"Again, that annoying brat!"
Kakuzu's gaze sharpened, and he instantly leaped backward. During his earlier clash with Asuma Sarutobi, he had already witnessed Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Technique and had found the jutsu endlessly troublesome.
He landed on a tree and swiftly climbed upward, his shadow following close behind.
Almost at the same moment, a gale wind howled through the sky as a rapidly spinning human cannonball came crashing down with the force of Mount Tai bearing down.
"Human Bullet Tank!"
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Kakuzu darted to the side. But just then, Ino appeared among the nearby trees, her hands forming the distinctive seal of her clan's secret mental technique.
"Mind Transfer Technique!"
A sudden mental assault struck without warning. Kakuzu's body stiffened, and shadows had already wrapped around his feet. Above him, the terrifying human tank rolled down, smashing his entire body into the ground with a thunderous crash as dust billowed everywhere.
Even though they had yet to reach the level of Jonin, the Ino-Shika-Cho battle formation was still terrifying. It had been honed through countless years. Through every crisis in Konoha's history, even in the Ninja World Wars, the name Ino-Shika-Cho had always been one of Konoha's most reliable pillars.
Even during the rise of Konoha's White Fang, the dominance of the Sannin, and the brilliance of the Yellow Flash, the radiance of those three clans had never been eclipsed.
Most terrifying of all, those three clans had never relied on geniuses. Every generation of their members performed with remarkable consistency.
Akimichi Choji landed beside Shikamaru and asked in a low voice, "How is it?"
As the smoke dispersed, Kakuzu's form was revealed below. Within the shattered earth lay a humanoid-shaped rock.
"Rock Clone Technique? Not good!"
Shikamaru's expression changed as he shouted, "Run!"
"Run? Do