Chapter 66 — Iaijutsu Slash
Just as Yami's blade was about to descend again—
Kakuzu, on the verge of being "whipped post-mortem," could no longer keep up the act.
The "corpse" exploded.
It burst apart into countless black tendrils that shot outward in all directions.
At the same time, two grotesque figures tore their way out from behind his shoulders—
Masked black creatures.
Their forms were nearly identical, even their masks almost the same—except for the patterns around their mouths.
One red.
One blue.
"Oh?"
Yami raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.
"Second phase already?"
Kakuzu's true body slowly rose from the writhing mass of tendrils.
He had fully released the Earth Grudge Fear form.
Aside from the water-element heart Yami had just destroyed, the wind and fire masks twisted viciously at his shoulders. Endless black threads lashed around him, making him look like a demon crawling up from hell itself.
Even his previously severed left arm had been reattached without Yami noticing.
"You…"
Kakuzu's voice was hoarse, burning with anger.
"…What exactly are you?"
This feigned-death counterkill tactic had claimed countless strong opponents who didn't know his secrets.
And yet today—
A nameless "wandering swordsman" had seen through it.
Yami flicked his blade lightly, the white bone extension silently retracting back into the hilt.
"Didn't I already say?"
He smiled lazily.
"A wandering swordsman."
"Namikaze Minato."
Kakuzu laughed in fury.
He had lived nearly a century. He had faced countless troublesome opponents.
But someone like this—
A man with no bearing of a strong warrior, spouting lies with a straight face—
That was a first.
Fine.
Since the cards were already on the table—
He would go all out.
End this quickly.
Let this brat taste the wrath of a ninja forged in the Warring States era.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Combined Technique: Flame Wind Chaos!"
The two masks on his shoulders activated simultaneously.
Violent wind fused with roaring flames, forming a catastrophic firestorm that swallowed the entire area in a shadow of destruction.
"You think you're the only one who can use composite techniques?"
Yami shot back with a hint of mockery.
Chakra surged.
He exhaled a torrent of white crystalline frost.
"Combined Technique: When Wind and Water Take Turns!"
The two techniques collided—
And detonated in a thunderous explosion.
Neither side gained the upper hand.
For perhaps the first time in a long while—
Kakuzu genuinely lost composure.
"Do you think I've never seen Ice Release before?!"
He roared.
"Call it whatever you like," Yami replied casually. "If I say it's wind-water combination, then that's what it is. Typical old man—always nitpicking other people's business."
He even looked faintly pleased with his quick improvisation.
Kakuzu nearly coughed up blood from rage.
In nearly a hundred years of life—
He had never met someone so shameless.
"Die!"
Wind and fire masks flared brilliantly.
Black threads surged forward like a tidal wave, each strand brimming with lethal chakra.
Yami's eyes sharpened slightly.
He wasn't afraid of Earth Grudge Fear's full release—
But he wouldn't underestimate it either.
"Ice… combined technique—It's hailing."
Countless ice senbon rained down like a storm, colliding precisely with the incoming threads.
Ice and black fibers shredded each other midair, producing harsh, grinding sounds.
At this point, Kakuzu was too furious to even mock him for slipping up and admitting it was Ice Release.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
The lightning mask unleashed multiple bolts this time—not a single spear-like strike, but a wide, rapid barrage.
Yami chose not to tank it.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Flames surged outward to clash against the lightning.
Thunder and fire intertwined violently—
Locked in stalemate.
Yami's gaze flicked around the battlefield.
If he revealed his true trump card—
Could he prevent Kakuzu from escaping?
Could he kill him outright?
He was calculating—
When suddenly—
He sensed someone approaching rapidly.
The battlefield shifted.
"Iaijutsu — Sever!"
A cold, commanding voice rang out.
A single blade flash sliced cleanly through the rampaging ninjutsu clash—
Carving a deep fissure into the earth between them.
Yami and Kakuzu halted simultaneously.
Both turned toward the source.
From the forest emerged Mifune, katana in hand.
The leader of the Land of Iron's samurai stepped forward calmly, his expression stern, his gaze sharp as drawn steel.
"Within the Land of Iron," he said evenly,
"Private combat is forbidden."
His voice was not loud—
But it carried undeniable authority.
"If you wish to fight to the death, take it elsewhere."
"Tch."
Kakuzu clicked his tongue in irritation.
Mifune merely glanced at him.
His blade lifted slightly.
"If you insist," he said calmly, "I do not mind accompanying you."
Yami was the first to lower his sword.
His relaxed smile returned.
"Since Lord Mifune himself has stepped in, I'll naturally give you face."
Kakuzu snorted.
But there was a flicker of caution in his green eyes.
As a bounty hunter, he knew Mifune was no ordinary samurai.
That single iaijutsu strike had demonstrated terrifying mastery.
"Today's matter," Kakuzu said darkly, eyes locked on Yami,
"I'll remember it."
"Namikaze Minato. We will meet again."
The masks slowly retracted into his body.
Black threads withdrew.
He cast one final measuring look at Mifune—
Then departed.
Only after Kakuzu disappeared did Mifune shift his attention fully to Yami.
"You are no ordinary ronin."
His gaze lingered briefly on the sword at Yami's waist.
"That Ice Release earlier is not something a normal swordsman possesses."
Yami smiled faintly.
"Just a small trick. Nothing worth mentioning."
Mifune did not press further.
As leader of the Land of Iron, he had seen many powerful individuals hiding their identities.
As long as they did not disturb his country—
He would not interfere.
"I trust you will abide by our laws while in the Land of Iron," Mifune said, sheathing his blade. "We always welcome disciplined guests."
"Naturally."
Yami inclined his head.
As Mifune departed, Yami wiped dust from his blade.
The edge remained sharp. Cold. Steady.
The clash with Kakuzu hadn't fully satisfied him—
But it clarified his own strength further.
As for how Kakuzu felt after being toyed with and dragged into chaos—
Well.
It likely wasn't pleasant.
"Time to move on."
Yami cast one last glance toward the direction Kakuzu had left.
Then he turned down a path opposite Mifune's route.
Hell Valley still awaited.
And the unfinished battle with Kakuzu—
Would simply be postponed—
For another day.