"He's not bad," Kawakaze remarked casually, glancing around.
Kakuzu, watching from his hiding spot, instinctively crouched lower. He didn't want to be discovered like this.
The captain misinterpreted Kawakaze's comment as sarcasm. He opened his mouth to defend himself but, unable to find the words, could only bow his head deeper, hoping the ordeal would pass quickly.
"Setting fire to the Hokage Building—what do you think he was after?" Tsunade asked, touching her large belly, almost as if speaking to the child inside.
"He didn't steal anything and didn't enter the Kinjutsu room," Kawakaze replied thoughtfully. "He probably wanted to lure us out."
"To be precise, he wanted to lure me out," he added after a moment, rubbing his chin as though in deep contemplation.
"You mean it's targeted at you?" Tsunade said, her tone shifting as she recalled the bounty notice. The situation suddenly felt surreal to her.
The two left the captain standing awkwardly to the side as they continued their conversation.
"I think so," Kawakaze said. "It would be ridiculous to make all this noise and not go for the 350 million bounty."
He smiled faintly, as if the whole ordeal didn't concern him too much. Seeing his calm demeanor, the captain felt a small measure of relief, though the shame still lingered.
"You still have the energy to smile?" Tsunade snapped, glaring at Kawakaze. "Hurry up and catch the person! If we let them escape, where will Konoha's reputation go?"
She shot Kawakaze a sharp look, clearly irritated by his nonchalance.
"My dear wife is right. There's no big deal now. I'll take you home first," Kawakaze said, wrapping his arm around Tsunade's, ready to escort her.
"Okay, but remember to notify me when you catch the person. I want to see what kind of person dares to come to Konoha and cause trouble," Tsunade replied. With her large belly, it was impossible for her to personally go after the culprit, so she agreed without hesitation. In the past, though, she wouldn't have let this slide so easily.
"Don't worry. When you wake up, we'll have caught them," Kawakaze promised confidently.
After sending Tsunade home, he intended to focus entirely on tracking down the culprit. If things didn't go as planned, then he could deal with the fallout later.
"You lead the team in the search. I'll be right back," Kawakaze instructed the captain, giving a brief order before preparing to leave.
"Yes," the captain responded, breathing a sigh of relief as he wiped sweat from his forehead. Slowly, he straightened up, finally feeling like the worst of the crisis had passed. He silently vowed to redeem himself and catch the perpetrator.
However, before he could issue orders to his subordinates, a terrifying beam of Chakra appeared in the distance.
The beam moved at an astonishing speed, its dazzling light cutting through the darkness. The violent and unstable Chakra radiated immense power, and its momentum was overwhelming even before it struck. A powerful gale surrounded it, reducing everything in its path to powder.
It was clear from a glance that the beam's power was catastrophic—survival after being hit by it was far from guaranteed.
This was Kakuzu's attack: Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot.
On Kakuzu's right arm, three masks—wind, fire, and lightning—gleamed menacingly. Their bloodthirsty mouths opened wide as if roaring with power. Kakuzu's face twisted into a hideous smile as he stared intently ahead.
If this attack could take out Kawakaze Hatake, it would be perfect!
His body tensed with anticipation as the Chakra Cannon sped toward its target.
"Lord Kawakaze, hide quickly!"
Facing the sudden attack, there was no time to use Earth Release for defense. Cries of alarm erupted from the ninjas, prompting Kawakaze, standing on the front line, to dodge.
Tsunade, standing beside him, cast an indifferent glance his way. She had no intention of intervening—if the baby was startled, who would be to blame? Her face remained expressionless, calm, and composed, her demeanor as Hokage unwavering.
As long as Kawakaze was there, she felt no fear.
Kawakaze didn't disappoint. In an instant, his body lit up with the crackling energy of lightning. Before anyone could register his movement, he had already acted, moving so fast that it was impossible to follow with the naked eye.
"So fast," murmured several Konoha ninjas, barely able to catch the flash of light before Kawakaze vanished.
The incoming attack wasn't something that could be avoided. If not for Kawakaze, even the Hokage Building behind them wouldn't have withstood such a blow.
"Thunder-Style Crushing Fist!" Kawakaze shouted, his lightning-imbued right fist slamming forward to meet the oncoming Chakra Cannon head-on.
Bang!
The impact created a deafening explosion, followed by an invisible shockwave that rippled outward. Weaker ninjas were forced to take several steps back, while wind and sand swirled violently, forcing them to shield their eyes with their hands.
Only Tsunade stood unaffected, her body glowing with a red aura of Chakra that shielded her from the storm. She watched the scene before her unfold with perfect clarity.
Kakuzu's three-attribute combination Ninjutsu was undeniably powerful. Against anyone else, it would have been a significant threat.
But unfortunately for Kakuzu, his target was Kawakaze—the God of Shinobi who had perfected the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
As the storm subsided, Kawakaze emerged from the chaos, standing not far away. Calmly, he dusted off his clothes, his hairstyle immaculate.
He bore no injuries—nothing at all.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode, capable of withstanding even a Tailed Beast Ball, had proven its unparalleled defensive strength once again.
"How is that possible?"
Kakuzu's jaw hung open, wide enough to fit a light bulb. He stood frozen in place, unable to process what had just happened.
The Final Shot was his most powerful individual Ninjutsu. No one had ever endured it head-on before. Yet here was Kawakaze, completely unharmed.
In that moment, Kakuzu's confidence crumbled. The gap in power between him and Kawakaze was vast—immeasurable. It reminded him of the hopeless feeling he had when he once faced Hashirama Senju. He was the fool again.
If he couldn't even break through Kawakaze's defenses, what hope did he have of defeating him? Was this a joke?
It suddenly made sense why no one had bothered to claim the 350 million ryo bounty. It wasn't that the reward wasn't tempting; it was that others were smarter than him.
One thought consumed him now:
Escape. I have to escape!
Kakuzu didn't hesitate. He turned and fled. His attack had revealed his position, and the Konoha ninja were already closing in on him.
"Go chase him! What are you looking at me for?" Tsunade shouted at Kawakaze. She knew Kakuzu was no weakling. If only the Jōnin pursued him, they might not be able to stop him.
"I'm going. Be careful," Kawakaze said, sparing a glance at Tsunade. She could still draw on the Tailed Beast's power if needed, so he wasn't too worried about her.
"Hurry!" Tsunade waved him off, signaling for him to go without concern.
"Okay."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kawakaze vanished.
Konoha was his domain, and with the Flying Thunder God Technique, his markings were in every nook and corner. There was no need to rush. If anyone could escape him here, he might as well write his name backwards.
Kakuzu was quick, and the pursuing ninjas could barely keep him in sight. All they could make out was his retreating back as the distance between them grew.
"Captain, he's too fast!" a Konoha ninja called out to the Head Ninja.
"We have to chase him, even if we can't catch up!" the Head Ninja barked, gritting his teeth and pushing himself to go faster.
"Insolent fools!" Kakuzu snarled, glancing back with fury.
All he wanted was to retreat safely, but these persistent pursuers were pressing too close for comfort.