A flicker of surprise crossed Kakuzu's green eyes.
"Oh? I didn't expect a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire to know who I was."
"Of course. Who hasn't heard of Kakuzu, the elite bounty hunter?"
Tetsuya looked at Kakuzu calmly, even striking up a casual conversation.
"I heard you once accepted a mission to assassinate our First Hokage of Konoha, only to throw a shuriken from eight hundred li away and run. Is that true?"
Hearing that, Kakuzu flared with anger.
"What nonsense! Do you have any idea how far eight hundred li is? I actually fought Hashirama Senju back then!"
"Hmm, you have a point. If you could throw a shuriken from eight hundred li away and hit your target, that feat alone would mean very few people could stand against you in a head-on fight."
"Enough talk. Stop resisting and accept your death. That way, you'll suffer less, and I can take your head to the bounty exchange sooner!"
With that, Kakuzu leaped down from the tree and charged at Tetsuya.
He threw a punch, his fist detaching from his arm and hurtling toward Tetsuya, connected to his arm by strands of black thread.
"So this is Earth Grudge Fear? It looks disgusting."
Despite calling it disgusting, Tetsuya studied Kakuzu's secret technique with curiosity.
The tentacle punch launched his fist outward, then controlled it with the threadlike tentacles of Earth Grudge Fear, catching opponents off guard and extending his reach.
Kakuzu's taijutsu was impressive, but unfortunately, Tetsuya saw through every move he made.
Tetsuya dodged and retreated with ease. Kakuzu couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
"Such clean, precise movements. Just as I thought, the information was wrong."
Seeing Tetsuya evade his attacks so easily, Kakuzu's gaze sharpened. He was already planning to go back and rip out that information broker's heart.
After several exchanges of taijutsu, Kakuzu found Tetsuya's movements increasingly familiar, as though he had seen them somewhere before—or fought someone who used the same style.
This is... the Uchiha Clan's taijutsu? How is that possible? Isn't this brat from a family subordinate to the Senju Clan?
Kakuzu was surprised, but he still couldn't be certain.
Yet Tetsuya spoke again.
"Mr. Kakuzu, I don't think we need to fight like this. I actually admire you."
"What? Afraid to die now? Planning to buy me off?"
"I genuinely just think there's no need for this, Mr. Kakuzu. You like money, don't you? I think we could make money together."
"Heh, how amusing. Once I kill you, all your money will be mine, and your head will fetch a hefty bounty too. Enough talk. Die."
Since taijutsu couldn't deal with Tetsuya, Kakuzu changed tactics and prepared to use ninjutsu.
After all, no matter how skilled Tetsuya was at taijutsu, Kakuzu considered it meaningless. He hadn't sensed any chakra fluctuations from him.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
As he completed his hand seals, the Earth Grudge Fear threads inside Kakuzu surged, and a mask emerged. It looked like a mask growing atop a great mass of black seaweed.
Powerful lightning instantly erupted from the mouth of the Lightning Release Earth Grudge Fear mask, sweeping toward Tetsuya from near to far.
Its speed was astonishing.
"Ah, looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson before you'll settle down and listen to me."
Tetsuya sighed, but his voice was brimming with excitement.
Since the shinobi war ended, he hadn't fought anyone except Izuna. Running into Kakuzu really did make his hands itch for a fight.
"Chakra Sealing Technique, release!"
Tetsuya released the Chakra Sealing Technique he had placed on himself. In the next instant, immense chakra erupted, and blue light seemed to blaze around his body—a clear sign that the outpouring of chakra had taken physical form.
With his chakra unleashed, he evaded Kakuzu's attack with a single Body Flicker Technique.
"What's with that chakra?! The information was wrong! Damn that information broker! I'm going to rip out your heart and cut off your head!"
Kakuzu was utterly stunned. The pressure unleashed the instant Tetsuya released his chakra almost made him feel as though he were facing Hashirama Senju.
But beneath his shock, he wanted even more to kill the man who had supplied that information.
This guy, Chiba Tetsuya, is supposed to be an ordinary person?
Still, the experience he had accumulated over years of battle told him he had no time to stand there in a daze.
He rapidly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Curtain Barrier!"
Another mask emerged, spitting a raging column of water from its mouth.
At the sight, Tetsuya acted on a sudden impulse.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
As he completed his hand seals, water churned, and a massive water dragon rose, coiling around Tetsuya's body before charging straight at the water column Kakuzu had unleashed.
Splash!
Water sprayed everywhere. Even the waves thrown off by the collision could slice through several large trees.
"What powerful Water Release!"
Tetsuya cried out in amazement. Kakuzu felt that such powerful Water Release was almost on par with that of the Shinobi World's renowned Water Release master, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
What? Why was a Hokage the Shinobi World's renowned Water Release master, rather than a Mizukage?
What a joke. Even the Mizukage himself wouldn't dare call himself a Water Release master in front of the Second Hokage.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
Seeing that Water Release was ineffective, Kakuzu quickly withdrew his two masks and switched to Wind Release.
Thanks to the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear, he had five hearts inside his body. Each heart provided chakra of a different nature, allowing him to use five different nature transformations.
One could say that Kakuzu had become renowned as a master of the Five Basic Nature Transformations even earlier than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Well, wasn't that an unfortunate coincidence? Tetsuya might not have had much of other things, but he certainly knew plenty of ninjutsu.
After all, even he couldn't remember how many ninjutsu scrolls he had drawn from the card draws over the years.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Tetsuya took a deep breath and instantly exhaled. Empowered by chakra, the attack packed astonishing force.
Vacuum Great Sphere collided with Pressure Damage and exploded instantly, tearing up the ground and toppling trees.
"I refuse to believe this!"
Kakuzu hadn't expected someone as young as Tetsuya to be proficient in two different chakra natures. Still, that was manageable. Wind Release and Water Release were fairly compatible, after all.
As a master of the Five Basic Nature Transformations with five hearts of different chakra natures, how could he possibly lose to a youngster?
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Both unleashed Fire Release, and once again, the power was astonishing.
Kakuzu gritted his teeth. At this point, he couldn't back down.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
"Water Release: Water Curtain Barrier!"
"Fire Release..."
Ninjutsu of different natures combined, unleashed in an unending barrage.
Wind strengthened fire, fire rode the wind, lightning traveled through water, and water amplified lightning.
Kakuzu truly lived up to his reputation as a veteran shinobi. His skills were formidable.
Before you continue