142 Freedom Fighter Vs Guardian Ninja Force
The first large-scale clash between the Freedom Fighters and the Guardian Ninja forces was coming, just five days away.
Shikaku had gathered more than half of the organization's strength.
"This battle will determine our future. Failure is not an option."
His expression was serious as he addressed the assembled cadres.
Even though they were only facing a vanguard, the battle would be crucial for morale.
Everyone was nervous, except for Kakuzu, whose face showed nothing but indifference.
Shikaku didn't mind. Kakuzu had the strength to back up his attitude.
"Mr. Kakuzu, the enemy leader is yours to handle," Shikaku said.
Kakuzu pulled out a small notebook.
"Kazuma, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas… Bounty: 10 million ryō."
A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
"Consider it done."
Shikaku nodded.
"Also, be cautious, Root ninjas may be involved in this battle."
"Got it," Kakashi replied.
He removed his forehead protector and tucked his silver-white hair under a hat to avoid standing out.
Shikaku scanned the group before giving the order.
"Move out."
—
In a valley outside Siumi Town:
"The enemy scouts have arrived," reported Hyuga Lindy, her Byakugan tracking their movements from several kilometers away.
Three or four small squads were approaching, moving in a scattered formation.
These were advance scouts, ensuring the main force could safely pass through the valley.
"There must be a sensor ninja among them. Take them out first," Shikaku ordered coldly.
—
Meanwhile, the Guardian Ninja scouts pressed forward.
"Tanuka, what's the situation ahead?" asked their squad leader.
The team, made up of skilled Chūnin, remained alert as they advanced.
Tanuka, the team's sensory ninja, formed hand seals and released her chakra, scanning in all directions front, back, left, right, and below.
Her gaze shifted downward.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet turned to mud.
"En—"
Before she could finish her warning, a shadow burst from the earth.
Dressed in black, Kakashi emerged like a predator in the night.
A brilliant flash of lightning crackled in his hand, illuminating the darkness with a piercing shriek.
Lightning chakra surged through his body, enhancing his speed.
Like a bolt of lightning, he shot forward, thrusting his electrified hand straight into the stunned ninja's chest.
"Raikiri!"
Tanuka's body convulsed before collapsing.
The two remaining ninjas froze in shock.
Panicking, they fumbled for their weapons while instinctively retreating.
Kakashi's cold eyes flicked toward them.
The moment Kakashi emerged from the ground, he had already planned for an instant kill.
His lightning-clad palm pierced the first enemy.
With a light tap of his toes, Shave!
Enhanced by Lightning Style Chakra, his movement became even faster.
The second enemy saw only a flash of thunder before Kakashi appeared right in front of him.
"Raikiri!"
A jagged streak of lightning slashed through the darkness, leaving its mark in the air like a symbol of destruction.
The entire process took less than five seconds.
In a single breath, the entire reconnaissance team was wiped out.
The other two reconnaissance teams were left to Lindy and Kakuzu.
Kakuzu's strength needed no explanation.
Under Simu's training, Lindy had made remarkable progress—mastering Marine Six Styles and integrating Armament Haki with Gentle Fist.
She even developed a high-level Haki technique similar to Emission Haki, capable of destroying from within.
Taking down three Chūnin-level reconnaissance teams was hardly a challenge.
Guardian Ninja Troops
A scout ninja's eyes widened in panic.
"The auras of all three reconnaissance teams have vanished!"
"Enemy attack!"
But even before the warning, the entire army had already noticed—
A massive wave of flames erupted from the valley.
"Fire Style: Fire Sea Current!"
A raging inferno spread like an ocean, reducing everything in its path to ash.
The attack was so vast that it engulfed the entire guardian ninja army.
As the searing heat rushed toward them, their expressions twisted in shock and fear.
"Didn't you say they were just weak wandering ninjas?!"
A ninja capable of unleashing such powerful Ninjutsu couldn't possibly be some nameless rogue!
Kazuma, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, had already been a formidable Jōnin before joining the Guardian Ninja forces.
Though surprised by the scale of the attack, he remained composed.
"Defend with Water Style Ninjutsu!"
Hearing Kazuma's command, the troops quickly regained their composure.
"Water Style: Water Barrier!"
"Water Style: Flowing Water Technique!"
A surge of Water Style jutsu erupted.
Under the moonlight, torrents of water clashed against the advancing sea of flames.
The intense heat turned the water into thick steam.
The raging water smothered the fire.
The two elements fused, sending towering clouds of mist into the sky.
Just as the Guardian Ninja troops began to relax
The scout ninja who sensed Kakuzu's presence shouted:
"Be careful!"
In the next second, the thick mist seemed to be torn apart—not by arrows, but by warriors charging fearlessly into battle!
In an instant, Freedom Fighter warriors used Shave to close the distance, their blades flashing as they cut down enemies in the blink of an eye.
Kakashi appeared before the sensory ninja once again, lightning crackling in his hand.
"Raikiri!"
With deadly precision, he struck, instantly taking down his target.
The sheer speed of the attack left no chance for resistance.
The dozen or so warriors who had mastered Shave created chaos among the Guardian Ninja troops.
Unlike the Body Flicker Technique, which relied on chakra control, Shave, a purely physical technique, activated in an instant faster and more relentless!
Its only drawback was its inability to change direction quickly.
Yet, in the heat of this charge, that limitation became an advantage.
In an instant, the Guardian Ninja troops' formation was thrown into chaos.
"It's that special physical technique used by Freedom Fighters..."
Behind the Guardian Ninja troops, several masked figures silently took notes, observing the battle.
Suddenly, a group of figures soared into the air.
Water spun mid-air, swinging his long legs downward.
A sharp vacuum blade sliced through the air like a scythe, hurtling toward the battlefield.
Kazuma narrowed his eyes.
"Root ninjas, it's about time you stepped in."
His voice carried clear irritation.
The daimyo had poured vast sums of money into this operation—not for Root to stand back and watch.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow City Wall!"
A massive stone wall shot up in front of Kazuma, blocking the deadly Tempest Kick rain from above.
Meanwhile, the remaining Freedom Fighters broke through the mist and charged into the Guardian Ninja ranks.
Despite their initial panic, the Guardian Ninjas quickly regrouped and adjusted their formation.
As the battle with the Freedom Fighters raged on, Kazuma prepared to strike—until the ground beneath him suddenly trembled.
His eyes narrowed, and he instinctively leaped into the air.
A split second later, the earth beneath him shattered.
From the depths of the broken ground, countless black tentacles surged upward—like the grasping hands of an evil spirit rising from hell.
Kakuzu emerged from the darkness, his arms stretching unnaturally as black threads shot toward Kazuma.
"Earth Style: Earth Armor!"
A layer of solid rock enveloped Kazuma's body just in time, blocking Kakuzu's attack.
"Not a bad heart."
Kakuzu's voice carried a hint of amusement.
The stitched scar on his shoulder split open, revealing something unsettling beneath.
During his time at the Aster Flower Chamber of Commerce, he had replenished his lost hearts.
Though they weren't as powerful as his previous ones, together, they still packed a devastating force.
Two monstrous figures detached from Kakuzu's body—the Fire Style and Lightning Style masks.
Both opened their mouths, charging up deadly attacks aimed directly at Kazuma.
Kazuma's expression darkened.
"The bounty hunter Kakuzu… defected to the Freedom Fighters?"
Kazuma's voice carried disbelief, but Kakuzu wasn't surprised to be recognized.
As an immortal mercenary active in the underground world for decades, he had completed numerous missions for the Fire Daimyo's mansion. It was only natural that someone like Kazuma would know him.
Standing with his two masks, Kakuzu smirked.
"Sorry, but my boss gave me a new codename 'Draught Disaster.'"
Without another word, the Fire and Lightning masks attacked in unison.
A powerful gust of wind erupted first, followed closely by searing flames, forming an immense pillar of fire.
"Combination Ninjutsu: Flame Pillar!"
The night sky was set ablaze.
Kazuma reacted instantly, raising a small mountain between himself and the incoming attack.
The roaring flames crashed into the rock, melting it into molten magma that oozed down in crimson streaks.
Kazuma barely had time to catch his breath before the ground beneath him cracked again.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear Forest!"
At some point, the Earth Style mask with its brown markings had appeared beneath Kazuma.
Suddenly, countless earthen spears erupted from the ground like blooming thorns.
Kazuma's eyes widened in shock.
With no other choice, he reinforced his body with Earth Style: Earth Armor, covering himself in a dense, thorn-like shell resembling a turtle's carapace.
But Kakuzu had anticipated this reaction.
The masks of Wind, Fire, and Lightning converged in front of him.
Fiery flames.
Crackling lightning.
A raging air current.
All three forces merged into a single point.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Flash!"
A blinding blue laser tore through the air with an ear-splitting explosion.
Kazuma, still mid-air and fending off the earthen spears, had no time to react.
Kazuma's pupils suddenly dilated as the laser pierced his chest in an instant!
However, under Kakuzu's precise control, the beam only struck his left side, avoiding a fatal blow.
Before Kazuma could react, thick black tentacles wrapped tightly around his weakened body.
More tendrils burrowed into his chest.
"I'll be taking this Earth Style heart."
Kakuzu stated coldly.
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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