Chapter 84: Who Said My Target Was You?
"That's right."
"I am a jōnin of Konoha—Ryuzen Yagyu."
Ryuzen slowly sheathed his sword and took a stance to draw it again.
His calm gaze rested on Kakuzu.
"And the one who's about to kill you."
Kakuzu's expression darkened.
Under the sleeves of his black cloak, countless black threads squirmed like living creatures.
"Arrogant brat."
"I'm not like that puppet user you killed."
His voice grew colder.
"Your head may not have a bounty yet… but today I've decided to collect it anyway."
The First Strike
Ryuzen didn't reply.
He was not someone who liked talking during a battle.
The moment he locked onto Kakuzu's presence—
His body vanished.
Not the Body Flicker Technique.
No explosive burst of chakra.
Just pure speed.
Kakuzu's eyes widened slightly.
"What speed… and what strange movement."
Before he could react—
An afterimage appeared in front of him.
SHING!
The clear sound of a sword leaving its sheath echoed through the forest.
A powerful sense of danger surged through Kakuzu's instincts.
His battle experience from the Warring States Era screamed a warning.
That attack cannot be blocked.
"Damn!"
Kakuzu immediately retreated.
Lightning flashed beneath his feet as he leapt backward.
Even so—
When he landed two meters away—
His cloak tore apart.
A massive slash ran diagonally across the garment from shoulder to leg.
Cold sweat slid down Kakuzu's forehead.
He stared at the young swordsman before him.
"What kind of sword technique was that…?"
There had been no chakra.
No chakra blade.
Just a simple draw of the sword.
Yet Kakuzu was certain—
Even his Earth Release hardening technique would not have survived that slash.
In his long life, Kakuzu had fought countless swordsmen.
Samurai from the Land of Iron.
Even the legendary Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha.
But the boy standing before him—
His swordsmanship existed on an entirely different level.
This one was a monster.
Just like that Nara boy earlier.
Both intellect and strength were terrifying.
If he underestimated them—
Even a veteran like Kakuzu could die here.
Wind Release
Kakuzu immediately formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Pressure!"
He leaned forward and inhaled deeply.
Then—
He released a massive blast of compressed wind.
The air twisted violently.
Thousands of cutting currents formed a gigantic tornado that tore through the forest floor as it roared toward Ryuzen.
The destructive force shredded everything in its path.
Yet Ryuzen's expression didn't change.
He didn't even bother cutting it.
Instead—
BOOM!
Ryuzen kicked off the ground and launched himself skyward.
A burst of air exploded beneath his feet as he soared above the tornado.
From the sky, he looked down calmly at Kakuzu.
He still did not attack.
He was waiting.
Using himself as bait.
Waiting for Kakuzu to reveal his true strength.
Kakuzu's True Form
Kakuzu frowned.
If it were any other opponent, he would have already extended his black threads and dragged them down from the air.
But after witnessing that terrifying sword draw—
He knew better.
If his threads extended toward that blade…
They would be cut instantly.
So instead—
RIP!
The Akatsuki cloak suddenly tore apart.
Kakuzu's stitched body was revealed.
The black threads along his back writhed violently.
Then—
Four masked creatures burst out from his body.
They landed behind him like monstrous guardians.
Each mask represented a different elemental power.
Kakuzu had finally revealed his true form.
The Real Target
The moment the four masked monsters appeared—
A dazzling dark-red sword energy cut through the sky.
A crescent slash nearly ten meters long descended toward Kakuzu.
Ryuzen ran along the blade of that sword energy like a path in the air.
Kakuzu immediately reacted.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
The lightning mask opened its mouth.
A massive spear of lightning shot upward.
BOOM!!
Sword energy and lightning collided violently.
The explosion sent shockwaves tearing through the forest.
But Ryuzen had already moved.
Using the shockwave as propulsion—
He kicked the air and dove downward like an arrow.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.
"So your target is me."
He quickly retreated while the four masked monsters leapt forward to intercept.
"I don't know how you learned my abilities…"
"But I won't let you succeed!"
Ryuzen smiled faintly.
"Who told you my target was you?"
Kakuzu froze.
Ryuzen's gaze shifted.
Toward the four masked monsters.
"These four things…"
"They're your lifelines, aren't they?"
Ryuzen suddenly halted midair.
His sword returned to its sheath.
He assumed a drawing stance again.
Kakuzu's expression changed instantly.
A terrible premonition rose in his chest.
The next second—
SHING—BOOM!
A blinding flash of sword light erupted across the sky.
A massive wave of crimson sword energy swept outward—
Like a rising sun cutting through the darkness.
And its target—
Was not Kakuzu.
But the four masked hearts behind him.
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