Southern Land of Fire Bounty Station, Second Match-Explosive!

Kakuzu walked out of the bounty station in the southern Land of Fire, refreshed and invigorated, carrying the cash box he had received in exchange for Chiriku.

Hidan, looking like money wanted nothing to do with him, sauntered along behind him.

Whoosh!

On a distant mountain hollow, a black vortex swirled, and Obito slowly descended. Zetsu rose from the ground beside him.

"Are we really not telling Kakuzu and Hidan that Orochimaru already has his sights on them?"

Obito straightened the hem of his clothes and sat down where he stood, answering with silence.

Zetsu shrugged helplessly. "Fine. They might not even come anyway. None of my Clones have spotted them heading here yet!"

Rustle, rustle!

Before long, movement came from the forest below. It was Orochimaru's party of four.

White Zetsu said, "They really came! How bizarre! The Clones I left along the way never spotted them. It's like they appeared out of thin air!"

The gaze beneath Obito's mask darkened as he watched Kabuto's "Right Eye" from afar, his thoughts unreadable.

Mind's Eye of the Kagura!

After sensing their surroundings, Karin's expression grew grave.

"Two powerful Chakra signatures are approaching us. There are also two people in the mountain hollow at nine o'clock. I recognize one of them—the masked man who was with Deidara. The one you call 'Obito'!"

Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses. "He really did come to watch in person. Lord Orochimaru, what do you think...?"

Orochimaru considered briefly. "As long as they don't interfere, let's pretend we haven't seen them. What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke said, "I never intended to hide this from him. The powerful visual prowess in both his eyes is also a strength I'll need in the future. When the time is right, I'll try to win him over. But for now, I'd rather he didn't get in my way!"

Orochimaru said, "If Obito makes a move, so will I. Go, Sasuke-kun!"

Whoosh!

With no further worries, Sasuke sped toward the forest's exit!

"Hmm?"

Outside the forest, Kakuzu stopped in his tracks, his dark green eyes fixed on the forest's exit!

A boy in a white kimono strolled out leisurely. Seeing two more Akatsuki members he had never met in his previous life, he asked, "You're the Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu, right?"

Kakuzu shifted the cash box farther behind him and asked suspiciously, "Who are you?"

Sasuke said, "Sasuke Uchiha!"

Kakuzu asked without betraying his thoughts, "Oh? The Uchiha brat who's been causing such a stir lately. What do you want with us?"

Shing!

The Kusanagi Sword left its sheath, and Sasuke said calmly, "I just want to use the two of you to gauge my own capabilities..."

"Oh-ho?"

This unusual declaration of battle made Kakuzu's brow tighten slightly.

He gently set the cash box on the ground and told his partner behind him, "Hidan, watch this box for me. If anything inside gets damaged, I'll stab three thousand holes in you!"

Hidan complained, "Hey, hey! You're making me do this stuff again? Can't you just seal the box in a Scroll?"

"Shut up! If I put it in a Scroll, what happens if I accidentally throw the money out when I use it?"

Kakuzu strode forward, his mind full of questions!

Why had Sasuke sought him out? How had he discovered their whereabouts? And what gave him the confidence to defeat two Akatsuki members alone?

But he voiced none of those questions. Ultimately, he was certain of only one thing: Sasuke must have something to gain from doing this!

As Kakuzu advanced, he said in a low voice, "A shinobi must take responsibility for his words. Every word carries a price. Sasuke Uchiha, how much is that head of yours worth?"

Sasuke said, "I'd like to know that myself."

Kakuzu said, "There's no bounty on you in the black market, but your eyes should fetch a good price. Your young heart would make a suitable spare for me, too."

Sasuke said, "Is that so? As long as you like it."

Kakuzu said, "Also, you seem to have killed Sasori and wounded Deidara. Can I take that to mean you're worth fighting with my full strength?"

Rip!

Kakuzu opened his robe!

Clack!

Black threads emerged from Kakuzu's back and spread toward Sasuke!

Kakuzu bared his murderous intent. "I never turn down a head delivered to my doorstep!"

Sasuke's gaze sharpened slightly. This technique... I never even heard of it in my previous life!

Knowing nothing about his enemy's abilities, Sasuke dared not be careless. His Kusanagi Sword swept like the wind, slashing at the approaching black threads!

"Too green..."

Clack! Another mass of black threads released from Kakuzu's back had slipped underground unnoticed. While Sasuke dealt with the frontal attack, they emerged beside his feet and wound around his ankles.

Sasuke said, "..."

Earth Grudge Fear: Tentacle Fist!

Clack!

With his opponent bound, Kakuzu's fist detached from his arm and shot forward, guided by the dense black threads, punching straight through Sasuke's chest!!

Utterly disappointed, Kakuzu said, "It's over. How boring..."

Earth Grudge Fear: Heart Extraction!

The black threads burrowed deep, binding tightly with Sasuke's "flesh" and peeling his heart out along with his "Chakra pathways"!

Sasuke said, "I see. He uses those black threads to attack while extracting his opponent's Chakra and heart. So that's his ability..."

Crackle...!

Suddenly, Sasuke's body broke apart into brilliant blue lightning!

Kakuzu's dark green eyes contracted sharply. "A Lightning Release: Shadow Clone...!?"

Crackle!!!

The electricity produced by the Lightning Release: Shadow Clone traveled along Earth Grudge Fear's black threads!

"Aaaargh..." Kakuzu was instantly paralyzed in place!

He finally began to realize how serious the situation was.

Lightning Release: Shadow Clone is an extremely advanced shadow Clone technique, second only to Wood Release Clones. And this brat used it merely as a feint!?

Crack!

The ground broke open, and Sasuke's real body charged out!

Rasengan!!

Boom!

The Rasengan struck Kakuzu squarely in the chest!

Kakuzu said, "You aren't even using your Sharingan. You really are looking down on me..."

Crack, crack!

As the Rasengan burst, Kakuzu's body turned into earth.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Did he activate that Earth Substitute the moment he realized it was a Lightning Release Clone? Without using the Sharingan, it really is hard to notice...

Boom!!!

Kakuzu's real body appeared, launching another Tentacle Fist attack from behind!!

Locating him by sound, Sasuke dodged the heavy punch without using his Sharingan. At the same time, his right hand grabbed the "tentacle" behind the fist, and he used its momentum to throw it forward!!!

Uchiha Shoulder Throw!

Boom!!!

Dragged by his own tentacle, Kakuzu's entire body swung into the air and slammed hard into the ground!!

A wooden spike emerged from Sasuke's left hand, and he hurled it forward with all his strength!!

In the mountain hollow, White Zetsu exclaimed in shock, "Hey... that technique!!!"

The eyes beneath Obito's mask slowly narrowed. "I see..."

Shhk!

The instant the wooden spike pierced his chest, Kakuzu's pupils contracted sharply. "This is..."

Sasuke coldly formed hand seals.

Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs!

Crack! Crack!

Protruding barbs tore Kakuzu's chest and back to shreds!

Thud!

Kakuzu dropped to his knees and collapsed facedown, utterly motionless.

Doubt crossed Sasuke's face. Surely his opponent in the Second Match couldn't be killed this easily?

Hidan said, "Hey, hey, Kakuzu! What are you doing? Get up already!"

Then Kakuzu, who had supposedly been killed, actually climbed back up. His dark green eyes were bloodshot. "You transplanted the First Hokage's cells, you little brat...!!!"

Obito's gaze deepened. "No, it isn't a transplant of the First Hokage's cells. It's those barely visible white markings on his body. Orochimaru's Cursed Seal can actually merge with Hashirama's power..."

As Kakuzu rose, he pulled the wooden spikes from his body one by one. Splosh! A black monster with a shattered mask flowed out of his wound.

After a brief moment of surprise, the corners of Sasuke's mouth lifted. "An immortal body? Now that's more like it..."

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

Kakuzu tore off his Akatsuki Robe. Earth Grudge Fear's black threads surged wildly from his mouth, shoulders, and back, forming monsters with four differently colored masks that gathered around him!

Earth Grudge Fear Mode!

With his full power unleashed, Kakuzu had become a monster!

He declared coldly, "Sasuke Uchiha, your Wood Release is utterly insignificant compared to the First Hokage's..."

Sasuke replied calmly, "Of course I know that. But how can you be so sure?"

Kakuzu declared emphatically, "Because... I once fought the First Hokage!"

That shocking revelation made Sasuke's pupils contract.

"So I will not tolerate you showing off that man's Wood Release techniques in front of me!!!"

Clack! The Earth Grudge Fear monster on Kakuzu's right shoulder opened its red mask!

Fire Release: Searing Migraine!