Gasping for breath, Spider-Man struggled to summon his strength, his body shuddering as he delivered his last words, "Tentacles? Is that all you got? It hurts less than ten tickles..."
His body then became limp, hanging on the tendrils piercing through him.
"I already said he won't last one minute," Kakuzu uttered, his arm retracting with his haul.
Kakuzu, his expression devoid of mercy, sneered at the corpse, "You have good instincts, I'll give you that. But resilience won't save you from the grasp of death." With a swift and brutal motion, he withdrew his arm from Spider-Man's chest, causing a rush of blood to gush forth, "It's unfortunate but I have no need for a new heart."
As Spider-Man's body slumped to the ground, Kakuzu prepared to clean up his spoils. Itachi, silently observing the battle, seemed to have discovered something, but didn't speak out to warn his companion.
In the midst of his collection, a sudden shift in the atmosphere electrified the air. Kakuzu's eyes narrowed, his instincts warning him of an imminent threat.
With lightning reflexes, he swiftly dodged backward, narrowly evading a glossy jet-black spike that exploded out from Spider-Man's body!
Although he managed to avoid a direct hit, a scratch marred his face. Raising his hand, Kakuzu wiped away the trail of blood, his voice growling with a mixture of irritation and intrigue.
"Interesting," he muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the enigmatic figure before him.
In front of the bewildered trio, the glossy black spike wriggled and writhed, swiftly retracting into Spider-Man's body.
The transformation began, engulfing Spider-Man in a swirling mass of black tendrils. Slowly but surely, the squirming mass took on a humanoid shape, its form a fusion of rubber-like flexibility and pulsating living tissue.
It grew in size, towering above the three combatants, becoming the dominant presence in the battlefield. Adorning the creature's chest was a large, white spider emblem, a stark contrast against the abyssal darkness that cloaked its body.
The creature's face was dominated by its distinctive, large white eyes reminiscent of Spider-Man's own. However, there was a predatory gleam in them, an unsettling intensity that set it apart.
As its mouth opened, an array of sharp, elongated teeth came into view, jagged and asymmetrical. Some teeth appeared serrated or pointed, adding to the creature's ferocious visage.
A long, sinewy tongue, slimy and writhing, resided within, providing an eerie backdrop as the creature spoke in a voice that resonated with raw power.
"Finally, it's my turn," it hissed, the words dripping with venomous anticipation.
"Well, well, it seems you've lived more than a minute. You're more than just a mere insect now, aren't you?"
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed further, a mix of surprise and curiosity flickering across his face. He had expected a worthless opponent in the idiotic brat, but this transformation took the battle to an entirely new level.
This creature, a lifeform he has never seen, exuded an aura of primal dominance, a force to be reckoned with.
Venom's towering figure loomed over Kakuzu, radiating an otherworldly intensity. Its voice reverberated with a mix of menace and confidence. "Prepare yourself, food. You will soon learn the true meaning of fear because… we. Are Venom."
Smirking beneath his mask, Kakuzu taunted, "Let's see if this new dress-up matches your arrogance. Prepare to die!"
The battle resumed, the clash of powers echoing through the forest.
In the face of the creature with a size even greater than his own, Kakuzu's agility saved him once again as he swiftly evaded Venom's predatory lunge. Venom's muscular arms came crashing down, leaving deep, crater-like cracks on the dirt road, a testament to its incredible strength.
Twisting its grotesque face, Venom locked its menacing gaze on Kakuzu. Its jaws opened wide, and in a swift motion, its elongated tongue shot forth, drilling through the air with lethal precision. The tip of the tongue pierced through Kakuzu's body, eliciting a gasp of pain.
But then, in a baffling turn of events, Kakuzu's body melted and transformed into water, flowing and washing away onto the ground. From a nearby puddle, his form materialized once more, an arm aimed at Venom with unwavering determination.
Swoosh! Kakuzu's hand punctured the air, drilling towards the rushing Venom like a cannon.
Without hesitation, Venom lunged forward, its own claw-like arm colliding head-on with Kakuzu's. The clash of power created a seismic wave that rippled through the surroundings, the force threatening to push back everything in its path. Neither combatant yielded, their contest of strength reaching an impasse.
Suddenly, the ground behind Venom quaked as a thick bundle of gray tendrils erupted from the earth where Kakuzu previously stood, reaching out like vengeful specters towards his adversary! The tendrils, concealed with cunning precision, sought to penetrate Venom from behind!
It was a trap that Kakuzu had meticulously prepared during the course of their battle, a hidden ace that now came into play.
With a resounding impact, the tendrils collided with Venom's body, seemingly striking against a hard carapace before eventually piercing its hide. Yet, Kakuzu's satisfaction was short-lived. He felt an unexpected resistance, as if Venom's inner body was encased in an impenetrable carapace, resisting his attack.
As Kakuzu attempted to retract his tendrils, his eyes widened in disbelief. They were ensnared within Venom's body, tightly coiled and embraced by Venom's writhing form. Venom's body squirmed and wriggled, constricting around the tendrils as if it were consuming and assimilating them, its alien nature defying all logic.
A low, menacing chuckle resonated from Venom's throat. "You think your tentacles can beat me? I am the amalgamation of power and darkness. And… Tentacles, I can play that too."
A momentary respite hung in the air as Kakuzu's mind raced to assess the situation. However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Venom's sinister grin, accentuated by the wicked flick of its elongated tongue.
The trio's eyes widened in anticipation, a mixture of surprise and interest etched on their calm faces.
They watched as black, glossy tendrils erupted from Venom's body, cascading toward Kakuzu like an unyielding wave of darkness. A surge of recognition washed over them as they realized the eerie similarity to Kakuzu's own technique.
Kakuzu, ever adaptable, swiftly reacted, his resolve unyielding. In a display of his formidable skills, a wave of grey tendrils erupted from his hands, intercepting the oncoming deluge of black tendrils. The clash of power created a spectacle, a chaotic symphony of writhing darkness.
Amidst the clash, Kakuzu's voice growled with a mixture of surprise and intrigue, his eyes narrowing in focused determination. "My tendrils were absorbed and used against me? Interesting," he muttered, his mind working to analyze the situation. "But the fake can never trump over the real."
"Resistance is futile. Be obedient, be my food!" Venom taunted, its words laced with a mix of sadistic delight and confidence.
The battlefield crackled with an electric intensity as the struggle between Kakuzu and Venom intensified. Each combatant's tendrils entwined, the clash of power demonstrating a remarkable mimicry of technique.
Venom's black tendrils lashed out with unmatched agility, each strike a ferocious combination of precision and raw strength. Kakuzu, undeterred by the Venom's new ability, utilized his vast experience and his grey tendrils to counter Venom's onslaught.
As the battle escalated, Itachi and Kisame watched from a distance, their expressions revealing a mixture of surprise and apprehension. Itachi's eyes, ever calm and calculating, assessed the situation, his thoughts churning. "What a strange life. It doesn't seem to be ninjutsu, is it body modification? A result of human experimentation? No… it seems like there are two lifeforms merged into one body – a ninja and an unknown biological mass. It also has a biological imitation ability… No wonder he became a target of invitation."
Kisame, his eyes glinting with excitement, interjected with a toothy grin. "This battle just got a whole lot more interesting. I can't wait to see how Kakuzu handles this. If he can't… Samehada is always happy to come out for a breather."
The clash between Kakuzu and Venom reverberated through the battlefield, their immense power colliding in a titanic struggle. Suddenly, one end of the wave gave way, allowing the opposing wave to break through unhindered.
With a kick, Venom propelled himself into the air, leaping above the wave of cascading tendrils. One of Venom's arms morphed into a writhing black mass, extending itself and hurtling downward with explosive force, only to narrowly miss Kakuzu and embed itself into the unforgiving earth near him.
Anchored to the ground, Venom retracted his elastic arm, propelling his body downwards, descending upon Kakuzu with furious force and lightning speed, a sudden surprise assault that left Kakuzu no time to dodge!
Kakuzu, his eyes locked onto his opponent, met Venom's attack with a display of unwavering strength, but the force sent him sliding backward across the ground despite successfully blocking the onslaught unscathed.
Stabilizing the slight trembling of his hands, a menacing smirk crossed Kakuzu's face as he spoke, his voice laced with a veiled threat. "I didn't want to resort to this, but it seems I have no choice. Prepare to witness my true power."
As Kakuzu's back began to squirm and bulge, his hand reached out, ready to remove his Akatsuki cloak, a telltale sign of the formidable abilities that lay hidden within. He was about to unleash the beasts within him!
However, before he could carry out his intended action, a sudden female voice reverberated through the air, halting him in his tracks. "That is enough."
Kakuzu paused, his hand slowly lowering as he turned his attention to the source of the voice. Standing next to him, a mass of white origami paper flowed down from above, coalescing into a humanoid form, like an angel descending from the skies.
Soon, a woman clad in the Akatsuki cloak materialized, her expression neutral and unwavering.
The woman possessed striking features. Her short, straight blue hair was elegantly styled in a bun, while her amber eyes held a hint of lavender eye shadow. A black labret piercing adorned her lower lip, and a large light blue paper flower was clipped onto her bun.
Her nails were painted a vibrant orange, and an Akatsuki ring adorned her right middle finger, the kanji on it symbolizing 'white.'
However, those privy to the truth knew her to be Konan.
Kisame, unable to resist a taunt, grinned mischievously. "It's no fun to end it so early, White."
Itachi's gaze remained fixed on Konan, his perceptive eyes analyzing her presence and the potential impact she would have on the battle. He silently deciphered the intricate nature of her technique, observing the unfolding scenario with intrigue.
Unfazed by her comrades' comments, Konan ignored their banter, her focus solely on Venom. Her voice carried an unwavering conviction as she declared, "If you desire to continue, you will face all four of us."
Despite her cold demeanor, the other three Akatsuki members fell into position, encircling Venom in a calculated formation. A sense of solidarity prevailed among them as they prepared for the ensuing confrontation.
Venom's eyes scanned the assembled group, a twisted grin spreading across its visage. Its menacing laughter echoed through the air, and its long, sinewy tongue flicked across its face in anticipation. "More food, you say? How interesting."