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This scene pained Jiraiya deeply. He honestly hadn't expected to encounter Konan here, nor that she would be so unyielding.
"Looks like I can't go help Shuuzawa right now," he sighed helplessly, refocusing his attention on Konan's relentless attacks.
Still, he kept glancing down toward the battlefield below. With just one look, the corner of his mouth twitched. Did Shuuzawa need any backup?
"Damn it, what the hell is this kid!?" This was the first time Jūzō Biwa had ever encountered Shuuzawa, and the sheer ferocity of his assault left him cursing.
He couldn't understand why the kid was so absurdly fast, or even what those glowing golden lights on his body were. But his hands never stopped moving.
When Shuuzawa moved, Jūzō's hands had already completed a jutsu. "Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A roaring cascade of water burst forth instantly. Though the Land of Earth was relatively dry, it still had more moisture than the Land of Wind.
At Jūzō's level, summoning sufficient water in such conditions wasn't tricky.
"Hmph. Magnet Style: Iron Sand Drizzle!" Sasori wasted no time. He had faced Shuuzawa before—and lost heavily each time.
Now, dealing with such a dangerous and familiar opponent, he launched a full-force attack immediately.
Under the power of the Third Kazekage's magnet release, countless grains of black iron sand gathered into a steel rain pouring toward Shuuzawa.
But just as he attacked, Sasori turned to Orochimaru. "Hey, you're a Konoha rogue ninja. You should be more familiar with the jutsu this brat uses. Hurry and think of a countermeasure!"
"I know." Orochimaru licked his lips, his entire body soaked in slime—clear evidence that he had already used the "Great Snake Substitution Jutsu."
His eyes were filled with gloom. It wasn't just Shuuzawa's power that bothered him—it was also what Shuuzawa had said.
"Danzō… you'll stoop to any means, won't you?" He didn't know what was going through Shuuzawa's head—or how deeply Danzō had brainwashed him.
But at the moment, Orochimaru truly had no way to handle it.
"Be careful. That brat can use the Flying Raijin through Wood Release. Keep your distance and monitor what's happening underwater."
Orochimaru had no interest in working closely with the Akatsuki members, but now that they were all caught up in this together, He had no choice but to use them.
"Tch. What a pain," Shuuzawa muttered, clearly having heard Orochimaru.
While dodging swiftly, he shook his head.
Though he didn't mind others knowing this much, Orochimaru's observation skills were impressive.
Even the Fourth Raikage hadn't figured it out after being thrashed, yet Orochimaru had pieced it together after just a few exchanges?
"Looks like I need to hit harder." While evading, Shuuzawa raised one hand and swiftly formed a hand seal. His chakra surged violently through his body.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Having already gained Kakuzu's Fire-style heart, Shuuzawa's firepower was on a new level.
Though he rarely used Fire Release, his proficiency was top-tier and under his current "Yang Release: Chakra Mode," his strength became even more overwhelming.
He hadn't yet found an excuse to use Scorch Release, but even this fire jutsu was no weaker than an ordinary one.
"What kind of Fire Release is that!?" Jūzō stared wide-eyed at the massive fireball that suddenly appeared. The thing had to be nearly ten meters in radius!
The intense heat instantly evaporated the water from his earlier technique.
A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead. Was this guy even human?
"Don't just stand there—defend, now!" Sasori shouted, quickly having the Third Kazekage's puppet erect a barrier. He also pulled his puppets closer.
After so many battles with Shuuzawa, he had learned his lesson.
To prevent sneak attacks via the Flying Raijin, he had crafted several defence-heavy puppets that now hovered closely around him.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" Orochimaru and Kakuzu didn't need any prompting.
Using the water Jūzō had summoned, they instantly activated their water defences. Still, Kakuzu felt a bit uneasy. Was this new boss trying to wipe him out?
But he quickly calmed himself. After all, Shuuzawa had marked him with a Flying Raijin seal.
If Shuuzawa wanted him dead, he wouldn't stand a chance anyway.
Sure, he might lose a heart or two—but his new boss would likely reimburse him for that.
The monstrous fireball clashed with Orochimaru and Kakuzu's water release,
creating an earth-shaking explosion that rang in their ears.
Steam surged instantly, cloaking the entire battlefield in a thick fog.
"This kind of Fire Release… this kid…" Orochimaru was panting. Having just used the Great Snake Substitution, his condition wasn't excellent.
Jūzō and Sasori remained silent. They had no idea what even to say anymore.
Sasori, in particular, was stunned. He remembered Shuuzawa's Earth Release being outrageous back in the day…
Now his Fire Release was just as insane? Was this the true power of a descendant of the Senju Clan?
"Looks like your Water Release isn't that impressive after all." Suddenly, Shuuzawa's voice rang out through the mist. Their eyes snapped toward the sound.
Kakuzu instantly used Wind Release to blow the fog away. They immediately saw Shuuzawa raise one hand again, forming another seal.
"You're all ganging up on me—four against one. It's fine, but I think it'd be fairer this way." Shuuzawa's voice had a playful tone.
In the next moment, his body split into three more copies. Each one materialised swiftly, and then he spoke again.
"Can you guess… whether they can use the same powers I can?"
"Wood Clones?" Even Orochimaru looked confused.
But everyone's expressions changed when the three clones suddenly emitted the same golden glow.
With no hesitation, Shuuzawa and the clones charged forward. Their strength was extraordinary.
From what Shuuzawa remembered, even Madara Uchiha had used Wood Clones capable of fighting with Susanoo.
Shuuzawa might not have mastered his "Yang Release: Chakra Mode," but having his clones use it wasn't difficult.
If anything went wrong, it would still give him valuable experience—and save him some effort.
Explosions rang out one after another. The shockwaves of battle rippled across the valley, shaking everything around them.
Cracks formed on the cliff walls. Countless trees snapped under the force. Even Jiraiya, standing atop Gamabunta's head, felt the impact.
"This kid is way too much," Jiraiya muttered, watching Shuuzawa's fight.
Although his battle with Konan was tricky, it wasn't overwhelming. The real challenge was how to capture her without causing serious harm.
Her Paper Release gave her aerial mobility, making things even more challenging. But Shuuzawa's side of the battlefield was… ridiculous.
"Wood Clones… used like that? And combined with that unique chakra mode?" Jiraiya couldn't help but murmur.
He had never seen a chakra mode like this before, yet he could faintly sense traces of Sage Mode in it.
"Does this kid… know Sage Mode?" Jiraiya felt bitter.
It had taken him years to learn Sage Mode, and even now, he still needed the toads of Mount Myōboku to enter the state.
But Shuuzawa? He seemed to wield this power effortlessly, and even layer it with other abilities. It was hard for Jiraiya to accept.
"That brat… his state reminds me of people recorded in ancient texts…"
Gamabunta, too, was visibly stunned. The toads of Mount Myōboku weren't ordinary amphibians.
They possessed the power of dragons…and the secret of Sage Mode.
Their Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, once aided the Sage of Six Paths and had, over the years, come into contact with several of Ashura's descendants.
As a result, much of that history had been recorded, and he had flipped through it out of boredom.
Looking at Shuuzawa's current state… something about it felt familiar.
"Could this brat really be…?" Gamabunta couldn't help but think to himself. Still, he needed to observe a bit longer before making a report.
After all, even that damn 'dead earthworm' Manda had run off—he was already itching to go home.
Especially since Jiraiya and that Konan girl were still using his head as a battlefield.
"You've run out of chances, Konan!" Jiraiya shouted, unaware of what Bunta was thinking.
He fended off her attacks while analysing the battlefield and couldn't stop himself from trying to talk her down once more.
"Don't be so stubborn. Come with me."
"Paper Release: Paper Shuriken!" But in response, Konan unleashed a storm of paper shuriken, forcing Jiraiya to sigh.
"Why is it always like this with everyone?" he lamented inwardly, then dove back into the fight.
Meanwhile, with overwhelming force, Shuuzawa's Wood Clones were engaging Orochimaru, Sasori, and Jūzō Biwa.
His real body, however, had snuck over to Kakuzu's side, acting completely casual as he muttered, "You're doing pretty well, Kakuzu."
Kakuzu dodged another attack, glancing at the chaos erupting around them. Despite the tension, he forced a grin.
"Boss, this time... it's getting a little too dangerous."
"I know," Shuuzawa replied with a nod. "But your job's done. Mine too. We both win."
Kakuzu's face twitched. Win-win? That was rich—it was apparent only Shuuzawa had profited massively here! "And by the way… get ready to run."
Kakuzu paused for a second, then Shuuzawa continued. "With all this chaos, Ōnoki's probably on his way. And we've got to go. The rest is up to you."
Though Shuuzawa had total control of the situation, he figured there was no need to escalate it further.
The mission was basically complete—Akatsuki and Orochimaru had both caused havoc in Iwagakure, and Jiraiya had played along perfectly.
From any angle, this was a massive gain. It was time to cash in and walk away. Killing the Akatsuki members?
Sure, Shuuzawa could do it. But to him, that would be pointless. Where would he get more Free Points next time if they were all dead?
Sustainable farming beats killing the goose for its golden eggs. He understood that well.
Before he came to this world, he'd heard rumours that some Russians up north paid to keep their opposition alive.
So, playing the long game with Akatsuki sounded fine to him. Based on his intel, besides Nagato, the rest were just toys to be used.
"But if I'm letting them leave, I should at least give them a proper excuse." As he kept up the pretence of fighting, Shuuzawa thought about how to make Kakuzu's exit sound more convincing.
Soon enough, he got an idea. "This form won't last much longer...But I still have the buffs it gives me, so—"
A grin spread across his face beneath the mask. But it quickly froze when Kakuzu spoke again.
"You're right. Time to go. Thanks, Boss... but could we discuss something first?"
"I took a huge risk bringing people here to help you deal with Orochimaru. I still don't know why you wanted this, but it wasn't easy for me. So…"
"Can we count this mission as a separate contract? Or at least add a bonus?"
Shuuzawa stared at Kakuzu, speechless for a moment. But thinking about how much of a cut he had already taken... in the end, he gave a slight nod.
Money wasn't an issue. After all, he was part of the 'Special Investigation Unit.'
As long as he kept feeding Konoha intel on Akatsuki and information from Tobi, the funds would continue to flow.
"Faking expenses isn't as efficient as just grabbing ready cash. Danzo-sama, I need to help you move faster."
With that thought, Shuuzawa's eyes sharpened. He quickly backed away and gave Kakuzu a signal.
Kakuzu immediately understood and began retreating. At that moment, Shuuzawa's hands flashed into rapid hand seals.
"Let's use the last of this form's time…and see if I can pull this off!"
As the thought crossed his mind, a surge of chakra burst from within him, so intense that everyone on the battlefield turned toward him.
"Wood Release: Wooden Golem Technique!" The ground trembled violently again.
"What the hell is this guy doing?"
Orochimaru and the others stared in shock as the wooden clones around them withdrew, reverting into wood and merging.
From underground, countless trees erupted, weaving and twisting until an enormous wooden figure appeared!
"This… this is…" Sasori, though a puppet now, felt a chill creep through him.
"What the hell is that monster?" Jūzō Biwa coughed up blood.
He was in terrible shape—even his Executioner's Blade had been shattered.
Though it could repair itself, he couldn't focus on that now. All he could do was stare at the colossal, chakra-filled golem.
"This is... Sage Art Wood Release?" Orochimaru licked his lips, eyes gleaming with wild excitement.
He finally understood why Danzo had been so obsessed with this power.
"This brat…" Even Jiraiya was dumbfounded. Special chakra mode, Wood Clones, and now the Wooden Golem?
Just how many secrets was this guy hiding? Maybe now, he finally understood why his old teacher had once said Shuuzawa might become his bodyguard.
This guy was on a whole different level. But then, the earth trembled again.
Like a cross between a dolphin and a horse, a white creature barreled in with five tails waving behind it.
It landed heavily, looked around, and ran straight toward Shuuzawa's wooden golem.
"Huh?" Shuuzawa blinked. He immediately recognised it—it was the Five-Tails. But something seemed off about it.
A closer look revealed Yuugao, Shisui, and a very excited Yamato standing atop the beast. Kakashi stood beside them, expression unreadable.
"You guys...? What are you—"
"Shuuzawa, sorry we're late." Shisui waved at him.
Like twin mountains, the massive tailed beast now stood beside the wooden golem.
Akatsuki couldn't keep calm anymore. A Tailed Beast…They had taken control of a Tailed Beast?!
"Retreat!" Konan instantly took to the sky, knowing the fight was already lost.
If they didn't leave now, they wouldn't leave at all.
The rest of the Akatsuki, even Orochimaru, hesitated momentarily before preparing to flee.
"Damn it!"
Just then, an angry voice rang out from the sky. Under the moonlight, a small figure came flying in—but stopped mid-air, hovering in place.
"Ōnoki?" Jiraiya's senses came back online.
When he saw the Five-Tails charging in, he had practically shut down. But realising it was their people who had brought it... made him want to curl up and die.
Then he looked around—at Shuuzawa's towering golem, the Five-Tails beneath Shisui and Yuugao, and the battered Gamabunta beneath his feet.
Suddenly, it hit him. They were done here. He didn't know that Ōnoki was thinking the same thing.
"We're doomed… Is Iwagakure going to fall tonight?"
Cold sweat dripped from Ōnoki's forehead as he stared at the three mountain-sized beasts and, in his mind, a strange thought surfaced:
"Damn it... is Konoha returning to the old days?"
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