"Here's how it is. No wonder there's a bounty on you at the Black Market. You really are a genius that comes once in a century. However, my power isn't limited to what you've seen," Kakuzu stated in a very low, quiet voice.
"You're going to fight seriously, Kakuzu? I know you haven't used your true power yet. I'm also looking for someone who can serve as a stepping stone for my growth. I think you fit the bill," the transmigrator smiled, his eyes burning with battle lust.
"Need help, Satoru?" Yoshime had already freed Minato, who was now trying to bring Kushina around.
"No need. You watch over them. Only I can handle Kakuzu," Satoru spoke the truth. The current Minato and Yoshime were no match for an Akatsuki member.
"Last words said? Then prepare to die," this time Kakuzu was serious. He was done joking around with Satoru. The shinobi world was vast, and it always had monstrous geniuses like this boy.
The threads at all the breaks in Kakuzu's body automatically unraveled, and black threads fully enveloped him.
Four masks also appeared one after another behind his back.
"Demons? Looks like nothing's changed from the original story—you still have five hearts," Satoru noted, addressing Kakuzu.
"Seems you know a lot. Doesn't matter anymore. You'll die either way," Kakuzu had to kill Satoru, both by duty and personal reasons.
"Here it comes!" the Earth native already anticipated Kakuzu's incoming attack.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" the lightning demon mask opened its maw, and the lightning turned into a sharp Thunder Spear hurtling toward Satoru.
"Water Release: Water Curtain!" the water demon mask also spewed water bubbles.
However, the water mask temporarily detached from the body, and the two-sided attack made defending difficult for Satoru.
"Earth Release: Mud Wall!"
"Thirty Million Volts: Thunder Bird!"
Satoru first formed seals and used Mud Wall, temporarily blocking the Lightning Release attack, then instantly shifted to the top of the Mud Wall and, using the ultra-fast Thunder Bird, charged at the water demon.
"Lightning took the form of a bird—this guy's a Lightning Release genius!" Kakuzu's combat experience was incredibly vast. He immediately sacrificed the water demon and shouted, "Tentacle Fist!"
Satoru's Thunder Bird instantly struck the water demon, destroying one of Kakuzu's hearts.
But Kakuzu, barely holding back the pain, prepared to pierce Satoru's heart with his tentacles again.
He wanted to use a discharge to neutralize Kakuzu's attack but didn't expect the demons on the Akatsuki member's body to suddenly unleash combined ninjutsu again.
"So that's it. Use tentacles to grab me, then the back demons for ninjutsu attack?" Satoru grasped the enemy's strategy.
"Brat, this isn't simple ninjutsu!" Kakuzu's lips curled slightly in a smirk.
"Combined Technique: Fierce Fire Wind Wave!"
This technique combined the Eye of the Rock Demon mask and the Wind Trail mask. Both simultaneously used Fire Release: Headache and Wind Release: Oppressive Harm, creating a vast sea of fire.
This combined technique rivaled the Third Hokage's in power. Satoru gritted his teeth.
"I didn't want to use this technique. Since you're forcing me, don't blame me."
"Already at death's door and still bragging! You think you can create a dragon?" Kakuzu tossed out carelessly.
But the next second, he froze. Satoru really created a dragon.
Right—he directly used the Goro Goro no Mi fruit and created a Thunder Dragon. The Thunder Dragon crackled with lightning and, coiling, fully protected his body.
"Lightning turned into a dragon..." Kakuzu sensed the ferocious power of this lightning. Even at his level, getting too close carelessly would mean instant annihilation.
Kakuzu's attack crashed into the Thunder Dragon. It roared, pain enraging it, but Satoru was completely unharmed by his own dragon's lightning.
"Sixty million volts! Lightning of that power, though not reaching true discharge level, is still extremely deadly—safe voltage for humans is just 36 volts."
"Even if you use combined ninjutsu, you're definitely no match for my ability," Satoru stated confidently.
"So that's Satoru's trump card? Terrifying—even the strongest Raikage probably isn't stronger!" Namikaze was greatly surprised. The gap between him and the transmigrator had unknowingly widened again.
"Terrifying! Terrifying brat! With your body, you absolutely shouldn't be able to withstand ninjutsu of that level, but you used it!"
"Kekkei Genkai?" Kakuzu was somewhat stunned at that moment. For a bit, he had no good counters against a system user.
"Kakuzu, of your five hearts, four remain besides the water demon. I don't want to drag this out. How about we settle it with one technique?" Satoru proposed directly.
"Oh? Brat, is it because your body can't sustain this ninjutsu long?" Kakuzu immediately assumed Satoru couldn't release such powerful Lightning Release for long.
"No, not that. I just don't want you suffering like this. It's only sixty million volts. My lightning can reach two hundred million volts!" Satoru smiled and added, "But I don't think you could withstand an attack of that power."
"So I hope for some fairness. How about ending this fight with combined ninjutsu?" With that, the transmigrator let the Thunder Dragon merge with his body.
"Combined ninjutsu? A brat like you knows combined ninjutsu?!" Kakuzu asked in surprise.
"Of course. My teacher isn't Tsunade-sama. My teacher is Hiruzen Sarutobi—the current Hokage-sama. You must know his combined ninjutsu are very strong too."
"Well? Combined ninjutsu—one technique decides it?" Satoru asked.
"And if I refuse?" the Akatsuki member inquired.
"Then I'll just kill you with lightning," Satoru replied coldly. After recent training, he could barely use two hundred million volts. Against Kakuzu, it'd be more than enough.
Kakuzu knew Satoru wasn't bluffing. This time he'd really bitten off a tough nut. But he knew he had to act.
"If you can beat me, why give me a chance?" Kakuzu asked. "What do you want? Speak plainly."
Satoru smiled:
"Simple. If I lose, do whatever you want with me. If I win, just give me info on the Black Market. That's enough."
"That simple? Fine, I agree," Kakuzu wasn't dumb. Though disadvantaged, he was still confident in his power. Plus, Kakuzu loved profit. He didn't think he'd lose.
"Let's go! Let's see how much Third Hokage power you have!" three demons appeared on Kakuzu's shoulders.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!" the three demons concentrated on Kakuzu's right arm. Clearly accumulating energy. If successful, the terrifying power could instantly annihilate Satoru.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan