The scorching sun, the golden sand, the searing wind—
The one-eyed old man clad in black and white robes gazed calmly at the chaotic battlefield ahead. His single exposed eye, sharp and unyielding, remained tranquil despite the carnage unfolding before him.
Even as a presence on the opposing side, one no less formidable than himself, wreaked havoc and reaped the lives of Konoha shinobi, he stood unmoved.
Kakuzu.
Once a rogue ninja from Takigakure, Kakuzu had been tasked by his village to assassinate the First Hokage. When he failed, the First Hokage, in an act of mercy, spared his life.
But afterward, fearing the First Hokage's retribution, Takigakure abandoned him.
At this thought, Shimura Danzō's lips curled into a sneer.
If only that great man had truly intended to settle scores, he mused. If he had, the entire shinobi world would have bowed beneath Konoha's might.
Kakuzu had been hired by Sunagakure days ago, and his entire history had already been unearthed by Konoha's intelligence network.
Danzo deeply despised this man who boasted to anyone who would listen that his former opponent was the First Hokage.
A man spared by that great lord, yet he dares to use the First Hokage's name to glorify himself...
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
With a casual flick of his hand, Kakuzu unleashed a torrent of flames that roared like a ferocious beast, engulfing the Konoha shinobi in its path.
A single jutsu, and five or six Konoha ninja were caught in the inferno, their lives extinguished in an instant.
"Another five," Kakuzu muttered, his emerald-green eyes fixed on the charred remains of the Konoha shinobi.
At the rate Sunagakure was paying—100,000 ryō per Konoha ninja—he had already earned millions in this war.
After all, in the chaos of battle, death came easily.
Money was just too easy to make.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
Before the flames could die down, Kakuzu unleashed a wind jutsu. A violent gale erupted from his mouth, fanning the flames and reigniting the dying fire into a towering inferno once more.
"Water Style Team! Move now!"
This time, the Konoha shinobi quickly organized a counterattack.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Three or four water-style users formed hand seals, and from their mouths surged walls of water to clash against the combined wind and fire jutsu.
The raging flames collided with the thick water walls, and the clash of opposing elements erupted into a dense cloud of steam, obscuring vision across the battlefield.
For a moment, the battlefield resembled the mist-covered domain of Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Technique.
"Heh, interesting," Kakuzu chuckled darkly beneath his mask, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. Without hesitation, he charged forward.
At the same time, the Sunagakure shinobi rallied and launched a coordinated assault on the Konoha forces.
"Fū, get ready."
Hidden in the shadows, a masked shinobi observed Kakuzu's relentless slaughter of Konoha ninja.
"Understood. I'm ready," replied Yamanaka Fū, his orange hair swaying as he began forming hand seals with a grave expression.
As Fū completed his seals, Aburame Torune swiftly removed his cloak and dashed toward Kakuzu.
A dangerous purple hue spread across his body—his signature technique, the nanoscopic poison insects he controlled.
These insects, laced with deadly venom, were lethal to anyone but him. A single touch meant certain death.
"Hmph. In such a hurry to die, are you?"
As Torune closed in, Kakuzu sneered.
Noticing the unnatural purple "skin" covering Torune's body, Kakuzu immediately activated his Earth Release: Earth Spear technique for safety. His body turned pitch black as he dodged Torune's punch, then tore off his sleeve and wrapped it around his fist before striking back.
Why had Kakuzu survived for so long?
Aside from his secret technique, the Earth Grudge Fear, it was his cautious nature.
Even with the Earth Spear technique active, Kakuzu remained wary. The purple skin was clearly abnormal.
But as his fist neared Torune, the latter suddenly froze.
"Mind Body Switch Technique—success!"
Kakuzu's voice rang out, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Fū, too slow," Torune said with a smile, then swiftly grabbed Kakuzu's throat.
Invisible to the naked eye, the nanoscopic poison insects surged like a tide into Kakuzu's body.
In the same instant, Torune retreated.
Years of partnership had taught him that this Sunagakure mercenary was already as good as dead.
No one could withstand Torune's poison insects.
"Cough... What... what did you do to me?!"
As Yamanaka Fū withdrew, Kakuzu's consciousness returned.
The entire exchange had lasted less than three seconds.
Kakuzu felt his body rapidly corroding, decaying.
"Nanoscopic poison insects. Once I hit you, you're dead," Torune said calmly, watching as Kakuzu collapsed to his knees in agony.
But Kakuzu could no longer respond.
His throat had been destroyed by the insects, and his body was disintegrating at an alarming rate.
Finally, his towering frame crumpled to the ground.
Thus, the strongest bounty hunter in the shinobi underworld met his end.
A ninja born of betrayal, obsessed with wealth and money, now perished because of it.
Torune crouched beside Kakuzu's lifeless body, preparing to reclaim his insects.
If left unchecked, the nanoscopic insects would devour everything in the area, breeding and consuming endlessly.
Without control, the entire Land of Rivers would be annihilated—utterly destroyed, leaving nothing but barren wasteland.
He had experienced this before. A moment of carelessness had once led to the destruction of a vast forest. Only by reclaiming the insects had he averted catastrophe.
This was the power that made him Root's ultimate trump card.
As he absorbed the insects from Kakuzu's body, Torune glanced at the lifeless corpse one last time before turning away without a second thought.
Urgent Report!!!
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the battle report in his hands, his vision swimming, his blood boiling.
Shimura Danzō!
Shimura Danzō!!
Shimura Danzō!!!
Hiruzen's eyes burned with rage, his teeth clenched so tightly they might shatter.
Six thousand troops!
Four thousand dead!
How dare you!
How dare you!!!
The stark black-and-white words on the report seemed to him written in blood.
Nanoscopic poison insects—and you just handed them over!
"What a powerful heart..."
A cold, sinister voice echoed behind Torune, sending a chill down his spine.
Thud!
Black tendrils pierced through Torune's body in an instant.
He could feel the tendrils writhing inside him, searching for his heart.
"No... don't..."
If he died, the insects would run rampant, and the entire area would be destroyed.
In his final moments, Torune wasn't pleading for his life—he was thinking of the countless lives at stake, the Konoha shinobi, the Suna ninja, the nearby civilians.
Every single one of them would perish.
"Begging for mercy?"
"Your insects belong to me now."
Kakuzu manipulated the Earth Grudge Fear's tendrils, and with a sickening sound, a still-beating heart was ripped from Torune's chest.
The black tendrils coiled around the heart, merging it with Kakuzu's body.
At the same time, the nanoscopic poison insects within Torune erupted uncontrollably.
Without their master, they devoured everything in their path.
A purple wave spread from Torune's body, consuming all in its wake.
But curiously, the insects avoided Kakuzu entirely.
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed as he watched the scene unfold.
Such terrifying power. If not for his three hearts withstanding the insects' onslaught, if Torune had waited just a moment longer, if...
But there were no "ifs" in a shinobi's battle.
Combat was a matter of intelligence.
Torune had exploited Kakuzu's lack of knowledge about his abilities and the Yamanaka's support to land a fatal blow.
But Torune, unaware of Kakuzu's five lives, had reclaimed his insects too soon. Kakuzu, using three hearts to endure the insects' assault, had turned the tables, killed Torune, and claimed his heart.
This was the difference in their intelligence.
Kakuzu had truly danced on the edge of death this time.
The insects devoured rapidly, consuming not only flesh but also chakra.
When he fell, he couldn't fight back—not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.
Fortunately, the insects had consumed three of his hearts before Torune reclaimed them.
Now, without a master, the insects spread unchecked, a toxic plague devouring, breeding, and multiplying without discrimination.
Konoha shinobi, Suna ninja—anyone touched by the purple tide was reduced to a writhing, melting mass of flesh, dissolving in agony.
Even ninjutsu could only destroy a fraction of the insects. Against their overwhelming numbers, it was futile.
This was...
A sea of insects.
A feast of insects.
A carnival of insects.
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