Chapter 32 Struggle

Land of the River.

In the forest,

RUMBLE!!!!

The woodland, which was almost completely dark, briefly gained light as the lightning struck and illuminated the cloud-covered sky.

The faces of Kazekage and Kazuki, who were staring at each other, were also lit; the former's expression was one of struggle and rage, while the latter's was one of anticipation.

"It seems she reverse-channeled those slugs and asked for help!"

When Kazekage sensed the incoming chakra signs, he knew right away that Tsunade had to have requested assistance during the battle, even if he had done everything in his power to prevent it.

HA!!

"I underestimated you; even together, they couldn't bring you down."

Finally, after some deep thinking, Kazekage seemed to have decided as he opened his mouth and spoke up, praising Kazuki.

He hadn't expected Kazuki to be able to take them down together; in the last fight, he fought them separately and seemed to have barely won, so together, he believed Kazuki wouldn't be able to defeat them.

But the result was a lot different than his expectations; he not only defeated them but also seemed to have done it a lot easier than before, with no sign of a huge battle like the one on the sand battlefield.

"On the count to three, we'll switch places and you don't have to worry about me going back on my words."

"I'm not confident enough to take you down before the reinforcements arrive so I'll only end up being surrounded."

Said Kazekage with a helpless look on his face, proposing a fair deal to Kazuki, who showed a thoughtful look.

"Let's do it."

Agreed Kazuki with the deal put forward by Kazekage after a little thought. Delaying Kazekage and waiting for reinforcements was an option, but then he couldn't guarantee the safety of Tsunade and Dan.

Someone as smart as Kazekage would naturally see through his attempt to delay time and would probably risk it all: the death of Tsunade would hit Konoha far more than the deaths of Pakura and Rasa would to Sand.

"1"

Kazekage started the countdown, and Kazuki immediately got ready to switch places.

"2"

The chakras of both Kazekage and Kazuki began to move towards the legs.

"3"

BOOM!!!!

The voice fell, and in the next microsecond, the chakra exploded out.

Pakura and Rasa, who were motionless on the ground, suddenly moved, the former with a kunai and the latter with a gold spear in his hand, lunging at Kazuki.

Kazekage didn't seem to have it easier as Tsunade who seemed out of the fight moved suddenly and punched at him. The wind shook from the force in her fist, and she had a mad look on her face.

Facing these sudden attacks, surprisingly, both Kazuki and Kazekage didn't show any shocked looks and were still calm.

"Water Style! Drilling Water Spears!"

Without panicking, Kazuki made super quick hand signs and opened his mouth, a large amount of water gushing out of his mouth.

BOOM!!!

Before Kazekage, a multilayered iron sand sphere condensed in a matter of seconds as Tsunade's fist fell on it, destroying a couple of layers but unable to blast it completely.

Next, another black spear condensed as Kazekage hurled it back at Tsunade, whose attack had failed.

Puff!

The water instantly took the shape of sharp spears, and Pakura was the first to take the brunt, the kunai in her hand blown away as blood splashed everywhere.

"You…monster…

A huge water spear piercing her stomach came out of the back, her dull face fixed on Kazuki, barely able to squeeze out two words.

"I Have No Limitations!"

Kazuki said in response calmly, looking back into her eyes till her last moment.

Thud!

After his words, Pakura's eyes turned white, and she tumbled on the ground, a huge hole in her stomach and blood dyeing the ground red.

Pakura of the Scorch Release, Dead.

No!!!!

With difficulty, Rasa deflected the water spear with the gold spear in his hand, but when looking around for another attack, his gaze fell on the motionless Pakura on the ground, screaming in anger and despair.

The Iron Sand Spear hurled by Kazekage approached Tsunade, who, from the last attack seemed completely exhausted and unable to move, the spear enlarging in her vision.

Puff!!

But at the last moment, a figure miraculously appeared before her as the spear went through his stomach, which already had a gruesome hole in it.

"You Bastard!!!!!"

Rasa, with unimaginable anger in his tone, yelled and rushed towards Kazuki, but the speed was slow as a turtle in his eyes.

Clink!

Reaching his back, Kazuki quickly pulled out the Kusanagi, ready to end Rasa's life as well.

"He could still move!!"

Seeing Dan take another attack of his and save Tsunade, Kazekage was shocked for real this time.

Swish!!!

Just when Kazekage looked shocked, two shadows flashed and appeared on his right and left, both having the familiar silver hair.

Zzzzz!!!

The clones of Kazuki with lightning arrows in their hands attacked from left and right, though in less than a second, Kazekage, despite being attacked, was suddenly able to cover himself with the iron sand.

BOOM!!!

The lightning arrows pierced the iron sand as it was blown around everywhere, but there was no sign of Kazekage.

"Huh?"

BANG!!!

The real Kazuki, who just pulled out the sword from his back, suddenly frowned, sensing something, and jumped back, black sand gushing out of the ground where he just stood and immediately enveloping Rasa.

Swish!!

Seeing this, Kazuki moved, but from the very same sand that enveloped Rasa, numerous black nails shot out in every direction.

Keng!!!

Puff!!

The nails spread in every direction as he brought his sword before him. Kazuki managed to block them from piercing his key points, though some were still drilling into his legs as they were just too fast and too many.

Poof!!

The clones of Kazuki that had attacked Kazekage with lightning arrows couldn't resist the barrage and disappeared.

When the last iron nail was deflected by Kazuki, he went to his knee with blood seeping out of his legs but ignoring it he quickly looked around, though there was no sign of Kazekage or Rasa.

20 chapters ahead on p@treon.com/Gojo6666.