Kitazawa took a step back and became a spectator.
Uchiha Sasuke walked up to Kakuzu with a calm expression. He was brimming with confidence, his mind filled with one thought: how to speedrun Kakuzu and carve out a name for himself.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. He could already roughly guess what Sasuke was thinking.
Young people were always this impatient—especially a genius among geniuses like Uchiha Sasuke.
Earth Grudge Fear Mode!
Kakuzu formed seals with both hands, and countless black threads surged out from his body. To mislead Sasuke, he didn't even bother taking off his clothes—he went all out from the very start.
"What?!"
Sasuke felt his body go cold as a powerful sense of danger crashed over him. Instinctively, he activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. In the next instant, the black threads filling the air transformed into eight gigantic tentacles.
All around Sasuke—nothing but massive tentacles.
His expression changed slightly, and he immediately retreated. But the eight tentacles were like endless darkness closing in to swallow him whole.
At the critical moment, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan showed its value. Though it was a bit messy, Sasuke managed to dodge all eight giant tentacles.
The first exchange ended, and both of them wore grave expressions.
Sasuke stared at Kakuzu—his body wrapped in black threads—and dropped his earlier contempt. He'd almost overturned just now.
"What are those four masks?"
His gaze fell on the masks embedded among the black threads. The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't see through them, but it could see chakra flowing behind the masks.
Kakuzu, meanwhile, stared at Sasuke's eyes and frowned.
It was his first time seeing an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. But judging from what Sasuke had just shown, it was clearly stronger than a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Was it a mutated Sharingan?
Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!
Kakuzu formed seals. The Fire Release mask immediately spewed a torrent of flame. The fire spread rapidly, and in the blink of an eye it became a sea of fire.
Sasuke's heart jolted.
So the four masks can each use a different nature transformation?
Without another word, he drew the Sword of the Thunder God.
A violent burst of lightning erupted from him, splitting the sea of fire apart.
Hatake Swordsmanship!
Sasuke leapt forward—his speed reaching the extreme.
Kakuzu instantly sensed danger. He slapped his hands together and used:
Earth Style: Earth Spear!
Clang!
His hardened arms blocked Sasuke's Thunder God sword. Even so, cold sweat poured down his back—Sasuke's speed was so fast that he'd almost failed to react in time.
The next second, the Thunder God sword flared with lightning.
But Kakuzu didn't dodge at all.
Because his Earth Spear could harden his entire body.
Secret Technique: Heart Steal!
Kakuzu tanked the lightning and thrust out his right arm, grabbing for Sasuke's heart.
Ame-no-Tokotachi!
Sasuke's mind shook. Seeing the lightning wasn't working, he triggered his Mangekyō Sharingan dōjutsu.
He had already planted an Yin Release mark of Ame-no-Tokotachi on Kakuzu at the very start of the fight.
Kakuzu was strong and skilled in the five elemental natures, but he wasn't proficient in Yin Release—so he never noticed.
Kakuzu's grasp hit empty air, and he froze for a split second.
Lightning Style: Chidori!
Sasuke appeared behind Kakuzu.
Crack!
Kakuzu's Water Style mask suddenly shattered. The heart behind it was also destroyed by the Chidori.
Kakuzu didn't even have time to be shocked about losing the Water heart—he was even more stunned by Sasuke's Mangekyō dōjutsu, Ame-no-Tokotachi.
A truly troublesome space–time ninjutsu?!
Kakuzu roared. The black threads from his body latched onto Sasuke's right hand and crawled toward his heart.
Hatake Swordsmanship!
Sasuke's face changed. He immediately severed the threads with the Thunder God sword and jumped back.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
Kakuzu's Lightning mask spat out a beam of lightning.
It was absurdly fast—but right before it could hit, Sasuke vanished again.
"So it is space–time ninjutsu!"
Kakuzu's scalp tingled. If you wanted to know how annoying space–time techniques were, just look at Namikaze Minato.
Earth Style: Earth Spear!
Kakuzu didn't know where Sasuke would appear from, but he had a jutsu that could defend his whole body.
The shrill sound of chirping birds returned.
Sasuke reappeared on Kakuzu's left. Brilliant lightning cloaked his right hand—his arm like a blade—as he slashed toward the Fire Release mask on Kakuzu's shoulder.
"Not that easy!"
In a flash, Kakuzu shifted the Fire mask away and grabbed for Sasuke with both hands.
Lightning Style: Chidori Stream!
Sasuke instantly changed the form of Chidori. A flood of lightning enveloped his body.
Kakuzu's body jerked violently as his hands plunged into the lightning, his movement slowing.
Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan: Genjutsu!
A fierce crimson light flashed in Sasuke's eyes.
Kakuzu fell into a daze—but he had been guarding against Sasuke's genjutsu the whole time.
After all, he was an Uchiha—no matter how unusual his Sharingan was.
More importantly, Kakuzu had five hearts.
That meant he was effectively five people at once, with five different chakra signatures—making it easier to break genjutsu quickly.
Even though he only had four hearts left now.
But breaking genjutsu still took time. Even if it was less than a second, for Sasuke, that was enough.
Hatake Swordsmanship!
Sasuke seized the Thunder God sword and slashed at the nearest Lightning mask.
Kakuzu had just broken free of the genjutsu when he heard the sound of the Lightning mask shattering.
His heart sank, but he couldn't spare attention for it.
Tentacle Fists!
Kakuzu's fists shot forward. From the severed ends of his arms erupted an enormous mass of black tentacles.
Sasuke's vision darkened as the black tentacles surged at him like a tidal wave.
Ame-no-Tokotachi!
Left with no choice, Sasuke used his Mangekyō dōjutsu again.
After planting the Yin mark, he could teleport indefinitely—but each teleport was effectively reactivating Ame-no-Tokotachi.
In other words, the cost was massive.
If not for the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Ame-no-Iwato, he could only use four or five teleports in a fight before running dry.
Seeing Sasuke vanish, Kakuzu immediately retracted his fists.
But to his surprise, Sasuke didn't launch another ambush like before.
He was standing under a tree not far away.
Kakuzu sized him up twice, and delight rose in his chest.
Sasuke was panting heavily, looking like he'd overused his chakra.
Only then did Kakuzu remember—Sasuke was just an eleven-year-old kid.
Whether it was physical strength or chakra reserves, he wasn't at his peak yet.
To fight this long was already terrifying.
"Your space–time ninjutsu consumes a lot," Kakuzu sneered. "Looks like the outcome is decided."
"Is that so?"
Sasuke exhaled, his tone calm. "I haven't even gone all out. How can you say it's decided?"
Kakuzu's heart jolted.
This still isn't full power?
His first reaction was disbelief.
Sasuke was too young—while Kakuzu was nearly ninety.
He had fought almost at full strength, yet an eleven-year-old "wasn't going all out"?
How did that make sense?
Kakuzu had the absurd feeling he'd spent ninety years cultivating just to live like a dog.
Ame-no-Iwato!
Sasuke's body trembled, and in an instant, surging chakra erupted outward.
Kakuzu's eyes widened.
Sasuke's chakra had inexplicably tripled in a moment—far beyond what Kakuzu expected.
What secret technique was this?
"Again!"
Sasuke vanished.
Earth Style: Earth Spear!
Kakuzu reacted quickly and hardened his whole body.
Yin Release: Rasengan!
Sasuke appeared behind him.
A chilling aura swirled as a spinning green chakra sphere slammed into Kakuzu's back.
Kakuzu immediately felt a burning pain.
Even with the defense of Earth Spear, it couldn't completely block a Yin Release Rasengan.
Even the black threads on his body were being shredded inch by inch by the Rasengan's rotation.
Kakuzu gritted through the pain and used Body Flicker to pull away. After creating distance, he formed seals at once.
Combined Ninjutsu: Flame Wind Chaotic Waves!
The Wind mask and Fire mask opened their mouths at the same time.
Fire rode the wind—almost instantly, an enormous sea of fire spread out.
To guard against Sasuke's sneak attacks, Kakuzu used himself as the center point and blasted flames in every direction.
Sasuke frowned.
He hesitated for a moment, then raised the Thunder God sword.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
Lightning Style: Kirin!
First, a fire dragon soared into the sky—then a bolt of lightning followed.
Thunder roared.
The dark, cloud-covered sky lit up as countless lightning streams gathered into the shape of a kirin.
The kirin leapt and plunged into the sea of fire.
Earth Style: Earth Spear!
Staring at the terrifying lightning, Kakuzu retreated without hesitation.
A deafening explosion shook heaven and earth.
Lightning and fire intertwined, producing countless terrifying shockwaves.
Kakuzu swallowed hard.
It was the first time he'd ever seen a Lightning Style technique with this level of power.
Thankfully, Earth Spear prevented him from being caught in the aftermath.
"Is that your full power? At your age, forcing me this far is already something to be proud of!" Kakuzu said, looking at Sasuke.
He'd seen many geniuses—but beside Uchiha Sasuke, they all looked dull.
"Still not full power," Sasuke said, taking a deep breath.
"..."
Kakuzu's face twisted with disbelief.
Are you a monster?
How is this still not full power?
This is eleven years old?!
Sasuke raised a hand.
Boom!
An overwhelmingly oppressive aura spread out.
A gigantic hand appeared out of thin air and grabbed for Kakuzu.
Kitazawa's eyebrow lifted.
This was the initial stage of Susanoo.
Not surprising—Sasuke had the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The only question was how far he could take it.
At his age, a complete Susanoo was probably impossible. He'd likely top out at the first or second stage.
"What is this?!"
Kakuzu felt like his nearly ninety years of experience and knowledge were failing him in front of Sasuke.
Again and again, Sasuke pulled out techniques—secret techniques—that Kakuzu couldn't understand.
Wind Style: Pressure Damage!
Kakuzu quickly fired a compressed wind sphere.
When it hit the ground, it exploded into a violent storm.
The giant hand was immediately obstructed.
Sasuke's eyes flashed, and a half-skeleton formed around him.
This was Susanoo's first stage.
In the next instant, a huge shadow loomed over Kakuzu as the skeletal half-body clenched its fist and hammered him again and again.
Kakuzu sensed something terrible.
He hurriedly used Earth Spear—
But at that moment, Sasuke vanished.
Lightning Style: Chidori Blade!
Using Ame-no-Tokotachi, Sasuke appeared behind Kakuzu.
He sprang upward, and while Kakuzu was occupied dealing with Susanoo, he thrust his sword out.
With a crack, the Fire mask on Kakuzu's body was pierced through.
Hatake Swordsmanship!
Pressing the advantage, Sasuke twisted his wrist and stabbed straight for Kakuzu's main heart.
"I surrender!"
At the final instant, Kakuzu shouted.
He was already getting pummeled by Susanoo with no way to fight back.
If this continued, all five hearts would be ruined—and he'd be dead.
Sasuke's Thunder God sword stopped abruptly.
He clicked his tongue, unsatisfied.
But since Kakuzu had surrendered, there was no need to keep going.
"Not bad," Kitazawa said with a smile.
Kakuzu was experienced, and with mastery over five nature transformations, ordinary jōnin were no match for him.
For Sasuke to defeat him was enough to rival a Kage-level powerhouse.
If Sasuke had more experience, he could've ended it even faster.
After all, the two dōjutsu—Ame-no-Tokotachi and Ame-no-Iwato—were simply vicious.
"Kakuzu," Kitazawa said, looking at him. "A bet's a bet."
"I won't go back on my word," Kakuzu said with clear self-awareness. "And I'm not in a position to."
"I'll send you back to Konoha," Kitazawa said, stepping forward and using Flying Thunder God.
In the next moment, the three of them appeared in the Uchiha clan district of Konoha.
"Who's there?"
Uchiha Fugaku noticed them immediately.
"Dad!"
Sasuke's expression flipped instantly—he looked thrilled. "I beat Kakuzu!"
"Kakuzu of the Akatsuki?"
Fugaku froze, then asked.
These days, Akatsuki members all had a certain notoriety across the ninja world, so he understood at once.
"That's right!"
Sasuke said smugly. "I beat him one-on-one!"
"As expected of my son!"
Fugaku's face broke into a wide smile.
"You two talk," Kitazawa said. Hearing the familiar exchange, he greeted them and then brought Kakuzu to Anbu.
His plan for Kakuzu was to have him join Anbu.
Mainly because Kakuzu came from Akatsuki.
In Konoha, he couldn't exactly take some public leadership role—so Anbu, where you don't show your face, suited him perfectly.
After the Advanced Class graduated, Kitazawa would become Hokage, and Sarutobi Asuma would become a squad leader.
Kakuzu could then neatly take over Asuma's role as Anbu's deputy commander.
As for the commander, Kitazawa had his eye on Konan.
When you thought about it… it was oddly subtle.
After all, in the original story, Kakuzu killed Sarutobi Asuma.
[Current Mission: Capture Kakuzu alive.]
[Mission Reward: Mastery-level Earth Release chakra nature transformation.]
[Mission Completed Reward Granted.]
Kitazawa looked at the three lines of text and nodded slightly.
Now he only lacked mastery-level Fire Release chakra nature transformation to complete full mastery of all attributes.
He wondered what new ability would be born when that happened.
"Kakuzu, I've left a Flying Thunder God mark on you. No matter where you go, I can find you," Kitazawa said calmly. "Since you're joining Anbu, do your job properly."
Kakuzu nodded in silence.
He understood the unspoken warning: don't cause trouble in Konoha, and don't try to run.
After settling Kakuzu, Kitazawa went to find Antelope.
Just like how he'd helped Uzumaki Naruto before, this time he would use the same play to make Uchiha Sasuke famous.
But there was one difference.
This time, Kitazawa personally gave Sasuke a title: Konoha Kirin.
When Anbu handled propaganda later, they could push that title alongside the story.
After giving clear instructions, Kitazawa returned to Takigakure.
Shibuki and the others were anxiously waiting at the exit. When they saw him, they rushed up at once.
"Kitazawa-sama—how did it go?" Shibuki asked impatiently.
"The two Akatsuki members have been defeated by us," Kitazawa replied.
"That's good," Shibuki exhaled in relief. "Takigakure has finally survived this crisis."
"It's too early to say the crisis is over," Kitazawa shook his head. "Akatsuki won't just let it go. They'll definitely send more people."
Shibuki's expression changed drastically, anxiety flashing across his face.
"I have a plan," Kitazawa said unhurriedly. "Let Fū stay in Konoha for now—draw Akatsuki toward Konoha."
"But…"
Shibuki clenched his fist, conflicted.
"If you're worried, you can send people to Konoha to watch over Fū," Kitazawa added.
Shibuki fell into thought.
If Fū stayed in Takigakure, she would always be a hidden danger.
First, Kitazawa and his group had to return to Konoha.
Second, Takigakure would remain in danger at any time.
Third, Fū herself wouldn't be safe.
"I agree," Shibuki sighed.
"After I go back, I'll announce to the ninja world that I've taken the Seven-Tails jinchūriki to Konoha," Kitazawa nodded.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sama," Shibuki said gratefully.
As long as Akatsuki knew Fū wasn't in Takigakure, they wouldn't attack Takigakure again.
From that angle, Konoha was taking on all the risk.
"No time to waste. Send people back with me to Konoha immediately," Kitazawa said. He'd already completed the system mission and didn't want to linger in Takigakure.
After thinking briefly, Shibuki ordered, "Hagan, take a squad and follow Kitazawa-sama."
"Yes, Chief," Hagan responded, quickly selecting three teammates.
Seeing that, Kitazawa used Flying Thunder God.
The five of them arrived in the Forest of Death.
Two violent auras swept over them instantly.
"That's Fū's chakra…?"
Hagan's gaze sharpened.
He quickly spotted the source of the two raging presences.
One came from Fū—while the other came from Uzumaki Naruto.
Hagan stared, dumbfounded.
Because the invincible Fū in Takigakure was currently at a disadvantage.
But he soon relaxed—her opponent was the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
"Hagan?"
Fū saw him and immediately said, "We'll fight later!"
She ran over at once.
"Takigakure is fine now. Don't worry," Hagan said before she could ask.
"That's great!"
Fū beamed.
"I told you—if Kitazawa-sensei is here, nothing can go wrong!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up. "Kitazawa-sensei's power of youth is unbeatable!"
"Hagan, the Chief has another task for you," Hagan said, then told her Shibuki's order for her to stay in Konoha.
"Huh?"
Fū blinked in surprise.
But she didn't think too hard about it—soon she was excited instead.
She'd always wanted to leave Takigakure and go out to see the world. Now she finally had the chance.
"During this time, you can join the Advanced Class," Kitazawa said, smiling with satisfaction.
After Fū joined, the Advanced Class's strength would surge again.
At the same time, the news of Uchiha Sasuke defeating Kakuzu spread rapidly through Konoha.
The most excited were the Uchiha clan.
Especially Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi.
They all understood: to become Hokage, strength mattered—but what mattered most was reputation.
The greater your fame, the better your chances.
When Naruto's fame surged earlier, they'd been somewhat worried.
Now Sasuke's reputation had exploded as well—no less than Naruto's.
In the Hidden Rain Village of the Land of Rain…
Konan, sitting by the bed, suddenly heard a knock on the door.
She froze for a moment, then stood up expressionlessly.
Because she knew the one knocking definitely wasn't Kitazawa.
She opened the door.
A White Zetsu stood there.
"Kakuzu and Hidan's mission failed. Because Kitazawa and Uchiha Sasuke appeared in Takigakure and captured them," White Zetsu reported.
At the name "Kitazawa," Konan's heart trembled slightly.
But since he had personally intervened, Kakuzu and Hidan failing was only natural.
As for Uchiha Sasuke, she automatically ignored him.
"The Seven-Tails jinchūriki was also taken to Konoha by Kitazawa," White Zetsu added.
"I understand. Leave," Konan said coldly.
White Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished.
Konan stood there, listening to the rain, slipping into a daze.
Now that the Seven-Tails jinchūriki was in Konoha, it meant Akatsuki's remaining targets were only Konoha and Kumogakure.
Given the strength of Konoha and Kumogakure, there was no doubt that Nagato would personally take action next.
Konan bit her lip unconsciously.
What was coming would come sooner or later.
She didn't want to see Kitazawa and Nagato fight to the death…
But she knew it was unavoidable.
She regained her senses, turned, and headed toward the tall tower of the Hidden Rain.
Soon she met Tendo Pain and relayed White Zetsu's intelligence.
"So we've lost two more members?" Tendo Pain thought for a moment, then said, "Recruit more people first. In a while, I'll go to Kumogakure."
Konan let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Konoha was left for last, Kitazawa and the others would have more time to prepare.
But she quickly erased that thought.
Against Nagato's Rinnegan, preparation was meaningless.
Konan's heart twisted.
For a moment, she didn't even know who she wanted to win.
~~~
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