Chapter 6

Facing the sudden attack from the two Konoha Anbu, Kakuzu remained unusually calm.

Perhaps he had anticipated this situation, as Konoha would not negotiate with a bounty hunter over such matters.

Moreover, even if Konoha was willing to negotiate, he wasn't interested.

Kakuzu originally thought he was just killing a Konoha ninja with a substantial bounty, but only after he made his move did he realize it was actually a Sand-nin.

The most critical point was that this guy had a decent price on his head.

At first, he didn't think much about why this guy was wearing Konoha's attire and pretending to be a Konoha ninja.

Perhaps it was to avoid trouble from Konoha while within the Fire Country's borders.

But now Kakuzu knew that this guy was actually a spy embedded in Konoha, who had been exposed and was being hunted by the Anbu, and coincidentally, he encountered him.

"This guy might have some valuable information about Konoha. If it's important, it can be sold for a high price. Why would he sell it exclusively to Konoha?"

Kakuzu was very pragmatic; he only cared about money and had no interest in the Five Great Villages, which was why he joined the Akatsuki in the first place!

Clasping his hands together, Kakuzu's chakra surged, and the next moment, a scorching aura began to spread!

"Fire Release: Headhunter!"

The powerful fire jutsu melted the flying kunai and blocked the path of Xia Yan and Kakashi.

Faced with this situation, Xia Yan could only quickly form hand seals: "Water Release: Water Wall!"

A thick water barrier was quickly released by Xia Yan, blocking Kakuzu's fire jutsu.

However, Xia Yan's Water Wall could not stop Kakuzu's fire jutsu.

In an instant, a massive cloud of steam spread out, covering the entire area.

Seeing this, Xia Yan immediately leaped and dashed to the side to approach Kakuzu while avoiding the flames.

Kakuzu's strength was formidable, and Xia Yan knew this well. After living for so long, Kakuzu's chakra quantity, quality, and combat experience were all terrifying.

Xia Yan didn't think he and Kakashi could defeat this guy. Their attack was merely a pretext for a retreat.

After all, they were Konoha Anbu, and Xia Yan needed to consider his future development, so he couldn't do anything disgraceful.

"Try to retrieve the body first, and if it doesn't work, run."

Xia Yan was clear about this, but Kakashi had no idea what he was thinking.

Under the protection of the Water Release, he naturally avoided the flames. When he noticed the mist rising, he immediately accelerated and dashed to the side, forming a pincer attack with Xia Yan.

Rushing forward, the ninjato on his back was already unsheathed, and he swung it fiercely at Kakuzu!

"Clang..."

A sharp metallic clanging echoed through the misty forest.

Kakashi looked at Kakuzu in surprise because this guy had blocked his ninjato with just one hand. How tough was his body?

However, he had no time to think. Kakuzu pushed slightly, and the next moment, Kakashi felt a massive force, and his body was sent flying backward.

But he was a seasoned ninja who had survived many battles and had plenty of experience.

Faced with this situation, he forced his body to maintain balance in mid-air and then leaped backward, landing on a large tree.

Seeing Kakashi retreat, Kakuzu had no intention of letting him go.

Just as he reached out, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the other guy had already approached his prize.

"Hmph!"

Kakuzu coldly snorted and temporarily let Kakashi go. He turned and charged at Xia Yan, his fist, wrapped in black threads, separating from his wrist and striking Xia Yan with terrifying force!

Seeing this, Xia Yan reacted quickly.

Even without the Sharingan, he couldn't clearly see the direction and position of the punch.

But after years of "planting" inside his body, especially with the basic elemental fruits, his reaction speed had become extraordinary.

In an instant, he shifted his body, and the terrifying punch with a whistling sound struck the ground!

Debris scattered, and Xia Yan took the opportunity to jump to the side. His ninjato, like lightning, cut through the black threads.

Under Xia Yan's cover, Kakashi finally landed steadily on a tree branch. He noticed a small chip on the edge of his ninjato, and the crack extended to the hilt.

"Is this guy's body... Earth Release?" Kakashi frowned: "I see, he's proficient in both Earth and Fire Release. Earth Release for defense, Fire Release for offense."

Kakashi, being a genius, had already gathered some information about Kakuzu after their brief exchange.

Since Earth Release was for defense, Kakashi was confident he could break through it.

Forming hand seals quickly, a blue electric arc condensed in his hand, and the sound of a startled bird began to resonate.

Lightning Release overpowered Earth Release, and Kakashi's piercing Lightning Release jutsu gave him no reason to worry about breaking through the defense.

Xia Yan naturally noticed this situation. Even without using his sensory abilities, he knew because the sound of the Chidori was so loud.

"Supposedly a stealth jutsu, but the noise is so loud that anyone can hear it?"

Xia Yan shook his head mentally. In the future, Kakashi would sneak up on Kakuzu silently, and Kakuzu would only hear the Chidori after being hit.

This only meant that the future Kakashi had continuously improved his jutsu, while the current Kakashi had not yet done so.

However, the power of the Chidori was undeniable, and Xia Yan planned to cooperate with Kakashi.

After all, Kakashi had Obito's Sharingan, and his insight was impeccable.

Locking onto the moving Kakuzu was effortless; he just needed to distract Kakuzu.

With this in mind, Xia Yan immediately stopped retreating and took a step forward.

He was only a jōnin, and compared to a veteran Kage-level ninja like Kakuzu, he was far inferior.

Fortunately, Kakuzu wasn't fighting with all his strength, giving Xia Yan and Kakashi a good opportunity.

If they could make this guy suffer a bit, it would be a significant gain!

"Immature."

Kakuzu naturally heard the Chidori's sound and immediately realized something. He suddenly felt he had an advantage.

That jutsu was the Chidori, and the user was none other than Hatake Kakashi, with a bounty of over ten million ryo!

Just as he was about to find Kakashi, the other white-haired brat approached again, which annoyed Kakuzu. Clearly, this brat was planning to cooperate with Kakashi.

But how could this brat break through his Earth Release defense?

A moment later, his expression changed slightly.

The brat suddenly leaped high, and the ninjato in his hand began to spin, compressing Water Release chakra to the extreme!

"Water Release: Water Blade Slash!"

...