Land of the Moon.
A rugged and desolate valley, surrounded by towering peaks and jagged rocks. The echoes of a roar would reverberate fiercely through the mountains.
Kakuzu stood atop the mountain, one foot resting on a rock, silently taking in the unique landscape.
"Kakuzu-sama, Rokuno has returned," said Hanabusa, Kakuzu's personal assistant, with a smile from behind him.
Kakuzu gave a slight nod. Behind him, a young man carrying a massive box on his back approached. This was Heisei Rokuno, another trusted subordinate of Kakuzu in the Town.
Rokuno stopped before Kakuzu, setting the box down with care. Bowing respectfully, he said,
"Kakuzu-sama, the item you requested has been completed."
Opening the box, he revealed a massive steel greatsword, two meters in length. This blade had been forged by a renowned craftsman from the Land of Snow, commissioned for a hefty sum of 600,000 ryō.
Kakuzu reached down, picking up the greatsword with ease. It was, without a doubt, a magnificent weapon—a symbol of pride for any warrior. However, Kakuzu had no intention of using it in battle. For him, it was merely a tool for experimentation.
With a sharp whoosh, the threads of Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear technique unraveled, his body opening up in an instant.
"Suitō," he commanded.
From within Kakuzu's body, Suitō emerged. Kakuzu's brow twitched slightly, and Suitō immediately followed his unspoken instructions, channeling chakra throughout his body.
Crouching low, Suitō began to transform. Dark red chakra bubbled up and enveloped his entire form, solidifying into a tangible aura. Behind him, three tails of chakra flickered ominously.
After two and a half years, Kakuzu's experiment was finally complete. The shell of the Three-Tails' chakra had been sealed within Suitō's body.
Some might question why Kakuzu only sealed the chakra's shell instead of the full Three-Tails, creating a proper jinchūriki. The answer lay in the nature of Suitō.
"Suitō" was not a true person, lacking independent consciousness. This alone set him apart from a genuine jinchūriki. Furthermore, Kakuzu's body—once devoid of organic tissue—only began showing signs of biological growth after being infused with Hashirama's cells. While the bodies of his creations had also started developing flesh, their physical resilience was still weak and required further enhancement.
Sealing an entire Tailed Beast would be akin to using a standard sealing scroll: if the beast went berserk, it could break free. To minimize risk, Kakuzu chose a cautious, incremental approach.
Raising the greatsword, Kakuzu called out, "Now, come at me!"
A red-and-blue blend of chakra swirled at Suitō's mouth, mixing in an 80:20 ratio. In moments, a dark purple Tailed Beast Ball coalesced and launched straight at Kakuzu.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Ball detonated with a deafening explosion, shaking the entire canyon.
Nearby, Hanabusa and Rokuno gawked, their eyes wide with shock.
"Kakuzu-sama!" Hanabusa cried out, rushing toward the smoke-filled area.
Amidst the rubble, Kakuzu leaned against a boulder, his greatsword snapped cleanly in two. One jagged piece of the blade had lodged itself into Kakuzu's abdomen, embedded deep by the explosion's force.
"I'm fine," Kakuzu grunted, forcibly extracting the shard from his stomach. Threads from his Earth Grudge Fear technique quickly emerged, stitching his wound back together.
"Kakuzu-sama, that was reckless!" Hanabusa scolded, her voice tinged with worry.
"Heh," Kakuzu chuckled softly. "Trial and error is the only path to truth."
Testing Suitō's ability to wield the Three-Tails' chakra meant taking extreme measures. Despite the risks, the results were satisfactory. The greatsword had been destroyed, but the power of the Tailed Beast Ball had met Kakuzu's expectations.
Standing upright, Kakuzu took a deep breath. "Hanabusa, step back. The experiment isn't over yet."
Though still concerned, Hanabusa nodded obediently, retreating to a safe distance.
"Suitō, continue!"
At Kakuzu's command, Suitō generated another Tailed Beast Ball, launching it with cannon-like force.
This time, Kakuzu discarded the broken greatsword, extending his left hand. His palm opened, revealing a blood-red marking as he channeled chakra.
"Dark Release: Absorption Hole!"
The Tailed Beast Ball collided with Kakuzu's palm, but instead of exploding, it was absorbed like flowing water, vanishing into his arm.
A smirk spread across Kakuzu's face.
"Six years, and finally, the power of the First Mizukage, Byakuren, is mine. Rest in peace in the Pure Land."
Kakuzu had even once clashed with Tobirama Senju using his Dark Release, though the technique had not been fully awakened at the time. Now, having completely absorbed a Tailed Beast Bomb, it was clear his mastery over Dark Release had reached its peak.
He glanced at his left palm, which was still emitting faint wisps of smoke. Kakuzu couldn't help but muse to himself. Dark Release was like a glitch in the system of the ninja world. The ability to absorb ninjutsu bore a resemblance to the Rinnegan's capabilities and even to the powers wielded by the later Ōtsutsuki clan. However, while the Rinnegan absorbed ninjutsu as a passive ability, Dark Release functioned more like the active techniques of the Ōtsutsuki. Whether there was a deeper connection between the two would require further study.
Kakuzu raised his palm skyward.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Bomb that had been absorbed into his hand surged out with a burst of chakra, shooting into the air before crashing heavily into the valley below.
BOOM!
The resulting explosion echoed like thunder across the Moon Valley.
"Suitō!" Kakuzu commanded sharply.
In response, Suitō began to form another Tailed Beast Bomb. Within seconds, the valley erupted with another series of deafening blasts, painting the once-clear sky with the crimson hue of destruction.
Despite the devastation, there were limits. While the Tailed Beast Bombs released by Suitō were comparable in quality to those of Isobu, they lacked in quantity. After all, the chakra embedded within the fragment of Isobu's shell could only stretch so far. Firing four Tailed Beast Bombs in quick succession was the absolute limit; further use would require time for chakra recovery. Still, four Tailed Beast Bombs were more than enough to annihilate most Kage-level opponents.
"Suitō, return," Kakuzu ordered.
Suitō withdrew into Kakuzu's body, the stitches of Earth Grudge Fear seamlessly resealing his wounds.
"Congratulations, Kakuzu-sama," Hanabusa said with a smile as she approached, her expression bright with admiration.
Kakuzu returned her smile, his gaze softening briefly as he reached out to touch her delicate cheek. But without warning, he scooped her up, ignoring her startled yelp as he gave her thigh a playful pat.
"Words alone aren't enough. Show me something tangible," Kakuzu said with a smirk before leaping into the dense forest.
The ensuing battle in the forest raged for over an hour, the sounds of conflict echoing through the trees. Yet, unbeknownst to the combatants, the world beyond the forest was shifting.
...
Raikage's Office
"What?!"
The Second Raikage's fist slammed into his desk with such force that it shattered into splinters.
"Raikage-sama, the reports are confirmed. There have been multiple Tailed Beast Bomb detonations at the military encampment in our subordinate nation, the Land of the Moon."
The scout hesitated before continuing, "After contacting our forces, we've confirmed that neither of Kumogakure's jinchūriki were involved. These attacks were not launched by us."
The Raikage's fury burned even hotter as he processed the report. The explosions had not only devastated their ally's territory but had also killed and injured numerous Kumogakure shinobi stationed there. It was nothing less than a direct provocation—a blatant challenge to their authority.
And the culprit was clear.
"Mobilize the troops! Mobilize them now!" the Raikage bellowed, pointing an accusatory finger at his subordinates.
"If Konoha dares to act so brazenly, we will retaliate in kind! Alert the front lines to prepare for full-scale war!"
The Raikage's declaration plunged the room into a grim silence. His advisors and shinobi exchanged solemn glances, knowing full well the gravity of the situation.
This wasn't just a battle for vengeance, it was a fight for Kumogakure's pride. No matter the cost, they would make Konoha pay for this affront.
At that moment, the tensions that had been simmering across the ninja world erupted into open flames. The first great shift in the shinobi world had begun.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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