Fumori Masaki sprinted along the wall, a water jet crackling with electricity constantly closing in behind him, sending fragments of rock flying as it blasted the cliff face.
Following closely was an invisible air cannon, firing in the direction Masaki was running; though it didn't hit him, the explosive impact still sent him flying.
At that moment, numerous black threads shot out like arrows.
Masaki used his natural strength to adjust his posture, deflecting the threads aimed at his body with Wind Blade, while the remaining threads struck the wall, leaving countless holes.
As Masaki stabilized himself on the cliff face, the water jet arrived once more, forcing him to run again, while the Wind Release: Pressure Damage's air cannon blocked Masaki's escape from the other side.
Even if Masaki dodged everything, the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear would follow.
Masaki appeared to be in a desperate situation, but Kakuzu was inwardly alarmed.
Under his triple assault, Masaki had not sustained a single injury.
He either dodged, jumped, or parried, taking all of Kakuzu's attacks.
An ordinary ninja would have long since been defeated by such a relentless onslaught.
"Good, very good. This is what you call a master.
Your heart will surely bring me immense power."
A strong greed for Masaki's heart surged within Kakuzu.
He didn't believe he would lose.
Masaki's performance was excellent, but that was all.
With such speed and intensity of evasion, his stamina would quickly deplete.
The moment he ran out of strength would be the moment of Kakuzu's victory.
Of course, Kakuzu didn't know that because of his Sage Mode, Masaki would not tire as long as he had even a trace of senjutsu chakra, maintaining abundant mental and physical energy throughout his body.
However, the moment all senjutsu chakra was completely exhausted, Masaki would be like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.
Masaki knew this and was aware of counter-attack methods, but he chose not to retaliate immediately.
He needed to find an opportunity to subdue or severely injure Kakuzu with a single blow, just as he had at the beginning of the battle, taking advantage of Kakuzu's misunderstanding of him to eliminate two of his hearts, one of which was the most threatening fire-attribute heart.
If he couldn't severely injure Kakuzu, with his vast experience, he would quickly devise a solution, just as he was doing now, using a triple assault to pressure Masaki.
Kakuzu's experience was indeed rich, as he had devised such a tactic in a short amount of time, making it almost impossible for Masaki to find an opportunity to get close.
However, opportunities always arise, and Masaki believed this.
After some time, he gradually discerned Kakuzu's attack patterns.
Everyone has their unique habits; even with ever-changing attacks, there will be patterns they subconsciously dislike or avoid using.
In other words, by identifying the opponent's non-habitual movements, weaknesses could be found.
Fortunately, Masaki's Sage Mode provided him with the conditions to complete this task.
Every movement of the enemy was incredibly clear in his eyes, allowing him to anticipate and collect data, constructing a model, while the issue of mental exhaustion would also disappear due to the amplification of Sage Mode.
As Masaki calmly contemplated, the space had already been shattered by Kakuzu, and both even moved to another open ground.
Kakuzu had previously sprayed a large amount of water jets on the ground, and black threads pierced into the ground, injecting lightning-attribute chakra, preventing Masaki from landing.
Watching Masaki only able to flee in disarray, Kakuzu grew increasingly confident.
He was unaware of Masaki's intentions, and Masaki's current appearance gave no indication of any thoughts of counter-attack.
Even with his extensive experience, Kakuzu couldn't help but relax a little at this point, feeling that the battle would soon end.
If Masaki knew Kakuzu's thoughts, he would definitely think—I won—during the Shinobi World War, there was someone with similar thoughts to Kakuzu, but that person's fate was to lose the most important hand of a ninja, and then die tragically at Masaki's hands.
"It has begun."
Masaki muttered to himself, looking at the approaching Water Release, he threw out a defensive Eight Trigrams Wind Wheel, then powerfully pushed off the cliff wall with his foot, rapidly changing direction, heading in a direction unexpected by Kakuzu.
Kakuzu was greatly alarmed.
The composite ninjutsu of Water Release and Lightning Release was blocked by that jutsu—he never expected that jutsu could also be used as a shield—and the attacks of Wind Release: Pressure Damage and the black threads also failed to hit Masaki.
It was as if the opponent knew how he would attack, moving in a direction that Kakuzu would not usually attack, which slowed down his attack movements slightly.
It was this short amount of time that allowed Masaki to approach Kakuzu.
Although Masaki would wrap his body with wind-attribute chakra, its form differed from ordinary Wind Release because he needed to ensure movement and protect his body.
Therefore, Masaki couldn't directly step into the water charged with Lightning Release—if he could truly create a Wind Release chakra mode like the Cloud Hidden Village ninjas, he wouldn't fear the water on the ground at all.
However, this didn't mean Masaki had no other way to break through.
He was simply unable to move freely on the ground.
The moment he landed, Wind Blade struck the ground, and a violent gust of wind erupted, forcing all the surrounding water back, even drawing it up to form a dragon-shaped hurricane.
The rapidly expanding air pressure forced all of Kakuzu's black threads backward, completely exposing his body.
Just to keep himself from being blown away required immense strength, and his eyes were almost impossible to keep open.
The impending attack also sent warning signals throughout his body—if he took this hit, he would certainly be in a bad state.
Kakuzu quickly controlled his black threads, attempting to move, but the powerful suction from the opponent made him unable to move, slowly drawing him closer to the dragon-shaped hurricane.
The dragon-shaped hurricane did not charge directly at Kakuzu but rather circled, and because of this, Kakuzu was inevitably pulled into the air, spun around by the hurricane.
If not for Earth Grudge Fear, which had altered his entire body, an ordinary person's internal organs would have been crushed by the immense pulling force.
Even so, Kakuzu's entire body emitted sounds of being overwhelmed, as if it could tear apart at any moment.
This was wind-attribute chakra different from cutting, and while it wasn't unheard of, this particular form was unprecedented.
As Kakuzu got closer to the center, he was almost half-dead, without even the strength to struggle.
At this moment, he saw a person appear.
He barely opened his eyes and saw the person who appeared in the center of the dragon-shaped hurricane was none other than Fumori Masaki.
Then he felt a pulling force, and after a sharp pain, although he had not yet escaped the dragon-shaped hurricane, the force that felt like it would tear his entire body apart disappeared.
This was not a safe sign.
Although the pulling force was gone, Kakuzu had no strength left, as if floating in the air, while Masaki was getting closer and closer, the surface of his Wind Blade gleaming.
"It's over," Masaki murmured to himself, then raised his sword and swung it at Kakuzu.
The bright sword light, like tearing through black mist, sliced through Kakuzu, who was covered in black threads, cutting him in half at the waist.
The sword light did not stop but curved in arcs, sweeping through Kakuzu's three hearts in one go, destroying them instantly.
As blood spurted from the wounds in his hearts, Kakuzu's body trembled, and his pupils dilated.
At this moment, the surrounding dragon-shaped hurricane roared like a real creature, then dispersed.
The intense wind impacted the rock walls in all directions, and the powerful force caused their surfaces to rapidly crack and shatter.
Masaki and the two halves of Kakuzu landed on the ground, not being caught in the wind.
"You're going to die very soon."
Masaki took a deep breath, regulating his breathing.
Fortunately, he was in Sage Mode; in a normal state, unleashing such powerful force in one go would certainly have caused him to collapse.
Kakuzu looked blankly at the cracked cave ceiling, as if he hadn't yet been able to accept this reality.
After a while, he finally said, "Am I really going to die?"
"Yes," Masaki nodded slightly.
"This is truly… an unprofitable deal," Kakuzu said faintly, his voice very low.
"If I had known, I should have left when you destroyed my two hearts."
"Human greed sometimes leads to bad outcomes, so one must know when to stop, but many people, even if they know this, may not be able to do it," Masaki said.
"You're right," Kakuzu gave a bitter smile, then asked, "What was that ninjutsu?"
"The inspiration for this ninjutsu came from someone who, using natural conditions, could release wide-ranging and powerful attacks without needing a lot of chakra.
I also wondered if a similar ninjutsu could be created using similar principles."
Masaki was referring to Sasuke Uchiha's Lightning Release: Kirin, a technique almost an ultimate lightning-attribute jutsu.
If Itachi Uchiha hadn't had Susanoo, he would likely have died from that ninjutsu.
Out of the same creative philosophy, Masaki developed this technique, which could be called a wind-attribute ultimate jutsu, mimicking Sasuke Uchiha's name origin and the shape of the technique.
He called it Wind Release: Azure Dragon.
The conditions for using this technique are as stringent as Kirin, and the complexity of the required airflow directions necessitates a long period of preparation, which Masaki gradually arranged while dodging Kakuzu's attacks.
Because the pace of the battle was fast, even with unusual air currents, Kakuzu assumed they were caused by explosive impacts and subconsciously ignored them.
After all, he didn't know Masaki would use this kind of Wind Release ninjutsu.
"Azure Dragon, huh, that's a truly fitting name," Kakuzu murmured.
"It's a pity I can't add it to my collection, and I've even lost my life for it."
"I also think it's a pity," Masaki said.
"In your youth, due to betrayal, you strayed onto the path of immortality.
If it weren't for that factor, you would be an excellent ninja, and I might have considered hiring you."
"Do you hate immortality?" Kakuzu asked upon hearing this.
"I don't know, but I hate methods of immortality that trample on other people's lives, just like your secret technique," Masaki said.
"Then that's truly regrettable.
Perhaps when I learned this secret technique, I was destined for this outcome."
Whether it was because a dying man's words are often good, Kakuzu seemed to have seen through the world, achieving great enlightenment, "Fumori Masaki, I have never met a ninja like you.
Earth Grudge Fear is indeed a cruel forbidden jutsu, but most people, even knowing its cruelty, can't help but use it.
Yet you directly deny it.
I truly wish I had companions like you in my former village."
"Ah," Masaki replied.
If one were to trace back, Kakuzu was actually a pitiful person who was betrayed by his own village.
"I wonder what the world after death is like.
Will it be a happy world, like the Shinobi Sect you believe in?" Kakuzu asked.
"Once your sins are cleansed, you will surely go to the Pure Land, a world of happiness, and be reborn into the world as a pure life," Masaki said.
"A pure life, that doesn't sound like me," Kakuzu shook his head slightly.
"I've never believed in the Pure Land legends, but for now, I'll believe in this fairy tale."
Kakuzu's voice grew weaker and weaker, then fell silent.
The black threads around him withered like dying flowers, becoming dry.
Masaki confirmed that Kakuzu was truly dead, then paused in silence before collecting Kakuzu's body.
There were still remnants of Earth Grudge Fear on him, and perhaps Earth Grudge Fear could be recreated from his corpse—of course, Masaki wasn't going to learn it.
He was considering whether Earth Grudge Fear could be modified, excluding its cruel method of stealing hearts.
If its method of stitching and modifying bodies could be guided towards a positive direction, it might become a medical ninjutsu.
Masaki believed that all things have two sides.
An excellent healer is also an excellent poisoner.
If Earth Grudge Fear were improved, it might be a new technological breakthrough for medical ninjutsu, potentially saving countless lives in the future.
This forbidden jutsu would then appear before people in a new light, no longer considered a cruel forbidden jutsu.
Kakuzu probably wouldn't have imagined that Earth Grudge Fear, which he had used to kill countless people during his lifetime, might one day become a ninjutsu that benefits others and saves lives.
If he knew this, who knows what kind of expression he would show.
"Alright, I wonder how the others are doing?"
Due to the intensity of the battle, Masaki hadn't had time to pay attention to anyone else.
He believed that Hyuga Kei and the others shouldn't lose to the Jashinists.
Now, upon closer inspection, he found that the ripples of Hyuga Kei and the others were still present, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Masaki rested for a moment, then got up and rushed over, hoping that by the time he arrived, Hyuga Kei and the others would have finished the battle and rescued the official's child.