Chapter 40

Buzzzz!

The sharp hum of chakra filled the air.

Kakuzu's eyes widened as he watched Qin Yu step forward, emerging unharmed from the sea of flames.

In his hands, spinning at an incredible speed, was a massive Rasenshuriken—its edges flickering like a comet, wind chakra sharpening its edges to a lethal degree.

Kakuzu's expression twisted in shock.

"This… what kind of Wind Release ninjutsu is this? He's refined both shape and nature transformation to such a level?"

His mind raced.

"I can't afford to be hit by that! If I do, I'm dead!"

Despite the growing sense of danger, a glint of greed flickered in Kakuzu's eyes.

He could feel it—the pure, potent chakra swirling within the jutsu.

If I could take his heart… if I could learn this jutsu…

But before he could fully process his ambition, his pupils shrank in alarm.

Beneath Naruto's feet, the ground cracked, spiderweb fractures spreading outward.

And then—lightning.

A flash of blinding blue and white chakra surged forward, splitting the air.

Before Kakuzu could react, Qin Yu was already in front of him.

"Special delivery! Hope you're ready to sign for it!" Qin Yu smirked.

The Rasenshuriken left his hand, hurtling forward.

Hummm!

The high-pitched whine of slicing air intensified—

And then—

BOOM!

A hurricane of chakra exploded outward. The moment the Rasenshuriken struck, a vortex of microscopic wind blades erupted, tearing through everything within a hundred-meter radius.

Trees, rocks, and even the very air itself seemed to be shredded.

Kakuzu felt it immediately—his entire body being cut by countless razor-sharp currents of wind chakra.

Dammit! If it weren't for my Earth Release armor, I'd be dead already!

Even so, he could feel one of his hearts failing.

His mind raced. He needed to sacrifice one heart, feign death, and wait for the right moment to strike back.

Then… I'll finish this brat.

But just as he began forming his strategy—

He saw it.

Qin Yu wasn't done.

Another Rasenshuriken was already forming.

This time, it crackled with lightning.

Kakuzu's eyes widened in sheer terror.

"What the hell is that?! Another one?!"

A Wind Release Rasenshuriken had already put him on the brink of death.

But a Lightning Release Rasenshuriken?

His Earth Release defenses wouldn't stand a chance!

And to make things worse—he couldn't even move. His body was completely paralyzed from the first attack.

Qin Yu smirked.

"Still kicking? Let's fix that. Time to taste my Thunder Ball!"

Without hesitation, he launched the second Rasenshuriken.

"NO!"

Kakuzu barely managed to scream before the attack connected.

CRACK!

Lightning surged through his body, the compressed chakra detonating on impact.

The sheer force sent arcs of electricity exploding outward, penetrating him like a storm of lightning needles.

His Earth Release armor shattered instantly.

BOOM!

The thunderous explosion echoed across the battlefield.

The sky itself seemed to crackle with residual energy as the final remnants of the attack faded.

As the smoke cleared, the destruction became apparent—

The once-solid ground had turned into scorched ruins, littered with smoldering craters.

Kakuzu lay at the center of it all, his body riddled with deep, burning wounds.

His masks—four of them—were completely destroyed.

Only one remained, barely intact.

From the sidelines, Yugao Uzuki and Hayate Gekko stood frozen in shock.

This… was Kakuzu.

The infamous S-rank rogue ninja of the Akatsuki.

The same man who had massacred an entire village.

And yet—

He had been completely overwhelmed by two jutsu.

Two jutsu.

This wasn't just shocking—it was terrifying.

Kakuzu coughed, struggling to lift himself from the rubble. His body trembled.

He barely had one heart left.

If Qin Yu had attacked for a few more seconds… he would have been erased from existence.

Gritting his teeth, he glared up at Qin Yu.

"Damn it, brat… you broke your promise…"

Qin Yu tilted his head. "Oh? You're still alive?"

A deep rage burned in Kakuzu's chest.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

He was a legend, a shinobi who had fought Hashirama Senju himself.

And yet, here he was—at the mercy of a teenage brat.

Rage twisted his face.

"Die, brat!"

The ground beneath Qin Yu erupted, as Kakuzu's two remaining arms shot forward, turning into a mass of writhing, bloodstained tendrils.

Thousands of black threads lashed toward Qin Yu, aiming to rip him apart.

There was nowhere to run.

No way to dodge.

It was over—

Or so Kakuzu thought.

Because Qin Yu wasn't moving.

Instead—

A crimson glow erupted around him.

A towering, skeletal figure materialized in an instant.

Susano'o.

Kakuzu's eyes widened in horror.

His threads slammed into the ethereal armor—and shattered like brittle twigs.

He stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat.

"Impossible!"

Qin Yu grinned. "Oh, right. You still haven't tasted my Fire Release, my Water Release… or my Earth Release."

Kakuzu's blood ran cold.

If Danzo had seen this—if he had bet everything on assassinating Qin Yu—

Only to see him toy with an Akatsuki member like this—

He would have died from shock.

Kakuzu clenched his teeth. "No! Just kill me already!"

Qin Yu chuckled. "Kill you? Nah. You're too interesting to waste."

The crimson glow of Susano'o faded.

Kakuzu's tendrils, still frozen in midair, sagged lifelessly to the ground.

He was completely defeated.

He had no choice.

After a long silence—

He exhaled sharply.

"I… surrender."

As his tendrils retracted, Qin Yu smirked.

Hayate and Yugao could only stare in disbelief.

From assassination—

To total surrender.

The sheer gap in power was staggering.