Water flowed across the scorched earth, littered with broken branches and withered wood. Blue sparks crackled intermittently over the eroded ground. Lightning Release thrived in the presence of water, amplifying its power and broadening its range. With the water acting as a conductor, the violent bolts of electricity struck with precision and devastating force.
This was the power of the Bloodline Limit: Storm Release.
To be fair, when dealing with large numbers of enemies, it was undeniably an effective ninjutsu.
Kakuzu approved.
From his cloak, he retrieved a sealing scroll and placed Raimei's lifeless body on it. Forming a single-handed Seal of Confrontation, he activated the jutsu.
Bang!
Raimei's body vanished, sealed within the scroll. Kakuzu carefully rolled it up and tucked it back into his cloak. He flexed his slightly numb arm, a side effect of coming into contact with the Storm Release.
"That's one debt settled with Kumogakure," he muttered. "Now, let's pay a visit to the Konoha camp."
Turning slowly, Kakuzu began walking, his pace steady and deliberate.
As he approached a thicket, a sudden rustling on both sides caught his attention.
Whoosh!
Two shinobi, one male and one female, leapt out with kunai and short swords in hand, attacking him simultaneously from the left and right.
Kakuzu didn't even blink. His combat instincts kicked in as he calmly raised both hands.
Clap!
The two shinobi froze, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"H-How?! What's going on?! This can't be!"
Their attacks had been effortlessly caught mid-strike. Kakuzu's iron grip held their weapons in place, rendering them powerless.
Despite their initial failure, the two shinobi didn't panic. They still had reinforcements.
"Human Bullet Tank!"
A massive figure barreled toward Kakuzu like a rolling boulder, his bulk tearing through the trees as he closed in.
Kakuzu's gaze turned disdainful.
"Annoying."
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Black Earth Release chakra enveloped Kakuzu's body as his skin hardened into an impenetrable shield.
Boom!
The impact sent shockwaves through the forest. The male and female shinobi were flung aside, landing heavily on the ground. The large attacker groaned in pain as he was also repelled, reverting to his normal form.
Amidst the swirling dust, Kakuzu stood unmoving, as solid as an iron fortress.
But then—
Swish!
Kakuzu's sharp eyes narrowed. Through the haze, he spotted a pair of crimson eyes with three tomoe spinning slowly.
Sharingan. Genjutsu.
A younger shinobi had activated his Bloodline Limit, locking eyes with Kakuzu. Confident in his technique, he smirked as Kakuzu froze in place.
"Got him!"
He stepped forward, preparing to take full control.
But then—
"What do you think you're doing?"
Kakuzu's voice, calm and cold, broke through the illusion like a thunderclap.
The young shinobi's smirk vanished, replaced by pure terror.
How did he break it so quickly?!
In truth, genjutsu worked by disrupting a target's chakra flow, creating illusions in their mind. The standard way to break it was to have an ally inject their own chakra to stabilize the target's.
But Kakuzu? He used brute force.
For someone like him, no genjutsu could shatter his will or disrupt his monstrous chakra.
Kakuzu lashed out with a side kick, sending the young Uchiha flying into a tree. Blood dripped from the corner of the shinobi's mouth as he collapsed.
Before he could recover, two more voices rang out from above.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
The flames surged forward, fueled by the wind, doubling in size as they descended upon Kakuzu.
"Are you done yet?" Kakuzu growled, visibly annoyed.
With a swift hand seal and a step forward, he leapt straight into the inferno.
The two young shinobi above froze in shock as Kakuzu emerged unscathed from the blazing flames.
"What?!"
Kakuzu reached out, grabbing one of them mid-air.
The other shinobi, smaller and quicker, barely managed to escape with a Body Flicker.
As for the unlucky one? Kakuzu seized him by the hair and slammed him face-first into the ground, leaving him dazed and humiliated.
"Got something to say?" Kakuzu mocked.
The shinobi could only spit out dirt, too terrified to respond.
Shing-shing-shing!
Threads shot out from Kakuzu's body, binding the unfortunate shinobi's limbs and hoisting him up a tree.
Producing a vine-like whip from seemingly nowhere, Kakuzu lashed the young man's back.
"Argh!"
The agonized scream echoed through the forest.
Kakuzu, unsatisfied, continued whipping, each strike sharper than the last.
Finally, the pitiful cries roused the remaining shinobi from their stupor.
A few people quickly gathered together. Despite the pain from their injuries, they were still determined to rescue their companion. However, the skinny, monkey-like young ninja stretched out his hand to block their path.
"Hiruzen, what are you doing? Can't you see Danzo's being beaten so badly he's practically in tears?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and looked to the side.
"Koharu, Homura, take a closer look. Doesn't that guy remind you of Lord Kakuzu?"
Uchiha Kagami and Akimichi Torifu, who were with them, hadn't seen Kakuzu many times. Earlier, the intensity of the battle had kept their focus elsewhere, so they hadn't noticed. Now that they took a closer look…
"Even though he's wearing a mask… I feel like he really is Lord Kakuzu," muttered Mitokado Homura, sounding unsure.
"I don't think he's trying to kill us. It feels more like he's trying to discipline us… Look at Danzo! He's getting whipped so badly he's practically crying a river!"
At that, the five exchanged uncertain glances, but the truth was clear to them now.
Meanwhile, Danzo had already taken more than a hundred lashes. His screams echoed as he writhed under the blows.
"Lord Kakuzu! It's me, Sarutobi!"
"Lord Kakuzu, this is all a misunderstanding! We meant no offense!"
"Danzo, he's…"
Danzo's nerves were fraying with every passing second. He finally processed his companions' words.
"Lord Kakuzu! It's me—Danzo! Hiruzen gave the order to attack you, not me! I swear it wasn't me! Waaaahhh!"
Only then did Kakuzu stop lashing him, turning his sharp gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others. That single glance sent a chill down their spines.
Could they be next? Was Danzo's fate going to be theirs too? The thought sent a wave of dread through them, a fear that struck to their very core.
Unbeknownst to them, Kakuzu's thoughts didn't match the stern look in his eyes.
Time really flies, he mused internally.
He recalled meeting Sarutobi Hiruzen when the latter was just 13 years old, freshly graduated from the ninja academy and newly promoted to genin. Danzo had been slightly older—about 15, if he remembered correctly. It had been five or six years since then, and now they were all adults.
The nostalgia stirred countless emotions within him, but he couldn't let any of it show. He needed a solid excuse to justify beating these brats senseless.
Slowly, Kakuzu pulled down his mask, his expression deadly serious. The muffled sobbing in the background grated on his nerves.
"Shut up!"
Danzo immediately clamped his mouth shut, his terrified eyes fixed on Kakuzu's back.
Kakuzu turned his glare toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, his voice like thunder.
"Do you know why I'm beating you?"
"Because your skills are lacking. You deserve it!"
The words struck Hiruzen and the others like a hammer. Despite being adults now, they couldn't help but lower their heads like children caught doing something wrong.
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I just released a new fanfic featuring a transmigrator in Danzo, and it's looking really promising. I'm leaning towards the title "Hidden Danzo"—but feel free to check it out on my profile and see what you think!
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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