Naruto: Mikoto and Tsunade, don't let either of them go.

Page 131

"Kakashi, Zabuza, I'll take care of this loose-tongued guy. Kakuzu is yours to handle, right?"

Upon hearing Haku's words, Zabuza was about to say something when Kakashi spoke up:

"Bai, do you know anything about that guy?"

Bai flicked the ice blade in his hand and said:

“I know, we can’t let that guy touch our blood. Perfect, my Ice Release is just what I need to counter him.”

As soon as Bai finished speaking, he disappeared into the white mist.

Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki, who had only met Haku a few times, had always felt a strong liking for this gentle older sister. Although he couldn't quite understand why she, as Uncle Qiushan's subordinate, wasn't a ninja from Konoha, this didn't stop him from wanting to help. Seeing that Haku had already disappeared into the white mist, he quickly called out:

"Sister Bai, Sister Bai, I'll help you deal with that guy with the scythe!"

Naruto shouted as he chased after the white mist.

Naruto felt reassured knowing that the seemingly powerful, eyebrowless guy was helping Kakashi-sensei.

Seeing this, Kakashi was worried about Naruto, fearing that he might act recklessly and have Hidan obtain his blood, which would put them in a very passive position. So he called out in a deep voice:

"Sasuke."

Sasuke was also somewhat worried about Naruto at this moment. After hearing Kakashi's words, he immediately understood what he meant and responded:

"I understand."

As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his Lightning Release armor, a flash of lightning streaked beneath his feet, and quickly chased after Naruto.

Watching Sasuke disappear at lightning speed, Zabuza said with interest:

"As expected of the master's disciple, his speed is already comparable to that of an elite Jonin. Once he awakens the Mangekyou Sharingan, the master will have another Kage-level shinobi under his command."

Zabuza had been following Uchiha Kakuyama for a long time, so he knew perfectly well that the Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Uchiha who had not were from completely different worlds.

Kakashi heard Zabuza's words but did not refute them.

Although Sasuke's talent is somewhat inferior to that of his older brother Itachi Uchiha, no one dares to underestimate Sasuke's future development because of his teacher, Uchiha Kakuzan. They might just leave him far behind at any time.

The two stopped talking, glanced at Hidan who was charging towards them, and then disappeared into the white mist.

Waving a sickle, and seeing that the men had all disappeared, he hurriedly shouted:

"What can you guys from Konoha do besides hide? Get out here, you bastards!"

As soon as Hidan finished speaking, more than a dozen ice blades flew out from the white mist, flashing with a cold light, and rushed towards Hidan.

Upon seeing the ice blades, Hidan became excited. He swung his scythe to block them all, and then, seeing a black shadow flash in the white mist, he started running after it, shouting excitedly as he went.

Seeing this, Kakuzu, standing behind Hidan, said in a low voice:

"Fool, you fell for such an obvious trap! Come back here and don't stray too far from me, or you'll be dead soon."

Kakuzu has always been very strong. Even during Hashirama Senju's time, he reached Kage-level strength thanks to his own strength and good battle intelligence.

Especially after he mastered the forbidden techniques of Takigakure and became an unconventional immortal, with the five hearts of different attributes that he obtained and the forbidden technique he mastered—Earth Grudge Fear—along with his rich combat experience, his strength can be said to have reached the peak of the Kage level.

However, even though Kakuzu is very strong and often sells the heads of his former teammates on the black market for money, he has no good way to deal with Hidan.

Hidan, who was already in a bad mood because of the Hidden Mist Technique, ignored Kakuzu's words and charged towards the figure that was faintly visible in the mist, brandishing his scythe and shouting as he went:

"I won't die. Let me send these annoying Konoha ninjas to see Lord Evil God first."

Hidan doesn't care about luring the enemy. There have been such overconfident guys before who tried to lure the enemy in, but he usually killed them all because of his immortality. That's why he reacted this way.

Kakuzu heard Hidan's words but was not angry. He just muttered "idiot" in a low voice and prepared to chase after him.

Kakuzu wasn't worried about Hidan, but he knew that these Konoha ninjas were not to be trifled with. If the two of them were separated, they would be easily defeated one by one, which was something he didn't want to accept.

Just as Kakuzu took a step, two figures suddenly jumped out in front of him, one of whom was holding a guillotine and blocked his way.

The other one held the ninja sword White Fang in his right hand, which was covered with lightning-attribute chakra. The entire blade emitted white lightning and a buzzing sound, as if high voltage was compressed onto the blade.

“Mr. Kakuzu, I’m sorry, you can’t go over there.”

Kakashi spoke calmly, as if he weren't in a battle, but simply greeting Kakuzu normally.

Chapter 398 The Splendor of White Teeth

Kakuzu stopped when he saw that the path to Hidan's direction was blocked by the two people in front of him. He looked at them and seemed to sense danger from them, as his expression turned serious.

Kakashi's ninja sword, White Fang, was covered in a layer of white lightning, emitting not only a terrifying buzzing sound but also a dangerous aura.

Upon seeing this, Kakuzu's pupils contracted slightly, and he began to take Kakashi more seriously.

"Kakashi, it seems you've ultimately inherited your father's ninja swordsmanship. But I wonder, as White Fang's son, how much of your father's former glory can you truly recreate?"

Kakuzu's years of experience haven't been wasted. He's not only highly experienced, but he's also witnessed most of the outstanding figures from different eras and their signature techniques.

As a leading figure of an era in Konoha, White Fang's strength once reached the peak of Kage level. Kakuzu had naturally witnessed his incredibly sharp Hatake sword technique before, so he recognized it as soon as Kakashi used it.

Upon hearing Kakuzu's words, a flicker of pain flashed in Kakashi's eyes. He gripped his ninja sword, White Fang, tightly and said resolutely:

"My swordsmanship is naturally inferior to my father's, but in order not to bring shame to him, I will do my best, even if it means my death."

After Kakashi finished speaking, his expression became focused and calm, but this calmness carried an inexplicable quality. Even the buzzing sound of the ninja sword in his hand gradually decreased until it became almost imperceptible, like the closed mouth of a giant beast, ready to bite down on its enemy at the next moment.

As the sound of Kakashi's ninja sword disappeared, Kakuzu felt as if he were being locked on tightly. He realized that with Kakashi's current strength, he could pose a threat to him. Even the ninja sword covered in lightning in his hand could break through his defenses.

Just then, Zabuza, standing next to Kakashi, also swung his Executioner's Blade, striking the ground with a piercing sound before addressing Kakuzu:

"Old man, remember this: the one who killed you today was Lord Uchiha Kakuzan's number one subordinate, Momochi Zabuza!"

At this moment, Kakuzu's eyes also fell on the greatsword in Zabuza's hand, and he silently thought to himself:

"The Executioner's Blade? So it belongs to one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. I don't know how he got together with Kakashi from Konoha, but this guy is clearly a tough nut to crack."

Kakuzu now realized that the two people in front of him would definitely pose a threat to him. Although he possessed the Earth Grudge and five hearts, he would definitely be in a sorry state if he was not careful.

However, Kakuzu was only slightly startled, but not panicked. After all, he had experienced many wars, large and small, and the scene before him was somewhat insignificant compared to those before.

Of course, Kakuzu was no longer concerned about Hidan, who had run far away. Looking at Kakashi and Zabuza, who were waiting in full battle, he put his hands together and made a crisp snapping sound. He began to mobilize all his chakra, which not only made him exude a terrifying aura, but also made the black lines on the four black monsters behind him become unusually thick.

Kakuzu looked at Kakashi before him and said in a serious tone:

"In that case, let me experience the signature techniques of Konoha's White Fang and the power of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Let's see if you can keep this old man here!"

As soon as Kakuzu finished speaking, the four monsters behind him seemed to lose control and began to scream at Kakashi in front of them, making piercing noises.

Chapter 399 The Thought of Abandoning the Mission

As Kakuzu became serious, channeling his chakra and unleashing a powerful aura, the four Earth Grudge Fear clones behind him also entered a berserk mode.

Fire Release: Head Carving

"Wind Release - Pressure Damage"

"Combined Ninja Art - Flame Wind Chaos"

Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear clones, one wearing a red patterned mask and the other a blue patterned mask, opened their mouths and unleashed Fire Release and Wind Release ninjutsu respectively. The two ninjutsu complemented each other, forming a powerful composite ninjutsu that surged towards Kakashi and Zabuza like a raging sea of ​​fire.

Here we go again~~

Seeing this, Kakashi quickly used Lightning Release chakra to increase his movement speed, barely managing to escape the engulfing area just as the sea of ​​fire arrived.

Meanwhile, Zabuza, upon seeing the sea of ​​fire, quickly used Water Release to protect his entire body. Although the fire grazed him and didn't cause him much damage, it completely evaporated his Water Release shield, leaving only wisps of white smoke that quickly dissipated.

However, at this time, because they were escaping in different directions, Kakashi and Zabuza were temporarily separated.

"Water Escape - Water Curtain Account"

"Lightning Release - False Darkness"

"Compound Ninjutsu - Lightning Wave Pressure"

What no one expected was that after Kakashi and Zabuza separated, Kakuzu turned his attention to Zabuza, who had just escaped the sea of ​​fire, and used a composite ninjutsu that combined water and lightning release techniques.

Before Zabuza could even regain his footing, the yellow twin-horned clone and the blue pointed-mouth mask within Kakuzu's clones unleashed Lightning Release and Water Release respectively. As soon as they were released, they merged into a water cannon filled with lightning, rushing towards Zabuza at breakneck speed.

During their initial encounter, Kakuzu realized that Kakashi's proficiency in lightning-style ninjutsu would weaken the combined lightning and water-style ninjutsu he used. Zabuza, on the other hand, lacked this talent, and Zabuza's Executioner's Blade would also slow down his movement speed. Therefore, Kakuzu changed his target to Zabuza.

Faced with the onslaught of ninjutsu, Zabuza showed no panic. He swung his Executioner's Blade with all his might and threw it toward Kakuzu. The blade not only shattered some of the lightning water cannons along the way, but also carried the remaining lightning as it spun toward Kakuzu's waist.

At the same time, Zabuza seemed to have water flowing beneath his feet, sliding backward while forming hand seals, finally pointing two fingers of one hand together towards the sky.

"Secret Technique - Mist Concealment Technique"

As Zabuza used the Hidden Mist Technique, a dense fog quickly spread around him, and Zabuza slipped into it, disappearing from Kakuzu and Kakashi's sight. At the same time, Zabuza's scent and voice also vanished without a trace.

Faced with the guillotine thrown by Zabuza, Kakuzu glanced at the remaining lightning on it and did not take the hit head-on. Instead, he turned around and dodged the rapidly spinning guillotine.

However, at that moment, Kakashi, who had already reacted, had already arrived near Kakuzu with the White Fang, which was buzzing incessantly, and swung it at him.

Even though Kakuzu's hands were covered by Earth Release: Earth Spear, turning them jet black and possessing strong defensive and destructive power, he still dared not take Kakashi's White Fang Ninja Sword. Instead, he jumped to dodge Kakashi's attack, but the stitches on his arms and the back of his neck suddenly split open, and a large number of black threads rushed out, densely rushing towards Kakashi who was coming towards him.

"Secret Technique - Earthly Grudge"

Faced with the black Earth Grudge threads emanating from Kakuzu, Kakashi naturally couldn't just rush over recklessly. He immediately changed direction and dodged the Earth Grudge attack. However, while dodging, he still swung his White Fang and cut off quite a few black threads.

After witnessing Kakashi's performance, Kakuzu snorted coldly, then glanced at the Earth Grudge Fear writhing on the ground like an eel, and said in a low, cold voice:

"Hmph, troublesome fellow."

At that moment, the thick white fog that was still in the distance seemed to be propelled by something, as if it had a life of its own, and it rushed rapidly toward Kakuzu.

Upon seeing this, Kakuzu's eye twitched slightly, a rare occurrence, and his green eyes narrowed slightly. He retreated repeatedly, not allowing the white mist to get any closer to him.

"Boom, boom..."

Just as Kakuzu was retreating, he heard a series of explosions not far away. It was clear that a large number of explosive tags had been used, otherwise there wouldn't have been such a commotion.

Upon seeing this, Kakuzu took a deep breath and ceased his attack. Not only did his four Earth Grudge clones return to his back, but the black ninjutsu covering his hands also slowly faded away, leaving only stitched marks.

"Kakashi, is Konoha really determined to protect this small fishing village of the Land of Waves this time?"

After the effects of the ninjutsu wore off, Kakuzu unexpectedly asked Kakashi a question.

Kakashi was taken aback by Kakuzu's question. After seeing Kakuzu's stance, a thought flashed through his mind, and he vaguely understood Kakuzu's meaning. Although the lightning chakra on the White Fang Ninja Sword hadn't dissipated, he didn't continue fighting. Instead, he loudly addressed Kakuzu:

“Senior Kakuzu, it’s not that Konoha Village insists on protecting the Land of Waves, but because the Land of Waves has already signed a contract with Konoha Village and has become a subordinate force of Konoha Village. If Senior Kakuzu insists on carrying out this mission, then the people you’ll be facing will not only be me and Zabuza.”

Seeing that Kakashi had stopped fighting, Kakuzu clearly understood his intentions. He then withdrew the black threads of Earth Grudge that emanated from his body and asked:

"Oh? What if I insist on carrying out this mission?"

Kakashi knew that Kakuzu was already planning to abandon the mission and was just looking for a way to back down, so he stared at him seriously and said:

"Speaking of which, besides myself and a few lowly genin, the people who came to the Land of Waves with us this time also include the head of our Konoha Anbu—Lord Uchiha Kakuyama."

However, Lord Qiushan is currently dealing with other matters and has not yet arrived. If Senior Kakuzu insists, I believe it won't be long before he meets Lord Qiushan.

Chapter 400 Fame

Upon hearing Kakashi's words, Kakuzu's pupils constricted sharply, his body froze, and even his continuously swirling Earth Grudge Fear paused for a moment.

"Uchiha Okayama, the head of the Uchiha clan, the strongest ninja in Konoha..."

Upon hearing Kakashi's words, Kakuzu's mind flashed through those words in an instant, and his heart sank uncontrollably.

As a connoisseur of money and a bounty hunter, Kakuzu is quite old now, but he still keeps a close eye on information in the ninja world so that he can know exactly how much a suitable target is worth when he encounters one.

In Kakuzu's intelligence, among those he couldn't afford to offend, Uchiha Kakuyama sat at the very top.

Kakuzu himself was well aware that the reason he was able to live for so long was not only due to the secret technique of the Earth Grudge, but also because he knew that there were people he could not mess with.

If I were to encounter any tough opponent and still charge in, even with the secret technique of the Earth Grudge and five hearts, I would have already died and been buried in the yellow sand.

Kakuzu was also very clear that Uchiha Kakuzan was not someone he could afford to provoke.

Anyone who can be called the strongest in Konoha Village must possess overwhelming power. For example, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, Sakumo Hatake, the Legendary Sannin, and so on are all beings that cannot be provoked.

Therefore, after hearing Kakashi's words, Kakuzu paused for a moment before asking in a low voice:

"Is that esteemed person here as well?"

Although Uchiha Kakuzan is only in his twenties, Kakuzu doesn't feel awkward at all when addressing him as "sir".

Having lived in the ninja world for so long, Kakuzu had long understood that everything in this world is based on strength. No one cares how old you are; only those with great strength can control their own destiny.

Kakashi naturally understood who Kakuzu was asking about, so he raised his chin and pointed in the direction of Hidan, saying:

"I wonder if Mr. Kakuzu recognized those genin just now. They are this year's Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Our Hokage believes that only Lord Kakuyama is capable of leading them, so he has become their instructor."

Just now, when Naruto and Sasuke went to help Haku fight Hidan, Shikamaru saw that this was not a place for them to interfere, so he quietly led them to help over there.

After hearing Kakashi's words, Kakuzu nodded thoughtfully and muttered to himself:

No wonder!