Chapter 406 Mu Yue VS Kakuzu

Having determined his target, Kakuzu immediately set off for the Land of Rain.

For Kakuzu, time was money; the sooner he captured Muzuki, the sooner he could happily choose his next target.

Upon entering the Land of Rain, Kakuzu began to investigate information about Ninja Master Sōsuke.

Although he wanted to complete the mission as quickly as possible, Kakuzu wouldn’t blindly rush in, as his opponent, according to the intel, was not simple.

However, this step turned out to be much easier and simpler than Kakuzu had anticipated.

The deeds of Ninja Master Sōsuke were already widely spread in the Land of Rain; Kakuzu could even hear some information just by walking around the streets of the Land of Rain.

For example, Sōsuke’s inclusive teaching, freely imparting Ninjutsu in Oz Village, powerful Ninja who mastered three Chakra Nature Transformations not believing Sōsuke’s strength and then being educated both front and back, and Sōsuke leading seventy-two Ninja to travel around the Land of Rain doing good deeds.

“A lucky, naive fellow and a bunch of rabble,” Kakuzu gave his assessment after collecting the information.

In his opinion, Muzuki’s actions were no different from a fool’s.

Freely teaching Ninjutsu was purely asking for trouble; besides a bit of empty fame, he gained no real benefits.

The Ninja taught by Muzuki would, at most, be grateful at the time, and those with thicker skin might not even say thank you.

If everything remained peaceful, then they might get along happily, but if danger arose, it would inevitably be every man for himself.

It would be better to charge for lessons directly; that way, he could at least earn money, and money was always reliable.

Kakuzu, who had once been betrayed by his Village, felt this deeply.

He had risked his life for the Village, carrying out missions, only to be met with accusations and punishment.

Even the Village that had witnessed his growth was like this; Muzuki and the Ninja in his team had only known each other for less than two months, and Kakuzu didn’t believe anyone would be willing to risk their lives for Muzuki.

Therefore, Kakuzu didn’t care about the seventy-two Ninja following Muzuki; he believed that as long as he displayed his strength, those Ninja would be scared away and abandon Muzuki.

If they were Ninja from a Ninja Village, even if the Ninja rank of these seventy-two Ninja wasn’t high, Kakuzu wouldn’t dare underestimate them, but for a team composed of rogue Ninja and a weak Ninja Organization, Kakuzu truly wasn’t afraid at all.

Kakuzu disdained to even make a move against opponents of this level because there was a high probability there was no bounty, and killing them would just be a waste of effort, meaningless.

Having completed the intelligence work, Kakuzu began his formal operation.

Since Muzuki didn’t conceal his whereabouts, and their team had a relatively large number of people, Kakuzu easily located them and rushed over to launch an attack.

Muzuki noticed the approaching Kakuzu and immediately threw an appraisal.

“Name: Kakuzu”

“Chakra: 140,000”

“Skills: Earth Grudge Fear (Proficient: 5100/15000), Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 3000/15000), Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 2700/15000), Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient), Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient), Lightning Release: False Darkness (Proficient)…”

Muzuki could only say that Kakuzu’s stats had the flavor of Hiruzen Sarutobi; he could be considered a second-hand, youth version of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Mastering five Chakra Nature Transformations and corresponding proficient-level Ninjutsu, Kakuzu could indeed be considered a mini Hiruzen Sarutobi in terms of Ninjutsu, but in other aspects, it was difficult to compare him to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who mastered a large number of secret techniques, was also very strong in Taijutsu, and had a powerful Nin-Beast like Enma.

“You all step back a bit,” Muzuki said to the Ninja behind him.

Among the Ninja he had encountered so far, Kakuzu’s strength was definitely strong; Muzuki would have to bring out his full power to fight him.

The Ninja were a bit confused by this, but out of trust in Muzuki, they still retreated.

The next moment, the sprinting Kakuzu charged over.

“Is it another Ninja of Fortune for money?” Yahiko frowned.

Although Kakuzu hadn’t made a move yet, given the speed of his appearance, he didn’t look like an ordinary Ninja.

“Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, you three pay more attention to the others in the team,” Muzuki reminded them.

Although the three of them were among the youngest in the team, they were the strongest.

All three nodded, cautiously watching Kakuzu.

“This seems to be that legendary strongest black market assassin, Kakuzu; many famous strong individuals have died by his hand, and he even fought against the God of Shinobi,” one Ninja’s face instantly changed when he saw the stitches on Kakuzu’s arm.

Due to cultivating Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu had a very high degree of recognition if he wasn’t wearing clothes that covered his entire body.

The other Ninja all showed shocked expressions; each sentence sounded extraordinary, and combined, they described a truly legendary Ninja.

“That’s not right, though. If he’s a Ninja from the era of the God of Shinobi, even if he didn’t die, he’d be too old to fight, wouldn’t he?” Someone noticed a problem.

The Ninja who revealed Kakuzu’s information shook his head; how could he possibly know such things? He had only heard a bit about Kakuzu’s deeds on one accidental occasion.

Kakuzu ignored the gazes of the other Ninja and looked at Muzuki with an indifferent expression, “It will be easier if you are willing to be captured by me voluntarily.”

Since capturing him alive would earn an extra five million Ryo, Kakuzu would try his best to take Muzuki alive.

Ultimately, he undertook black market missions for money, so he would naturally choose the option that brought in the most money.

Under normal circumstances, Kakuzu wouldn’t waste words; the sooner he acted, the sooner it would end.

“It can also be easier if you are willing to leave voluntarily,” Muzuki replied with a faint smile.

Kakuzu frowned slightly, “Your naivety is misplaced.”

Whoosh!

Kakuzu suddenly burst forth, his Chakra erupting, and he charged fiercely towards Muzuki.

Muzuki had already activated Transparent World; Kakuzu’s attack was seen through by him, and he effortlessly grabbed Kakuzu’s incoming fist, then with a follow-up punch, sent Kakuzu flying ten meters away.

“Very skilled in Taijutsu?” Kakuzu touched his struck abdomen, his expression unchanged, preparing to use Ninjutsu.

Earth Grudge Fear made his vitality tenacious, but Kakuzu wasn’t foolish enough to stubbornly clash with someone else’s strong suit.

With the use of Earth Grudge Fear, a large amount of black threads suddenly burst from Kakuzu’s back, and a mask monster made of black threads shot out from behind him.

“What kind of Ninjutsu is this?” Yahiko looked at Nagato beside him with some confusion.

Nagato knew many Ninjutsu, so when he encountered one he didn’t know, Yahiko would ask Nagato.

However, that was before; now Yahiko would directly ask Muzuki, but since Muzuki was currently in combat, Yahiko inquired of Nagato.

“I don’t recognize it either,” Nagato shook his head.

He guessed it should be a relatively obscure secret technique.

“Fire Release: Head Hardship!”

The red-mouthed mask monster opened its mouth wide, a large amount of Chakra condensed within, and it quickly spat a seemingly small fireball at Muzuki.

“Fire Release: Head Hardship!”

Muzuki rapidly formed hand signs, gathering a large amount of Chakra, then transforming all of it into Fire Release in one go, compressing and expelling it; it was also a small fireball, but the color of the flames was deeper than Kakuzu’s.

Kakuzu was slightly stunned, not expecting Muzuki to also know this Ninjutsu.

What happened next surprised Kakuzu even more.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Boom!

The two fireballs collided, and the compressed flames from both sides erupted instantly, forming a sizable sea of fire, scorching the ground black.

And the sea of fire from Muzuki’s side was clearly more vigorous; not long after contact, it broke through Kakuzu’s flames with overwhelming force, then continued to spread towards the running Kakuzu.

Kakuzu looked at Muzuki in shock.

He had originally intended for the mask to clash with Muzuki, while his main body took the opportunity to attack.

He had completely not expected his Fire Release to lose to Muzuki, and it seemed the gap wasn’t just a little bit.

Not only was Kakuzu shocked, but even the Ninja who had followed Muzuki for over a month showed surprised expressions.

If Muzuki hadn’t made them retreat earlier, they would probably have been caught in that terrifying sea of fire.

Muzuki had used Head Hardship before, but its power then wasn’t as great as it was now.

“Such a Fire Release could probably burn down an entire forest,” Ikechou sighed in his heart.

Previously, Ikechou felt he had exaggerated Muzuki’s strength too much, which brought him trouble; now Ikechou felt he might have underestimated Muzuki’s strength.

Kakuzu rapidly retreated and also released his Water Release mask.

The Water Release mask spat out a large stream of water, which saved Kakuzu from being roasted.

Kakuzu wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and his gaze towards Muzuki became extremely serious; Muzuki was probably the second strongest opponent he had ever encountered.

Following that, Kakuzu also released his Wind and Lightning Release masks; he didn’t dare to be careless at all now.

“You all retreat a bit further,” Muzuki thought for a moment and said, turning back.

His Fire Release could indeed overpower Kakuzu’s Fire Release, but his Ninjutsu of other attributes weren’t as exaggerated; Muzuki could still suppress Kakuzu in Wind Release and Water Release, but in Lightning Release and Earth Release, Muzuki was slightly weaker than Kakuzu.

The Ninja obediently retreated further back again; to be able to support Muzuki in an emergency, Yahiko and the other two retreated less.

Under Kakuzu’s control, the Wind Release mask and the Fire Release mask stood together, simultaneously opening their mouths to use Ninjutsu.

“Fire Release: Head Hardship!”

“Wind Release: Pressure Damage!”

A wind ball and a fireball were simultaneously expelled; the wind fueled the fire, instantly creating a vast sea of fire.

Muzuki silently created a Shadow Clone, then his main body used Fire Release and the Shadow Clone used Wind Release.

“Fire Release: Head Hardship!”

“Wind Release: Pressure Damage!”

It was also a fireball and a wind ball; the wind fueled the fire, forming a terrifying sea of fire that rapidly swallowed Kakuzu’s sea of fire.

Kakuzu:…

Kakuzu was a bit numb; he felt like he was being played with. Muzuki kept using the same Ninjutsu as him, but its power was stronger.

Kakuzu’s Water and Lightning Release masks, combined with his main body, barely managed to block Muzuki’s sea of fire.

Fortunately, Kakuzu was an old Ninja who had lived for over seventy years and had encountered all sorts of situations, so he wasn’t flustered.

He quickly formulated a new battle plan: the Water and Lightning Release masks would tie up Muzuki’s attention, while his main body and the Wind and Fire Release masks would look for opportunities to launch an attack.

His Earth Grudge Fear masks were much stronger than Shadow Clones; although they could also be destroyed, they weren’t as easily shattered as Shadow Clones.

Next, Kakuzu indeed brought some trouble to Muzuki, because Kakuzu’s main body could also interfere with Muzuki using Earth Grudge Fear tentacles.

“How can I defeat Kakuzu with the least amount of Chakra?” Muzuki thought about tactics while dealing with Kakuzu’s attacks.

If it was just about winning, Muzuki had many ways to win.

With perfect-level Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation and Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, Muzuki could, by surprise, clear out all the masks Kakuzu released with his full power Fire Release.

As long as he didn’t use Fire Release Ninjutsu like Obito, he wouldn’t have to worry about others discovering Flame Breathing; they would just think his Fire Release was absurdly strong.

Of course, such powerful techniques also consumed a lot of Chakra.

Muzuki had Chakra anxiety; he would feel uncomfortable if his Chakra level dropped below fifty percent. He worried about encountering enemies of the Third Raikage, Third Tsuchikage, or Hanzō’s caliber when his Chakra was low.

So Muzuki wanted to defeat Kakuzu using as little Chakra as possible, saving more Chakra in case of an unexpected event.

This was also because Kakuzu hadn’t attacked Muzuki’s followers; otherwise, Muzuki would have defeated Kakuzu as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of his followers.

“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”

Yahiko formed hand signs and spat out a water dragon, attacking the Fire Release mask.

“Uncle Sōsuke, let us help you tie down some of the clones!” Yahiko shouted.

After observing the battle just now, he had learned some information about Kakuzu, and seeing that Muzuki was in a difficult situation, Yahiko felt he needed to participate in the battle.

Konan followed by throwing Paper Shuriken.

And Nagato used Lightning Release Ninjutsu to cooperate with Yahiko, turning Yahiko’s Water Dragon Bullet into a Lightning Release Water Dragon Bullet, increasing its power and adding a paralyzing effect.

Not only Yahiko and the others, but Ninja with long-range attack methods also used their respective techniques to attack Kakuzu’s masks.

However, because there was no coordinated practice, the attacks were quite chaotic and generally ineffective.

Muzuki sighed slightly; he had guessed this would happen, which was why he wanted to handle it alone. Dozens of strangers weren’t that easy to coordinate.

“Do you like seeking death so much?” Kakuzu looked at the group of Ninja who had launched an attack on him, confused.

Seeing how strong he was, they didn’t run but actively attacked. He couldn’t defeat Muzuki in a short time, but couldn’t he kill a group of ordinary rogue Ninja?

“In that case, I’ll deal with you first,” Kakuzu controlled the Wind and Fire Release masks to unleash Combination Ninjutsu on the Ninja.

With this Combination Ninjutsu, even if it didn’t completely wipe them out, at least half of them would die.

In Kakuzu’s view, there was no difference between half dead and completely wiped out for such a team, because with such heavy casualties, the remaining people would definitely all run away.

Suddenly, Kakuzu felt a terrifying aura rise.

Muzuki’s breathing became incredibly focused, and the constantly burning Chakra within him provided him with a massive boost.

“Fire Dragon Dance!”

Muzuki gathered a massive amount of Chakra in his throat, and under the amplification of Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode, it instantly transformed into powerful Fire Release Chakra.

Muzuki feigned forming a hand sign, then expelled extremely vigorous and incredibly hot terrifying flames.

Under Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, Muzuki naturally didn’t need to form hand signs, but to avoid revealing his identity, he still had to put on a bit of a show.