Kakuzu spoke coldly upon hearing those words.
"Even if we truly encounter Uchiha Madara, what is there to fear? Just leave him to me."
"After all, I am a man who once fought Hashirama Senju."
He wasn't lying. Back then, the higher-ups of the Hidden Waterfall Village had sent him to assassinate Hashirama Senju. Although he had only caught a glimpse from a distance and thrown a single kunai, it still counted as an encounter in his mind.
At that time, just watching Hashirama Senju from afar, that incredible aura had made his entire body tremble.
He had understood immediately that he and Hashirama Senju were simply not in the same league. If they had actually fought, he likely would have been swatted to death in a single strike.
Of course, he valued his own life, so naturally, he had fled.
Besides, how could Uchiha Madara still be alive?
Even if he were alive, he would be nothing but a decrepit old man.
Kakuzu possessed the secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear. Despite having lived for a long time, he was still strong and robust with five lives to his name. How could his opponent possibly kill him?
He could simply outlast the other man until he died of exhaustion.
The two men were somewhat shocked to hear his words. Was he really that fierce?
A person who could battle Hashirama Senju must be incredibly powerful.
And to have survived until this day was even more terrifying.
Jūzō Biwa naturally found it difficult to say anything else.
"Fine, you're the man. If we really run into Uchiha Madara, we'll leave that guy to you."
Kakuzu didn't even deign to respond, continuing his journey instead.
They would see if they actually met him first.
A few days later, the three of them arrived at the Hidden Waterfall Village.
In front of them stood a massive, towering waterfall.
There were no signs of any village buildings or settlements in the surrounding area.
Jūzō Biwa asked in confusion.
"Where exactly is the Hidden Waterfall Village?"
Kakuzu spoke slowly.
"It's right inside that great waterfall."
Returning to this familiar place brought back memories of the past.
Back then, the higher-ups had ordered him to assassinate Hashirama Senju. Naturally, he hadn't succeeded; he had been scared off after just one look.
When he returned to the village, those same leaders tried to execute him for failing the mission.
His heart was filled with nothing but fury.
Despite his unwavering loyalty to the village, they had rewarded him with a death sentence.
Fortunately, he had killed all the leaders of that time, stolen the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear, and survived to this very day.
Jūzō and Kisame were both somewhat surprised.
A village built inside such a place was likely designed that way to prevent enemy attacks.
Similarly, their own Hidden Mist Village was established deep within the mountains for the same reason.
Kakuzu stepped onto the water and rushed directly into the waterfall. Seeing this, Jūzō and Kisame immediately followed.
After passing through the great waterfall, they found themselves on a long mountain path.
They hadn't walked for long before several Hidden Waterfall ninjas appeared before them.
The Hidden Waterfall ninjas also spotted the intruders, noting that their clothing did not belong to their village.
They even saw that one of them was wearing a Hidden Waterfall headband with a deep scratch through the symbol.
He was a rogue ninja.
However, they were somewhat unclear about the identity of the man before them.
One of them shouted angrily.
"Who exactly are you? Why have you come to our village?"
The passage into the Hidden Waterfall Village was known to very few people, mostly only those within the village. Had this rogue ninja led these people in?
Kakuzu didn't answer. Instead, his fist suddenly flew toward the man.
Black threads trailed from his fist and body as it disconnected.
He gripped the man's neck firmly.
He squeezed the ninja's throat with such force that the man had no ability to resist.
Then, the black threads retracted, pulling the Hidden Waterfall ninja toward him.
The other ninjas were shocked and enraged by the sight.
"You bastard!"
Realizing that the newcomers meant trouble, they rushed forward to rescue their comrade.
However, facing Kisame and Jūzō, they collapsed into pools of blood after only a few exchanges.
They didn't have the strength of Jōnin; at most, they were only Chūnin. They were simply no match for these members of the Akatsuki.
Kisame watched the move Kakuzu had just performed, noting the black threads emerging from his body.
He was a bit surprised.
He truly was a man who had fought Hashirama Senju. To live this long, he must have undergone some form of body modification.
He hadn't expected the shinobi world to contain a method that could grant such longevity.
At that moment, Kakuzu began to interrogate the ninja in his grasp.
"Tell me the location of the Jinchūriki in the village. If you don't, I'll send you down to join those two."
The captured ninja's face twisted in pain. Hearing his companions' dying groans, his heart filled with rage.
"Who would ever tell you where the Jinchūriki is? Don't even dream about it!"
Kakuzu looked at the man. He had once been just as loyal, only to be ordered for extermination.
"If you don't want to talk, then don't talk at all."
He applied pressure and snapped the man's neck, ending his life instantly.
Then, he tossed the body to the side of the ground so it wouldn't block his path.
He continued to move forward.
"Let's go. The Jinchūriki should be inside the village."
He naturally had no intention of showing mercy to the ninjas of his former village.
To him, he no longer had any connection to the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Before long, after traversing a certain distance, the three of them entered a completely new world.
Their appearance immediately triggered an alert among the surrounding ninjas.
Among them, a Jōnin's face changed drastically. He might not have recognized the others, but he knew exactly who this was.
One of the men wearing the rogue Hidden Waterfall headband was Kakuzu.
The most notorious rogue ninja in the history of the Hidden Waterfall Village.
"Sound the village alarm! Notify the Takikage! Kakuzu has returned!"
At his command, several ninjas rang the village's warning bells while others went to inform the Takikage.
They remained on high alert, staring at the three men in front of them, not daring to strike recklessly.
They were well aware of how powerful this rogue ninja was, and the two men with him didn't look like they would be easy to deal with either.
The trio didn't bother to move. If the village was calling for the Takikage, that suited them perfectly.
As the alarms echoed, the ordinary villagers hid away while ninjas continuously flooded toward the village entrance.
One middle-aged man, dressed differently from those around him, was clearly the Kage.
He arrived at the mouth of the cave, his face contorted with anger.
Seeing Kakuzu, he roared with fury.
"You actually dare to return to this village? You killed so many elders and caused our strength to plummet, reducing us to a bottom-tier power in the shinobi world!"
The man had even stolen the village's greatest treasure, the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear, leading directly to the village's decline.
Kakuzu looked at him. This guy must be the current Takikage.
He was a stranger; Kakuzu had indeed lived for a very long time.
"I didn't come back today to listen to your accusations. Hand over the Jinchūriki, or I will wash this place in blood."