Chương 207: Chapter 207
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At his peak, Kakuzu is one of the few ninjas in the current world who can be counted on one hand who can match his strength.
However, despite his power, Kakuzu's weaknesses are glaringly obvious. If several of his five hearts, especially the critical ones, are destroyed, his strength plummets drastically.
Moreover, his immortality has flaws; Earth Grudge Fear is not omnipotent.
"Your reaction is slow."
Another strike shattered Kakuzu's third heart. This was the first time Sakumo spoke since the battle began.
Hearing his words, Kakuzu's remaining two hearts clenched, and panic spread across his face.
He tried to speak but was choked by fear.
Escape!
This was the only way Kakuzu could think to survive, but would Sakumo let him run?
Obviously not.
Once trapped by Sakumo, escaping is the worst choice and often leads to death.
Splat.
The lightning chakra covering the White Fang blade extended forward again, shattering Kakuzu's fourth heart, leaving only the earth-attribute heart in his chest.
With only one heart left, Kakuzu's strength was greatly diminished.
Effortlessly, Sakumo closed in and engaged Kakuzu in close combat, making escape impossible.
Fight back?
It was too late.
Beg for mercy?
Having killed many Dragon Ninjas, Kakuzu had no chance of being spared, no matter who pleaded for him.
With a thrust, Sakumo aimed for Kakuzu's last heart.
Kakuzu's pupils contracted, and a rare sense of impending death spread throughout his body—something he had only felt once before, facing Hashirama.
"Is this the end…" Kakuzu murmured inwardly, still struggling, but he couldn't block or dodge Sakumo's strike.
But just as the blade was about to pierce Kakuzu's heart, Sakumo's sixth sense kicked in, and a chill ran down his spine.
An ambush?
Without thinking, Sakumo raised his blade to block.
Boom!
Without warning, Sakumo was thrown back, his retreat leaving ripples in the air.
Not only Sakumo but also Kakuzu, along with the surrounding dirt, stones, and trees, were blown away by the invisible force.
Shhh.
As the impact lessened, Sakumo twisted mid-air, landing in a half-crouch with his blade in the ground, sliding back several meters before coming to a stop.
He looked up, eyes wide with surprise, and when he saw who it was, his pupils contracted.
What kind of eyes were those!
Cold, emotionless, mysterious, and full of pressure.
"Lord Sakumo!"
Four Uchiha ninjas rushed over. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Sakumo waved them off. "You should leave. Those six people are dangerous. Staying here will only hinder me."
The four Uchiha ninjas exchanged glances, then followed Sakumo's gaze to the six, no, seven people standing in a formation in the distance.
"Orochimaru."
They spotted the approaching Orochimaru as well.
"Sakumo, long time no see."
Wearing the black and red cloud Akatsuki robe, Orochimaru greeted Sakumo with a smile. "For old times' sake, spare Kakuzu's life, and you can leave."
Deva Path Pain glanced at Orochimaru without speaking, lost in thought.
Sakumo stood up, not responding immediately, urging the four Uchiha ninjas to leave first.
They hesitated but then slowly retreated to a safe distance before turning to run towards the Dragon Hidden Village.
They could feel the pressure and assess the situation. Orochimaru alone wasn't a big deal, but those six men with the Rinnegan were unnerving.
Staying would only complicate things for Sakumo. It was better to call for reinforcements.
Once the Uchiha ninjas left, Sakumo's expression turned cold again.
His gaze passed over Orochimaru and fixed on the young man leading the group.
"You are the leader of Akatsuki?"
"That's me."
"Kakuzu is a target we must eliminate. Step aside."
"I've taken him under my protection," Deva Path Pain replied.
Clearly, Nagato intended to recruit Kakuzu into Akatsuki.
"Kakuzu, what's your decision?" Deva Path Pain asked, "Will you join Akatsuki?"
"I will," Kakuzu replied sensibly, slowly retreating to Deva Path Pain's side.
Deva Path Pain then turned his gaze back to Sakumo. "Kakuzu is now a member of Akatsuki. Do you still wish to kill him?"
"He must die!"
Sakumo's body sparked with pale blue lightning, and before he finished speaking, he disappeared.
"Overestimating yourself."
Deva Path Pain coldly raised his right hand to meet the incoming lightning chakra blade.
Shinra Tensei!
Boom!
A powerful invisible force emanated from Deva Path Pain, pushing everything around him away like an air cannon.
The remaining five paths protected Orochimaru and Kakuzu, swiftly moving them out of harm's way.
Sakumo, however, who had charged in, was thrown back at high speed.
Whizz, thud, thud, thud!
His body flew back, and the sudden impact made Sakumo spit blood, staining his clothes.
The immense force prevented him from adjusting his posture, and he slid across the ground, leaving a long trail.
After barely a second, Sakumo finally stabilized.
Standing up quickly, he wiped his mouth, eyes scrutinizing, but his expression remained calm.
"Invisible repulsion… It must be the power of those eyes," Sakumo thought. "But what's the weakness?"
The unknown is always terrifying, but not to Sakumo.
If he didn't know, he'd just have to test it out!
Sizzle.
Lightning chakra surged through his body, stimulating his cells to push his speed to the limit.
Swoosh.
Without space-time jutsu, Sakumo crossed dozens of meters in a blink, closing in on Deva Path Pain.
Hatake Swordsmanship: Phantom Moon Slash!
A brilliant arc of lightning traced a crescent moon shape, slashing towards Deva Path Pain's side.
Clang.
The sound of metal clashing rang out as the White Fang blade struck a black rod.
Clang, clang, clang.
Sparks flew, and the sound of metal collisions echoed as Sakumo and Deva Path Pain clashed.
However, it was clear that Deva Path Pain couldn't match the taijutsu prowess of Sakumo. After exchanging a dozen moves, Deva Path Pain was at a disadvantage.
Despite the intense clash, Deva Path Pain's expression remained unchanged, even when faced with the lightning extending from White Fang.
Close.
Just a little more, and the lightning would pierce Deva Path Pain's head.
At the critical moment, the concentrated lightning chakra suddenly bent as if the blade was curved, taking a strange angle.
Sakumo's pupils contracted.
Boom!
The invisible repulsion struck again, pushing away the approaching lightning and throwing Sakumo back.
Thud, thud, thud.
Sakumo's body hit the ground repeatedly before finally coming to a stop.
Cough.
Bending over, he coughed up blood and wiped his mouth, his eyes shining with determination.
"Another interval between activations?" Sakumo had a guess. "The interval is between three to six seconds. One more test should confirm it."
Boom!
Pushing off the ground, Sakumo shot towards Deva Path Pain again, leaving a trail of disturbed earth behind him.
With great force, he moved even faster.
Sakumo Swordsmanship: Phantom Moon Slash!
The same move, but this time Deva Path Pain couldn't block or dodge.
Sakumo's attack was too fast!
But Deva Path Pain didn't attempt to defend. He made no extra movements.
"What?!"
Sakumo was shocked, showing an unusual expression for him in battle.
Just then, another figure intercepted the lightning chakra blade with their bare hands, dissipating the attack.
Swish.
Sakumo immediately retreated.
Deva Path Pain reacted, raising his hand and pulling Sakumo towards him with Bansho Ten'in.
Caught off guard, Sakumo was pulled towards Deva Path Pain, his speed neutralized.
Sakumo tried to counter with another lightning strike, but Deva Path Pain released another wave of repulsion, shattering the lightning and throwing Sakumo back for the third time.
*Crack.*
The force was so great that the White Fang blade cracked under the pressure.
*Shatter.*
The well-worn blade, which had seen countless battles, finally broke.
*Stumble.*
Sakumo steadied himself, his right arm hanging down, looking at Deva Path Pain from a distance.
"Control over invisible repulsion and attraction, deflecting chakra attacks and objects, and absorbing chakra…"
Quickly summarizing his observations, Sakumo thought, "And that rotund man with the Rinnegan can absorb chakra. What about the other four?"
He stepped back, resetting his dislocated arm with a twist.
With a simple stretch, Sakumo disappeared again.
His extreme speed brought him close to Deva Path Pain once more.
The elongated lightning chakra blade replaced the broken White Fang, stabbing towards Deva Path Pain's chest.
"Boring," Deva Path Pain muttered as the defensive path stepped in.
Sealing Absorption Jutsu!
The gleaming lightning blade was about to be absorbed.
But then, the lightning chakra vanished, and Sakumo hurled his short blade forward.
The half-blade pierced the semi-transparent barrier meant to absorb the lightning chakra, piercing Gakido's hand and stabbing into his chest, emerging from his back.
*Swish.*
Sakumo disappeared again, reappearing behind Gakido to reclaim his short blade. He slashed towards the back of Gakido's neck.
Clang!
A third figure with the Rinnegan intercepted, blocking Sakumo's physical attack with a simple arm block.
"Puppet? Or something else?"
Sakumo retreated, rapidly analyzing. "A human body shouldn't be this tough, even with a broken blade, it should leave more than just a scratch."
After landing, Sakumo glanced at Gakido, who had been pierced by the White Fang.
"He didn't die. Does he have the same immortality as Kakuzu, or is he already dead and just a puppet?"
With a quick assessment, Sakumo gathered intelligence on Deva Path, Gakido, and Shurado.
Deva Path Pain extended his hand, and an invisible force pulled Sakumo towards him again.
Meanwhile, Shurado's arm transformed into a chakra cannon, charging up for an attack.
Boom!
The chakra cannon fired, combined with Deva Path's Shinra Tensei, amplifying the power and speed of the attack, striking Sakumo's chest.
But Sakumo suddenly smirked, his right hand glowing with purple lightning.
Raikiri: Purple Lightning!
"Hah!"
With a shout, Sakumo thrust his right hand forward, his arm and blade splitting the incoming chakra cannon and repulsion force.
Boom!
The shockwave rippled outwards, the invisible force split and deflected by Sakumo's arm.
"Interesting," Deva Path Pain remarked. "You are indeed worthy of my serious attention, Sakumo!"
(End of Chapter)
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