Kitazawa stepped back, choosing to watch the battle as a spectator.
Sasuke walked forward calmly to face Kakuzu.
Confidence radiated from him, his mind already racing with ways to end the fight quickly and establish his own reputation.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, instantly seeing through Sasuke's thoughts.
Young people were always this impatient. Especially geniuses among geniuses like Sasuke.
Earth Grudge Fear! Kakuzu formed hand seals, and countless black threads burst forth from his body.
To deceive Sasuke, he didn't even bother removing his clothes—he went all out from the very start.
"What?!" A chill ran down Sasuke's spine as an intense sense of danger washed over him.
He reflexively activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, only to see the black threads filling the sky twist and expand, transforming into eight massive tentacles.
In an instant, Sasuke was completely surrounded. His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately retreated.
But the eight giant tentacles moved like an encroaching abyss, swallowing all space around him.
At the critical moment, the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan demonstrated its true worth.
Though he was forced into an awkward position, Sasuke narrowly dodged all eight tentacles.
The first exchange ended.
Both of them wore solemn expressions.
Staring at Kakuzu, whose body was now shrouded in writhing black threads, Sasuke discarded his earlier contempt.
He had nearly been caught just now.
"What are those four masks?" Sasuke's gaze fixed on the strange masks embedded within the black threads.
Although his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't see through solid objects, it clearly perceived the Chakra flow behind each mask.
Kakuzu, meanwhile, stared intently at Sasuke's eyes, frowning. This was the first time he had seen the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
But judging from Sasuke's performance, it was clearly far stronger than the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Could this be some kind of mutated Sharingan?
Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work! Kakuzu rapidly formed hand seals.
The Fire Release mask opened its mouth, spewing out a torrent of flames.
In the blink of an eye, the fire spread outward, turning the area into a raging sea of flames.
Sasuke was startled. Does that mean each of the four masks can use a different elemental release?
Without hesitation, he drew the Sword of the Thunder God.
Violent lightning erupted, splitting the sea of fire apart with Sasuke at its center.
Hatake Sword Technique! Sasuke lunged forward, his speed pushed to the absolute limit.
Kakuzu immediately sensed danger. He clapped his hands together.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Clang!
His hardened arms blocked the Sword of the Thunder God.
Even so, cold sweat broke out across his body. Sasuke's speed had been so fast that he had nearly failed to react.
The next instant, lightning surged along the Sword of the Thunder God.
But Kakuzu didn't dodge. He didn't retreat. Because Earth Release: Earth Spear hardened his entire body.
Secret Technique: Heart Capture!
Enduring the lightning, Kakuzu thrust his right arm forward, aiming straight for Sasuke's heart.
Tenjōtōtsuki! Sasuke's heart skipped a beat.
Seeing that the lightning was ineffective, he immediately activated his Mangekyo Sharingan dōjutsu.
From the very start of the battle, he had planted a Tenjōtōtsuki Yin Release mark on Kakuzu.
Kakuzu was powerful and skilled in the five elemental releases, but Yin Release was not his specialty—he hadn't noticed it at all.
Kakuzu's grab missed. For a brief moment, he froze.
Chidori!
Sasuke appeared behind him.
Crack!
The Water Release mask shattered instantly. The heart hidden behind it was pierced and destroyed by the Chidori.
Kakuzu didn't even have time to be shocked by the loss of his Water Release heart.
What truly stunned him was Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan dōjutsu.
A space-time Ninjutsu?! This was extremely troublesome.
Kakuzu roared as black threads shot out from his body, wrapping around Sasuke's right hand and rapidly spreading toward his heart.
Hatake Sword Technique!
Sasuke's expression changed sharply.
He immediately swung the Sword of the Thunder God, severing the black threads before retreating.
False Darkness! The Lightning Release mask spat out a bolt of lightning in an instant.
The attack was incredibly fast. But just as it was about to strike, Sasuke vanished once more.
"It really is space-time Ninjutsu!" Kakuzu felt his scalp go numb.
The terror of space-time Ninjutsu was well known—one only had to look at Minato Namikaze to understand it.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Not knowing where Sasuke would reappear, Kakuzu reinforced his entire body.
The piercing sound of chirping birds rang out again.
Sasuke appeared to Kakuzu's left.
His right hand was wrapped in brilliant lightning, forming a blade that slashed toward the Fire Release mask on Kakuzu's shoulder.
"It won't be that easy!" In a flash, Kakuzu shifted the Fire Release mask aside and lunged at Sasuke with both hands.
Chidori Current!
Sasuke instantly altered the form of his Chidori. A massive surge of lightning enveloped his entire body.
Kakuzu's body jerked violently as his hands plunged into the lightning, his movements slowing dramatically.
Genjutsu: Sharingan! A deep crimson light flashed within Sasuke's eyes.
Kakuzu fell into a brief daze, despite having been wary of genjutsu from the very beginning.
After all, Sasuke was an Uchiha—no matter how unusual his Sharingan might be.
More importantly, Kakuzu possessed five hearts.
That meant he was effectively five people in one, with five distinct Chakra systems, allowing him to break free from genjutsu much faster than normal.
Though now, only four hearts remained.
Even so, escaping a genjutsu still took time. Even less than a second was enough.
Hatake Sword Technique!
Sasuke gripped the Sword of the Thunder God and slashed toward the nearest Lightning Release mask.
The moment Kakuzu broke free from the illusion, he heard the cracking sound of the Lightning Release mask shattering.
His heart sank. But there was no time to worry about it.
Tentacle Fist!
Kakuzu swung his arms, and a mass of black tentacles exploded outward from the severed ends.
Sasuke's vision darkened as the tentacles surged toward him like a black tide.
Tenjōtōtsuki! Left with no other choice, Sasuke activated his Mangekyo Sharingan dōjutsu once again.
Although he could teleport freely as long as the Yin Release mark remained, each teleportation was equivalent to using Tenjōtōtsuki anew.
The Chakra consumption was enormous.
If not for the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Tengan Baizō, he would have been completely drained after four or five teleports in a single battle.
Seeing Sasuke vanish, Kakuzu immediately retracted his fists. But to his surprise, Sasuke didn't appear behind him this time.
Instead, he stood beneath a tree some distance away.
Kakuzu took a closer look—and suddenly felt overjoyed.
Sasuke was panting heavily. His breathing was ragged, his Chakra clearly overextended.
Only then did Kakuzu remember that Sasuke was only eleven years old. Neither his physical strength nor his Chakra had reached their peak.
The fact that he had fought Kakuzu to this extent was already terrifying.
"Your space-time ninjutsu consumes an enormous amount of energy." Kakuzu sneered, his voice cold. "It seems the outcome has already been decided."
"Is that so?" Sasuke exhaled slowly and replied in an even tone, "I haven't even used my full strength yet. How can the outcome already be decided?"
Kakuzu's heart instinctively skipped a beat. He… still hadn't gone all out?
Kakuzu's first reaction was disbelief.
The reason was simple—Sasuke was far too young, while he himself was nearly ninety years old.
He had already pushed himself close to his limits, yet an eleven-year-old child claimed he still had strength to spare?
Did that make any sense at all? For the first time, Kakuzu felt as if his ninety years of training had been a complete waste.
Tengan Baizō!
Sasuke's body trembled slightly, and in the next instant, a torrent of chakra surged out from within him.
Kakuzu's eyes widened.
Sasuke's chakra had inexplicably tripled in an instant, far exceeding all of Kakuzu's expectations.
What kind of secret technique was this?
"Again!" Sasuke vanished in a flash.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Kakuzu reacted instantly, hardening his entire body without hesitation.
Yin Release: Rasengan!
Sasuke reappeared behind him.
A cold, eerie aura spread as a rotating sphere of green chakra slammed into Kakuzu's back.
A burning pain exploded through his body.
Even with Earth Release: Earth Spear reinforcing him, it couldn't completely block the Yin Release: Rasengan.
The black threads covering his body snapped apart inch by inch under the Rasengan's violent rotation.
Enduring the pain, Kakuzu used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat.
The moment he pulled away, he immediately began forming hand seals. Compound Ninja Art: Strange Mask Exploding Flame!
The Wind Release mask and Fire Release mask opened their mouths at the same time.
Wind fueled Fire. In the blink of an eye, a vast sea of flames erupted.
To guard against Sasuke's space-time sneak attacks, Kakuzu unleashed fire in all directions with himself at the center.
Sasuke frowned. He hesitated briefly, then raised the Sword of the Thunder God.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
Kirin!
A massive fire dragon soared into the sky, and in the next instant, thunder roared.
The darkened heavens lit up as countless bolts of lightning converged, taking the form of a Kirin.
The Kirin descended and plunged straight into the sea of flames.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Faced with the terrifying lightning, Kakuzu retreated without hesitation.
A deafening explosion shook heaven and earth. Lightning and fire intertwined, unleashing wave after wave of devastating shockwaves.
Kakuzu swallowed instinctively.
This was the first time in his life he had seen a Lightning Release ninjutsu of such overwhelming power.
Fortunately, thanks to Earth Release: Earth Spear, he wasn't caught directly in the lightning's aftermath.
"Is this your full strength? To push me this far at your age is already something you can be proud of." Kakuzu stared at Sasuke as he spoke.
He had seen countless geniuses over the decades, but none of them could compare to this boy.
"It's still not my full strength." Sasuke took a deep breath as he answered.
"…?" Kakuzu's face filled with disbelief.
What kind of monster was this? How was this still not his full strength? Was this really an eleven-year-old child?
Sasuke raised his hand.
Boom!
A heavy, oppressive aura spread outward. A gigantic hand materialized out of thin air, reaching toward Kakuzu.
Kitazawa's brow twitched. This was the initial form of Susanoo.
But it wasn't surprising—after all, Sasuke possessed the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
The only question was how far he could push it.
Given his age, a Perfect Susanoo was likely impossible; at most, it would be the first or second stage.
"What is this?!" Kakuzu felt as though all his experience and insight had completely failed him.
Time and time again, Sasuke revealed techniques—no, abilities—that Kakuzu simply couldn't comprehend.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
Kakuzu spat out a compressed sphere of wind. It struck the ground and instantly transformed into a raging storm.
The giant hand was immediately forced back.
Sasuke's eyes flickered.
A skeletal torso enveloped his body.
This was the first stage of Susanoo.
In the next instant, a massive shadow loomed over Kakuzu. The skeletal torso raised its fists and smashed them down again and again.
A sense of danger surged through Kakuzu.
He hastily activated Earth Release: Earth Spear once more.
But at that moment, Sasuke vanished.
Chidori Katana!
Using Tenjōtōtsuki, Sasuke appeared behind Kakuzu.
Leaping into the air, he thrust his blade forward while Kakuzu was fully occupied dealing with Susanoo.
Crack! The Fire Release mask was pierced straight through.
Hatake Sword Technique!
Sasuke pressed his advantage, twisting his wrist and driving the blade directly toward Kakuzu's main heart.
"I surrender!" At the critical moment, Kakuzu shouted.
He had already been battered by Susanoo to the point where resistance was no longer possible.
If the fight continued, all five of his hearts would be destroyed—and he would die on the spot.
The Sword of the Thunder God halted abruptly.
Sasuke curled his lip, clearly dissatisfied. But since Kakuzu had surrendered, there was no need to continue.
"Well done." Kitazawa smiled as he praised him.
Kakuzu was highly experienced and proficient in all five elemental releases; an ordinary jōnin stood no chance against him.
For Sasuke to defeat him was proof of strength comparable to a Kage-level powerhouse.
With more experience, he could have ended the battle even faster.
After all, Tenjōtōtsuki and Tengan Baizō were overwhelmingly powerful techniques.
"Kakuzu." Kitazawa looked at him calmly. "Accept your loss."
"I won't go back on my word," Kakuzu replied frankly. "I'm not in a position to do so anyway."
"I'll send you back to Konoha Village first." Kitazawa stepped forward and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them appeared within the Uchiha Clan compound.
"Who's there?!" Uchiha Fugaku sensed them immediately.
"Father!" Sasuke's expression lit up with excitement. "I defeated Kakuzu!"
"Kakuzu of the Akatsuki Organization?" Fugaku froze for a moment before reacting.
By now, the Akatsuki Organization's members were infamous throughout the Ninja World.
"Exactly!" Sasuke declared proudly. "I beat him all by myself!"
"As expected of my son!" Fugaku broke into a broad smile.
"You two can talk." Listening to the familiar exchange, Kitazawa greeted them briefly before taking Kakuzu away.
His destination was the ANBU.
Kitazawa's plan was for Kakuzu to join the ANBU.
Given Kakuzu's background in the Akatsuki Organization, it was impossible for him to serve as a public figure in Konoha Village.
The faceless ANBU suited him perfectly.
Once the students of the Genius Class graduated, Kitazawa would become Hokage, and Sarutobi Asuma would serve as a squad leader.
Kakuzu could then take over Asuma's former position as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the ANBU.
As for the Commander-in-Chief, Kitazawa already had someone in mind: Konan.
Thinking about it, the irony was almost laughable. After all, in the original course of history, Kakuzu had been the one who killed Asuma.
[Current Mission: Capture Kakuzu alive.]
[Mission Reward: Mastery of Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation.]
[Host has completed the mission; reward distributed.]
Kitazawa looked at the three lines of text before him and gave a slight nod.
Now, only Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation remained unmastered. Once that was complete, he would possess full mastery over all chakra attributes.
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of qualitative change would occur when that moment arrived.
"Kakuzu, I've already placed a Flying Thunder God mark on you. No matter where you go, I can find you."
Kitazawa spoke calmly. "Since you've joined the ANBU, then do your job properly."
Kakuzu nodded in silence.
He understood the unspoken meaning perfectly—do not stir up trouble in Konoha, and do not even think about escaping.
After settling Kakuzu's arrangements, Kitazawa went to find Antelope.
Just like he had done for Naruto before, he used the same method to push Sasuke into the spotlight.
There was only one difference this time. For Sasuke's title, Kitazawa personally chose the name 'Konoha's Kirin.'
Once the ANBU began their publicity efforts, they would promote Sasuke under that title.
After explaining everything clearly, Kitazawa returned to Takigakure.
Shibuki and the others were waiting anxiously at the village entrance. The moment they saw him, they rushed forward.
"Lord Kitazawa, how is the situation?" Shibuki asked impatiently.
"The two members of the Akatsuki Organization have already been defeated by us." Kitazawa replied.
"That's good." Shibuki finally let out a long breath. "Takigakure has survived this crisis."
"It's still too early to say the crisis is over." Kitazawa shook his head. "The Akatsuki Organization won't let this go. They'll definitely send more people."
Shibuki's expression changed sharply, anxiety surfacing on his face.
"I have a plan," Kitazawa said unhurriedly. "Let Fu stay in Konoha Village for the time being and draw the Akatsuki Organization's attention toward Konoha."
"But—" Shibuki clenched his fists instinctively, clearly conflicted.
"If you're worried, you can send people to Konoha Village to watch over Fu." Kitazawa added calmly.
Shibuki fell silent, deep in thought. Fu remaining in Takigakure was always a risk.
First, Kitazawa and the others would eventually return to Konoha.
Second, Takigakure could be attacked again at any moment.
Third, Fu herself would never truly be safe.
"…I agree." Shibuki finally sighed.
"After I return, I'll announce to the Ninja World that the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki has been brought to Konoha Village by me." Kitazawa nodded.
"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Kitazawa," Shibuki said sincerely.
As long as the Akatsuki Organization knew Fu was no longer in Takigakure, they wouldn't target the village again.
In that sense, Konoha Village was taking on all the risk.
"No time to waste. Send someone with me to Konoha Village immediately." Kitazawa said decisively.
He had already completed the system mission and had no intention of lingering any longer.
"Kagen, take a team and follow Lord Kitazawa," Shibuki ordered after a brief pause.
"Yes, Leader." Kagen immediately selected three team members.
Seeing this, Kitazawa activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In the blink of an eye, the five of them appeared in the Forest of Death.
Two violent chakra auras swept over them instantly.
"Is that… Fu's aura?" Kagen narrowed his eyes.
He quickly located the sources.
One aura belonged to Fu. The other belonged to Uzumaki Naruto.
Kagen stared, stunned. Because the Fu, who was nearly invincible in Takigakure, was currently at a disadvantage.
But his expression soon eased. After all, she was fighting the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Kagen?" Fu spotted him and immediately shouted, "We'll fight again later!"
She ran over at once.
"Takigakure is safe now. Don't worry." Kagen spoke first, anticipating her question.
"That's great!" Fu beamed.
"I told you, with Kitazawa-sensei around, nothing could go wrong." Naruto gave a thumbs-up and said confidently, "Kitazawa-sensei's power of youth is unbeatable!"
"Fu, the Leader has one more task for you." Kagen then explained Shibuki's decision for her to remain in Konoha Village.
"Eh?" Fu froze for a moment, clearly surprised.
But she didn't dwell on it long. Soon, excitement replaced her confusion.
She had always wanted to leave Takigakure and explore the outside world. Now she finally had the chance.
"During this time, you'll join the Genius Class." A satisfied smile appeared on Kitazawa's face.
With Fu's addition, the overall strength of the Genius Class rose yet again.
Meanwhile, news of Sasuke defeating Kakuzu spread rapidly throughout Konoha Village.
The most excited group was undoubtedly the Uchiha Clan.
Especially Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi. They understood very clearly—strength alone was not enough to become Hokage.
Reputation was just as important. The greater one's fame, the greater the chance of ascending to that position.
When Naruto had risen to prominence earlier, they had felt uneasy.
Now Sasuke's reputation was soaring just as fast, no less impressive.
---
Hidden Rain Village, Land of Rain.
Inside a quiet room, Konan sat beside the bed when a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
She paused, then stood up with a calm, expressionless face. She knew immediately that the visitor wasn't Kitazawa.
Konan opened the door. A White Zetsu stood outside.
"Kakuzu and Hidan's mission failed. Kitazawa and Sasuke appeared in Takigakure and captured them." White Zetsu reported.
Hearing Kitazawa's name, Konan's heart trembled slightly.
But since he had personally intervened, the failure of Kakuzu and Hidan was only natural.
As for Sasuke, she ignored him entirely.
"The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was also taken to Konoha Village by Kitazawa." White Zetsu added.
"I understand. You may leave." Konan replied coldly.
White Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished.
Konan stood there, listening to the sound of rain, her thoughts drifting.
Now that the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was in Konoha Village, the Akatsuki Organization's remaining targets were only Konoha and Kumogakure.
Given the strength of those two villages, it was inevitable that Nagato would take action personally.
Konan bit her lip unconsciously. What was destined to happen could not be avoided.
Though she didn't want to see Kitazawa and Nagato fight to the death, she knew it was unavoidable.
Shaking herself out of her daze, Konan turned and walked toward the towering structure at the heart of the Hidden Rain Village.
Soon, she met Deva Path Pain and relayed White Zetsu's intelligence.
"Two more members lost?" Deva Path Pain pondered briefly. "Recruit new members first. I'll go to Kumogakure in a while."
Konan instinctively let out a quiet sigh of relief. With Konoha left for last, Kitazawa and the others still had time to prepare.
But the thought vanished almost immediately. Facing Nagato and his Rinnegan, preparation alone would never be enough.
Konan's heart felt torn. For a brief moment, she truly didn't know who she wanted to win.