After speaking, Qingyun merged the Lightning Dragon into his own body.

"Combined ninjutsu? A brat like you can also use combined ninjutsu?!" Kakuzu asked in surprise.

"Of course. My teacher isn't Lady Tsunade; my teacher is Hiruzen Sarutobi, the current Hokage. I believe you should know that his combined ninjutsu is also very strong."

"How about it? Use a combined ninjutsu, one move to decide the winner?" Qingyun asked.

"What if I don't agree?" Kakuzu asked.

"Then I'll just strike you dead with lightning." Qingyun said coldly. After his recent studies, he could barely manage 200 million volts, which was more than enough to deal with Kakuzu.

Kakuzu knew Qingyun wasn't bluffing. He had truly kicked an iron plate this time, but he knew he had to do something.

"Since you can defeat me, why give me a chance?" Kakuzu asked. "What do you want? Just say it."

Qingyun smiled and said, "It's simple. If I lose, I'm at your mercy. If I win, you just need to tell me the intelligence regarding the Bounty Exchange. That will be enough."

"That simple? Fine, I agree." Kakuzu wasn't a pushover either; although he had been on the defensive, he was still quite confident in his own abilities.

Besides, Kakuzu was someone who liked to take advantage of situations, and he didn't believe he would lose.

"Come on! Let me see how much of the Third Hokage's power you've inherited!" Three demons appeared on Kakuzu's shoulders.

"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!" The three demons gathered directly on Kakuzu's right arm. It was clear that Kakuzu was charging up; if the charge succeeded, the terrifying power might directly annihilate Qingyun.