Flame Wheel

The tomoe spun, and the illusion had arrived.

The sound of chains rang between reality and illusion.

Riiip—

About half a second.

That was how long Kakuzu had been controlled by the impact of Pupil Power.

It was also the time Sakumo needed to cut down the Earth Grudge Fear mask.

"AAAAAH!!!!"

Pain even more intense than when the Wind Style heart had been shattered swept through his entire body, making Kakuzu cry out in agony.

Massive black tendrils surged from every part of his body, thrashing wildly as terrifying Chakra erupted.

Several of them bore obvious severed wounds, black liquid pouring from the breaks.

It was not just the heart...

He could clearly sense that even part of the Earth Grudge Fear had been cut away!!

Damn it!!

What had they done!!!

"Got it!"

Sakumo held his blade in one hand and the Fire Style Mask wrapped in black tendrils in the other.

The tendrils twitched frantically, looking utterly horrifying.

This was the opportunity Sakumo had been waiting for throughout the battle.

Two crucial strikes, two flawlessly timed openings.

The White Fang of Konoha possessed no eye techniques, yet he still had the keen eyes to see through everything!

During the earlier battle, the experienced Kakuzu had figured out Kamizuki's capabilities.

At the same time, they had been gathering specific intelligence on Earth Grudge Fear.

Earth Grudge Fear could control four hearts. Only by shattering those four, along with Kakuzu's own Earth Release heart, could they kill him.

Their goal had never been to kill Kakuzu. They could not do it, either.

Kamizuki's close combat ability had only reached the threshold of a jonin.

Sakumo, who had never been tempered by a major war, was also a severely unbalanced jonin. His instantaneous attack power even surpassed that of some elite jonin, but his endurance was far inferior.

It was probably because he had indulged himself too much as a child, leaving him rather weak as an adult. A Hatake Clan tradition.

Kakuzu had already been Takigakure's strongest enforcer during the First's era, unquestionably an elite jonin. Otherwise, he would not have been sent to assassinate Hashirama Senju.

Later, he obtained the secret technique of Earth Grudge Fear and accumulated decades of combat experience.

If not for the enormous intelligence gap between them, the battle would never have reached its current state.

A ninja's battle was a battle of intelligence!

"Ahh..."

Kakuzu's roar subsided. When his anger-filled gaze turned toward Kamizuki, he instinctively shifted his eyes away.

He did not understand.

His guess should have been right, so why...

What he understood even less was...

Though he had been careless, how could a mere one-tomoe Sharingan make his consciousness freeze!!

Kakuzu's eyes burned as he stared at the piece of Earth Grudge Fear in Kamizuki's hand.

"You... who exactly are you..."

The feeling that every detail about him had been thoroughly exposed made Kakuzu ask again and again.

"Have you lived so long that you've gone senile?"

Kamizuki gripped the Earth Grudge Fear tightly. Black tendrils coiled around his arm as if alive, their tips trying to pierce his flesh.

"You've already seen proof that I'm Uchiha, and you're still asking that?"

"Kamizuki, why do you insult him before you say anything every time? That's not very polite."

Sakumo panted lightly. That strike had consumed far more than the one that shattered the Wind Style Mask.

In that instant, he had needed to cut through the tendrils while ensuring he did not damage the heart within the mask's core.

His Chakra could support at most one more Lightning Style: White Fang Instant Kill.

Now that they had the thing, they should prepare to run. Don't provoke the enemy any further!

"Just learn from me."

Kamizuki said flatly, "Rather than letting yourself be affected by an enemy's words, it's better to strike first and break their composure."

"When a ninja loses their calm, it's a massive debuff."

"You... are right."

It was Kakuzu who responded to Kamizuki. The anger in his eyes gradually faded as he looked directly at the enemies before him for the first time.

Enemies, not prey.

"The target isn't me. Or rather, it isn't entirely me..."

Kakuzu said in a deep voice, "You specifically chose the Fire Style that Uchiha excel at. You want to use this piece of Earth Grudge Fear to cast ninjutsu, don't you?"

"You deliberately appeared before me head-on, making me think you were a reckless brat. Then, bit by bit, you made me realize how special your physique was, causing me to lower my guard against the Sharingan..."

"Uchiha Kamizuki... you're an outstanding ninja!"

The result was right, but the process was completely wrong.

Kamizuki had genuinely wanted to charge in head-on. When he told Kakuzu he did not want Crimson Blade's first outing to be tarnished, he had been telling the truth.

He had never expected Kakuzu to suddenly lock eyes with him, his eyes opened wide.

How could anyone resist giving him a shot!

They had not discussed tactics with Sakumo beforehand. It was entirely Sakumo's personal ability that let him seize an opening that was not even an opening.

As Kakuzu spoke, the emotions he had just calmed surged into turmoil once more.

The Earth Grudge Fear in Kamizuki's hand stopped struggling.

No hand seals, no complicated ritual.

When Kamizuki's scarlet gaze fell upon it, the black tendrils, like shellfish seeing their natural predator, all withdrew into the mask. They wrapped around the heart and trembled faintly.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

"This... is impossible..."

The words were almost squeezed from Kakuzu's throat.

Three days.

When he had taken the Earth Grudge Fear secret technique, it had taken him a full three days to gradually erode and assimilate it with Chakra. Only after taming it had he succeeded in making it part of his body.

And now—

In an instant!!

His connection to that piece of Earth Grudge Fear had been completely severed!!!

Kakuzu had stolen countless hearts, and he could accept the reality of Earth Grudge Fear being taken.

But such an immense disparity in talent was something he could not accept!!

His eyes reddened. The stitches at the corners of his mouth began to split, black liquid seeping out as he looked like a vicious demon.

"Give it back..."

"Give Earth Grudge Fear... Takigakure's treasure, back to me!!!"

Kakuzu slammed his hands together. Chakra surged violently, and the Lightning Style Mask on his shoulder shone with silver light.

Lightning Style: False Darkness!!!!

"I'll think about it..."

"Actually, I'll refuse. After all... it's my treasure now!"

The corner of Kamizuki's mouth curved up as he took Crimson Blade from Sakumo. The scarlet in his eyes aligned with the blade's edge.

Between them—

Fire

began to spread.

From his arm to his palm, dark crimson flames surged wildly up along Crimson Blade's spine. The heat distorted the surrounding air.

The blade was completely covered in dark crimson patterns, like a scarlet crescent moon.

This was the relic forged with all that man's devotion, yet never given to the one he loved.

For a moment, it seemed to possess life, carrying a faint, wordless sorrow.

The next moment, the hand gripping its hilt dispelled that sorrow.

With an unstoppable spirit, he swung the blade!

Boom!!

The flames were as thick as blood, shaped like a moon and carrying the force of a blade. Scorching heat capable of incinerating everything howled forth!!

—

"Fire Style: Flame Wheel Crimson Moon."

He softly called their names.

—

—

Lightning and flames completely lit up the night sky!