Chapter 188 : Humans Have Limits

--- If you enjoy my translations and want to read ahead, support me on Patreon for early access to extra chapters! :D p@treon . com/c/Nykolas831 ---

"I was actually sent flying by a seven-year-old brat?!" Kakuzu lay on the ground, staring up at the pitch-black sky, feeling as if a massive tornado had swept through his heart, leaving him unable to calm down. In terms of taijutsu, he lost to a seven-year-old kid?! What a joke. Even though he defected from Takigakure, he had always been a top expert in taijutsu there. He even had the Earth Release: Earth Spear technique to enhance his attack and defense. Yet, after just two exchanges with Kazekaze, he was kicked away. How could Kakuzu not be shocked by this?

"No, this is impossible..." Kakuzu shook his head vigorously, denying the fact that he lost in taijutsu to Kazekaze. It must be because he underestimated Kazekaze due to his age. Yes. He was careless and Kazekaze seized the opportunity. But just as Kakuzu sat up from the grass, not only did a sharp pain come from his abdomen, but the Earth Release: Earth Spear he had applied to his arms also began to fall off. Fragments fell to the ground, exposing his original skin. With just one look, Kakuzu was stunned.

"This was just now..." Kakuzu recalled that when he used Earth Release: Earth Spear to harden his body and charged at Kazekaze, Kazekaze decisively swung his fist at him. After a fierce collision, it was his own jutsu that was destroyed. And Kazekaze... seemed completely unscathed.

"This brat." The more he thought about it, the more Kakuzu felt that this kid was extraordinary. "No wonder, he's the grandson of Hashirama Senju." Kakuzu laughed out loud, then stood up from the ground. Instead of being disheartened by Kazekaze's performance, he became even more excited.

"Very good, you are strong. I acknowledge you, kid." Kakuzu said to Kazekaze. Initially, he targeted Kazekaze because he possessed the same Kekkei Genkai as Hashirama, the Wood Release. And his chakra was abundant. But now, Kazekaze had proven his strength with facts, making Kakuzu even more eager for his heart.

"I must have your heart." Kakuzu's eyes suddenly became fervent, as if he had found his favorite toy. He kicked off with both feet, charging at Kazekaze again, then took off his shirt, revealing his muscular body and countless stitched scars. Then, Kakuzu's back began to wriggle rapidly, and a mask with blue patterns detached from his body, connected by countless black threads. The next second, the mask opened its mouth wide, spewing a high-pressure wind ball straight at Kazekaze.

"Wind Release: Pressure Crush!" Seeing this, Kazekaze decisively clapped his hands, using Wood Release to counter. "Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!" Roar! Accompanied by a dragon's roar, the ground in front of Kazekaze split open rapidly, and a giant wooden dragon soared into the sky, meeting the Wind Release jutsu unleashed by Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear.

Boom! A loud explosion erupted, and the high-pressure wind ball shot by Kakuzu exploded into a vortex storm, fiercely destroying the wooden dragon. Such a scene naturally stunned Hiruzen and the others.

"What is that, so disgusting..." Koharu screamed after just a glance. "What's with this guy..." Sarutobi Hiruzen was also bewildered; it was the first time he had seen a ninja like Kakuzu.

Kazekaze explained briefly, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be Takigakure's secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear."

"Earth Grudge Fear?" Hiruzen and the others said in unison. Although they had heard of Takigakure, they didn't know much about its ninjas and jutsus. It's worth mentioning that even though Takigakure didn't have a Kage, its status in the ninja world was not low. And they were quite wealthy. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to buy the Seven-Tails at a high price when Hashirama distributed the tailed beasts.

Kazekaze thought that the reason Takigakure sent Kakuzu to assassinate Hashirama was largely related to the tailed beast issue. Of course, as for the truth, no one knows anymore. Because all the high-ranking members of Takigakure were wiped out by Kakuzu alone. Even their hearts were fused by Kakuzu.

"In short, those masks on Kakuzu are part of the Earth Grudge Fear. If I'm not mistaken, they should be called nature masks." Kazekaze continued. "They can either parasitize on Kakuzu or detach independently. They are formed by Kakuzu storing the hearts he took from others in his body. In other words, Kakuzu not only has five lives but can also use all the jutsus of the heart's original owner." Kazekaze shared the information he knew about Earth Grudge Fear. In his view, it wasn't a big deal.

But Kakuzu was suddenly stunned, even subconsciously stopping the continuous tactics he had prepared for Kazekaze. He never dreamed that a seven-year-old kid from Konoha would know so much about his Earth Grudge Fear. As if he were a high-ranking member of Takigakure.

"Kid, how do you know so much about Earth Grudge Fear?" Kakuzu asked firmly, questioning Kazekaze.

"Do you think I'll tell you?" Kazekaze replied without hesitation, leaving Kakuzu bewildered. What kind of person is this kid? Not only is he powerful. He also knows so much about Earth Grudge Fear. He's not easy to deal with, this person. Kakuzu couldn't help but frown.

However, high risk, high reward. If he could obtain Kazekaze's heart, he might be able to master Wood Release. Thinking of Hashirama's power, even Kakuzu found it hard to convince himself to give up now.

'Even if this kid is powerful, in terms of combat experience, he should be far inferior to me.' Kakuzu took a deep breath, slowly exhaling, suppressing his surprise at Kazekaze. 'I was active on the battlefield as early as the Warring States period.'

However, not everyone present found Kakuzu disgusting. Like Danzo, his pupils dilated simultaneously, staring intently at Kakuzu, 'Completely remodeled his body, huh.' His view was completely opposite to Koharu and the others. Not only did he not find Kakuzu disgusting, but he also thought he was very cool. For the sake of greater power, he didn't hesitate to completely remodel his body. Thus breaking through his own limits.

'Yes.' Danzo only felt that the door to a new world deep within his heart was completely opened at this moment. As an ordinary human, no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you fight, you have your own limits. And only by abandoning the identity of a human can you completely surpass the limits. Like Kakuzu now, he mastered jutsus he couldn't release by taking others' hearts. In other words...

'I can also gain... the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, and the Senju clan's Wood Release...' Thinking of this, Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly, looking at Kazekaze.