Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

Beyond the outskirts of Takigakure, the corpses of more than a dozen ninjas lay scattered across the road, their lifeless forms testament to a recent battle. At the center of the carnage stood Kakuzu, holding one of the village elders by the throat with a single hand.

The elder, despite his dire situation, formed hand seals with a desperate urgency. Electricity began crackling in his hands.

"Lightning Release: Thunderstrike—"

His words were cut short, his breath stolen by Kakuzu's iron grip. Gasping for air, his hands faltered, and the lightning dissipated. His eyes filled with defiance, but his body betrayed him, growing limp in Kakuzu's grasp.

"Kakuzu, you... You—"

"Heh," Kakuzu sneered, his voice cold and mocking. "Your Lightning Release is decent, for someone from Takigakure. I'll make good use of it."

Black tendrils snaked from Kakuzu's body, piercing the elder's flesh. Within moments, the elder's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and Kakuzu's wounds began to stitch themselves closed, his vitality restored.

Standing amidst the battlefield, Kakuzu stretched his arms wide, tilting his head back to gaze at the sky. A smirk played on his lips as he exhaled in satisfaction, reveling in the surging power coursing through him.

For several days, Kakuzu had been on a relentless hunt, targeting the upper echelons of Takigakure. A village as small as this had only a handful of elite jonin, most of whom had already fallen to Kakuzu's rampage. This was his vengeance—a calculated purge of those he deemed responsible for betraying him.

"Five o'clock. Movement spotted."

"Let's check it out. Stay sharp."

Faint voices and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the distance. Kakuzu turned his gaze in their direction, a glimmer of disdain flashing across his eyes. Likely reinforcements from the village, he mused. But what could they do?

With most of Takigakure's jonin either dead or cowering in fear, the remaining forces were little more than fodder. Kakuzu had no interest in wasting his energy on lower-ranked shinobi. In an instant, he vanished, leaving behind only the lifeless bodies as grim evidence of his assault.

On a remote mountaintop, Kakuzu stood alone, savoring the tranquility. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp, untainted air. Clenching his fists, he felt the raw, boundless energy flowing through him.

"Open," he murmured.

The black threads that composed his body surged outward, unraveling as four distinct figures emerged from his back. Each figure was unique, their appearances tailored to their elemental affinities.

[Fire Alpha wore a red mask and had a towering, muscular build. It specialized in Fire Release.]

[Water Beta donned a blue mask, its body bristling with spiked threads, capable of unleashing] devastating Water Release techniques.

[Lightning Gamma, with its slim, angular form and triangular-threaded head, mastered Lightning Release.]

[Wind Delta, the most humanoid in appearance, wielded Wind Release with lethal precision.]

These four entities were not merely extensions of Kakuzu's power, they were fully autonomous fighters capable of executing his strategies with unwavering obedience. Though each specialized in a single elemental jutsu, their strength rivaled that of elite jonin. Together, they significantly amplified Kakuzu's combat potential, providing him with additional angles of attack and overwhelming his enemies with their combined might.

Should he choose, Kakuzu could recall them into his body, consolidating their power and granting himself access to all five elements simultaneously. His original heart, which governed Earth Release, remained his foundation. With it, he could perform techniques like Earth Spear, which enhanced his body's durability tenfold—both a potent offensive weapon and an impenetrable defense.

As the threads retracted, the elemental masks returned to Kakuzu's back, sealing themselves in place.

"Five elite jonin's worth of power and five lives to spare," Kakuzu muttered, flexing his hands. A dark satisfaction settled over him.

Once, he had been the strongest shinobi in Takigakure. Now, armed with the forbidden art of Earth Grudge Fear, he was untouchable. The village was nothing more than an afterthought, a remnant of his past that held no challenge for him anymore.

But as Kakuzu savored his newfound supremacy, his gaze darkened. Somewhere, he knew, there would always be those foolish enough to stand in his way.

Kakuzu's piercing gaze swept over the valley below, his sharp eyes reflecting the figures of several Takigakure shinobi. They were moving cautiously, combing the area in search of him. For over a week now, Takigakure had been relentlessly hunting him, deploying teams of shinobi in a ceaseless, grid-like search.

And Kakuzu had indulged them. He often made a point of revealing himself, only to slaughter every shinobi they sent his way. By his count, at least twenty jōnin and elite jōnin had fallen by his hand, not to mention the countless chūnin.

"Heh... If none of you fear death, who am I to deny you?" Kakuzu murmured, a cold grin tugging at the corner of his lips. In an instant, his form vanished from the mountaintop.

The next moment—

"What are you looking for?"

The calm, almost mocking tone came from behind a patrolling squad, making them jump in fright. Seven or eight shinobi spun around, kunai raised, their faces pale with terror. When their eyes landed on Kakuzu, their expressions froze. Legs trembling, their very souls seemed to flee their bodies.

This was no ordinary enemy, this was a demon incarnate. The sheer number of their comrades who had perished at his hands these past days was unthinkable.

Kakuzu's sharp gaze swept over the group, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Not bad. You've even brought a jōnin along. Looks like Takigakure's leadership is feeling generous these days—sending out jōnin as though they're disposable."

Lowering his folded arms, Kakuzu began to step forward, his every movement deliberate and menacing. The squad leader—a jōnin—felt the weight of Kakuzu's gaze fix upon him. His mind blanked, and his body moved instinctively.

Thud!

Overwhelmed by fear, the jōnin dropped to one knee. It wasn't a full prostration, but the single-knee kneel was a gesture of both submission and deference in the shinobi world.

"P-please, Kakuzu-sama, stay your hand!" the jōnin stammered, his voice shaking but desperate to convey his intent. "We didn't come to hunt you! The new village head, Lord Kimu, wishes to negotiate with you. He respectfully asks for your audience. After all, once… once, we were comrades of the same village."

The jōnin poured out his words in a single breath, terrified that even the smallest delay might spell his death. Sweat dripped from his face as his breathing quickened. He kept his gaze lowered, not daring to meet Kakuzu's eyes, and knelt there silently, awaiting judgment.

Kakuzu stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at the words.

"Oh?" He tilted his head slightly, intrigued despite himself. Takigakure's leadership—reaching out to him for negotiations? That was unexpected.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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