Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

"You're already dead to me, kid!"

Kakuzu stood straight as eerie black threads, seemingly alive, began emerging from his entire body.

These dark lines first tore through the clothes covering him, then slowly untied the stitches at various parts of his body.

Puchi! Several thread-like creatures resembling faceless beings were squeezed out from Kakuzu's body.

Yet Kakuzu himself didn't disappear. His body was just slightly deflated compared to before, and those black threads kept sprouting from all over his body, spreading outward.

"I won't waste any time! Die, brat! I hope your head is worth some money!"

Even with his mouth packed full of those tricky black threads, he could still talk—his voice came out even deeper and more commanding.

Saitama stayed on guard. His power had skyrocketed since his revival, but he hadn't gone all out yet. He had no way of knowing just how strong he'd become.

Maintaining his alertness, Saitama began emitting electric currents from his entire body. Blue-white electricity surrounded him like a halo protecting a deity.

Swish! Three tomoe marks appeared in Saitama's eyes. At the same time, he pushed off with his feet, leaving a long afterimage through the air.

[Fire Release – Crushing Skull]

[Wind Release – Pressurized Blast]

Kakuzu wasn't panicking either. Seeing Saitama charging toward him, years of combat experience allowed him to remain extremely calm.

He controlled several [Earth Grudge Fear – Mask Monsters] that had just emerged from his body, ordering them to block his front.

Then two of the mask monsters immediately started performing ninjutsu—one fire release, one wind release.

Though these techniques weren't especially powerful when used separately, under Kakuzu's control, they exploded with tremendous power.

[Composite Ninjutsu – Blazing Wind Turmoil]

The flames rode on the wind, while the wind fueled the fire! In an instant, a sea of flames roared directly toward Saitama — this was [Composite Ninjutsu – Blazing Wind Turmoil].

This wall of fire covered a vast area, burning intensely. Even Saitama, who hadn't gotten close yet, could feel its scorching heat from the [Composite Ninjutsu - Blazing Wind Turbulence]!

Swish! Saitama stomped into the ground, quickly stopping his forward movement, immediately retreating backward.

Even he knew this technique couldn't be blocked head-on.

Enhanced by lightning release, Saitama moved incredibly fast. He wasn't caught by the fiery onslaught, but surrounding trees suffered damage, igniting one by one.

Luckily, this place was rarely visited, so no bystanders usually wandered around here.

His scarlet Sharingan fixed on Kakuzu, and Saitama showed no rush to close in.

Hoo! After unleashing one ninjutsu, Kakuzu exhaled deeply. Although the techniques had been released by the mask monsters, it was still Kakuzu himself controlling them—meaning their chakra consumption originated from him.

With his sharp Heki gaze scanning the jutsu-scarred terrain, Kakuzu quickly caught sight of a black figure. At the same time, his brows involuntarily furrowed.

Saitama's body showed absolutely no damage. Obviously, the previous techniques hadn't harmed him in slightest.

Swish! The image of Saitama vanished from Kakuzu's sight, leaving behind only a faint trail of black streaking through the air.

The line kept closing the distance with him, making Kakuzu feel tense.

Zap! Electricity surged through Saitama's right arm, leaving a strange burnt smell in the air.

Swish! Kakuzu judged Saitama's movement trajectory. One of his mask beasts opened its mouth in that direction, already forming a powerful Lightning Release energy sphere inside.

Boom! The masked beast tilted backward and launched the ninjutsu from its mouth. The recoil forced it to take a step back before finally stabilizing.

Swoosh! Saitama engaged his Sharingan. He had already locked onto the incoming ninjutsu's trajectory.

Maintaining his speed, Saitama continued charging toward Kakuzu without concern for the approaching Lightning Release technique.

Hiss! Twisting mid-air, Saitama completed a simple evasive maneuver. The technique fired from the masked beast skimmed past his shoulder and flew behind him.

Bang! An explosion erupted behind him, leaving a massive crater. Crackling electricity danced around, blackening the ground.

"Fast... extremely sharp perception!" Kakuzu narrowed his eyes as he noticed the tomoe swirling within Saitama's eyes.

"So that's the Sharingan, huh? A Konoha ninja?"

Before Kakuzu could react, his chest suddenly caved inward—Saitama had already arrived in front of him.

With just one punch, Saitama sent Kakuzu flying, scattering the mass of dark earth gathered over his chest.

Swish! As Kakuzu flew backward, three of his mask beasts were dragged along with him.

Saitama's eyes sharpened. His goal had been to recruit Kakuzu into Akatsuki, but when dealing with a formidable veteran like him, he needed to demonstrate his strength first.

His gaze fixed on one of the mask beasts. Channeling Lightning Release chakra into his right hand, he began shaping something akin to a spear.

[Lightning Release: Chidori Light Sword]

Twisting his body backward to the right and tightening his waist muscles, Saitama hurled the technique in his hand.

Swish! Accompanied by a piercing sound, [Lightning Release: Chidori Light Sword] shot straight toward the Lightning Release-wielding masked beast.

Crackle! The jutsu pierced through the masked beast's chest, followed by a surge of electricity.

Snap! Impaled against a tree, the masked beast let out a strange scream.

Kakuzu didn't flinch or express regret. Instead, black threads erupted from his body, latching onto nearby trees to absorb the force from Saitama's earlier punch.

Saitama observed the pinned masked beast being ruthlessly torn apart by [Chidori Current]. Soon, it dissolved into black strings, its mask shattering as it fell to the ground.

Frozen in place, Saitama didn't speak, but arcs of Lightning Release crackled across his body, intensifying his imposing aura.

"Konoha ninja, we don't seem to have any personal grudge!"

Kakuzu had just lost one of his mask beasts—one life—but remained composed. This wasn't panic—it was discipline.

"Didn't you attack me first?" Saitama shrugged, believing his response was nothing more than mutual retaliation.

"Also, even though the Sharingan has its roots in Konoha, I am not affiliated with Konoha at the moment!"

Saitama pointed a finger toward his right eye while explaining.

The remaining two Mask Beasts guarded Kakuzu on either side. With every breath he took, the black threads covering their bodies rose and fell.

Boom! As Saitama was about to speak again, the ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked open, and a burst of black thread shot out.

[Secret Art - Earth Grudge Fear]

At the tip of the thread, a fist formed, wrapped in a thick layer of dark chitin.

Thud! Instantly reacting, Saitama crossed his arms in front of him while leaping backward with his feet.

Even though he dodged, the punch still slammed heavily into Saitama's forearms.

"Got careless!" Glancing sideways at Kakuzu, Saitama noticed that the latter had kept his right hand behind his back all along—clearly hiding the fact that his right arm was already launched.

As Kakuzu's fist struck Saitama's arms, he simultaneously controlled the two Mask Beasts to attack Saitama from different directions.

Fire Release and Wind Release techniques crisscrossed relentlessly, giving Saitama no chance to breathe.

That earlier punch wasn't weak—it was enhanced by [Earth Release - Earth Spear], and it left Saitama's arms slightly sore.

Luckily, there was no real harm done—thank goodness for Hashirama's cells; they were truly something else!

Bounding from tree to tree, Saitama maneuvered through the terrain, constantly evading Kakuzu's attacks.

Swish! Another gust blade shot forth from one of the Mask Beast's mouths. Saitama grabbed a tree trunk with one hand and pulled his body in another direction, narrowly avoiding the Ninjutsu.

But the next instant, a blazing fireball roared toward him again—the searing heat instantly scorched nearby leaves, crisping them into brittle brown husks.

Whoosh! Kicking off a branch midair, Saitama twisted his body mid-flight, flipping several times before charging straight toward Kakuzu's true form.

Crimson-blue arcs of lightning crackled around him, making Saitama's hair stand on end.

"I'll teach you a lesson!" Saitama said with a hint of irritation, realizing he'd been going too easy—he finally understood why Kakuzu hadn't taken him seriously!

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