Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 213 Bai's Whereabouts
The waters off the Land of Waves.

Beneath the deep blue waves, undercurrents surged, and the wind whipped up the mist, making even breathing smelly and salty.

Three black monsters covered with pale white masks floated in the air, blocking Zabuza's path.

Woo!
A chill was in the air.

With a furious roar, Zabuza slammed his feet into the sea and swung his Executioner's Blade like a windmill.

The crescent-shaped blade shattered the thick fog, carrying a strong wind pressure, and slashed fiercely towards Kakuzu's face.

Kakuzu simply observed the demon from Kirigakure with calm, yellow-green pupils, his face, covered in stitches, devoid of any expression.

There was no defense, nor any dodging.

It seems that the attacks of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were nothing out of the ordinary for him.

This is true.

Just as Zabuza was launching a counterattack, countless hair-like threads suddenly emerged from the surging seawater and hooked firmly onto his ankles.

call!
The decapitation blade paused briefly before slashing downwards with the force of gravity.

The blade narrowly missed Kakuzu's nose; a terrifying attack that could cleave a tiger in two was now unable to even scratch his skin.

A strong wind blew, causing Zabuza's collar to sway gently, and Zabuza's attack came to an end.

In most physical combat, strength and speed are not absolute factors; attack range is the key to everything. This slight difference in distance can become an insurmountable chasm.

boom!
The sea surface twisted into a dark vortex, and a masked, all-black monster emerged from the water.

The monster's body was made of countless threads, and its mask was white with dark blue accents. There were also octopus-like patterns on its face, and countless black threads gushed out from under the mask, spreading upwards along Zabuza's ankles.

Extremely fine tendril threads bound Zabuza's limbs and neck, lifting him directly into the air, like a mosquito caught by a spider.

"Cough!"

His limbs trembled violently, and the heavy pressure on his throat caused Zabuza unbearable pain. He twisted and struggled, but to no avail. He could only watch helplessly as Kakuzu slowly walked closer.

"Why, why..."

His neck was almost strangled by the tentacles, and Zabuza's eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted in a purplish-red and ferocious manner, like a demon.

"You once assassinated the Mizukage, and your head has a high bounty on the black market. Although the Kirigakure's Executioner's Blade is useless in terms of ability, it has great collectible value due to the collaboration with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and it is very easy to sell."

Kakuzu's deep voice carried a hint of pleasure, clearly indicating that he was in a good mood.

Since obtaining the immortality of the Earthly Grudge Yu, his physical body has become completely different from that of a normal person, and most human desires have lost their meaning in front of him.

In the long and lonely years of his life, there were only three moments that brought him some joy.

The last one on the list is when you finally capture the prey you've been searching for.

Watching the captured prey struggle to survive, revealing all sorts of ugly behaviors in the face of life and death until finally becoming exasperated, the whole process is extremely entertaining.

The second most popular method is when collecting high-quality, fresh hearts.

The new chakra seed entered his body, bringing a surge of power and a feeling of exhilaration. His vibrant heart beat continuously, brimming with life force, and his aged heart seemed to be infused with a breath of fresh vitality.

Of course, the number one, the one that brings the most intense joy, is the moment when the heads are exchanged for bounties. Just seeing the bright green banknotes fills his heart with a unique sense of satisfaction.

"The black market? You...you're Kakuzu..."

A throbbing pain shot through his brain, and his ears were ringing. Zabuza finally figured out the origin of the black-bearded old zombie in front of him.

After defecting from Kirigakure, he became a regular at the black market and naturally heard of the legendary ninjas in the underground black market.

Kakuzu.

He has been active in the black market for over sixty years, with a near 100% mission completion rate, making him a ruthless figure at the top of the underground black market.

Rumor has it that the black market merchants who have worked with him have aged, died, and been replaced by new ones, but he has always been active on the front lines, maintaining an extremely high workload without any slackening. The number of tasks he has handled to date is impossible to count.

Because he showed no signs of aging for decades, the aging black market workers referred to him as 'the man who lives as long as heaven and earth'.

"You've heard of me..."

"Aren't you done yet? This is so boring!"

A slightly arrogant and mocking voice came from the mist, interrupting Kakuzu's words.

His face darkened, and he glanced sideways at the tall figure gradually emerging from the mist: "Hidan, if you dare to disturb my hunt again, I'll sew your head into my crotch."

"Wow! That's terrifying!"

The giant red sickle on its back dips into the water, creating ripples in the sea.

Hidan stepped out of the mist with his hands raised. He had a gray slicked-back hairstyle, unrestrained light purple eyes, and a wild smile on his handsome face, showing no sign of fear.

Who told him he couldn't die?
Kakuzu knew his partner's strengths, and he really couldn't be bothered with this immortal monster.

He can't be killed and isn't afraid of death. He can't see the other person struggling, and the torment full of pain only makes Hidan, who believes in evil gods, feel more satisfied.

There's really no solution.

I don't know where Payne found this freak.

Kakuzu withdrew his gaze and looked at Zabuza, who had given up struggling in mid-air:

"Any last words?"

"Cough cough..."

Zabuza's neck was twitching; he was almost unable to breathe, and his eyes were filled with deep despair.

The only other monster qualified to fight this zombie was far away on the coast of the Land of Waves. In his panicked flight, he no longer knew how far he was from the Land of Waves, but it was at least more than two nautical miles away.

That's a full four kilometers on land!
At such a distance, even if they could see the mist he was releasing, they probably wouldn't be able to get there in time. Besides, the blind girl might not risk her life to come and save him, since not everyone is blind!
This time, he's definitely going to die!
“I…I know one of Orochimaru’s secrets.”

"Oh?"

A cold smile crept across Kakuzu's lips. He had thought the demons from Kirigakure would be more defiant, but it seemed they were no different from the rogue ninja he had killed.

"Is it that traitor Orochimaru?"

Hidan, who was bored to the side, also became a little interested and excitedly came over. The other party's kill order was still hanging at the highest point of the Akatsuki organization!
Kaku ignored Hidan, who was interfering with his hunt again. Compared to the black market bounty, Pain's orders were clearly more important.

Kakuzu relaxed his control over the Water Release technique, Earth Grudge Fear, and raised his chin at Zabuza:
"Tell me. If your secret is valuable, I'll spare your life."

"Cough cough, stop lying!" Zabuza greedily inhaled the fresh air for a while, not believing Kakuzu's nonsense at all.

Kakuzu didn't deny it, but stared intently at Zabuza. This person seemed somewhat different from the rogue ninjas he had killed before.

"Orochimaru possesses a treasure, rumored to be related to the Sage of Six Paths." After his breathing had calmed down, Zabuza relayed this information he had overheard on the Hope.

"The Sage of Six Paths!!"

Hidan and Kakuzu looked at each other, both seeing the horror in each other's eyes.

In the past, they would have scoffed at such remarks.

The Sage of Six Paths is a figure from mythology. Whether he actually exists is debatable, and it's also possible that his treasures have survived for thousands of years.

Having witnessed the terror of Pain's Rinnegan, their worldviews had been reshaped, and they became extremely cautious about any news concerning the Sage of Six Paths.

"What treasure? And how do you know?"

Kakuzu looked at Zabuza with suspicion. In this life-or-death moment, there was a high possibility that the other party would make up a lie, but it was unlikely that he would come up with a completely unrelated lie about Orochimaru or the Sage of Six Paths.

"I don't know exactly what it was. Orochimaru was being chased by the captain of the Hidden Mist Army after stealing the treasure. I was there at the time. I heard it was a treasure of the Kaguya clan... Oh, and Orochimaru was accompanied by a member of the Kaguya clan."

His name seems to be Kimimaro!

A look of reminiscence appeared in Zabuza's eyes as he spoke slowly.

In the dead of night, he would always think of that ship, of Bai, and of the trembling of the other man's thin back as he stood in front of him.

If only I hadn't gotten on that ship!
Kakuzu, seeing Zabuza's incredibly serious expression, began to believe him: "Your information is hard to verify, and even if it is true, it won't save your life."

"I know."

Zabuza was well aware of his opponent's methods, and he looked up at Kakuzu with a sincere expression:

"If you're only doing missions for money, the head of Orochimaru, a Konoha S-rank rogue ninja, plus that Six Paths Treasure, should be enough for you to make your move!"

"You have a grudge against Orochimaru, and you want to use this information to make me avenge you?"

Upon hearing Zabuza's words, Kakuzu suddenly realized why the other party had shifted the topic to Orochimaru.

"It's not about revenge."

Zabuza shook his head and finally uttered his final request:

"If you successfully kill Orochimaru in the future and find the Six Paths Treasure, please spare a girl named Haku for the sake of this message."

"white?"

Kakuzu frowned slightly: "She's Orochimaru's subordinate?"

Zabuza nodded, gazing up at the pale gray sky. It was on this same boundless sea, under the same gloomy sky, that he too was critically wounded and on the verge of death. That fearless girl shielded him from behind, exchanging her lifelong vow to Orochimaru for his life.

"She is not anyone's subordinate; she is the most important person in my life!"

Kakuzu's eyes flickered slightly for a moment, as if recalling a long-buried memory, before he finally nodded readily:

"Bai, okay, I got it!"

Upon seeing Kakuzu's agreement, Zabuza took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back to calmly face death.

Looking at the man who was bravely facing death in front of him, Kakuzu's eyes revealed admiration. Countless black lines surged from his wrist as it cracked open. Since he wanted to save the important person, he would do his part!
He raised his hand and gently pressed it against Zabuza's chest, and the dark tentacles instantly pierced through the skin and burrowed into the flesh:

"I want your heart!"

"Ugh!"

An uncontrollable roar escaped Zabuza's throat. As he faced his death calmly, Zabuza was struck by lightning, and the blackness surging through his flesh and blood caused him excruciating pain.

Do not!
His heart was really about to be ripped out of his body!
Feeling the pull on his chest, Zabuza's heart pounded. The seed within his heart frantically released chakra, which surged along his meridians to his limbs and bones. However, the threads binding his body tightened even more, making it impossible for him to move at all!

it's all over!
"wrong!"

"Earthly Grudge!!!"

"Uhhhhh!"

The enemy's terrified roar reached my ears, followed by several shrill screams.

Zabuza, who was closing his eyes and waiting to die, suddenly felt the pain in his chest begin to lessen, and his heart and meridians, which had been pulling outward, seemed to return to his abdomen.

what happened?

Zabuza opened his eyes in confusion, but before he could react, the tentacles binding his limbs suddenly lost their power, and he fell headfirst from mid-air.

Years of training in combat awareness came into play.

Enduring the lingering pain, he stretched out his limbs and released chakra, floating lightly on the water's surface like a gecko, with only his right hand still tightly gripping the Executioner's Blade.

The pale pink seawater rippled instantly. Seeing the blood seeping into the water, he seemed to sense something and looked up. The scene before him made him instinctively hold his breath:
On the turbulent sea, two people dressed in red robes and black robes stood there, stunned.

Kakuzu, who was said to be as old as heaven and earth, had his upper half of his face completely gone, leaving his throat, spine, lungs, liver, carotid artery, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart, and other eight vital parts of the human body exposed as tiny cavities!
Hidan, standing nearby, was in an even more gruesome state. His body was riddled with countless holes, and blood flowed down his body, turning the deep blue sea red.

Did they just die like that?
Kakuzu, who had been a dominant force in the black market for decades, and Hidan, whose intelligence was unknown but who was probably also a formidable character, died just like that?

Unable to believe what he was seeing, Zabuza climbed out of the water and looked at the two men covered in holes, realizing he had asked a very stupid question.

How could it not die when it's already been beaten into a honeycomb shape?

But who exactly helped him?

The opponent was able to accurately hit so many vital parts of the human body, and the attack frequency was so high. He was unharmed, while Kakuzu and the other two were riddled with holes. It couldn't possibly be just luck!
He was quite certain that he didn't have that kind of luck, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up like this.

Zabuza looked around but didn't see a single person.

The three monsters with their bodies pierced still floated in the air, their ball-like bodies waving in the wind, covered with holes, like tattered flags. The monster on the sea was in a much worse state, its mask shattered and its body limp into a puddle of black mud.

"Ok?"

The dead monsters turn into mud, which floats in the sky...

He suddenly widened his eyes and looked up at the sky. Sure enough, he saw that the cavities on the floating monsters were decreasing, and the wriggling threads were constantly filling the holes. The masked monsters then began to move around freely again!
Woo!
He heard a whooshing sound behind his head, and he bent over so fast it seemed his waist was about to break. At the same time, an arm flew over his head, and he could even clearly see the tentacles surging at the severed end of the arm.

Kakuzu is still alive!!!

The explosive information sent chills down Zabuza's spine.

Clang!
The red scythe, whose size was in no way inferior to the guillotine, swept across and precisely sliced ​​open his back.

tick tock...tick tock...

Blood flowed uncontrollably down the blade.

(End of this chapter)