Konoha, Just Like Kizaru

"You're completely unharmed?" Kakuzu's tone grew serious.

He had already taken Simu seriously, using a powerful combination jutsu, yet it had no effect.

Behind Simu, the forest was engulfed in flames, while the coat of justice on his back swayed gently in the heat's airflow.

"As expected of Teacher Simu!" Obito cheered, punching the air.

"Kid, have you forgotten you're in a fight?" A hunter seized the moment to charge at Obito.

Fortunately, Kakashi appeared just in time, his kunai crackling with lightning.

In a flash, he held the electrified weapon at the hunter's neck.

"Idiot, pay attention to your enemies," Kakashi scolded.

Obito scratched his head but chose not to argue with Kakashi. Instead, he focused his Sharingan on another enemy.

 "Thanks, Kakashi. I'll leave this one to you"

Meanwhile, Kakuzu look at Simu, who remained unharmed, his mind clearly calculating. 

Suddenly, his back swelled, and a mass of twisted black threads separated, forming a grotesque creature with a white mask marked by khaki patterns.

The creature struck the ground with a heavy punch.

 "Earth Style: Earth Spear Forest!"

The ground trembled violently as sharp rock spears erupted toward Simu. 

Using his Observation Haki, Simu move fluidly, dodging each spike with precision. Not a single thorn managed to touch him.

However, Simu wasn't Kakuzu's real target. 

The earth spikes spread quickly, extending toward Miss Haruko's group of guards.

"It's not good to harm the mission target," Simu said calmly, adjusting his glasses.

A soil spike emerged suddenly beneath him, but Simu clamped it effortlessly between his feet, propelling himself into the air. 

Clapping his hands together, he absorbed a surge of natural energy into his body.

Dark red patterns began to form on his face, deeper and darker than they had been two years ago—now nearly black. 

This transformation signified Simu's vastly improved mastery and control over Sage Mode.

"This... feeling..." Kakuzu murmured, his expression tightening.

The sight of Simu's transformation sent Kakuzu's mind racing back decades. 

Once a prodigy of Takigakure, Kakuzu had undertaken a high-profile mission: to assassinate none other than Senju Hashirama in the Land of Fire...

Then... there was nothing more.

Kakuzu had managed to survive, but upon returning to the village, he faced judgment and punishment. Enraged, he stole a forbidden jutsu, defected from Takigakure, and became a mercenary.

Suddenly, dazzling cross-shaped flashes lit up the dark night.

"Sage Art: Eight-Yasakani no Magatama!"

Countless radiant projectiles rained down from the sky, obliterating the stone spikes as they emerged, reducing them to fine dust.

Simu stomped forcefully in mid-air, propelling himself like a blazing meteor toward Kakuzu.

However, Kakuzu, an ancient survivor with unmatched combat experience, reacted swiftly. His understanding of battle far surpassed ordinary warriors.

As Simu launched his attack, the Earth Style mask monster beside Kakuzu acted swiftly.

The ground surged, forming a ten-meter-thick earth wall in front of Kakuzu.

Simu's golden-glimmer-wrapped foot struck down, shattering the wall instantly.

But Kakuzu's strategy wasn't so straightforward. With five hearts, his offense was relentless.

A sky-blue mask emerged from his body, releasing a fine mist.

"Water Style: Water Soluble Technique!"

The broken debris from the collapsed wall instantly turned into heavy mud upon contact with the mist, encircling Simu tightly.

A mask resembling a bird's head emerged from Kakuzu's torso.

"Lightning Style: False Darkness."

"Combination Ninjutsu: Strom Surge!"

A massive surge of lightning chakra filled the sky.

Using the conductivity of the mud and water, the fierce lightning rampaged in every direction, striking indiscriminately.

The muddy battlefield lit up instantly, blue and white lightning illuminating the entire area.

Kakuzu, ever cautious and experienced, stepped back deliberately.

With his hands ready to form seals and the masks around him shaking, he prepared for any close-range threat.

As the lightning and muddy water subsided, the scorched remains of Simu he had expected were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a huge blue figure land majestically from the sky.

"Roar!"

A faint blue flame ignited around the dark figure.

Two-Tails let out a deafening roar directed at Kakuzu.

From its mouth, Simu emerged, walking out calmly.

"That was close, but thanks for the save, Matatabi," Simu said, jumping onto Two-Tails' head and giving it a satisfied pat.

Two-Tails' face was visibly annoyed, with black lines forming across its expression.

This guy always uses me as a shield, ever since he saw Killer Bee do it, it thought.

Though I'm tough and can take hits, Kakuzu's attack wasn't something to shrug off—it actually hurt.

The most frustrating part? Simu never seemed to notice or care.

Unable to take it out on Simu, Two-Tails redirected its pent-up frustration toward the enemy.

Feeling the hostility radiating from Two-Tails, Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.

"So, this is the Two-Tails I've read about in the reports," 

The two summoned monsters stood at Kakuzu's side, ready for battle. The three masks embedded on his body also prepared to attack at any moment.

But Simu was faster.

In an instant, he appeared before the earth-attribute monster.

"Ever been kicked by the speed of light?" Simu asked, his voice calm yet sharp as golden light sliced through the darkness.

Before the monster could react, Simu's kick connected directly with its mask.

Crack!

The sound of shattering echoed as fragments of the mask flew through the air. The sheer force of the kick sent the massive creature hurtling backward, crashing into the flaming debris.

"One heart down," Simu noted casually.

Kakuzu's eyelid twitched in irritation.

He had heard rumors about the speed of the Golden Flash, but witnessing it firsthand was far beyond his expectations.

The Water-Style masked monster made the first move against Simu.

"Water Style: Water Curtain Tent!"

A powerful water jet, compressed to a force capable of piercing steel, shot toward Simu.

Raising his arms horizontally, Simu focused his energy. Countless glowing particles fused with natural energy, forming a radiant long sword.

"Sage Art: Ama no Murakumo!"

With a swift slash, the shimmering blade cut through the oncoming torrent, splitting the powerful stream cleanly in two.

Simu prepared to seize the moment and finish off the Water-Style monster.

But suddenly, a fierce wind came at him.

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

The powerful gust pinned Simu in place, restricting his movement.

Meanwhile, the Fire-Style mask perched on Kakuzu's shoulder began to glow, ready to unleash its attack.

Realizing the danger, Simu disappeared in a flash, appearing high above the sky.

He placed his hands in front of him like a mirror.

"Yata no Kagami!"

Golden light condensed into an incredibly sharp lightsaber, hurtling through the air.

Sensing the power of the attack, Kakuzu's Lightning-Style bird-shaped mask quickly unleashed a burst of lightning.

"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"

The powerful thunder collided with the lightsaber mid-air, forcing it off course and sending it straight into the ground.

Before Kakuzu could even breathe, his expression shifted.

The lightsaber, however, turned back from the ground and pierced through the Water-Style mask beside him.

A flash of regret appeared on Kakuzu's face.

Each mask represented a heart.

These hearts belonged to powerful warriors Kakuzu had collected over the years.

Now, he had lost two in an instant.

How many missions would it take to replace them?

"You bastard, this is unforgivable!" Kakuzu's anger flared.

The black lines on his body writhed violently.

The remaining three attribute masks gathered on his left hand.

"Let's see how you handle this, Golden Flash."

Flames, lightning, and wind swirled together on his arm.

Simu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

But he couldn't move, as Kakashi, Obito, and Miss Haruko were behind him.

He sighed, realizing Kakuzu was forcing his hand.

In that case...

The three chakra attributes on Kakuzu's arm intertwined

Flames and lightning intertwined, and with the added boost of Wind Style, they became a twisted beam of energy, charging toward Simu.

"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Flash!"

Where the shot passed, the ground melted, and the air warped under the intense heat.

Simu calmly raised his palm, aimed at the incoming fire and lightning, and gathered thousands of light spots in his hand.

"Sage Art: Carved Pillar!"

The light spots in his palm quickly expanded, forming a powerful beam that collided with the oncoming attack.

This technique was inspired by Armament Haki's external release, combining the abilities of the Light fruit, Armament Haki, and Sage Chakra to release waves of destructive waves.

The massive beam of light collided with the flames, causing the two energies to repel each other. This created a powerful energy ball that exploded, sending a shockwave across the battlefield.

The shockwave nearly overturned the convoy in the distance. If Kakashi hadn't caught the carriage in time, Miss Haruko could have been blown away.

A large crater formed in the center of the battlefield, and the thick smoke was suddenly cut through by a flash of light.

As the explosion subsided, Simu charged at Kakuzu with the Ama no Murakumo sword.

Kakuzu quickly threw a punch, his body strengthened by Earth Grudge Fear, making him as tough as steel. But even with this strength, he was still no match for Simu.

With the power of Armament Haki, the lightsaber in Simu's hand was as sharp as the real Ama no Murakumo sword. He easily sliced off Kakuzu's arm.

Kakuzu struggled, but Simu quickly brought the lightsaber to his face.

"So scary, you still have three lives left."

Simu's tone was teasing, but it fell on Kakuzu's ears like thunder. 

He stared at Simu intently, and asked:

"Who are you, and how do you know so much?"

Simu adjusted his glasses, his expression calm. "I'm just an ordinary ninja trying to retire."

He stared seriously at Kakuzu and then spoke softly, "You have two choices—either die, or surrender to me."

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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