After destroying the red-masked creature, Jiraiya's objective was complete. Without hesitation, his real body swiftly retreated.
From Kakuzu's body, countless black tendrils surged out from his joints, twisting toward Jiraiya in an attempt to ensnare him. If those tendrils managed to wrap around him, breaking free would be a serious hassle.
Meanwhile, the three shadow clones followed Jiraiya's command and continued their assault on Kakuzu. However, the last strike had already drained most of their chakra. The moment they were caught by the black tendrils, they instantly dispersed into wisps of smoke.
Kakuzu's severed shoulder gushed with black threads, which surged toward his severed arm. In mere moments, the tendrils stitched the limb back onto his body, seamlessly reattaching it.
At this point, Kakuzu's entire body was essentially constructed from these writhing black threads. Even if his torso were to be sliced into pieces, as long as one of his hearts remained beating, he could simply stitch himself back together.
In the original Naruto story, he and Hidan were known as the Immortal Duo for a reason—it wasn't just talk, they truly had the ability to survive nearly any attack.
"Damn brat, you've really pissed me off this time. Now, get ready to suffer the full force of my wrath!"
Kakuzu's furious roar filled the battlefield, his gaze burning with rage as he glared at Jiraiya. Ever since he became a bounty hunter, this was the first time he had taken such significant damage.
"Shouting alone isn't going to kill me." Jiraiya's voice was cold and unwavering.
Executing the Shun-Goku Shadow Assassination Formation had drained a considerable amount of his chakra. However, thanks to his Perfect Sage Body, his chakra recovery rate was astonishingly fast. His cells were constantly generating new chakra, rapidly replenishing what had been consumed.
When he had first unlocked the technique, using it had left him in an utterly exhausted state. But now, after executing it, there were almost no negative side effects—aside from one major limitation: he still couldn't use the technique twice in quick succession. The chakra cost of consecutive uses would be exponentially higher, making it impossible to pull off.
...
"Captain, this isn't going as we expected. It looks like Kakuzu is struggling against Jiraiya."
In the shadows, a Root ninja observed the unfolding battle with a furrowed brow. The fight had taken a drastic turn—Jiraiya had gained the upper hand.
Earlier, Jiraiya had been on the defensive, seemingly overpowered by Kakuzu. Yet despite the onslaught, he had remained unscathed. Then, the moment he found an opening, he had decisively severed Kakuzu's arm.
Even though Kakuzu had managed to reattach it with his secret technique, he had undoubtedly paid a price. It was now crystal clear who held the advantage.
"There's no need to jump to conclusions," the Root captain replied coolly. "Jiraiya's last attack may have wounded Kakuzu, but a technique of that caliber undoubtedly consumes an immense amount of chakra. He won't be able to use it again anytime soon. Kakuzu still has the upper hand."
To the Root captain, Kakuzu's victory was only a matter of time. Killing Jiraiya was inevitable.
"Prepare for battle."
He issued the order without hesitation. If the opportunity arose, they would not hesitate to strike—whether against Kakuzu or Jiraiya. To them, both were enemies. If they could eliminate both at once, they would do so without a second thought.
Kakuzu roared and charged toward Jiraiya. As he sprinted forward, his body began to writhe, as though something within him was trying to break free.
Jiraiya knew what was coming—Kakuzu was getting serious. He was about to release his masked creatures.
From behind Kakuzu, three masks emerged—one for Wind Release, one for Lightning Release, and one for Water Release. In the original story, Kakuzu hadn't even had the chance to use his Water Release mask before Kakashi had destroyed it with a Lightning Blade.
"Lightning Release: Myriad Thunder Prison!"
Jiraiya surged forward, his body crackling with electricity. At that moment, he seemed to transform into the very embodiment of lightning itself, arcs of electricity dancing around him in an overwhelming display of power.
Completing his hand seals, he unleashed a barrage of lightning, sending a massive storm of thunderbolts cascading toward Kakuzu like a raging tempest.
"Heh, I've been waiting for this."
Rather than fear, Kakuzu's expression showed only smug anticipation. As the sky filled with blinding lightning, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a stack of scrolls, slamming them against the ground.
With a loud boom, several large metallic pillars materialized, planting themselves firmly into the earth before him.
The next moment, Jiraiya's lightning storm struck the pillars—but instead of dealing any damage, the electricity was absorbed into them and funneled harmlessly into the ground.
Seeing this, Kakuzu exhaled in relief. Those pillars were spoils from a small ninja village he had wiped out—a rare set of ninja tools specifically designed to redirect lightning-based attacks. They had no other function, but for countering large-scale Lightning Release techniques, they were invaluable.
Over the years, he had used them to neutralize numerous high-level lightning jutsu. They were especially troublesome for opponents who specialized in Lightning Release.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. It was clear now—Kakuzu had come prepared. Those pillars weren't just convenient tools, they had been set up specifically to counter Jiraiya's S-rank Lightning Release.
No wonder Kakuzu hadn't shown a trace of concern when Jiraiya unleashed his technique. He had already prepared a countermeasure in advance.
The materials used to craft those pillars had an exceptional level of conductivity. Any lightning attack that struck them would simply be redirected elsewhere.
With this revelation, Jiraiya's mind clicked into place—there was only one explanation for this level of preparation.
Whoever placed the bounty on his head had to be someone from Konohagakure.
Only someone from the village would have such a deep understanding of his abilities.
And among all the potential suspects, the most likely culprit was Danzo, the leader of Root.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi grooming Jiraiya as the next Hokage, Danzo would never accept such an outcome. He would do whatever it took to remove Jiraiya from the equation.
Of course, it was also possible that another ninja clan had issued the bounty. Many of Konoha's major clans had no desire to see a powerful ninja from a civilian background rise to prominence.
"Hah… that was an impressive Lightning Release technique. If I didn't have these tools, blocking that attack would have cost me dearly."
Kakuzu eyed the lingering arcs of lightning with a mixture of awe and excitement.
Without these tools, he was certain that Jiraiya's Myriad Thunder Prison would have destroyed another one of his hearts.
"Brat, once I kill you, I'll make sure to put that Lightning Release to good use."
Kakuzu's voice was brimming with exhilaration. He could barely contain his eagerness—he wanted Jiraiya's heart for himself, to claim his lightning techniques as his own.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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