Chapter 391: 391. Chapter 383: Lao Du Out!

391. Chapter 383: Lao Du Out!

"Click!"

A dazzling flash went off. Uchiha Gin held the camera, focused intently on finding the best angle for the shot.

As for the model, Koharu Utatane, she was still a little too reserved and unwilling to show off her advantages.

Uchiha Gin looked at Koharu Utatane, who was sitting upright in a kneeling position and using her hands to cover her key areas, and couldn't help but frown.

"With you acting so coy and timid, how can you be a qualified Fuli-ji?"

"I'm sorry."

There was no other way; Uchiha Gin had to step in and guide her personally. He tailored a few poses for Koharu Utatane, and the effect was immediate.

"Very good! Keep this pose, bend your waist down a bit more, and rest your hands on your calves. Yes! Just like that! Otherwise, those fishnet stockings you're wearing would be a waste~"

"But won't this make me look fat?"

Following Uchiha Gin's instructions, Koharu Utatane pressed her upper body against her thighs, feeling a bit self-conscious and hunching her chest, terrified that her plump upper figure would ruin the photoshoot.

"Click! Click! Click!"

"Not at all, not at all. This kind of plump collision is the best shot every photographer pursues."

Although the Koharu Utatane who appeared in the original work was a withered old hag, the Konoha veteran in her early twenties now was still quite stunning.

But come to think of it, to be an apprentice under the White-Haired Master, one had to at least pass the looks test.

"Ugh, that damn Decade! To think he'd make Koharu strike such a provocative pose!"

Danzo, standing to the side, hadn't stopped his slanderous remarks, but his lecherous eyes hadn't moved from Koharu Utatane's slender thighs for even a second.

"Ah, to think such tacky attire could still display such terrifying charm."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, also squinting his eyes, looked at Koharu Utatane, who had suddenly transformed from a country girl into a seductive succubus, and pressed down on his "gun" in disbelief.

"Monkey! If you keep looking, I'll go back and tell Biwako!"

Seeing his best friend openly using such filthy eyes to look at his goddess, Danzo flared up in a fit of rage and issued a cold warning.

"Go ahead and tell her if you want. The innocent are self-evidently pure."

Caught in the act, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't panicked at all; instead, he put on a look of righteous indignation.

"Huh?"

Are you, an old lecher, playing the innocent card with me?

"I am merely studying, so that I can take private photos of Biwako when I return."

Having solemnly cleared himself of the suspicion of peeping, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared steadily at the suspicious-looking Danzo and revealed a look of deep distress.

"Danzo, you are too narrow-minded!"

"Monkey, I'm going to kill you!"

"It's finished. Take a look and see if you're satisfied."

In the end, through Uchiha Gin's unremitting efforts, the limited-edition set for the Demon Ninja was finally completed. Looking at the finished photos in his hand with satisfaction, he handed them to the anxious Koharu Utatane.

"Is... is this really me?"

Koharu Utatane's hands trembled slightly as she held the camera. The unfamiliar photos made her fall into self-doubt. Was she, known for being tacky, really the alluring female ninja in these pictures?

"You have a great foundation. If you want to shoot again in the future, you can contact me. I'll give you a discount."

"Thank you very much!"

The relaxed atmosphere in the spectator stands diluted the tension brought by the Tailed Beast Bomb just moments ago. The crowd, feeling slightly more at ease, turned their attention back to the small island where the battle was taking place.

The Golden Knight, waving seven feathered wings, was still in a standoff with Uchiha Madara. The two appeared to be standing still, but in reality, they were engaged in a clash of aura.

Thick, concentrated chakra materialized behind them, and the grey rhinoceros beetle and the fiery, ferocious fox, resembling guardian spirits, opened their massive maws; though no actual roar existed, the sound echoed in everyone's ears.

"Let's give it our all, Kakuzu. Let that stinky fox see the bond between us!"

Chongming's voice reverberated in his ears, instilling immense courage in Kakuzu. After taking a deep breath, he raised the massive Awakening Sword in his hands, assumed a sprinting stance, and with a spread of his wings, transformed into a golden stream of light, charging toward Uchiha Madara.

"Hmph~ You actually want to compete in swordsmanship with an Uchiha?"

As the Awakening Sword, carrying the force of ten thousand jun, slashed down head-on, Uchiha Madara smiled in disdain.

【Blade】

He flicked the gun-blade in his hand, converting it into a one-handed sword form, and then a red glint flashed in his eyes.

Under the enhancement of the Sharingan's dynamic vision, Kakuzu's slashing motion appeared as if in slow motion. He could see every muscle twitch in Kakuzu's arm clearly.

"Clang~"

Holding his blade horizontally, he steadily caught Kakuzu's strike. Uchiha Madara then tilted his blade, dissipating the brute force of the move, causing the Awakening Sword to crash uncontrollably into the ground, gouging a massive crater in the solid earth.

"Bang!"

Seizing the post-attack recovery window of Kakuzu, Uchiha Madara used a Body Flicker to appear behind him, thrusting his long sword toward the vital point of his heart.

"Hum~ Hum~"

Just at this critical moment, Kakuzu, feeling a chill behind him, rapidly flapped his wings. The powerful airflow generated forced Uchiha Madara to retreat a few steps, and the attack missed.

"Again!"

Having finally encountered an evenly matched opponent, Uchiha Madara decided to play slowly. Waving the white long sword in his hand and performing a beautiful sword flourish, his figure moved like a ghost, slashing toward the battle-ready Kakuzu.

"Clang~!"

This sword finally didn't have any mishaps and hit Kakuzu's chest armor squarely. Before the excitement in his eyes could rise, he felt the hard texture and frowned.

"If this is the extent of your attack, I advise you not to waste your effort."

"Hmph!"

Having never been mocked like this by an outsider, the anger of being looked down upon instantly filled Uchiha Madara's chest. He swung the long sword in his hand with such force that it turned into several streams of light, piercing toward Kakuzu's openings.

"Bang~ Clang~ Clang! Slap!"

He had thought his attack would crush this arrogant rogue ninja, but the result was beyond Uchiha Madara's expectations.

His all-out attack had only left a few shallow white marks on the opponent's heavy armor.

"I don't believe I can't break your defense!"

Uchiha Madara was also getting competitive with Kakuzu. A red light flashed on the buckle at his waist, and the white long sword in his hand immediately ignited.

The blade, coated with pure fire-attribute chakra, carried a suffocating high temperature as it thrust toward Kakuzu.

Seeing this move, Kakuzu didn't continue to show off. Although he knew his defense was astonishing, he still chose to be cautious.

Thus, he raised the Awakening Sword in his hand, slapped two Water-attribute Earth Grudge Fear cards from his body, and inserted them into the weapon's card slot.

"Whoosh~"

Visible water-attribute chakra wrapped around the golden wide blade. Gripping the hilt with both hands, Kakuzu spread his wings behind him, choosing to face Uchiha Madara head-on.

"Boom!"

The scorching white longsword collided with the surging golden Awakening Sword, erupting in a powerful shockwave.

With the alternation of cold and heat, the air in the arena was sucked dry. Everyone felt their breath hitch, and they could smell the scorching steam in their nasal cavities.

Uchiha Madara, feeling the heat of the battle with Kakuzu, felt the excitement in his eyes grow increasingly intense.

"Not bad, you are qualified to dance with me!"

Ignoring the scorching water vapor around him, Uchiha Madara charged toward the slightly panting Kakuzu. His movements were agile, showing that the previous exchange had no impact on him.

Boom!

Rumble!

The two clashed head-on again, the sound of weapons colliding deafening. Kakuzu, relying on the formidable defense of his golden outer armor, barely resisted Uchiha Madara's rain-like attacks.

However, as time passed, Kakuzu noticed that, at some point, his movements had become increasingly sluggish, the scratches on his armor had multiplied, and the Awakening Sword in his hand had grown heavier and heavier.

"That idiot Chongming actually dreams of defeating him. This guy is no ordinary descendant of Indra—is he still dreaming or what?"

The Nine-Tails, who was content to serve as Uchiha Madara's transformation accessory, looked at Kakuzu, who was already struggling to cope, and curled its sharp-toothed mouth in disdain.

It did not need to expend precious primordial chakra to fight like Chongming; it only needed to contribute an inexhaustible supply of Tailed Beast chakra to support the materialization of Uchiha Madara's own abilities.

"Snap!"

Just as Kakuzu was distracted, Uchiha Madara's longsword pierced the ornate gauntlet on his arm. To the astonishment of all watching, the gauntlet embedded with the Earth Grudge Fear mask shattered, turning into a gruesome wound.

"Ugh."

Looking down at the wound leaking unstable chakra and feeling that he had lost one life, Kakuzu frowned.

He had embedded twelve Earth Grudge Fear masks into this golden outer armor precisely to use the immortal power of this forbidden technique to counterbalance Chongming's volatile primordial chakra.

Once this delicate balance was broken, he would face the danger of being blown up by the Tailed Beast's source chakra.

"I can't drag this out any longer."

Having temporarily contained the power leaking from the gauntlet, Kakuzu gritted his teeth, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. He then slapped the driver at his waist with one hand, and eleven Earth Grudge Fear cards ejected from various parts of his body, floating beside him.

"Oh? Preparing to decide the winner in one move?"

Sensing Kakuzu's determination, Uchiha Madara restrained his excitement, his expression becoming slightly solemn.

"Senior Sword! You don't need to go this far."

Watching from the sidelines, Zhenzi looked at Kakuzu, who was brewing his final finishing move, with a look of deep reluctance on her face.

"Taking people's money, I eliminate disasters for them. I have my own code of conduct."

Even though Kakuzu had lost everything and had become a homeless wanderer, the principles he insisted on in his heart had never changed.

If he didn't value his promises, how would Kakuzu be any different from those who had betrayed him in the past?

"Come on!"

"Kakuzu! Are you tired of living? Your body can only withstand the power of five cards at most."

Seeing Kakuzu throw out eleven cards in the sea of consciousness, Chongming was so furious that his vision went black.

When using only five cards earlier, Kakuzu's body could barely withstand the erosion of the Earth Grudge Fear's immortal power.

If he used eleven cards in one go now, even if he survived, he would completely lose his human identity and become an immortal monster.

The eleven Earth Grudge Fear cards floating around him depicted masks that looked neither human nor non-human, wearing enigmatic smiles. Sweeping his gaze over those who had once harmed him, Kakuzu lowered the Awakening Sword in his hand with a resolute expression.

"I want to challenge fate, and defeat it for you to see!"

After saying this, he waved his large hand, and the eleven cards fell into the weapon's card slot one by one. The sounds of various attributes loading were endless.

And every time one entered, a huge mask would appear in front of Kakuzu, stacking one after another until there were eleven.

"Very good! I acknowledge this chakra of yours!"

Looking at Kakuzu, whose chakra was becoming increasingly profound, Uchiha Madara's expression turned from solemn back to excitement. He hadn't expected this bounty hunter to have such a move, which truly surprised him.

Having no energy left to converse with Uchiha Madara, Kakuzu, fully focused on his final strike, slowly raised the Awakening Sword in his hands.

"UltimateRoyalStraightFlush"

The red compound eyes locked onto the arrogant-looking White Knight. With a turn of his wrist, he charged toward the huge mask in front of him.

"Bang!"

Every time he passed through a mask, Kakuzu's chakra grew a bit denser. As his running speed increased, the chakra on his body also became visible to the naked eye.

"Hahahaha! As expected, only such an opponent can make my blood boil!"

A creepy smile tugged at the corner of Uchiha Madara's mouth under the white knight mask. As a battle maniac, he was glad he had come to participate in this inexplicable competition; otherwise, he wouldn't have encountered such an interesting opponent.

【BoostTacticalVictory】

"Whoosh!"

He threw the white long sword in his hand, the tip flashing with a dense blue light, and it pierced straight into the mask that Kakuzu hadn't passed through yet.

"Pfft! Pfft!..."

Under the longsword infused with immense power, the Earth Grudge Fear mask did not hold out for long before being torn apart and pierced through.

Uchiha Madara, seeing this, slapped his belt, and his whole body disappeared from where he was. When he appeared again, he was already following the long sword, arriving in front of the sprinting Kakuzu.

"Tsk!"

Kakuzu, who had not yet fully absorbed all the Earth Grudge Fear power, saw Uchiha Madara destroying several of the masks and inwardly cursed, sensing something was wrong.

But the move had already been unleashed; even without gathering all the Earth Grudge Fear, he had to clash with his opponent.

The golden Awakening Sword swung down heavily, but Uchiha Madara did not dodge, instead slapping the Nine-Tails buckle at his waist.

"Coming, coming~"

Kurama, nestled inside, immediately understood the instruction and sent the Tailed Beast chakra out in an endless stream.

【BoostIXStrike】

Feeling the abundant power in his body, Uchiha Madara made a gorgeous turn, raised his right foot, and kicked heavily on the tail of the white long sword in front of him. Then, he confidently turned his back to Kakuzu, waiting for the news of victory.

"Swish!"

The white lightning collided with the golden giant blade Kakuzu had slashed down. For a moment, both sides were deadlocked in place.

"Ugh."

Using every ounce of his strength, Kakuzu's face turned beet red, but the immense force coming from the white longsword nearly made him lose his grip on the Awakening Sword.

"Snap..."

After a brief stagnation, a crisp shattering sound rang in Kakuzu's ears. The golden Awakening Sword in his hand began to develop cracks, and the speed of their spread was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, they covered the entire weapon.

"As expected... I still lost, right?"

Kakuzu showed a bitter expression, looking up at Uchiha Madara, who was standing confidently with his back to him. He deeply perceived the gap between the two, which was like a chasm. Even if he had used all his skills, the opponent seemed to have a counter for everything.

Even now, the opponent might not have used his full strength.

"I'm sorry, Lord Divine Beast, I might be dying."

Once the giant sword in his hand couldn't resist the thrust of the white long sword and shattered completely, Kakuzu's fate would be to be pierced through the chest by the long sword, whose remaining force hadn't dissipated.

"Senior Sword, I'm here to help you!"

Just as Kakuzu was preparing to welcome death, an urgent voice rang out behind him. He saw the dark red Piranha Knight leap up, arms crossed in an X shape, the sharp spikes on the gauntlets flashing with a chilling cold light.

"Double! Heavy! Great! Slash!"

The finishing move Zhenzi had infused with all her strength would normally be enough to split mountains and crack stones, but when it struck the white longsword, it did not shake it in the slightest.

"Ugh, didn't you eat, Wu? Give me some strength!"

Zhenzi's voice became somewhat tyrannical during the stalemate, but this threat actually worked; the spikes on her arm gauntlets suddenly thickened and lengthened, resembling the scythe of a grim reaper.

And the dark red chakra attached to them was actually devouring the Tailed Beast chakra leaking from the white long sword.

"Oh?"

Uchiha Madara, who hadn't heard the victory settlement for a long time, finally chose to turn back to look at the explosion, only to find that someone was interfering, and the opponent's method was a bit weird.

"That guy is eating my chakra!"

His chakra was being freeloaded under his nose, and the Nine-Tails was jumping up and down in anger, the fierce look in its eyes growing intense.

Ultimately, with Zhenzi's help, the Awakening Sword was successfully preserved just before it reached the point of shattering.

"Clatter!"

And the white long sword thrown by Uchiha Madara, because it lacked the assistance of chakra, fell to the ground and turned into white light particles, disappearing from where it was.

"Phew~"

Kakuzu, standing with difficulty while supporting the battle-damaged Awakening Sword, let out a long sigh, then looked at the giant sword covered in cracks with lingering fear.

"Hiccup~"

Meanwhile, Zhenzi, who had landed nearby, let out a burp that ruined the mood, and one could clearly perceive from those green compound eyes just how satisfied she was with what she had eaten.

"Are you an idiot?"

Seeing that Zhenzi was in good condition, Kakuzu couldn't help but curse out loud.

"Huh? Shouldn't Senior Sword be thanking me for saving his life?"

Rubbing her full little belly, Zhenzi tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm really thankful, aren't you afraid of getting yourself involved?"

"Senior Sword is my teacher after all, how could I stand by and watch my teacher die?"

Although Kakuzu had only taught Zhenzi for a short time, the two got along quite harmoniously, and he even gave her a bit of the familial affection she had lacked for many years.

"So annoying~ That was just acting!"

Kakuzu, who was stubborn as a mule and didn't want to add any extra attachments, was destined to be a homeless wanderer.

"Have you two finished your pleasantries? Come at me together this time~"

Seeing Kakuzu ignore him and chat enthusiastically with that dark red knight, Uchiha Madara, feeling left out, spoke in an unkind tone.

"Senior Sword, you rest for a while, let me meet him~"

Having just eaten a bellyful of Nine-Tails chakra, Zhenzi felt she had endless strength and stood in front of Kakuzu, her eyes full of fighting spirit.

"No, we concede."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes in annoyance; he knew exactly what Zhenzi's level was, and besides, the woman's current state was not at all suitable for combat, so he pulled her back and shook his head at Uchiha Madara.

"Hmph! A wise move."

Uchiha Madara wasn't the type to pester others. Since the opponent conceded, he didn't continue to force them. After dropping a sentence, he turned and left.

"Senior Sword..."

Zhenzi looked at Kakuzu, who had removed his driver, in confusion, not knowing why he had conceded.

"He hasn't used his full strength yet, and I've already played all my cards."

Curling his lips, Kakuzu looked at the eleven extra cards in his hand, his expression very complicated.

"What are these cards?"

"I didn't expect to use them in the end. I still lack self-control."

Sighing, Kakuzu stuffed these cards into his bag.

"Are we leaving now?"

At this moment, Zhenzi also deactivated her transformation. Since even her teacher Kakuzu had conceded, there would be no result if she continued to fight, so she might as well go up and drink the milk tea her husband had ordered.

"Hmm, go to the spectator stands and witness the final winner."

Kakuzu nodded, and with Zhenzi, leaped up to the spectator stand. Seeing his wife arrive, Shenhuo immediately ran over to welcome her with a wagging tail.

"It's not shameful for you to lose to the Super Rider~"

Uchiha Gin, who had been waiting for the two for a long time, waved at them and offered a very friendly word of comfort.

"My skills are inferior to others. If there are no accidents, the winner of this competition will be him."

Kakuzu sighed slightly in his heart, then answered with a look of relief.

"It's okay, work harder next time, I'm rooting for you~"

You even rubbed out the Emperor Sword for me, Lao Du, your future is limitless!

"There's a next time?"

The people present were stunned. Could it be that this kind of competition would be a permanent fixture in the future?

"That's for sure. The fate of a knight is to fight. As long as knights exist for one day, the fighting will not end~"

Uchiha Gin shook his finger and pointed out the final fate borne by knights.

"Zhenzi, are you hurt?"

Shenhuo checked his wife up and down with a worried face. Zhenzi smiled and shook her head, then touched her slightly protruding lower abdomen, the expression on her face gradually becoming dim.

"I'm sorry, Lord Shen."

"I'm the one who should apologize. You're the one who went to fight, and you're the one who bore the pain. As someone who can only OMO, what right do I have to blame you?"

Shenhuo's face revealed a look of tenderness as he gently stroked Zhenzi's soft hair, his voice filled with deep self-reproach.

"It's okay, we can think of other ways. I heard there is a gynecological expert in Konoha who is famous in the Ninja World. We can go find him to take a look."

"How about we go ask that Brother Decade first? Maybe he has a way. Even if he can't help us, at least he can point us in the right direction."

His gaze fell on Uchiha Gin on the side. Recalling the magical aspects of the other party, Shenhuo thought for a while and decided to take a risk.

If the other party was also helpless, the couple would have no choice but to go to Konoha to find a professional physician.

On the other side, Uchiha Gin looked at Kakuzu, who was counting the battle damage, with regret.

"Lao Du, I can only say your luck is too bad. You ran into a pervert in the preliminaries. Otherwise, making it into the top three would be guaranteed~"

"Are there rewards for the top three?"

Kakuzu's eyes went black when he heard this. If he had known, he wouldn't have conceded so rashly.

"That's not it, only the champion has them."

"Then it's fine. The sooner you surrender, the sooner it ends. You know, I'm making millions up and down every minute~" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 392 =====