Kakuzu tore off his own arm, and countless black threads burst from the severed stump, cascading toward Jie Uchiha.
Hidden within the dense swarm of threads was a rapidly extending scorpion-like tail forged from steel, its stinger locked directly onto Jie.
Despite speaking casually, Jie remained completely at ease.
Although the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear appeared terrifying in their sheer density, Jie had absolute confidence in the defensive power of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. After all, the Third Raikage had relied on this technique to battle ten thousand Iwa shinobi for three days and three nights, dying only from exhaustion without a single wound.
While Jie's mastery of Lightning Release Chakra Mode couldn't yet compare to the Third Raikage's, his powerful lightning-natured chakra was more than enough to halt the Earth Grudge Fear in its tracks.
As for Hiruko's tail stinger, it posed even less of a threat.
Its speed was impressive, and its lethal poison could kill with a single scratch—but it had chosen the wrong target. Trying to catch someone like Jie, who specialized in speed, was nothing more than a fantasy.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
Jie spoke softly as a dense layer of lightning instantly enveloped his body, forming a crackling suit of chakra armor. Empowered by the surging lightning, both his strength and speed rose sharply.
The tail stinger, which already unimpressive in Jie's eyes, now moved at a snail's pace. With a slight shift of his body, it passed harmlessly by.
"Hatake Style: Iai Slash!"
Jie swung his blade casually, instantly severing Hiruko's steel tail. The arc of his strike cut through most of the black threads as well. Before they could even brush against his lightning armor, the Earth Grudge Fear threads recoiled violently, retreating back into Kakuzu's body.
"An offensive and defensive jutsu that enhances the body with lightning?" Kisame muttered, staring at the lightning-wreathed Jie. "If I remember correctly, isn't that the Raikage's secret jutsu from Kumogakure? How is this brat using it with even greater proficiency?"
He couldn't help but joke, "Did the Fourth Raikage die of shame after seeing Jie Uchiha use his jutsu better than him?"
Of course, jokes aside—Kisame knew they had run into a monster today.
"Hiruko: Eight Waves of Needles!"
Sasori's calm voice rang out as the Hiruko puppet opened its jaws wide. A dense barrage of poisoned needles and stingers burst forth, sweeping across a massive area at a speed that made defense nearly impossible.
Each projectile carried tremendous penetrating power and lethal venom. Even Jie didn't dare take such an attack recklessly.
"Summoning Jutsu: Garaga!"
A plume of white smoke billowed upward, and a massive, one-eyed crimson serpent with a distinct reverse scale materialized before Jie.
"Orochimaru, daring to disturb me… are you courting death?!"
Without even checking who stood before him, the foul-tempered Garaga lashed out, his massive tail whipping forward to smash into Jie.
Roar!
Just as the massive tail rose, Hiruko's dense barrage of poisoned needles struck Garaga head-on.
"Who dares sneak-attack this great one?!"
Roaring in pain, Garaga instantly shifted targets, his enormous tail crashing down toward Hiruko.
Boom! The ground exploded with a thunderous crash, leaving behind a massive crater. In one hit, Garaga had wiped out half a street in the Hidden Leaf.
The sight of such extensive damage made Jie's heart ache. If he'd known, he would've chosen a different summon—at least that might've saved him some repair costs.
After all, once Hiruzen Sarutobi was gone and the Uchiha clan took control of the village, every blade of grass and splinter of wood damaged in Konoha would have to be paid for by the Uchiha. It was their money being burned away.
Seeing the enraged Garaga about to cause even more destruction, Jie hurriedly dispelled the jutsu, sending the snake back to Ryuchi Cave.
Garaga hadn't even figured out what was happening. He'd been dragged from Ryuchi Cave to the Hidden Leaf, inexplicably beaten, and then just as abruptly sent back.
Now back in familiar territory, the furious serpent lashed out wildly, smashing everything in sight with his tail.
"Damn you, Orochimaru! Don't you dare show your face in Ryuchi Cave again! Otherwise, your Uncle Garaga will swallow you whole!" he roared, foam bubbling at his mouth.
The poison coating Hiruko's needles was a lethal concoction personally crafted by Sasori of the Red Sand. While the dosage wasn't enough to kill a creature as massive as Garaga, it was more than sufficient to leave him foaming at the mouth, reeling with intense dizziness, and ultimately collapsing unconscious.
"At least that brat will stay quiet for a while."
Nothing within Ryuchi Cave escaped the perception of the White Snake Sage. Watching Garaga drift into a heavy, peaceful sleep, the Sage let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"However… is the one who summoned Garaga a disciple of Orochimaru? To sign the contract and call forth a being like Garaga on the very first attempt… his potential is limitless. I wonder if this young man will one day bring Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode back into the world. And when will Ryuchi Cave finally produce a disciple who surpasses that old toad's successor?"
With that thought, the White Snake Sage let out a quiet sigh, coiled back upon its stone throne, and slowly closed its eyes to rest.
Meanwhile, back in the Hidden Leaf, Jie noticed that inside the deep crater left by Garaga's tail, the Hiruko puppet had been smashed to literal pieces.
'Is Garaga really that reliable? Did he just take out Sasori of the Red Sand just like that? What about his human puppet body? His core? Is it all gone?'
Jie felt a flicker of regret. He had originally planned to secure Sasori's core of living flesh to let Orochimaru study how it continuously extracted chakra. If they could uncover that secret, Konoha might effectively gain a perpetual chakra engine.
Unfortunately, Garaga had destroyed everything.
"That summoning beast… it's even stronger than Orochimaru's Manda. Is this kid really Orochimaru's disciple? More importantly… is Orochimaru even capable of teaching someone like this?"
Sasori's true human puppet body emerged before Jie, his calm gaze fixed on the shattered remains of Hiruko as he spoke.
A moment later, the other members—having evaded Garaga's strike—reappeared around Jie. The four Akatsuki surrounded him from all directions, sealing off every possible escape route.
"To summon a beast like that… are you really only ten years old?" Kisame asked, his gaze lingering on the massive crater Garaga had left behind, eyes filled with wary caution.
"Hidan, use your jutsu later," Kakuzu said after a brief silence.
"You don't want his heart anymore?" Hidan asked, his face full of confusion.
"This brat's strength has far exceeded my expectations. If I hold back just to preserve his heart, we might all end up dying here," Kakuzu replied grimly.
"So, are we ready for round two now?" Jie asked lightly, his gaze sweeping over the four Akatsuki members surrounding him.
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