Facing Kakuzu

"Kakuzu, stop. The Akatsuki doesn't allow infighting."

"Besides, this isn't the time for you to indulge your bloodlust."

Pain spoke up from the side, stopping him.

At those words,

"Bloodlust?"

"I don't have time for something so pointless."

"Still, I just think this guy is too weak... He might even get in the way of our future missions, don't you think?"

"And clearly... you have doubts about his strength too, don't you?"

"So why not let me test him for you?"

Kakuzu tilted his head slightly toward Pain and spoke in a cold voice.

"..."

When he finished, Pain had nothing to say.

He trusted Konan, of course.

But he did want to see for himself just how strong this man was, despite having so little chakra.

So he looked toward Konan.

Konan's expression remained calm. She glanced at Kakuzu, then said evenly,

"Chen Xiaoxi, watch your limits."

"Kakuzu is also an indispensable member of the Akatsuki. Don't kill him."

After that, she ignored the expressions of the others and walked straight to Pain, clearing the space between them.

At her words,

Kakuzu gritted his teeth slightly, a trace of impatience appearing on his face.

That purple-haired woman actually thought this brat could kill him?

Ridiculous.

"Hey, brat..."

"You'd better enjoy what little time you have left while you still can!"

Kakuzu stared at Chen Xiaoxi, a fierce glint in his eyes. Then he abruptly raised his right hand.

To everyone's surprise, countless black threads shot out of his right arm and slammed toward Chen Xiaoxi!

He had attacked without hesitation!

Chen Xiaoxi remained calm. After glancing at Pain and the others in the distance,

he casually raised his hands and brought his palms together, saying evenly,

"Hado #33: Sokatsui!"

Boom!!

The instant he finished speaking, a blinding white light appeared before his palms.

The light immediately transformed into a fierce Azure Flame that surged toward Kakuzu!

The immense blaze illuminated the entire dim cave. It seemed even the water dripping from above was evaporating!

Its scale and oppressive force completely surpassed Kakuzu's attack!

"?"

So fast!

Everyone was startled at the same time!

But Konan's expression shifted.

Hmm...

Another one of those strange technique names?

What kind of secret art was this?

Why did it seem like all he had to do was bring his hands together and call out a name for the technique to appear?

Konan's confusion was not without reason.

In fact,

on the way back from the Land of Wind to Amegakure,

Konan and Chen Xiaoxi had encountered several enemies who had appeared out of nowhere.

At the time, Chen Xiaoxi had brought his hands together and instantly unleashed a technique called "Hado #4: Byakurai."

With a swift bolt of lightning, he had subdued all of them.

And now, facing Kakuzu's secret technique, Chen Xiaoxi had again brought his hands together and unleashed a Fire Style technique far more powerful than the last.

It was faster and stronger than before.

Come to think of it...

Could this Azure Flame even be called Fire Style?

Konan was utterly puzzled.

Pain and Zetsu were watching from the side, but they too sensed how strange the technique was.

It was as blue as the sea, yet it had the shape and heat of flames...

Kakuzu's expression changed as well.

Feeling the powerful wave of heat, he knew better than to let his guard down. He quickly used the Substitution Technique and dodged to the other side of the cave.

The Pale Blue Fire Crash struck a stone pillar beside the cave, shattering it with a boom!

As dust billowed, Kakuzu steadied himself and looked over, a trace of surprise in his eyes.

Tch... I never thought

such a tiny amount of chakra could produce an attack like that...

As he was thinking,

Chen Xiaoxi, who had just unleashed his attack, suddenly looked bewildered. He stared at Kakuzu with exaggerated innocence and said,

"Huh?

That's strange... Mr. Kakuzu, aren't you known as the 'Immortal Ninja'?"

"Why dodge such a weak attack?"

"..."

The moment he finished speaking, silence fell over the cave.

Everyone turned to look at Kakuzu.

The atmosphere grew painfully awkward.

Kakuzu's mouth twitched, and his face stiffened.

I just have a lot of hearts, all right?

Did you really think I was completely immortal?

Besides, who wouldn't dodge an incoming attack? What am I, an idiot?

Growing angrier by the second, Kakuzu glared at Chen Xiaoxi. Without another word, he quickly formed Hand Seals and held his hands before his mouth, shouting,

"I'll kill you!"

"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kakuzu's back began to bulge and swell. Then a black, thread-covered mask-like creature emerged!

This was Takigakure's secret technique—Earth Grudge Fear!

The Earth Grudge Fear creature suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a blazing fireball!

The moment the fireball hit the ground, its area of effect expanded at once, setting off a roaring inferno. The temperature throughout the cave rose by more than ten degrees!

The fierce flames seemed alive as they rapidly spread toward Chen Xiaoxi!

Pain, Konan, and the others were caught in the flames' reach as well!

Everyone's expression changed at once.

From nearby, Zetsu let out an exaggerated cry. "Ah! This is bad, this is bad! Get out of the way!"

Then he immediately leaped backward and used the Mayfly Technique to merge into the wall.

Konan spread her paper wings at once and carried Pain up into the air with her.

They all knew that being caught in those flames was no joke.

The strange wave of heat was far more powerful than the Sokatsui Chen Xiaoxi had just unleashed!

And its range was astonishingly wide!

"This guy... He actually used such a large-scale Fire Release Ninjutsu in a place this cramped..."

Pain looked displeased.

Meanwhile,

Kakuzu stood on the ground, excitement in his eyes. He didn't care about anything else.

After taking the hearts of so many Fire Style users, this was the Fire Style technique Kakuzu was most proud of!

A fiery tsunami, burning everything in its path!