When in doubt, blame Danzo.
If he did not exist, the entire ninja world might fall apart.
And of course, Danzo would never step out and say this had nothing to do with him.
"It has nothing to do with me. He can't kill me. Get as far away as you can and don't get caught in the fight. I'll withdraw on my own."
Kaede Kitahara spoke calmly, but he noticed his hands trembling slightly.
It was not fear.
It was excitement.
A natural thrill rising from deep inside when facing a powerful enemy.
He felt a little speechless.
Wasn't this the kind of reaction reserved for hot-blooded protagonists?
Fine. Naruto was a hot-blooded series.
The problem was, he was not the protagonist.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were the protagonists.
He was barely even a supporting character.
Just cannon fodder.
Then it hit him.
When you carry a sharp blade, killing intent follows.
Compared to when he first received the diary, his strength had undergone a complete transformation.
Flying Thunder God. Rasengan. Sharingan. The Uzumaki Clan's early-stage Sage Body.
All of it stacked together.
Even he had never properly measured how strong he had become.
He had definitely surpassed elite Jonin.
But could he stand against a Kage Level opponent?
He did not know.
This surge of excitement was proof of something.
In his diary, he talked every day about lying low and clinging to stronger allies.
But deep down, how could he not feel the pull?
He wanted to see the scenery at the peak of the ninja world.
Still…
That kind of thinking is dangerous.
"I'm not the protagonist of a hot-blooded story," he reminded himself. "Not even a side character. Just an extra. When an extra starts dreaming of being the hero, that's when he dies."
He forced the thrill back down.
"Got it."
Amakusa Ryuji and Hyuga Keiko did not argue or insist on staying for some dramatic farewell.
They had fought alongside Kaede for years.
They knew him.
If he told them to leave, then staying would only get in the way.
Against a monster like this, even a moment's distraction could be fatal.
"Run? Do you think you can?" Kakuzu snapped, anger flashing across his face.
Without warning, he attacked.
Both his arms detached from his body, palms and forearms separating, suspended by writhing black threads. They shot toward Hyuga Keiko and Amakusa Ryuji at terrifying speed.
In the blink of an eye, the grasping hands were about to seize them.
The next instant, those hands dropped to the ground, crackling with arcs of lightning.
At the critical moment, Kaede had drawn the Sword of the Thunder God, the blade once wielded by the Second Hokage, and severed the attack.
Lightning danced along the sword, illuminating his face in cold flashes.
Yet his eyes narrowed.
The black threads were unbelievably tough.
Even with Chakra surging through the blade, its lightning edge capable of slicing through steel, he had only managed to cut partway through.
Half the threads snapped.
The rest held.
"Go!" Hyuga Keiko bit down hard and dragged Amakusa Ryuji away without hesitation.
There was no time to celebrate surviving that strike. They fled immediately.
Kakuzu was equally shocked.
He had attacked without warning.
Yet this kid had reacted perfectly.
And that Sword of the Thunder God had nearly cut through his threads.
These were no ordinary threads.
They were created through Earth Grudge Fear.
"The Sword of the Thunder God… isn't it?"
At this point, Kakuzu calmed instead of pressing forward.
The bounty was on Kaede, not his teammates. The Bounty Station would not even bother with such trivial targets.
Digging through long-buried memories, Kakuzu recalled the origin of that blade.
He had once witnessed Senju Tobirama's final battle.
He had seen that sword in action when Tobirama killed Kinkaku and Ginkaku of Kumogakure.
Now it all came back.
"You must have crossed paths with the Second Hokage," Kaede said lightly.
"I wouldn't call it that. But I saw his last battle with my own eyes."
Kakuzu's gaze hardened.
"Not bad. Staying behind to buy time for your teammates. But it's pointless. With their strength, they can't escape my pursuit."
Two Chunin at best.
How could they outrun him?
He could kill Kaede at his leisure and still catch them afterward.
Whether he chased them would depend on his mood.
"Who said I stayed to buy time?" Kaede smiled faintly. "I just want to see how big the gap is between me and a top-tier Kage Level expert."
"Arrogant brat." Kakuzu sneered. "Don't think quick reflexes make you my equal."
Kaede did not argue.
Instead, he hurled a Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"This kind of sneak attack? Are you joking?"
Kakuzu scoffed.
Before he could finish speaking, Kaede vanished from sight.
"Body Flicker Technique? That fast?"
For the first time, shock appeared in Kakuzu's eyes.
He had not even sensed the movement.
Suddenly, he felt Chakra gathering behind him.
"When did—"
He turned slightly.
In his peripheral vision, Kaede appeared behind him, gripping the very Kunai he had thrown moments ago.
In his other hand, a Rasengan spun to life.
From its inception, Rasengan had been a jutsu meant to pair perfectly with Flying Thunder God.
"Boom!"
Before Kakuzu could react, the Rasengan slammed into him.
The violent spiral of Chakra tore through his heart in an instant.
One strike.
One kill.
The destructive force of concentrated Chakra was unquestionable.
Just look at the Tailed Beast Bomb used by the Tailed Beasts.
Kaede landed lightly, his expression calm.
He had exploited Kakuzu's lack of information and landed a devastating blow.
Against an ordinary ninja, that would have ended everything.
But Kakuzu was no ordinary ninja.
He had five hearts.
Five lives.
Hatake Kakashi had once made the mistake of assuming he was dead, only to be nearly killed in return.
That was the value of information.
Ninja battles were information wars.
Kage Level fighters stood at the peak of what humans could achieve.
They were not invincible. A Hokage struck by a Shuriken would still die.
But as you climbed higher, things changed.
At Super Kage Level, regeneration became terrifying.
At Six Paths Level, the rules barely applied anymore.
Kage Level fighters could still die in a gutter.
Six Paths Level monsters?
Hardly.
Right, Uchiha Madara?
Kaede did not underestimate Kakuzu for a second.
"Gate of Healing, open."
He activated the Eight Gates.
He normally kept the Gate of Opening active by default now, so this time he began from the second gate.
"Gate of Life, open."
"Gate of Pain, open."
The first four gates flared open in succession.
Crimson Chakra erupted around him, his body entering an overloaded state.
Ahead of him, Kakuzu rose again.
His black cloak with red clouds was shredded, revealing four masks on his back.
One mask was already destroyed.
The one shattered by Rasengan.
The moment Kakuzu straightened up, Kaede was already behind him again.
This time, there was no Flying Thunder God.
Pure speed.
With the Gate of Pain open, his strength and speed had skyrocketed.
"Chidori!"
Lightning shrieked as Kaede's hand pierced through Kakuzu's body once more.
"How is that possible… attacking from behind without a sound…"
Kakuzu's voice trembled with disbelief.
Another mask exploded behind him.
"Not bad," Kaede said with a small smile. "That's another free life."
Only then did Kakuzu truly understand.
"This brat knows about Earth Grudge Fear."
It was not just his failed assassination of Senju Hashirama.
Kaede knew that Earth Grudge Fear allowed him to store five hearts.
Five hearts.
Five lives.
In his memory, anyone who had seen this technique outside of Akatsuki members was dead.
So how did this kid know?
There was no time to dwell on it.
For the first time, Kakuzu realized something.
That ten million ryo…
Was not going to be easy money.
And the intelligence provided by the Bounty Station, claiming Kaede merely possessed Jonin-level combat ability?
It was laughably inaccurate.