Kakuzu was a bit curious about what exactly the so-called Ninja Sect legacy was. It was so mysterious that it was no wonder people would spend so much money on bounties.
"You could think of it that way," Mokgetsu guided Kakuzu towards what he was imagining.
Although Mokgetsu's answer was vague, he finally gave a response, and Kakuzu once again assumed a battle stance, ready to face his death.
Even though the battle's outcome was already fated, Kakuzu wouldn't just lie down and wait for death. He would fight until the last moment.
Kakuzu swiftly tore open the stitches at his wrist, then used the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear in his body to shoot his two fists towards Mokgetsu.
Though it looked unremarkable, it actually had considerable power; an ordinary Jonin could have their body pierced and killed instantly by his fists.
After casting the Fire Dragon Dance, Mokgetsu exited the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode and switched to the more commonly used Breath of Rock.
With the enhancement of Breath of Rock, Mokgetsu's power grew stronger, and his skin became tougher, easily deflecting the incoming flying fists.
Whoosh!
Mokgetsu's figure flickered and appeared at Kakuzu's side.
Kakuzu quickly used the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear for defense.
Bam!
Mokgetsu's heavy force directly shattered Kakuzu's defense, sending Kakuzu flying backward like a kite with a broken string, slamming hard onto the ground.
Mokgetsu's extremely sharp Taijutsu was such that Kakuzu didn't even have time to use Lighting Release Ninjutsu to counterattack.
Now, Kakuzu felt like a punching bag unable to fight back, frantically absorbing Mokgetsu's Taijutsu strikes.
Kakuzu's awareness gradually became muddled.
"Dying at the hands of such a strong opponent isn't so bad," the thought crossed Kakuzu's mind as he collapsed once more.
Mokgetsu's strength was overwhelming. In Kakuzu's long ninja career, he had only encountered one opponent stronger than Mokgetsu, and that was the God of Ninjas, Senju Hashirama.
Thinking back, Kakuzu still found his younger self rather laughable.
He had made enormous psychological preparations to assassinate Senju Hashirama, only to be inexplicably heavily injured and then returned to his village in disgrace, where he was imprisoned and severely punished.
At that time, Kakuzu was still immature, only thinking of them as hateful, but now Kakuzu understood everything clearly.
There wasn't a particular reason; it was merely reality, the nature of the Ninja World.
His strength was too great and his achievements too numerous, making those at the top worry about threats to their status, so they sent him to his death.
The village spoke of values and will, but in their hearts, it was all about their own interests.
"I am Kakuzu," Kakuzu used all his strength to state his name.
At this moment, he was in the worst possible condition, worse than after the encounter with Senju Hashirama, lacking even the strength to stand.
Just when Kakuzu thought he was about to die, the final attack never came.
Kakuzu opened his eyes, and Mokgetsu was standing beside him, silently watching him.
Mokgetsu was weighing the pros and cons.
His actions would lead to an unprecedented upheaval in the Land of Rain. Mokgetsu wanted the Land of Rain to change for the better, but maintaining this required strength. Relying solely on Yahiko and the others wasn't enough—Nagato was still unable to use the Rinnegan freely, and Mokgetsu could not remain in the Land of Rain forever, so enhancing the power of the Ninja Sect was essential.
If he started something and then ran away without care, then Mokgetsu would become the kind of person he once disliked.
Kakuzu's strength as a ninja was undeniable. His era, even as one of the lower three generations, was significant. If he had preventive measures against the Salamander Poison Fog, he could rival Hanzo.
Mokgetsu thought for a moment, then placed his hand on Kakuzu's chest.
Kakuzu thought Mokgetsu was going to finish him off, but nothing happened. Half a minute later, a complex sealing jutsu appeared on Kakuzu's chest.
"Why don't you kill me? What do you want from me?" Kakuzu looked at Mokgetsu in confusion.
"If you're leaving something in my body to force me to work for you, then you're underestimating me."
Kakuzu had his pride; he would rather die than live humiliatingly.
"You've got quite the imagination," Mokgetsu extended his hand to Kakuzu.
He had only left a seal within Kakuzu to interfere with his Chakra, making it very difficult for Kakuzu to gather Chakra and use Ninjutsu.
Mokgetsu intended to take Kakuzu on a tour of the Land of Rain. If Kakuzu could accept and sincerely join the Ninja Sect, then all the better; if not, Mokgetsu would ensure Kakuzu's end was painless.
Mokgetsu disliked using coercive measures, as they tended to lead to unexpected outcomes. If the measure were broken or the other party chose to perish together, the result would be undesirable.
Kakuzu looked at Mokgetsu with puzzlement, not understanding what Mokgetsu was thinking.
"How about joining us? After completing the journey through the Land of Rain, I will establish the Ninja Sect," Mokgetsu extended the invitation.
"The Ninja Sect? You don't mean that Ninja Sect where the ninjas' duty is to protect peace, do you?" Kakuzu sounded as if he had heard a good joke.
Truthfully, Kakuzu hadn't known about the Ninja Sect earlier, given that it was history from thousands of years ago.
He learned about it while investigating Mokgetsu, which is why Kakuzu called Mokgetsu naive.
To Kakuzu, the kind of ninja Mokgetsu proposed only existed in fantasy. Real ninjas pursued benefits above all else—let alone protecting the peace of the entire Ninja World; even protecting their own village or country required calculating how to gain.
"Not just that, but you can think of it that way for now," Mokgetsu replied with a smile.
He wanted to establish the Ninja Sect, but not genuinely create one like the Six Paths Sage's, just using it as a façade.