The three of them were ANBU ninja, each possessing the strength of a jōnin.
What kind of battle was this, where even jōnin-level ninja were unqualified to participate?
A flash of silver light gleamed in Kazuki's hand—
A silver-white longbow materialized, forming seamlessly in his grasp.
Tracking Bow—a weapon that automatically locks onto its target's position.
Infused with chakra, its arrows were lethal enough to be a formidable force on the battlefield.
"Time is running out, Tsunade. I don't have time to explain everything to you."
Kazuki grasped Tsunade's hand,
pierced her finger with a kunai,
and smeared her blood onto the bow.
Ding!
A voice echoed in Tsunade's mind:
"You have successfully signed a contract with the Tracking Bow and are now its master!"
Startled, Tsunade's eyes widened.
"This… what is this?"
However, she was no novice when it came to mysterious techniques.
Her sharp mind quickly pieced things together—this was likely similar to a summoning contract,
except instead of a beast, the contracted entity was a weapon.
She could feel it.
A connection had formed between her and the bow,
as though it had been a part of her since birth.
Just as Tsunade was about to ask more questions,
two figures emerged from the distant forest,
clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds.
One wore a half-mask that concealed the lower half of his face.
The other carried a massive three-bladed scythe on his back, his silver-gray hair slicked back in a distinct style.
Their sudden arrival was eerie.
At their feet lay the corpses of the casino's men.
Yet neither of them displayed the slightest trace of grief or rage—
instead, they sneered with mocking amusement.
"Tch. Useless trash," one of them scoffed.
"They couldn't even weaken the enemy first.
I suppose that's all they were ever good for—dying just to drain the opponent's stamina and chakra."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes.
The moment he saw their attire, he knew his suspicions were correct.
The masterminds behind this so-called casino…
It was them.
Kakuzu and Hidan.
Kakuzu—one of the senior members of Akatsuki.
A former elite ninja from Takigakure, he wielded the forbidden technique Earth Grudge Fear,
which allowed him to steal the hearts of others and extend his own lifespan.
By manipulating the black tendrils in his body, he could store up to five hearts at once,
each one granting him a different elemental jutsu from its previous owner.
At his current level, his strength was easily Kage-tier.
Hidan—Kakuzu's partner, and a former shinobi of Yugakure.
Brash, arrogant, and bloodthirsty, he was known for his unique fighting style centered around his immortality.
Through his Jashinist curse technique, he could link his body to his opponent's,
inflicting the same injuries upon them that he inflicted upon himself.
Together, they were known as the Immortal Duo,
a nickname that even Kisame Hoshigaki had mockingly referred to as the Zombie Combo.
Now, clad in their Akatsuki robes, it was clear they were on a mission.
Kazuki had been right.
This casino had only ever been a front—
a way for Kakuzu to amass wealth and fund the Akatsuki's operations.
"You're quite well-known, you know," Kakuzu spoke in a low, gravelly voice, his gaze locked onto Kazuki.
"You were once seen traveling alongside Konoha's 'Blue Beast.'
They say you're called… the Black Death God."
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
Everyone turned to Kazuki in shock.
Black Death God?
Had their captain always carried such a name?
Kazuki let out a small chuckle.
"Oh? I didn't expect you to recognize me. What gave me away?"
Kakuzu continued, unfazed.
"I once came across intel in an underground exchange.
It warned of a terrifying figure—
one who walked beside Konoha's Blue Beast,
a specter of death that left no survivors.
No one knows their age, gender, or even what they look like…
because all who have laid eyes on them are dead.
That is why, in the underworld, you are known as…
The Black Death God."
4o
Black Death…
It was a rather over-the-top codename.
Every time Kazuki heard it, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and want to hold his forehead in frustration.
It all started because of his improved version of the Eight Gates Release Formation.
When he opened the Sixth Gate, the chakra surging through his body would undergo a mutation, turning pitch-black and coating him entirely.
At extreme speeds, he looked like a dark specter streaking across the battlefield, a harbinger of instant death.
As time passed, during the years he trained alongside Might Guy, rumors spread, and people began calling him "Black Death."
But honestly… that codename was ridiculously edgy.
Kazuki would rather not be reminded of that embarrassing past.
"How did you recognize me?" Kazuki asked helplessly.
In response, Kakuzu reached into his cloak and pulled out a bounty poster.
Depicted on it was the Sun Blade—the very weapon Kazuki had just wielded.
A deep, gravelly voice came from beneath Kakuzu's hood.
"Black Death God. Bounty: 100 million ryō.
I made sure to gather detailed intel on you."
Kakuzu's gaze sharpened as he continued,
**"A user of the Sun Blade, wearing specialized boots and a white feathered coat…
After receiving word from my subordinates, I confirmed your identity.
I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to be so young.
A mere brat.
What's even more surprising—
You're a Konoha shinobi… and not just any ninja,
but a Captain of the Anbu.
Black Death God…
You truly are an anomaly.
With that kind of background, I'd say your bounty is worth even more than 100 million."**
Greed gleamed in Kakuzu's eyes as he stared at Kazuki,
like a predator sizing up its prey.
Kakuzu's mind drifted back to the past—
At the end of the Warring States Period, during the early days when the Five Great Nations struggled to stabilize their newly founded shinobi villages,
he had been one of Takigakure's elite, chosen for a nearly impossible mission:
Assassinate the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
(From 800 meters away, he had hurled a kunai… what a joke.)
But against Hashirama's Wood Release, the outcome was inevitable.
Kakuzu barely survived.
Yet upon returning to his village, he wasn't met with honor or sympathy.
Instead, he was punished harshly for his failure.
To a man who had risked his life for his village,
such betrayal was unforgivable.
Consumed by rage, he escaped from captivity,
stealing Takigakure's forbidden jutsu—Earth Grudge Fear.
Then, he slaughtered the village elders,
tore out their hearts,
and made them his own.
From that day forward, Kakuzu trusted only one thing—
Money.
Eternal, absolute, and never capable of betrayal.
And so, he became a mercenary, wandering the shinobi world in pursuit of wealth.
"Kakuzu, stop wasting time with this brat!
Let's kill these guys already!
I can't wait to spill their blood in the name of Lord Jashin!"
Hidan impatiently urged, gripping his triple-bladed scythe with excitement.
Kazuki, standing beside Tsunade, had already prepared for battle.
He leaned slightly toward her and whispered,
"That guy with the scythe—the one who doesn't seem all that bright—
I'll leave him to you."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
Kazuki continued,
**"His technique requires him to draw blood with his scythe.
Once he has his opponent's blood, he performs a ritual that makes him a living voodoo doll—
whatever damage he takes, his opponent suffers the same.
But Tsunade, you're still dealing with your hemophobia, right?
You can't risk seeing blood.
So just keep your distance.
Use your Tracking Bow to fight from afar.
I'll handle Kakuzu and come to back you up once I'm done."**
Tsunade clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Don't underestimate me, brat."
Even with her fear of blood, she refused to be looked down upon.
To counter it, she had blindfolded herself.
As long as she couldn't see the blood, her body wouldn't freeze up.
With a sharp inhale, she drew back her Tracking Bow—
chakra condensing into an arrow of pure green energy—
And with pinpoint precision, she fired straight at Hidan.
At the same time—
She bit her thumb and slammed her hand onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive slug clone materialized, instantly dominating one side of the battlefield.
Tsunade landed atop it, standing firm, bow in hand.
With her next shot already prepared, she charged toward Hidan.
The battle had begun.
Hidan, ever the battle-hungry fanatic, rushed in to meet her attack head-on.
His sickle gleamed, thirsting for blood.
The two clashed—
and in the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged over a hundred moves.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield—
Kazuki launched himself at Kakuzu,
knowing full well that he had to end this fight quickly.
He had no idea how long Tsunade could hold out against Hidan,
so there was no room for hesitation.
With the Black Chakra of his Sixth Gate coursing through his body,
Kazuki struck first—
And the battle between him and Kakuzu began.
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