Years ago, there was a simple reason why Kakuzu didn't take the Hero Water. Known in Takigakure as the Sacred Water, drinking it would grant a tenfold increase in chakra for a short period. However, power never comes without a price—the cost of using the Hero Water was one's very life. Even in the direst situations, as long as there was the slightest hope of survival, no one would take it lightly.
"Interesting... Let's see how you plan to make me dance." Kakuzu smirked, standing firm like an immovable mountain.
"Kakuzu, go to hell!"
Feeling the surge of power coursing through his body, Shinnosuke's forehead and arms bulged with throbbing veins. He stomped the ground, leaving behind a deep footprint as he propelled himself forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. His fists, cloaked in a dense, powerful blue chakra, whipped up a violent storm with sheer force.
Boom!
His heavy punch landed squarely on Kakuzu's face, sending the tall man hurtling backward over a hundred meters before he crashed into a rocky wall, leaving behind a massive crater.
The surviving Takigakure shinobi perked up at the sight, their eyes brimming with hope. Their village leader had taken the Hero Water—he had to succeed! At the very least, Kakuzu should have been gravely injured.
Yet reality had a way of shattering expectations.
As the dust settled, a tall and unyielding figure emerged from the smoke. Kakuzu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and muttered, "So this is the power of the Hero Water?"
It was hard to tell whether his words were admiration or mockery.
But when Kakuzu finally stepped into full view, the Takigakure shinobi trembled. That fearsome punch, which seemed so devastating, had done nothing—he was completely unscathed!
A faint smirk played on Kakuzu's lips. Folding his arms, he stood unfazed against the wind.
To say the attack had no effect at all wasn't entirely accurate. The truth was, Kakuzu had already used his Earth Grudge Fear technique to stitch up his wounds before stepping out of the rubble. However…
"You're still a bit short of entertaining me."
At those words, the remaining Takigakure shinobi felt a crushing sense of despair. So this… this was the pressure of a Kage-level powerhouse? Just what kind of monster were they up against?
Kakuzu, however, paid them no mind. He simply rolled his tongue inside his mouth, savoring the sensation of the punch.
"A tenfold chakra boost... Not bad."
"But with such side effects, it's not something an ordinary person can afford to use. I should have Hiruko analyze it thoroughly later."
In his mind, Kakuzu had already classified the Hero Water—not a divine artifact, but still a potential tool. Every ability had its limits. Even the Mangekyō Sharingan, which could cast powerful illusions, wasn't absolute—elite shinobi like the Fourth Raikage and Tobirama Senju could break free in an instant. Likewise, no matter how potent the Hero Water's chakra boost was, it had to have an upper bound.
Otherwise, during the battle between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, Hashirama would have simply downed a bottle, summoned ten thousand Buddha statues, and called it a day.
The Hero Water had its uses, but it needed further refinement.
Just as Kakuzu came to this conclusion, a frenzied figure lunged at him once more.
Shinnosuke's bloodshot eyes blazed with fury, his veins bulging as though they would burst through his skin at any moment.
"Kakuzu! I will kill you!"
"Oh?"
Kakuzu chuckled.
At this point, Shinnosuke had already gambled everything on this fight. There was no debate—he had no choice but to go all out.
However…
"This stage isn't just for you."
Kakuzu lowered his stance, spreading his palms over his knees. Initially, he had intended to unleash the ultimate form of his Earth Grudge Fear technique—but then he decided against it.
"Never mind. Let's try this instead."
His left hand extended forward while his right hand rested against his chest. His stance solidified into a textbook horse stance. His gaze sharpened, and with a sudden burst, he thrust his right fist forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The air trembled with a thunderous force. The impact not only sent Shinnosuke flying backward but also carved out a massive crater where the remaining Takigakure shinobi stood. Seven or eight of them collapsed instantly, eyes rolling back in shock.
A powerful shockwave rippled through the battlefield—not a jutsu, but a technique fueled purely by physical prowess.
Wait… Could it be?
"Konoha… Hyūga… Gentle Fist?"
Some of the more knowledgeable Takigakure shinobi were left speechless. The Hyūga Clan's Bloodline Limit? How was this possible?
Kakuzu remained silent, stepping toward Shinnosuke, who now lay sprawled over a hundred meters away.
It had been over twenty years since he acquired the Hyūga bloodline. Awakening the Byakugan had proven just as difficult as mastering Hashirama's cells, but he had ultimately succeeded. Over time, his ability to use the Byakugan's insight and Gentle Fist techniques had steadily improved.
Science was the ultimate truth of the world. Only those who embraced it—like him and Orochimaru—deserved to live forever.
As for Tobirama Senju, the so-called pioneer of ninja science?
Forget him. He was nothing but a copyright ninja.
Kakuzu finally stopped when he reached Shinnosuke's motionless body.
It seemed he had already stopped breathing.
"Just one Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm and he's off to the Pure Land?"
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes slightly.
Suddenly, the corpse exploded into a cloud of smoke.
In the next instant, a hand shot out from the ground, gripping Kakuzu's ankle tightly.
"Kakuzu! This is for you! Die—Explosive Tag Burial!"
Hundreds of explosive tags surged up from the ground, wrapping around Kakuzu's body in an instant.
With a sharp cry—
"Ha!"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the battlefield. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, forming a towering mushroom cloud.
The power of a hundred explosive tags was no joke. A single tag could severely injure an average shinobi—let alone a hundred.
Shinnosuke gasped for breath as he crawled out from underground. The nearby Takigakure ninja rushed over to support their village leader, but before he could even catch his breath—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"This sound…?"
"What the hell is that?!"
Following the startled cries of the other shinobi, Shinnosuke turned his gaze forward, his face paling in horror.
At the very center of the explosion—the nightmare-like figure reappeared.
Kakuzu.
Step by step, he emerged from the destruction, each movement accompanied by an unnatural sound—
A sharp, grating noise, like metal scraping against the earth.
As he fully stepped into view, his entire body had undergone a shocking transformation. His flesh gleamed under the sunlight, as if he had been reforged from pure steel.
"No way… Could it be… Steel Release?!"
Kakuzu smirked.
Though the Land of Waterfalls was small, it wasn't lacking in those who had seen the world.
Once upon a time, Iwagakure had a frontline commander named Gari, a shinobi who possessed the rare Steel Release kekkei genkai. And now, thanks to Kakuzu, that bloodline had not been lost.
He hadn't had it for long, but thanks to his Wood Clones accelerating his training, it didn't take long for him to awaken Steel Release.
Kakuzu speculated that it had something to do with the nature of his chakra. His signature Earth Release jutsu—Earth Spear—already pushed his physical reinforcement to the extreme, making Steel Release a natural extension.
But compared to Earth Spear, Steel Release was on an entirely different level.
Before, his reinforced body was ten times tougher than normal—strong enough to withstand twenty explosive tags without injury.
And now?
Kakuzu smacked his arm with his palm.
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring echoed through the battlefield.
His body's durability had increased thirtyfold.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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