Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

Hui's concerns were not baseless.

Indeed, someone was already scheming against him in the shadows.

That figure—or rather, that entity—was none other than Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu was a unique existence, born from the will of Kaguya Otsutsuki. In essence, he was her third "child," created with the sole purpose of freeing Kaguya from the seal imposed by Hagoromo and Hamura Otsutsuki.

To achieve this goal, Black Zetsu became the ultimate manipulator of the shinobi world, singlehandedly orchestrating its history.

And in the end, he succeeded.

If the story of Naruto could be summed up, it might well be retitled The Tale of Black Zetsu's Quest to Save His Mother.

Black Zetsu believed everything in the shinobi world was under his control. 

Even individuals like Indra and Asura, Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha, who were peerless geniuses in their time, were mere pawns in his grand game.

But Hui was different. His growth was far too rapid, advancing to such a level before Black Zetsu could properly react.

This anomaly alarmed Black Zetsu, who realized he needed to act immediately. If he delayed any longer, Hui might soon ascend to the Six Paths' level, beyond anyone's reach.

"Mochizuki Hui… What an extraordinary ninja," Black Zetsu murmured in a secluded corner of the shinobi world. 

His tone betrayed both amazement and unease. "To grow to this degree in such a short time… far beyond my expectations."

A plan began to take shape in Black Zetsu's mind.

…

Meanwhile, in a small country tucked away in the shinobi world, Hui remained a topic of fervent discussion.

Though Konoha had grown accustomed to Hui's exploits, elsewhere, his legend was still a burning topic.

In the forest of this small nation, a group of ninjas moved swiftly through the trees, executing a mission.

One of them recounting on of Hui's take to his friends, "...After forcing the Kumogakure into surrender, Mochizuki Hui launched an unprecedented assault from the Land of the Moon, crossing thousands of miles to the Land of Rain. Exploiting the gap in intel, he caught the Iwa and Suna forces completely off guard.

"When he reached the Land of Rain, he annihilated a 3,000-strong Iwa-Suna ambush unit. Then, he lured their main force into the Land of Lightning.

"There, with a single Heaven's Calamity technique, he killed four to five thousand ninjas and, defeated the Second Tsuchikage Mu and the Second Kazekage Shamon in one-on-two combat!

"In just a single day, in one battle, he forced both the Iwagakure and Sunagakure to surrender. That was the moment he became the 'Demi-God of Shinobi.'

"Then, without pausing, he rushed to the kirigakure battlefield. Before their elite forces, he instantly killed the wielder of the Kubikiribōchō from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and slew the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, who was holding off Konoha's forces!"

His voice trembled with excitement as he recounted the tale.

"This war was like a personal one man show to showcase of Mochizuki Hui's power. It's absolutely terrifying—he's not even 17 yet!"

The other ninjas around him couldn't help but be stirred. Their blood ran hot, as if Hui's achievements had imbued them with courage.

"Mochizuki Hui will definitely become the God of Shinobi in the future! No, he already is!" declared one ninja, his admiration plain.

"Exactly! We thought we'd missed the era of the God of Shinobi, but here we are. A new era is dawning!"

"I wonder who's stronger—Hui or Hashirama Senju," another thought aloud, their eyes lighting up before quickly dimming with disappointment.

Hashirama was long dead, and the two paragons of their respective eras could never face each other.

"Hmph! That brat Mochizuki Hui compared to Hashirama Senju? Please. A so-called 'demigod' is nothing but a slightly bigger ant in the presence of the God of Shinobi

"You younglins's simply can't imagine the power of God of Shinobie's!"

A low, cold voice interrupted their discussion, startling the group.

They turned toward the source, ready to confront this newcomer who belittled Hui. But as they saw who it was, their blood ran cold.

"Kakuzu?!"

One of them gasped, their voice filled with terror. It was obvious that he recognised the infamous bounty hunter.

"Your bounties may be low, but I don't mind. Besides, I could use a new heart."

Kakuzu's voice was chilling, sending shivers down their spines.

"Run! Quickly!" one of the ninjas yelled, fleeing without hesitation.

They knew they were no match for Kakuzu. Many stronger than them had fallen prey to him.

"You think it's that easy to escape?"

Kakuzu extended his hands, black tendrils erupting from his body to hunt down three fleeing ninjas. At the same time, his main body lunged at the other two, his elongated arms gripping their throats with inhuman strength.

"Argh!"

Their screams echoed briefly before silence fell. 

The lifeless bodies of the ninjas slumped to the ground, one with a gaping hole where his heart had been. Kakuzu now held his prize, another heart to become one of his five hearts.

"Mochizuki Hui, huh? What an tempting bounty…"

Kakuzu muttered to himself, staring at a wanted poster depicting the young and strikingly handsome ninja. To Kakuzu, Hui was more than just a boy—he was a walking fortune.

But despite his greed, Kakuzu stowed the bounty notice away. He had considered hunting Hui, but his instincts held him back.

Mocking Hui aloud was one thing, but Kakuzu was no fool. Someone who could kill both the Second Tsuchikage and Second Kazekage in a single battle wasn't a target he could approach lightly.

Besides, after the war, Hui hadn't left Konoha, it would be incredbly hard to find an opportunity to ambush him.

Regret tinged his voice as he muttered, "I should've acted a year and a half ago…"

Carrying the corpses, Kakuzu disappeared into the forest, abandoning any thoughts of pursuing Hui.

However, Black Zetsu was not one to leave matters to chance. If Hui represented a threat, Black Zetsu would deploy any means necessary to eliminate him.

Even Kakuzu, a formidable bounty hunter, was now merely another pawn in Black Zetsu's grand design.

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