"Kakuzu, you bastard! We have no grudge against each other, yet you attack Takigakure? Unforgivable!"
"As long as I stand, the village stands! You won't set foot in Takigakure!"
Standing at the center of a thousand-man force, Shinnosuke roared furiously at Kakuzu as soon as he arrived. However, Kakuzu simply scoffed.
No grudge?
He kept harping on Takigakure like it was some sacred ground. What a joke.
If Kakuzu hadn't come today, it wouldn't have been long before the village branded him a rogue ninja. But that was never going to happen—he would never wear the title of a missing-nin. That was what separated him from the Kakuzu of the original timeline, the one who perished under a Wind Release-infused protagonist's plot armor.
Now that he was here, there was no need for words.
Whoosh!
Kakuzu shrugged off his cloak, letting it drift through the air. The winds slowed its descent, but his intentions were clear—Takigakure was his for the taking today. Not even the Sage of Six Paths himself could stop him!
His body blurred like the wind, moving with lightning speed. In an instant, he was at the heart of the battlefield.
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
A ferocious blaze erupted, engulfing the battlefield in flames that stretched for hundreds of meters.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
A raging tempest followed, sharp as a blade, slicing through everything in its path.
The moment the fire and wind combined—
Boom!
A sea of flames surged skyward, roaring like a lion about to devour its prey.
"A-Ah?!"
"What is this?!"
"This… this isn't real!"
"No… impossible—!"
Takigakure had existed for decades, and war was no stranger to its lands. But had they ever witnessed the true might of the battlefield?
Had they ever stood against the Five Great Nations?
No.
And today, Kakuzu would make them realize just how small their world was.
The inferno spread, its searing heat licking at the bodies of countless Takigakure shinobi. Those who knew Water Release desperately conjured jutsu to douse the flames, while others scrambled for any means to put out the fire consuming their comrades.
As the chaos unfolded, a figure stormed through the flames.
Kakuzu.
The mere sight of him sent a chill down the spines of the already burning shinobi. It was as if the Grim Reaper's scythe had been placed at their throats.
But Kakuzu didn't even spare them a glance.
The rumors were true—Fire Release alone wasn't usually enough to kill. But that only applied to ordinary shinobi.
For those unfortunate enough to cross his path today? Death was a certainty.
Like a lightning bolt, he shot forward, his momentum unstoppable. As his feet ground to a halt, the sheer force carved deep trenches into the earth beneath him.
He had found his target.
Shinnosuke stared at Kakuzu in horror, his mind struggling to process reality. He shook his head, trying to convince himself this wasn't a nightmare.
A single Fire Release technique had shattered an entire thousand-man force.
This wasn't just an insult to him—it was an insult to all of Takigakure.
Unbelievable. Absolutely!
A shiver ran down Shinnosuke's spine as he realized he was face-to-face with Kakuzu. He was just a mere elite jōnin, barely considered strong by any standard. What was he supposed to do against a monster like this?
In his panic, he resorted to the only thing he could.
"You idiots, hurry and help me!"
Most of the Takigakure shinobi were still struggling against the flames, but a small group who had avoided the worst of the fire immediately regrouped. A few dozen rushed forward to rescue their village leader.
Unfortunately for them, they never even got halfway.
A pair of long, slender legs stepped into their path, their owner clad in a crimson split dress.
A woman smiled at them—her expression laced with an eerie, dominant air.
"You damn woman! Get out of the way!"
"Move, or we'll tear you apart!"
"It's just a single woman! She's nothing to—"
"Charge!"
With battle cries, they lunged forward—only for the woman to gracefully lift the whip in her hand above her head.
Boom!
A massive, armored turtle materialized before them.
The beast swung its enormous tail in a sweeping arc, striking down every shinobi in its path like a tide washing away fallen leaves.
Standing atop the turtle's shell, the woman's crimson dress fluttered around her legs as she pressed a foot down onto the throat of a half-conscious Takigakure shinobi.
"You pathetic fools," she sneered. "So quick to judge by appearances."
A glint of amusement flashed in her eyes before it was quickly replaced by a predatory gleam.
Her beauty was reserved for one person alone— Kakuzu. As for everyone else? They were beneath her.
"Stay out of Lord Kakuzu's way. Understood?"
Her voice was calm, but the overwhelming aura she exuded sent shivers through every Takigakure shinobi present.
They wanted to save their leader, truly they did.
But could they really win against this woman?
Perhaps it was best if Shinnosuke prayed for his own survival.
Meanwhile, Shinnosuke was internally cursing his subordinates to the depths of hell.
Useless! Every last one of them, utterly useless!
But curses wouldn't change the fact that Kakuzu stood before him.
Kakuzu's voice was indifferent as he asked, "Do you have anything that might entertain me?"
Shinnosuke clenched his teeth. He wanted to scream that he did—he really did.
But did it even matter?
"Kakuzu, don't get too cocky! There's no way I'll just hand over my position!"
"Heh!" Kakuzu chuckled, unimpressed. Even at this point, Shinnosuke was still talking tough. Fine, so be it. No one could say Kakuzu bullied the weak—he'd give Shinnosuke a chance.
Seeing Kakuzu give him a slight nod, silently acknowledging that he could make his move, Shinnosuke hesitated for a moment. His mind was racing through the possibilities, but soon, he made his decision—he would fight Kakuzu with everything he had.
Reaching behind him, Shinnosuke pulled out a small flask, swiftly uncorking it. The reflection in his eyes showed the vibrant green liquid inside. Without a second thought, he shut his eyes and chugged it down in one gulp.
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
The liquid flowed down his throat, and as soon as the flask was empty, he tossed it aside.
Crash!
The sound of shattering ceramic echoed through the air, but Shinnosuke didn't care. His entire body trembled for a moment before his chakra surged explosively.
"Kakuzu, I admit you're strong, but you're far too arrogant! A ninja who misjudges information will pay the price with his life!"
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, now somewhat intrigued.
"And what, exactly, gives you this sudden burst of confidence?"
"Hero Water!" Shinnosuke wiped the remaining liquid from his lips. There was no need to keep it a secret anymore—Kakuzu deserved to know before he died.
At the mention of Hero Water, Kakuzu fell silent for a brief moment.
As a former ninja of Takigakure, he naturally knew what it was. Deep in the heart of Takigakure stood an ancient tree that, once every hundred years, produced a small reservoir of mystical water. Drinking it would instantly amplify one's chakra tenfold.
That was Hero Water.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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