Jiraiya was well aware of Kakuzu's strength—he was a formidable opponent, not someone to be taken lightly.
As a mass of black tendrils surged toward him, Jiraiya immediately activated the Body Flicker Technique, his form blurring as he moved rapidly. In the midst of his movement, he reached out and retrieved the Lightning Flame Blade.
"Just as the intel described—his speed is remarkable."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes as he tracked Jiraiya's rapid movements. Jiraiya was moving so fast that all Kakuzu could see were afterimages, making it impossible to pinpoint his real body.
"If I can't distinguish the real one, I'll just treat them all as targets."
With a cold glint in his eyes, Kakuzu unleashed even more tendrils from his other hand, weaving them into a massive net that expanded to ensnare Jiraiya.
Jiraiya, closing the distance between them, swung the Lightning Flame Blade, unleashing bursts of fire and lightning as he struck at the black tendrils. However, the tendrils were incredibly resilient; even under the combined assault of flames and electricity, they refused to be severed.
Seeing this, Jiraiya swiftly retreated, avoiding entanglement.
Kakuzu's strength was undeniable—after all, Nagato wouldn't have recruited him into Akatsuki otherwise. Without entering Sage Mode, defeating Kakuzu would be a daunting challenge.
Among elite jōnin, Kakuzu ranked among the strongest. In the original timeline, even Kakashi had struggled against him. Though the Kakuzu before him wasn't yet at the peak of his power, he was still a dangerous adversary. Even in Sage Mode, taking him down wouldn't be easy.
Still, Jiraiya wasn't in a hurry to activate Sage Mode. He wanted to use this fight to gauge his current strength against an elite jōnin.
As he retreated, Kakuzu clenched his right fist, and with a sudden motion, his forearm detached from his wrist, launching forward at incredible speed, black tendrils trailing behind it.
Jiraiya's eyes sharpened.
In an instant, the Lightning Flame Blade gleamed as he slashed forward, sending a blade of crackling lightning surging ahead.
Kakuzu's fist struck the lightning blade, shattering it apart, but the impact drained much of its momentum, allowing Jiraiya to sidestep the attack with ease.
Meanwhile, the black tendrils continued to close in around him. These strange appendages seemed to possess a natural resistance to various jutsu, making them difficult to destroy without overwhelming force.
"Give up, brat. If you stop struggling, I can grant you a painless death. But if you piss me off, I'll skewer you and make you suffer until you beg for mercy."
Kakuzu's voice was cold and unyielding.
Jiraiya didn't bother responding. He had never been one for unnecessary words with enemies. If he could kill them, there was no need for taunts. If he couldn't, talking wouldn't change anything.
"Lightning Flame Twin Slash!"
Channeling both lightning and fire chakra into the Lightning Flame Blade, Jiraiya swung with all his might. Flames and lightning surged together, merging into a massive arc of energy that burned and crackled as it slashed forward.
This was one of Jiraiya's composite techniques, combining fire and lightning chakra to create an attack far greater than the sum of its parts. The moment the blade's energy made contact, it cleaved through Kakuzu's tendrils, severing them completely.
However, the attack also expended a great deal of energy, its power dissipating after the strike.
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with interest. "Not bad, brat. If your bounty wasn't so high, I'd consider recruiting you. You'd make a fine partner in the money-making business."
Seeing his tendrils cut so easily surprised Kakuzu. Many jōnin struggled against them, often requiring significant effort to sever even a few. Yet Jiraiya had done it with a single swing.
"According to my intel, he's skilled not just in kenjutsu but also in Fire and Lightning Release. And he even has an S-rank lightning technique… looks like this payday won't be easy."
Kakuzu sighed. "Making money at my age isn't easy."
Despite his complaints, he quickly unleashed another wave of black tendrils. Strictly speaking, Kakuzu was no longer human. His body had been extensively modified through his forbidden technique, allowing him to survive through his tendrils.
Yet, despite the damage he had taken, he hadn't resorted to using his masks yet. That meant he wasn't taking Jiraiya completely seriously. Instead, he was trying to exhaust Jiraiya's stamina and chakra before launching a decisive attack.
Jiraiya's earlier technique had managed to cut through his tendrils, but Kakuzu was confident it required a significant amount of chakra. Kenjutsu not only drained chakra but also took a toll on physical endurance.
"It seems like Jiraiya's death is all but certain."
A group of Root operatives watched from a safe distance, smirking as they observed the battle through specialized surveillance techniques. They had positioned themselves far away to avoid detection, yet they could still see everything unfold.
From their perspective, Jiraiya was completely on the defensive, constantly retreating as he barely fended off Kakuzu's relentless tendrils. He had yet to land a direct hit on Kakuzu, and his chakra was bound to run out sooner or later.
At this rate, he was doomed.
But something was wrong.
"Why is he still moving so effortlessly?"
After a while, Kakuzu frowned. Jiraiya showed no signs of chakra depletion or fatigue. Despite being forced to dodge and counter constantly, his speed and attack power hadn't diminished at all.
This wasn't normal.
By all logic, Jiraiya should have been nearing exhaustion by now. But he wasn't. Instead, it was Kakuzu's tendrils that had been steadily diminishing in number.
For Kakuzu, those tendrils weren't just weapons—they were his lifeline. Losing too many meant he would need to replenish them… and there were no available sacrifices nearby.
"Looks like I'll have to get serious."
Kakuzu's body began to shift and writhe as he prepared to reveal his true power.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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