Chapter 129: All-Out Counterattack

The Root kunoichi, completely ensnared by the terrors of the illusion, had her body gripped tightly by Shiroki. Her eyes trembled violently; she tried to scream, but not a sound could escape because the suction had distorted her very mouth.

Thirty seconds passed before she finally managed to purge the horrific illusion from her mind. By then, most of the chakra in her body had dissipated, and her soul itself began to tremble and loosen. If this continued, her soul would be torn away.

In her desperation, the Root kunoichi pulled out a kunai and slashed repeatedly at Shiroki’s body, only to discover that he was wearing soft armor beneath his clothes. No matter how hard she struck, she could not pierce it, inflicting only pathetic damage.

"Could it be... that after a lifetime of desperate training, I am to die in such a state?" The Root kunoichi felt her body growing weaker, her skin sagging like an old woman’s, yet she could not utter a single sound. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lord Aburame Tatsuma still watching the monk Bunpuku, completely unaware of her predicament.

...I must warn them!

Even if it means death...

Long live Lord Danzo!

*Hiss...*

Anyone familiar with the battlefield would recognize that sound instantly.

It was an explosive tag!

This Root kunoichi embodied the dark ninja way of the Root; even in death, she would take her enemy with her.

What is happening?!

Everyone turned their heads, but their first reaction was that someone had triggered a trap set beneath a corpse—a common occurrence.

*BOOM!!!*

The sheer force of the massive explosion blasted the Root kunoichi’s body into two. Blood and mangled viscera splattered all over Shiroki. Fortunately, the Banshee’s Veil and the Preta Path shield helped him block the brunt of the point-blank blast; otherwise, he would have been in for a world of hurt, if not killed outright.

"Ri!!!" one of the Root kunoichi’s companions roared in fury. Just as he was about to draw his blade and charge, Aburame Tatsuma reached out and restrained him.

Shiroki slowly stood up from the sand, a cruel smile on his face. He extended a finger to push the bits of flesh clinging to his face into his mouth, wearing a look of pure enjoyment.

Chakra was chakra, and hunger was hunger. No matter how vast Kushina’s chakra might be, a month without food would result in starvation. Even with his body now brimming with chakra, the weak, hollow sensation of hunger remained, but at least he was finally capable of fighting.

Nearby, Pakura, who had been on the verge of slipping into a coma, suddenly opened her eyes. A puff of scorching air escaped her lips, forcing back the Root ninjas surrounding her.

Baki’s wind blades unsheathed with a sharp clang; in his sunken eye sockets, the will to fight still burned.

Kakuzu, having retained the most combat power, was the backbone of this battle. He ejected over a dozen tentacles from the deep sand pit, instantly binding the legs of two Root ninjas.

"My estimation was wrong. I didn't expect... that after exhausting your stamina for ten full days, you would still have the strength to resist. You are even more tenacious than cockroaches." Aburame Tatsuma’s voice was utterly cold, as if the Ri who had just died was not his comrade at all.

"What you wouldn't expect is that you’re the ones who will die here..." Shiroki scanned the area, hoping to find the water bag Ri had been holding, but it had been shattered in the explosion. The precious water soaked into the scorching sand and evaporated in the blink of an eye.

"Die...? It was merely a botched sneak attack. You underestimate the Root too much. We originally intended to keep you alive to take back for interrogation... but since you are courting death..." Aburame Tatsuma said coldly.

*Swish, swish, swish...*

The three Root ninjas simultaneously tore off their cloaks, revealing ninja gear armed to the teeth.

With two clanging sounds, the Earth Grudge Fear tentacles gripping their feet were severed, transforming into twisted, worm-like objects that writhed frantically on the sand.

"So it really is the Root...?" Baki’s hands were trembling slightly. A mere bottle of health potion was not enough to restore much of his strength; he was currently burning his own life force to keep fighting.

"Hmph, even if I die in battle, it’s better than starving to death in misery." Pakura tore off her outer robe. Her once beautiful body now looked sallow and withered from dehydration.

Nonō sat on a sand dune, biting her cracked lips, unsure of what to do. She even suspected that her cover had been blown. How could it be such a coincidence that Shiroki had snatched her token, only for the Root to mistake it for the real thing?

If she were exposed... then what was Shiroki’s goal?

Keeping a blade that could kill him at any moment by his side... what was he planning?

"Then prepare to die. Black Giant Scorpion... attack!" Aburame Tatsuma gave a light command. The giant summon scorpion that had served as their mount throughout the journey raised its tail stinger high and charged.

"Gaia!!!" Shiroki roared, activating a skill he hadn't used since he acquired it.

[Inspire Morale]
[Boosts the morale of surrounding friendly units, moderately increasing their attributes.]

"Leave the scorpion to me!" Having been 'healed' by the morale boost, Kakuzu, for the first time in history, took on the most grueling task without asking for money. The cloak on his back was pushed open by two masks, and his shoulders looked as though two massive turrets had been mounted upon them.

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"
"Earth Style: Earth Spear!"

The combined Wind and Earth jutsu instantly summoned a sky full of flying sand and stones, which rained down with a clatter upon the black giant scorpion’s carapace. It left dense pits and craters, though it failed to cause any real, substantial damage.

"Don't bother. The Black Giant Scorpion is a sovereign of the desert; it's not something that can be shaken by mere ninjutsu." Even after elite training in the Root, Aburame Tatsuma couldn't escape the law of the ninja world: announcing his own strengths.

The scorpion’s tail extended frantically, its black, venomous hook thrusting toward Kakuzu’s body. Scorpion venom and snake venom were known as the two great poisons of the desert. A normal scorpion's toxin was lethal enough; a scorpion as large as a small mountain was exponentially worse.

Unfortunately, its opponent was Kakuzu—an immortal being who had no reason to fear any form of poison.

"Earth Style: Earth Spear!"

Kakuzu’s skin became densely packed with chakra, turning pitch black and virtually indestructible. When the scorpion’s tail, as thick as a siege hammer, slammed into his chest, it pushed him back over a hundred meters. The immense force shattered his clothes, yet left only a faint white mark on his skin.

In other words, it failed to break his defense.

"The old man is still the old man!" Shiroki felt like he could win this just by idling.

Kakuzu, in his Earth Spear form, possessed terrifying destructive power. He gripped the massive scorpion tail with both hands and roared, "You little brats, not even your First Hokage could break my defense!!!"

In a move reminiscent of a wrestler throwing his opponent, he actually hoisted the giant scorpion up and swung it, slamming it heavily into Aburame Tatsuma with its belly facing upward, exposing its vulnerable underbelly.

Unfortunately, Aburame Tatsuma used a Body Flicker technique to dodge, missing the impact!

"Lightning Style: False Darkness!!"

A massive, pitch-black spear of lightning erupted from the mouth of the mask on his left shoulder, instantly piercing through the giant scorpion’s body. It opened a gaping hole in its weaker underbelly, spraying viscous fluid everywhere.

"The old man is a beast! Hit it again and finish it off!" Shiroki had completely transformed into a slack-jawed spectator who only knew how to cheer. Why try hard when he could just coast to victory?

"I'm out of chakra." Kakuzu said flatly, lying down on the ground and going still. The Earth Grudge Fear threads on his body lay scattered like a pile of tangled yarn.

Crossing the desert while carrying Bunpuku, and occasionally having to retrieve those who fell behind—Kakuzu was the one who had expended the most effort.

"You've got to be kidding me! After such a big scene, you're done after three swings? Why the hell didn't you conserve your energy!" Shiroki roared in despair.

"Small scene. They thought I was weak..." Kakuzu lay limply on the sand dune, still not forgetting to brag: "I haven't felt this tired in a long time... I remember the last time was against the First Hokage..."

"Hmph, if this is the extent of your power... then you can die now." Aburame Tatsuma waved his hand, and countless phosphorescent insects swarmed toward the scorpion’s ruptured belly, repairing the wound at high speed.

"No, no, no... the battle has only just begun." Shiroki pressed the fire-attribute mask Kakuzu had left for him against his own chest, a devilish smile spreading across his face.