To Stay Alive, He'd Say Absolutely Anything

It wasn't just Kakuzu. Even Shimura Masayuki, pinned to a tree by Earth Grudge Fear, stared in shock.

Born and raised in Konoha, he knew exactly what Wood Release meant.

It was the strongest Kekkei Genkai, one only the First Hokage had possessed. How could Toji Zenin possibly use it?

Wasn't he supposed to be an ordinary Jōnin?

Kakuzu's blood churned, and his heart ached. Two Elite Jōnin hearts he had prized had been destroyed by Wood Release without warning.

This job had turned into a staggering loss.

Never mind whether he could kill Toji. Losing two hearts was a blow no amount of money could make up for. Elite Jōnin hearts were nearly impossible to find; he had collected only five in sixteen years.

Kakuzu was already thinking of retreat, but he gritted his teeth and stayed.

It had nothing to do with a bounty hunter's reputation.

It was pure sunk cost, coupled with his pride in having once been stronger than Toji, that drove him to fight to the end.

Forcing himself to sound confident, Kakuzu declared, "Not bad. Not bad at all, Toji. You really are a man worthy of my respect. Only you, as you are now, deserve to face my final move."

"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!"

The flesh of Kakuzu's right arm broke apart into dense black threads, then reassembled into a cannon aimed at Toji. The three hearts he had left—wind, fire, and lightning—surged at once. Their chakra fused in a precise ratio and gathered inside the barrel.

Terrifying chakra built within it—

But it was charging too slowly.

If Toji wanted, he could use his Body Flicker Technique to bring Kakuzu down in an instant.

But Kakuzu might not accept that defeat.

Toji's original plan had been to follow Nagato's example: overwhelm