The sky was exceptionally clear today, with a refreshing breeze that made the atmosphere soothing. Kakuzu, clad in his usual coat and carrying a bag in hand, strode leisurely toward Konoha's gates. He had gathered everything he needed—it was time to leave.
As he reached the gates, Kakuzu greeted the two gatekeepers warmly. They returned the gesture politely. Without breaking stride, Kakuzu walked out of the gates and through Konoha's barrier. Heading north, he traveled for about ten miles before his steps abruptly came to a halt.
"Heh. I never thought someone as low-profile as me would have the honor of a personal send-off today," Kakuzu said, unhurried as he placed his bag on the ground. If someone had come all this way, it would be rude not to acknowledge their efforts.
Leaning against a nearby tree, Tobirama Senju slowly opened his eyes. His red pupils locked onto Kakuzu, and his blue armor exuded an imposing aura of killing intent.
"My Flying Thunder God mark—how did you remove it?" Tobirama's voice was calm, but his tone carried a sharp edge. He hadn't felt the slightest disturbance when Kakuzu passed through the barrier earlier.
Kakuzu raised his left arm and waved it casually.
"You mean this?" he replied with a smirk.
During their first encounter, Tobirama had left his Flying Thunder God seal on Kakuzu's left arm. That mark wasn't something one could just scrub off or wash away. Even when Kakuzu destroyed his own arm and reconstructed it with the threads of his Earth Grudge Fear, the seal clung stubbornly to the new limb like a tenacious leech.
Kakuzu understood this was a bona fide space-time ninjutsu. The mark didn't adhere to physical matter but rather to the space the matter occupied. Initially, Kakuzu believed he'd need a body on par with the Sage of Six Paths to counter it. However, by sheer luck, he stumbled upon a solution. As for how? He'd let Tobirama figure that out himself.
"It's quite the honor to have the Second Hokage personally see me off," Kakuzu remarked dryly. "Not bad, not bad at all."
Though the Daimyō's appointment hadn't officially arrived, Kakuzu estimated the paperwork was already en route.
"Kakuzu, there's no need for meaningless talk. You know why I'm here," Tobirama said after a pause, his gaze unwavering. "The ninja world is on the brink of chaos. I can sense a great war looming on the horizon. I want you to stay and assist me."
Tobirama's instincts in such matters were rarely wrong. The First Great Ninja War wasn't far off. The fragile peace that had lasted for over a decade was now stretched thin, with tensions brewing among the villages for just as long. The Valley of the End had left behind a powerful deterrent in the forms of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, but doubts lingered. Were those two titans truly dead, or was it all an elaborate ruse by Konoha?
These uncertainties held the villages back—for now. But the growing hatred was like an overinflated balloon, ready to burst at any moment.
"You make a compelling argument," Kakuzu said with a nod before shrugging. "Unfortunately, it has little to do with me."
Did Tobirama want him to assassinate a Mizukage? Or eliminate a Raikage? Such actions would undoubtedly create massive butterfly effects, reshaping the future of the ninja world. Kakuzu wasn't interested in that. His current strength was far from sufficient to alter the course of history meaningfully.
To influence the world, one needed power on par with Hashirama and Madara—something Kakuzu didn't have. For now, it was better to bide his time. Of course, these thoughts weren't something he'd bother explaining to Tobirama, who likely wouldn't understand anyway.
Tobirama took a step forward, lowering his crossed arms.
"And if I insist on making you stay?"
Kakuzu chuckled, pointing at Tobirama. "A name might be mischosen, but a nickname never lies. You truly are a bandit at heart."
He glanced around. "No ANBU?"
"They're unnecessary. I alone am enough to bring you back," Tobirama said confidently. Yet he knew the truth. Against someone of Kakuzu's caliber, bringing others would only lead to needless casualties.
"Come then. It's been years since we last fought properly," Tobirama added.
Kakuzu tossed his coat aside. The heavy fabric landed with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. For a shinobi, disrobing before a fight was a sign of respect for a strong opponent.
Without another word, Tobirama raised a hand. A sharp, high-pitched sound cut through the air as two steel wires gleamed in the sunlight, connected to his arms. Beneath Kakuzu's feet, hundreds of explosive tags lay in wait, forming a seemingly crude yet deadly trap.
The simplicity of the setup belied its true nature. It was a testament to Tobirama's keen intelligence and meticulous planning—gathering precise intel, crafting an effective ambush, and exploiting his opponent's habits to perfection.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the valley, and thick black smoke billowed into the sky. The shockwave shattered everything nearby into fragments.
Tobirama, holding a kunai crackling with lightning, leaped into the air and darted toward the center of the smoke. Hundreds of explosive tags were enough to obliterate most shinobi, leaving not even a trace of their remains.
However, Tobirama Senju was willing to bet that his attack would have minimal effect on Kakuzu. His sharp sensory perception confirmed his suspicion: within the billowing black smoke, Kakuzu stood firmly, entirely unscathed. As expected, he was fine.
The lightning around Tobirama's arm crackled even more intensely. Today, he would use this technique to shatter Kakuzu's defenses. But there was one thing Tobirama hadn't anticipated.
From the thick cloud of smoke, a hand suddenly emerged. Its palm was open, revealing a crimson, eye-like aperture in the center. Although Tobirama couldn't identify the nature of the technique, his instincts screamed of impending danger.
"Here's your gift, returned."
A scarlet glow emanated from Kakuzu's palm as a surge of violent energy burst forth like a raging torrent.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The explosions roared one after another.
Tobirama, now standing dozens of meters away, narrowed his eyes. The familiar sound and force were unmistakable—it was the detonation of explosive tags.
He redirected my explosion back at me?
With his vast battle experience, Tobirama immediately recognized that the blasts were indeed from his own explosive tags. But just as he began analyzing Kakuzu's ability, the sound of the ground cracking reached his ears.
Crack!
A hand shot up from the earth, clutching Tobirama's ankle.
Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique.
The ground groaned as Tobirama's body was dragged underground and buried. Kakuzu leapt to solid ground, but he didn't let his guard down.
Would it really be so easy to capture Tobirama Senju? Of course not.
Splash!
The Tobirama in front of him dissolved into a puddle of water. It was only a water clone.
Kakuzu glanced at the spreading water, realizing that the real battle was only beginning. Where there was water, a Water Release ninja could truly shine.
From the treetops, Tobirama had already formed his hand seals.
"Water Release: Exploding Wave Surge!"
The sound of rushing water echoed as a torrent began to form. What had initially been a small stream now swelled into a massive, reservoir-like surge. The colossal wave engulfed Kakuzu from every direction, leaving no escape.
At the heart of the water, a deafening explosion detonated.
BOOM!
The force rivaled the detonation of hundreds of explosive tags. The water erupted outward like a rain of steel needles, piercing tree trunks and tearing the ground apart. The once-flat terrain was left riddled with craters.
From the treetops, Tobirama's gaze sharpened. This was the battlefield of a true Water Release master, and the fight was far from over.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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