Naruto: I have an attribute panel

Chapter 450 A Show of Force and True Value

"You didn't notice at all?"

Konan raised her hand, her slender fingers casually pointing to Hiruko's left and right sides, and finally to the upper diagonal behind him.

"The leader actually arrived a long time ago."

"Wh-what?!" Hiruko's anger froze instantly, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, and all the blood in his body seemed to freeze at that moment.

An indescribable chill shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head. He abruptly turned his head, following the direction Xiao Nan was pointing, and frantically scanned his surroundings with a look of horror and disbelief.

His pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints as soon as they met his gaze!

To the left front, a figure dressed in a black robe with red cloud patterns floated silently. His short, orange-red hair stood out starkly in the rain, and several eerie black metal rods were stuck into his face. Most chilling of all were his emotionless, purple, wavy eyes!

To the right rear, in the shadow of the giant tree's canopy, a figure wearing an orange spiral mask seemed like a phantom as it passed straight through the branches and landed on the ground.

Behind and slightly above, a creature that was half black and half white, like a bizarre combination of plant and human, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and made a silent laugh.

Three people! Forming a triangular formation, they firmly locked him in the center!

And he was completely unaware of this! Until the other party showed up on their own!

"This—how is this possible—" Hiruko's voice was dry, like sandpaper being rubbed, and his body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

The anger and humiliation of the past receded like the tide, leaving only boundless fear and chilling awe.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, his pitiful pride and resentment were crushed to pieces.

"When—when did they get close—I didn't even notice—"

Beiruk muttered to himself, his expression immediately becoming respectful.

"Tsk tsk tsk, they really know how to seize the moment!"

A word that was neither mockery nor praise came from Bai Jue's mouth, and Bei Liu Hu's already pale face instantly turned bright red, as if it were about to bleed. He lowered his head tightly, not daring to meet the three tangible gazes again.

"This is—" Konan's cool voice rang out at the right moment, as if offering Hiruko a way out. She pointed to Pain, "This is our Akatsuki leader, Lord Pain."

Her gaze swept over Obito and Zetsu. "These two are also official members of the organization."

Payne's gaze lingered on Hiruko for a moment, his calm eyes revealing no emotion. He didn't speak, but simply turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Kakuzu, who was leaning against a tree trunk.

One look is enough.

A hint of impatience flashed in Kakuzu's dark green pupils, but he still quite consciously straightened up, stepped out of the shadow of the ancient tree, and finally stood ten steps in front of Hiruko.

"The leader wants me to test your strength," Kakuzu's voice was low and hoarse. "Show me your full power, brat. Otherwise—"

He didn't say the rest of his words, but the killing intent flashing in his dark green eyes carried more weight than any threat.

Hiruko took a deep breath of the cold, damp air, forcibly suppressing the fear and humiliation in his heart.

He knew this was his only chance. A chance to survive, a chance to prove his worth!

He suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes, and his hands instantly formed a hand seal!

Steel Release: Hardening Technique.

With a low growl, Hiruko's body suddenly underwent a dramatic change! His skin surface visibly developed a cold metallic sheen, and its color rapidly deepened, changing from grayish-white to a deep, heavy dark silver.

In the blink of an eye, he seemed to transform into a statue cast from living metal!

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Kakuzu's dark green eyes, but more so, an interest like that of someone seeing a new prey. "A metallic body? Interesting."

Before he finished speaking, he had already raised his hands, moving so fast that only a blur remained!

Fire Release: Head Carving!

Wind Release: Pressure Damage!

A massive, blazing fireball and a violently compressed vortex of wind erupted almost simultaneously! The wind fueled the fire, and the fire, aided by the wind, created a vast, all-encompassing storm of flames, carrying an aura of annihilation that swept fiercely toward the metallized Hiruko!

The surrounding rainwater was instantly evaporated into a large cloud of white mist, and the temperature in the forest soared!

Faced with this terrifying combination of ninjutsu, Hiruko's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint, and he neither dodged nor evaded!

He let out a deep growl, pushing his Steel Release to its limit. His dark silver body gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the firelight, like the most solid fortress, as he crashed headlong into the destructive firestorm!

"boom!!!"

A deafening explosion echoed through the forest! The violent shockwave, carrying intense heat, spread rapidly in all directions, snapping trees and scorching their branches and leaves.

Thick smoke and steam billowed and rose into the air.

However, Hiruko went straight through the center of the explosion and continued charging towards Kakuzu.

"Defense—not bad indeed." Kakuzu commented coldly, but his eyes sharpened even more. He could see that although his opponent's defense was amazing, his speed and agility seemed to have been greatly reduced after transforming into metal.

Hiruko endured the burning pain and tremors throughout his body, letting out a low roar. Like a wounded metal beast, he suddenly exerted his strength, trying to close the distance and use the terrifying power and defense granted by his Steel Release to engage in close-quarters combat!

However, with Kakuzu's vast combat experience, would he really give him that opportunity?

The two chased and retreated, and as Kakuzu retreated, his hands never stopped, continuously releasing one ninjutsu after another.

While creating obstacles for Hiruko, they continuously weakened his defenses.

While Steel Release can metalize the body and provide sufficient defense, it also has its limits.

In particular, Kakuzu's Fire Release and Lightning Release are quite effective against Steel Release.

Finally, when Hiruko's metallic luster faded to its lowest point, Kakuzu unleashed his ultimate attack.

The instant Hiruko activated his technique, Kakuzu formed hand seals again, moving even faster!

Lightning Release: False Darkness!

A blinding azure lightning instantly condensed into a violent lightning spear in his palm! With a sharp, tearing sound, it struck the already exhausted Hiruko instantly.

"Sizzle—!"

The raging lightning wolf slammed into Hiruko's metal chest.

A dazzling electric snake instantly crawled all over his body. Hiruko let out a shrill scream that went from shrill to distorted. His metallic body convulsed and twitched violently under the high voltage, and the dark silver luster instantly turned black.

He could no longer hold on and collapsed heavily to his knees in the cold mud with a "plop." His whole body went numb, and the metallic state receded rapidly like the tide, revealing his originally pale skin, now covered with charred wounds.

lost.

The defeat was so swift and so complete.

Faced with Kakuzu's shrewd tactics, his proud Steel Release technique failed to even touch the hem of Kakuzu's clothes from beginning to end.

All I can say is that Kakuzu really has a way of restraining Hiruko right now.

Payne's eyes remained completely calm, as if everything before him was merely a trivial interlude.

Obito's gaze behind the mask held undisguised contempt, as if he were looking at a failed product. Zetsu's mockery was even more blatant.

Xiao Nan slightly furrowed her delicate brows, looking at the weak and listless Hiruko in the muddy water, a subtle and complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Despite the pressure from Kakuzu, the person she finally found after many days of hard work—and the combat strength she displayed was indeed somewhat disappointing.

Only the sound of rain washing away the mud and the suppressed, painful breathing of Hiruko remained in the dense forest.

Payne finally spoke, his voice cold, flat, and devoid of any emotion, as if stating a given fact: "Your strength is only this much?"

That indifferent tone made Hiruko feel more ashamed than any rebuke.

The immense loss and utter despair of being completely rejected instantly gripped Hiruko's heart, almost suffocating him.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the anguish in his heart.

However, in this suffocating silence, Payne's cold words rang out again, like the last faint candlelight igniting his remaining hope: "Speak, you, and your research." Payne's gaze, as if it were tangible, fell on Hiruko. "Akatsuki doesn't keep useless people. Prove your worth."

Prove your worth!

These five words exploded in Bilyukh's mind like a thunderclap!

He suddenly raised his head, ignoring the excruciating pain in his body and the blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. The defeated look on his face vanished, replaced by an almost manic excitement!

"Research! Yes! My research!" Hiruko's voice became hoarse and high-pitched with excitement. "The Demon Sprout Technique! This is my true value! This is the power capable of changing everything!"

He struggled to his feet, staggering from his injuries, but he paid no heed, his eyes burning with fanatical flames as he stared intently at Pain's cold Rinnegan: "What you saw was Steel Release! Just the beginning! Just the first step!" He waved his arms as if to tear apart the rain before him, "Demon Sprout Technique, it can devour and fuse, perfectly integrating the power of different creatures and different bloodline limits. Making it one's own, breaking the shackles of bloodlines, breaking the cage of talent!"

He pointed to the charred wounds on his body, his voice trembling with extreme excitement: "Steel Release! Do you see? This power didn't originally belong to me! I obtained it by absorbing and fusing with a ninja who possessed the Steel Release bloodline limit through the Oni-Garra Technique!"

This body, this once ordinary body, now possesses a defense of steel! This is just the first one!

'

He suddenly opened his arms wide, as if to embrace the whole world, his face radiating an almost divine light: "Steel Release is just the foundation! Give me enough resources and enough support! I can integrate even more!"

Swift Release, Dark Release, Storm Release, even Byakugan and Sharingan —

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a do-or-die determination and ambition: "As long as the conditions are ripe and the theory is perfected—" His gaze swept almost greedily over Payne's eyes, then quickly lowered, filled with extreme fanaticism and awe, "even your eyes could—no! They are inevitable! The ultimate goal of the Demon Sprout Technique is to gather all bloodlines into one body, becoming a truly perfect god, transcending the mortal realm!"

Payne's eye twitched slightly.

god?

A disdainful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he did not offer any objection.

Having ideals is good. Having ideals gives you motivation, and that's exactly the kind of talent organizations need.

"I approve of your research."

Payne spoke coldly, but his words filled Hiruko with immense joy. The recognition of his research by others was more gratifying than any increase in his strength.

"But your strength still needs to be improved. The Akatsuki organization does not tolerate useless people. The organization will fulfill the conditions that Konan promised you before, but within six months, we also need to see you fuse a second bloodline limit. This is how we demonstrate your value."

With that, Payne took out a ring marked with the word "empty" and tossed it over.

"This is a ring that every official member of the organization possesses. It has your code name on it. You can find out its purpose by connecting your chakra to the ring."

Hiruko reached out and took the ring, eagerly putting it on the little finger of his left hand, and began to explore its function with his chakra.

Before Payne could finish speaking, he glanced at Kakuzu, who was resting to the side, and then at Hiruko, who was still fiddling with his ring. This combination seemed pretty good.

"Next, Kong Chen, you and Beidou (Jakuzu) will work together to complete the tasks assigned by the organization in the future. You can arrange your own free time."

After saying that, without waiting for Hiruko's reaction, he returned directly to the base, and Konan, Obito, and Zetsu also left one after another.

Beiluhu was stunned for a moment before he realized that Kong Chen was talking about him.

He had just noticed that everyone was wearing the same style of ring on different fingers.

The only one left on the field, the one who fought him, is wearing a ring marked with the North on the middle finger of his left hand. It seems that Beidou is him.

Hiruko was a man who was willing to put aside his pride, and immediately stepped forward to befriend Kakuzu.

Kakuzu already had some reservations about partnering with Minami, mainly because Minami worked too hard and was taking away from his time to make money.

Now look what's happened! A guy with no experience and who can't even beat me has arrived. From now on, I'll be in charge of this team.

With this in mind, he rarely showed a chilling smile and began to talk to Hiruko quite enthusiastically, introducing him to Akatsuki's situation and benefits.

Meanwhile, Payne took the lead, walking back to the base. He didn't care how Kakuzu and Hiruko would get along; as long as the two could complete the tasks he assigned, he would acknowledge their identities.

Otherwise, he wouldn't mind replacing them with new people.

Behind him, a familiar sound of footsteps approached. Payne continued walking, but noticeably slowed down.

In just a few breaths, Xiao Nan caught up from behind.

"Nagato, how have you been feeling lately?"

Konan and Payne walked side by side, and now that they were alone, she put aside her official duties and immediately inquired about Nagato's health.

"Don't worry, as always, I won't die easily before we achieve our goal."

Nagato controlled Pain, and his tone was gentle as he spoke to Konan.

Konan inquired about Nagato's recent situation before changing the subject to business.

"Just before I arrived, I thought I heard that Madara was angry. What happened? He usually seems so confident of victory."

"Hehe, you came back in a hurry, you probably haven't received the news yet. Our intelligence officer has really done a great job."

Then Nagato recounted the foolish things that Jueqian had done.

"The Akatsuki organization is currently the target of everyone's attacks. I think we may have to remain silent for a while, wait for this storm to pass, and then take action again."