Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

"Kakuzu, you bastard! How dare you betray the village?!"

"Have you forgotten the teachings of Takigakure? Traitors are unforgivable! Your name will forever be a stain on this village's history!"

Gotou Tsubasa's eyes burned with fury, his body tense and bristling with rage. Even his hair seemed to stand on end, as though electrified by his anger. His pupils dilated, silently demanding an explanation from Kakuzu, as though his glare alone could force the truth out.

Kakuzu, however, merely smiled. Resting his hands on his knees, he rose slowly. If Gotou Tsubasa wanted an answer, Kakuzu was more than willing to provide one.

"I fought for this village on countless battlefields for twenty years. I've killed more enemies than I can count. Yet, when the time came, you ordered me to confront Hashirama Senju—a mission you knew was suicide."

"And if I refused or failed, you'd label me a disgrace and throw me into prison, just so you could profit from my death. Isn't that right, Village Leader?"

A cool breeze swept through, adding a chill to the already tense night. Gotou Tsubasa's fevered mind suddenly cooled. So Kakuzu had uncovered the plan to use him as a sacrificial pawn. No wonder he had turned his back on the village.

Though the logic behind Kakuzu's betrayal stilled Tsubasa's outward anger, the murderous intent simmering in his eyes only deepened. If Kakuzu already knew everything, there was no longer any need to pretend.

Placing his hands behind his back, Gotou Tsubasa straightened, his expression turning cold and superior as he looked down at Kakuzu.

"Kakuzu, you're nothing but a pawn crafted by the village. A pawn should know its place. Sometimes, cleverness isn't wisdom, it's arrogance that leads to self-destruction. Do you understand?"

With the charade exposed, there was no need for further pretense.

"Heh." Kakuzu chuckled, his voice laced with disdain. He opened his mouth to retort but was abruptly interrupted.

Swish!

Gotou Tsubasa's eyes gleamed with murderous intent as his hands moved behind his back. In an instant, they completed a final hand seal.

"Kakuzu! Pawns will always be pawns. Now, die!"

Fire Style: Flame Spear!

A blazing inferno shot forth from Tsubasa's mouth, forming a spear of fire that tore through the air with deadly speed. The attack came too quickly for Kakuzu to react, there was no time to dodge or harden his body.

Bang!

The fiery spear pierced Kakuzu's shoulder, the impact throwing him to the ground.

Hiss! Sizzle!

Flames burrowed into the wound, their intense heat devouring flesh and muscle like a ravenous beast. Even a hardened shinobi like Kakuzu couldn't suppress a pained groan.

Seeing Kakuzu fall, Gotou Tsubasa surged forward, hand reaching for the short blade at his waist. The blade gleamed coldly as he unsheathed it, the sharp edge glinting under the moonlight.

Clang!

The blade hovered just above Kakuzu's neck, poised to cut deep into his jugular. One small motion, and Kakuzu's life would end in a pool of blood.

Though Gotou Tsubasa maintained a façade of cold authority, his heart raced wildly. Kakuzu was one of Takigakure's elite jonin—one of the few who could rival him.

Before making his move, Tsubasa had assumed he'd need the help of other shinobi to take Kakuzu down. But to his surprise, a single sneak attack had brought Kakuzu to his knees.

"Kakuzu, your skills have dulled," Tsubasa sneered, pushing the blade closer to Kakuzu's throat. Though he projected confidence, his body remained tense, ready to strike at the first sign of resistance.

Tap. Tap-tap.

From a distance came the sound of approaching footsteps, steady and purposeful. Other shinobi from Takigakure were closing in, their movements swift and precise, some leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

Within moments, they would arrive, ensuring Kakuzu's capture and sealing his fate.

"Kakuzu, is there anything you'd like to say before this is over?"

Though victory was assured, Gotou Tsubasa didn't immediately deliver the killing blow. He wanted to make a spectacle of Kakuzu's execution, to solidify his authority as the village leader and send a clear message: betrayal would not be tolerated.

To Tsubasa's surprise, Kakuzu showed no fear. Instead, a faint smile crept across his face. Ignoring the blade at his throat, Kakuzu rose to his feet unhurriedly, his expression equal parts amused and enigmatic.

"Thank you for your contribution, Village Leader."

"What?! What are you talking about?!"

Tsubasa frowned, his instincts flaring with unease as he met Kakuzu's gaze.

Kakuzu's gaze was calm yet laced with the amusement of a predator savoring the chase. It sent an involuntary chill down Gotou Tsubasa's spine. For a fleeting moment, he had the unsettling feeling that Kakuzu was the one holding his fate in his hands.

'No, impossible. I just need to take one more step forward, and this guy Kakuzu will—'

"Gah!!!"

Tsubasa's body froze, muscles locking up as if bound by invisible chains. His back arched unnaturally, bending from a straight 180 degrees to an agonizing 200-degree curve. In that brief instant, his eyes bulged, veins spreading like fractured glass across his sclera. His face, once flushed with resolve, turned ghostly pale. His mouth opened to scream, but all that emerged were broken groans of "ah" and "ugh."

Desperate, he forced his head downward, his gaze landing on the source of his agony—a hand. A hand that had pierced clean through his chest and abdomen, front to back.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Blood flowed, staining the intruding hand, then trickled off the longest finger, pooling onto the scorched earth below. The vivid red mixed with the charred blackness of the ground, creating a grotesque tableau.

In the world of shinobi, strength is a paradox. They wield incredible ninjutsu capable of reshaping landscapes and altering the terrain itself. Yet, they remain fragile enough that a single kunai or senbon can end their lives.

Tsubasa's body, now impaled from behind, betrayed the gruesome aftermath. His intestines had been dragged out, tangled around the invasive arm. The veins on his forehead pulsed as he summoned the last vestiges of his strength to remain standing, refusing to collapse.

Even now, with blood spilling freely and consciousness fading, Tsubasa wanted answers. His trembling hands and faltering breath betrayed his agony, yet he tried to turn, desperate to see the truth with his own eyes.

But Kakuzu wasn't one to leave him waiting.

With a flick of his middle finger and thumb, Kakuzu sent the broken blade that had been pressed to his throat spiraling into the air. Rising slowly, his movements unhurried, Kakuzu revealed the grim reality.

It was then that Tsubasa noticed it. Kakuzu's left arm was no longer attached to his shoulder. Instead, black threads snaked through the earth, connecting the severed limb to the ground beneath.

Realization dawned, but it came too late.

The hand that had impaled him—Kakuzu's severed limb—explained everything.

Tsubasa's eyes widened in horror, blood spurting from his mouth in a final, violent cough. He swayed, his body on the verge of collapse. Yet still, he forced himself upright.

There was one last thing he had to know.

"You… You really mastered Earth Grudge Fear, didn't you?"

Kakuzu didn't bother to answer with words. His expression alone sufficed—a cold, unshakable certainty that Tsubasa's fate had been sealed the moment he dared challenge him.

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