"Compound Ninja Art: Flaming Wind Turbulence."
Kakuzu launched another attack before even landing.
He controlled his Fire Release and Wind Release puppets simultaneously, combining Fire Release: Searing Migraine and Wind Release: Pressure Damage into a devastating compound ninjutsu that surged straight toward Karatachi Yagura.
"Coral Sea."
Yagura reacted swiftly, planting his forelimbs on the ground as a massive coral wall rose before him.
Boom!
Flames illuminated most of the battlefield, and the scorching heat lashed against the skin like searing needles.
But the coral wall was no match for Kakuzu's composite jutsu.
As the coral dissolved, Yagura was left completely exposed in the raging inferno. The unrelenting flames and thinning air became lethal forces, threatening to consume him.
A pained cry echoed from within the sea of fire, resounding across the battlefield.
"So this is the Three-Tails Jinchūriki? Not so impressive."
Kakuzu pushed himself off the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Even with Earth Release: Earth Spear hardening his skin, he had taken a solid hit from the Half-Tailed Beast Jinchūriki and suffered a minor injury.
Shifting his gaze from the firestorm, he spotted Shin Aoki, partially transformed into his tailed beast form, struggling against Yahiko and Konan's coordinated assault.
The arrogance he once had was completely gone.
Yahiko attacked head-on while Konan provided aerial support. Their teamwork was seamless, forcing Shin Aoki into constant evasive maneuvers, unable to counterattack.
Despite his raw strength, he was powerless to use it—trapped in a suffocating sense of helplessness.
If nothing unexpected happened, it was only a matter of time before they finished him off.
Seeing Shin Aoki knocked down yet again, Kakuzu turned his attention elsewhere.
The battlefield was in complete chaos as Akatsuki and Kiri-nin clashed.
However, Akatsuki was at a clear disadvantage, struggling against the superior forces of Kiri.
Everywhere Kakuzu looked, Kiri-nin were overwhelming Akatsuki fighters. The ground was littered with the fallen—most of them Akatsuki.
Akatsukigakure, despite its rapid growth, still lacked the foundation to compete with the great nations.
But there was no time for sentiment.
Kakuzu made his decision instantly—if he joined Yahiko and Konan in taking down Shin Aoki, they could free themselves up to shift the tide of battle.
Just as he maneuvered his four puppets toward Shin Aoki, something unexpected happened.
From the inferno, the chakra he had sensed weakening suddenly erupted with overwhelming intensity.
A monstrous roar—inhuman and piercing—ripped through the battlefield.
"Damn… has it gone berserk?"
Kakuzu didn't even consider the possibility of a Perfect Jinchūriki—those were rare in the shinobi world.
He assumed the Three-Tails had simply lost control after being pushed to the brink.
Before he could confirm, a massive surge of water materialized out of nowhere, dousing the sea of flames.
Then, a towering, spike-covered turtle with three tails emerged in his line of sight.
"What the hell is that?"
The battlefield fell into stunned silence as countless eyes locked onto the fully manifested Three-Tails.
"Lord Mizukage is a Perfect Jinchūriki."
"You're all doomed."
Shin Aoki burst into crazed laughter, sensing a renewed chance at survival.
As long as Lord Mizukage crushed his opponents, he could turn the battle around.
"A Perfect Jinchūriki? So what?"
"Don't underestimate Kakuzu."
Konan scoffed, still keeping her usual sharp tongue. Though she often bickered with Kakuzu, it didn't mean she doubted his strength.
"Let's see how this plays out."
Shin Aoki dodged Yahiko's attack, suddenly reinvigorated.
"This is insane."
"A fully transformed Tailed Beast…"
Akatsuki had already been struggling, and now their morale took a devastating hit.
Meanwhile, Kiri's spirits soared, and more Akatsuki members fell one after another.
But none of that mattered to Karatachi Yagura anymore.
"You... have angered me."
Yagura's voice was deep and guttural as he took slow, heavy steps, each one landing with a dull thud.
"Not a berserk transformation?"
"You..."
Kakuzu found it hard to believe. He knew the difference between a Perfect Jinchūriki and a berserk one.
A Perfect Jinchūriki could fully control their Tailed Beast's power, making them exponentially harder to deal with than a rampaging Jinchūriki.
"I want you dead."
Yagura had no interest in pointless talk.
His pace quickened, his massive body like a moving mountain.
As he advanced, he continuously spat out enormous water bullets, each one infused with an immense amount of chakra.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall."
Faced with the barrage of water bullets, Kakuzu had no choice but to erect a thick earthen wall in front of him.
At the same time, he quickly redirected his puppets to deal with Yagura, who had fully transformed into his Tailed Beast form.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."
"Water Release: Water Curtain."
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine."
"Lightning Release: False Darkness."
Kakuzu commanded his four puppets to unleash four powerful jutsu, trying to halt Yagura's advance.
But what happened next nearly made his jaw drop.
Yagura retracted his entire body into his turtle shell, staying put like a stationary target.
Boom!
The four jutsu struck him directly, yet not a single crack appeared.
Kakuzu's attacks had completely failed to break through his defense.
The sheer durability of that shell was terrifying.
"Is that all you've got?"
Yagura emerged from his shell and continued closing in on Kakuzu.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot."
Kakuzu's response was immediate. He quickly gathered his Wind, Fire, and Lightning puppets onto his right arm.
After a brief charge, a massive chakra blast erupted from his arm, radiating a terrifying amount of energy.
The sheer power behind the attack was undeniable.
The chakra cannon shot forward in an instant, but this time, Yagura didn't just sit there and take it.
"Shadow Stroke."
He suddenly curled his entire body inward, his massive, reinforced shell completely enclosing him.
Then, he propelled himself forward at an astonishing speed.
Like a high-speed spinning wheel, he rolled ahead with unstoppable momentum, tearing through the battlefield.
A deep trench carved itself into the ground in his wake, dust billowing behind him.
Boom!
Kakuzu's full-power chakra blast was utterly useless against the mountain-like war machine barreling toward him.
His strongest attack hadn't even slowed Yagura down.
At that moment, true panic set in.
He had no doubt that Yagura could crush him into paste.
At that point, not even five lives—hell, even a hundred—would be enough to save him.
Hesitation meant death.
"Retreat!"
Kakuzu knew he had no chance of stopping a fully transformed Yagura.
If he didn't run now, it would be too late.
Without hesitation, he abandoned two of his puppets as decoys and turned to flee.
"Move!"
Hearing Kakuzu's desperate shout, Yahiko didn't hesitate for a second before ordering a full retreat.
Even though he and Konan were close to finishing off Shin Aoki, he abandoned the fight without a second thought.
Akatsuki had already lost their will to fight, and their retreat was swift.
Yahiko and his team stayed behind to cover their escape, holding off the pursuing Kiri-nin.
Only after ensuring all Akatsuki members had withdrawn did they finally flee in haste.
Shin Aoki, still alive, collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
Never again would he underestimate anyone.
Thinking back to when he had questioned Akatsuki's Nagato, he suddenly found his past arrogance laughable.
At this moment, he understood—possessing a Tailed Beast's power meant nothing.
Between him and the true masters, there was an insurmountable gap.
"Cough... Cough..."
After effortlessly crushing Kakuzu's two abandoned puppets, Yagura reverted to his human form, his face slightly pale.
The battle with Kakuzu had taken a toll on him.
Staring in the direction Akatsuki had retreated, he found himself at a loss for words.
They had won, yet there was no sense of triumph in his heart.
One thought lingered in his mind:
How could a village as small as Akatsukigakure possess such strength?