On the screen, the people of the Shinobi World witnessed a scene that left them completely dumbfounded.
Only at this moment did they truly realize just how overwhelming the protagonist halo of the savior of the world really was.
The damage dealt by the Rasenshuriken was indeed absurd—but even more absurd was that a centuries-old monster like Kakuzu had actually walked straight into it.
As already shown, Kakuzu hadn't been hit by the Rasenshuriken just now, but he knew full well that it wasn't a Jutsu he could tank head-on.
So he chose to switch to long-range combat. The cracks that had split his arm moments before instantly stitched back together, the black threads writhing beneath his skin like zippers pulling closed.
With his head and two hearts as the core, several black tentacles materialized—sprouting from his mouth, shoulders, and back, swaying slowly in the air like octopus limbs.
Kakuzu leaned forward slightly, his tentacles spreading out like a spiderweb, covering an area several meters in radius.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Naruto created three more shadow clones; white smoke billowed, and three orange figures burst out from the haze. With the original, that made four in total—two of them helping the "original" form the Rasenshuriken.
The real Naruto, however, quietly blended into the ranks of the shadow clones. His presence was masked by the chakra fluctuations of the clones, making it impossible to tell which was the real one.
Just as the four Narutos charged toward Kakuzu, Kakuzu stopped waiting to be attacked. Instead, he took the initiative and launched himself at the "original" who was forming the Rasenshuriken in his hand, leaping forward.
His combat experience told him that the "original" with the Rasenshuriken in hand was the real target. The other three shadow clones weren't forming anything—only that one was.
"Not good—he saw through it!" Ino cried out in alarm.
Kakuzu's body sprang forward, airborne. Several black tentacles lengthened in an instant, piercing through Naruto in the blink of an eye and slamming him into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Naruto!!" Chōji shouted in panic.
"Yosh!" Kakuzu felt a surge of satisfaction.
But just then, the sound of high-speed rotating wind chakra came from behind him.
Hearing the sharp and piercing sound, Kakuzu's pupils instantly contracted.
He knew something had gone wrong—he hadn't expected the real Naruto to be hiding among the shadow clones.
"Die!"
Now Kakuzu could no longer react in time. His body was still leaning forward from momentum, his tentacles hadn't been retracted, and he couldn't even turn around.
The Rasenshuriken struck his back in an instant, and the immense force sent him flying dozens of meters.
BOOM!!!
Another deafening explosion erupted.
This time, Kakuzu had no defense. The countless wind blades of the Rasenshuriken pierced into his body unimpeded, slicing him from the inside out, top to bottom—his two hearts rupturing instantly.
Kakuzu heavily crashed to the ground, bounced twice, and finally lay motionless among the rubble.
His eyes were still open, but there was no spark in his green eyes as he stared hollowly at the sky.
It wasn't until Kakashi walked over and finished him off with a Chidori that his life truly ended.
---
[Konoha, Year 60 · Akatsuki Hideout]
Hidan scratched his head, looking at Kakuzu's corpse on the screen with a puzzled expression. Then he turned to look at the real Kakuzu sitting in the corner, his eyes full of confusion.
"Kakuzu, does getting close to the savior lower your IQ?"
"You already knew that Jutsu of his required close-range combat, and yet you still charged right at him. With that kind of performance, you're really dragging down the credibility of fighting the God of Shinobi."
Kakuzu took a deep breath and was about to respond when he heard Deidara's voice.
"The third one!"
"As expected, none of you were wearing the organization's uniform when you died." Deidara sighed with emotion.
"It seems we must always keep several spare uniforms on hand. Kakuzu, go make more uniforms! Prepare plenty of spares—change into them before a fight, and then you won't have to worry about the 'death by disrobing' curse."
Hearing that, Kakuzu's expression turned extremely sour.
"What are you even talking about?!"
"Can clothes even stay intact when someone gets beaten like that? Rather than saying 'death by disrobing,' it's more like 'failure to protect your clothes before death.' No matter how many uniforms you buy, you can't exactly hide and change outfits in the middle of a fight."
"No way. Absolutely not! I refuse to waste money on this!"
Kakuzu's final words were resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
Deidara crossed his arms and curled his lip: "Tch, cheapskate."
"And what's the point of hoarding so much money anyway? It's not even enough for Konan to play with."
Kakuzu's mouth twitched violently, the corners of his eyes jumping.
Hidan, watching Kakuzu get put in his place, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Kakuzu, just accept it. Money is something you can't take with you when you die. Look at me—I live for Lord Jashin. Money doesn't matter at all."
Kakuzu glared at him: "Shut up."
---
[Konoha, Year One]
Madara stood on the cliffside, wind blowing through his long hair, his robes flapping loudly.
He crossed his arms, watching the scene on the screen where Kakuzu was struck down by the Rasenshuriken. He was utterly speechless.
This guy—who had barely been spared by Hashirama—kept going around bragging that he had fought with the God of Shinobi. And now look at how he did.
Madara turned his head to look at Hashirama, his eyes carrying a hint of disappointment mixed with frustration. He spoke with grave earnestness:
"Hashirama, when you encounter an enemy, you absolutely cannot show mercy. Aren't you just creating trouble for future generations?"
"If you had just cut him down the moment you met him, none of this business on the screen would have happened."
Hashirama: "...."
Meanwhile, Tobirama suddenly thought of the future scene where his older brother pierced through Madara's chest.
That's right!
He should also check whether the enemy is truly dead or not—otherwise, it does create trouble for future generations.
Tobirama silently noted this in his mind, then cast a discreet glance at Madara.
---
[Another timeline · Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village)]
Inside a high-level conference room, a massacre was unfolding.
Several bodies lay strewn across the floor, blood staining the tatami mats. The young Kakuzu stood in the center of the room, gripping a scroll in his hand. The cover of the scroll bore three characters: "Earth Grudge Fear."
A Takigakure elder clutched his slashed throat, blood gushing between his fingers. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu… you bastard! We haven't even given you the mission to assassinate Senju Hashirama yet! What are you doing?!"
Another elder lay slumped nearby, his voice trembling: "Exactly! You despicable traitor… have you lost your mind?!"
Kakuzu tucked the scroll into his robe and looked down at the elders who had once looked down on him and treated him like a tool. There was no pity in his eyes.
"The screen is truly a wonderful thing. It cuts out so many middlemen. I don't have to wait for you to give me a mission. I don't have to wait for you to pin a crime on me after I fail. Just striking first—so much simpler."
"Besides… if not this way, would you have willingly handed over the Earth Grudge Fear to me?" Once he mastered this Jutsu, even if it turned out just like the future, he could live nearly a century. What more could he ask for?
And just like that, the high-ranking officials of Takigakure got to experience an early taste of total annihilation.
After a round of screams, the conference room fell silent once more.
*****
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ReduxMagister