How Did Kakazu's Strength Compare to Other Akatsuki Members?

When examining the strength of Kakazu within the Akatsuki, Kakazu stands out as a mid-tier member, known for his unique abilities such as stone flesh, simplistic cords within his body, and hearts that can fire nature chakra blasts. This combination makes Kakazu a formidable opponent, but his overall effectiveness in combat can be questioned due to his limited array of skills and the lack of detailed battle scenarios with specific Akatsuki members.

Kakazu’s Strength and Weakness

Despite the enhanced physical capabilities, such as stomach stones that form his skin, Kakazu’s reliance on these hearts for survival or combat highlights his vulnerability. When these hearts are destroyed, Kakazu’s life is effectively over unless more hearts regenerate. This feature, while intriguing and an iconic element in the anime, leads to the perception that Kakazu’s strength is somewhat limited compared to other high-tiered members.

His monster form displays the potential for even greater power, but this form is rarely invoked, and when it is, it often serves more as a plot device for dramatic confrontations rather than a regular fight strategy. Kakazu's monster form is hard to quantify in terms of true combat effectiveness, but it does indicate a significant boost in his abilities.

Fight Against Specific Akatsuki Members

When comparing Kakazu to other Akatsuki members, several scenarios come to the forefront. Kakazu definitely beats Zetsu, the second-tier member, due to his stomach stones making Hidan's blood-letting abilities ineffective. Even if Hidan could activate his ritual, he would only damage one of Kakazu's hearts, leaving the rest intact. Similarly, Kakazu could easily dispatch Hidan in a serious fight, potentially dismantling his limbs and burying the pieces worldwide.

Kakazu's strengths also likely outweigh those of Sasori, who is weaker against small poison projectiles, with his whip-based taejutsu. Kakazu's combat prowess can handle up to 100 puppets, but the 3rd Kazekage’s puppets pose a significant challenge. While Kakazu would struggle with these, he is expected to win in a tough fight. Against Deidera, Kakazu would have a tough time dealing with his flight and better ranged attacks, making it a close matchup. However, Kakazu has no significant wins against Konan and Kisame, nor does he stand a chance against Pain or Obito.

Against Deidera, Konan, and Kisame

Against Deidera, Kakazu’s taejutsu and hearts offer some defensive capabilities, but the unique flight and ranged attacks of Deidera make it a challenging matchup. Konan, with her ability to transform into paper and fly, would nullify Kakazu's taejutsu. She is among the fastest in the Akatsuki, better at precision attacks, and capable of handling Naruto's Jutsu. Kakazu's hearts and cords would be ineffective against her. Likewise, Kisame can flood the battlefield and tear Kakazu apart with water sharks, exploiting his environmental strength and heavy reliance on nature chakra.

Against Itachi and Pain

When pitted against the likes of Itachi or Pain, Kakazu’s weaknesses become evident. Itachi, with his unique abilities like Amaterasu and Totsuka Blade, could burn Kakazu’s main body and seal him, or use Tsukiyomi to mentally break him. Even a Susano could nullify Kakazu’s efforts, leaving him vulnerable to Itachi's various killing techniques.

Pain, who easily overcame even a Sage Mode Naruto, has a much better set of abilities, including Shinra Tensei to control Kakazu, the ability to negate nature chakra blasts, and the ability to rip out Kakazu's soul. In any of his incarnations, Pain can easily counter and negate Kakazu’s attacks. As for Obito, Kakazu has no chance due to Kamui's positioning and manipulation abilities.

Summary

In conclusion, while Kakazu is a significant part of the Akatsuki and exhibits unique abilities, his effectiveness in combat is sometimes called into question. He holds strength against some of the lower-tier Akatsuki but struggles against the high-tier members. His unique survival abilities make him a versatile combatant, but his reliance on his hearts limits his overall effectiveness in serious battles.