Hearing the eagle say this, Kakuzu was pleased. However, he didn't appreciate the bird's tone. Was it trying to teach him how to do things?
That said, Kakuzu wasn't a stubborn man. Everything and everyone needed to have value. Only those with value were worth investing in.
Whoosh!
Kakuzu leaped from the tree and, with a flicker, appeared at the center of the battlefield. His sudden arrival was like a ticking time bomb, causing the attacking Takigakure shinobi to halt their assault.
Just by standing there, the sheer presence Kakuzu exuded made the Takigakure shinobi swallow nervously. A truly powerful ninja didn't need to make a move—his aura alone was enough to instill fear.
"Gulp—"
The leading Takigakure ninja swallowed hard, mustering the courage to ask, "May I ask… who you are?"
"Kakuzu."
The simple, indifferent response carried an overwhelming sense of authority.
That name—both familiar and foreign—struck the Takigakure shinobi like a thunderclap. Their pupils dilated, and they exchanged nervous glances. They had all heard this name before, and…
"S-So it's Lord Kakuzu… W-We…"
The leader of the Takigakure squad pressed a hand to his chest, sweat pouring down his face.
He would never forget that Kakuzu's legend had always loomed over their village. In recent years, Kakuzu's reputation had only grown more fearsome throughout the ninja world. It was impossible for them not to be terrified.
"Leave. And when you return, send my regards to that old man, Kimu."
Takigakure—Kakuzu's birthplace.
He had no personal grudge against these shinobi, so he had no intention of killing them.
The Takigakure ninjas felt as if they had been granted a divine pardon. To survive an encounter with Kakuzu was a blessing beyond measure.
"Thank you, Lord Kakuzu, for sparing us! However… Lord Kimu passed away ten years ago."
"Oh?"
This news made Kakuzu raise an eyebrow slightly.
Over twenty years ago, he and Kimu had reached an agreement. That was why he had never been officially branded a missing-nin.
Time had passed. Decades later, his immortal body remained unchanged, yet many of his old acquaintances had long since perished.
The current Takigakure leader was no one he recognized. From the way the shinobi spoke, there seemed to be more to the story.
However, Kakuzu didn't dwell on it. With a wave of his hand, he signaled for the Takigakure shinobi to leave.
Perhaps, one day, on a whim, he would return to that "hometown" for a visit.
After the Takigakure shinobi had departed, the eagle—who had been tending to its wounds—looked up at Kakuzu. Without another word, it spat out a scroll.
"Our Feathered Eagle Clan honors our word. We will fight for you!"
Kakuzu walked over calmly and unrolled the scroll.
The Eagle Clan wasn't particularly strong in combat. Kakuzu was interested in them for two reasons—
First, they were stylish mounts.
Second, they could fly.
Flight held significant tactical advantages in a ninja battle.
However, as Kakuzu examined the list of individuals who had signed summoning contracts with the Eagle Clan, his brows furrowed slightly.
The names were… strange.
Monkey, Deer, Spirit Fox, Giant Serpent, Butterfly…
What the hell is this?
He didn't question it further. He would be using the Eagle Clan soon enough.
Without hesitation, he bit his thumb, pressed his bloodied finger onto the scroll, and completed the contract.
After returning the summoning scroll, Kakuzu was about to leave when a hesitant voice called out to him.
"L-Lord Kakuzu… Can you take me with you?"
The speaker was the young girl from earlier.
She looked about fourteen or fifteen, with a striking appearance and a well-developed figure for her age.
As for why she wanted to follow Kakuzu—one glance around made it obvious.
In these chaotic times of war, her family was gone.
"She is from the Spirit Beast Clan, born in the Summoning Realm. She possesses a unique secret technique that allows us summoning beasts to fuse directly with a ninja."
The eagle beside her explained.
Born in the Summoning Realm, capable of fusing with summons…
Another one of those mysterious ninja clans.
Kakuzu wasn't surprised. The shinobi world was full of strange bloodlines.
Some clans were even made of smoke—one gust of wind, and they would vanish.
"L-Lord Kakuzu, I can do anything! I can cook, wash clothes… Please, just let me follow you!"
The girl looked at him pitifully.
Perhaps, after witnessing Kakuzu's strength, she simply wanted a safe place to stay.
"What's your name?"
Hearing his question, the girl immediately answered, "We are all born in the Summoning Realm. Ever since I was born, my clan has called me… 'Puppy.'"
Puppy.
A cute name.
But it didn't quite suit a girl.
Kakuzu studied her for a moment.
She was still young but already well-developed. When she grew up, she would probably rival Hinata in appearance.
She had long, curly brown hair, and three tribal markings on her left cheek.
"From now on, you'll be called 'Ni.'"
A name was just a designation.
But since Kakuzu had personally given it to her, it carried a different meaning.
The girl's eyes lit up with joy—this meant Kakuzu had accepted her.
With a single step, Kakuzu leaped onto the eagle's back.
Kakuzu reached out his hand to the girl, who grasped it firmly as they both stepped onto the back of the feathered eagle. The bird soared into the sky at incredible speed, the landscape below flashing by like a film on fast-forward. The rapid movement of the scenery was accompanied by fierce winds, forcing Cai to cling tightly toKakuzu's back.
[Ni, for those unfamiliar, is one of Hiruko's female subordinates from the Naruto movie. If you're curious about her appearance, you can look it up online—I won't include an image here to avoid any restrictions.]
With Sunagakure's Kazekage dead and Iwagakure's frontlines in complete disarray, Kakuzu's revenge was nearly complete. There was little point in continuing the fight—after all, with his current strength, it was impossible for him to truly contend with the Five Great Nations. Even the weakest among them, Sunagakure, still had an army of thousands of shinobi as their foundation. Small-scale ambushes were one thing, but clashing head-on was another matter entirely.
In the shinobi world, if one truly wanted to stand against an entire army alone, Kakuzu saw only two possible paths—either reaching the peak strength of Madara and Hashirama or awakening the Rinnegan.
The fierce wind battered against Kakuzu's face. It was time for him to begin his journey toward that realm of power. But before that, there was one last thing he had to take care of.
—
At the Konoha encampment, every shinobi present looked at Kakuzu without a trace of hostility. Instead, many of them held expressions of gratitude. They understood that Konoha's decisive victory over Sunagakure and the successful repulsion of Iwagakure had been opportunities brought about by Kakuzu. In a way, they owed him.
Once again, Kakuzu found himself face to face with Senju Momoka.
Perhaps fate truly had a strange sense of humor.
The moment Momoka laid eyes on Kakuzu, she finally let out the last breath she had been holding in.
Then, peacefully, she passed away.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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