Naruto: A Century as an Arrancar, Starting Off by Killing the Demi-God

"He actually let go of that special ninja tool?"

"What does that mean?!"

"Is he giving up?"

Seeing Uwa release his sword, Kakuzu frowned. He was just about to act when the blade touched the ground.

It was as if a drop of water had fallen into a vast, endless ocean.

Drip.

The crisp sound echoed through the cavern.

Suddenly, the area around Uwa transformed, as though submerged in a sea of crystal-clear water.

Moments later, towering blades each over ten meters tall rose up behind him.

Then, all at once, they shattered.

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Countless tiny blades burst forth, filling the air like a dazzling storm of sakura petals.

The sheer number of blades instantly overwhelmed the entire cavern.

There were so many that no one could count them with the naked eye.

But Uwa knew.

This Bankai state had unleashed five hundred million individual blades.

In the world of the Soul Reapers, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's Bankai only produced one hundred million.

Uwa's was five times that on his first activation.

There was no doubt.

Uwa was a true prodigy.

The spectacle left more than just Kakuzu speechless. Even Sasori of the Red Sand, Konan, and Obito watching from afar stood frozen in stunned silence.

What even was that weapon?

How could it release so many blades, like a tidal wave of sakura petals?

If Deidara had been here, the whole tone would've changed. He'd probably have shouted something like, "Whoa! So many sakura blades! This has gotta be billions! Imagine how epic it would look if all these petals were poop instead!"

Uwa was relieved he'd left Deidara back in Amegakure.

He saw the shock in all their faces and calmly remained where he stood, waiting for Kakuzu to make a move.

But Kakuzu was frozen in place, his mouth agape, cold sweat sliding down his face.

He was afraid.

Those mere five thousand blades earlier had already blocked his Fire Release jutsu.

Now there were tens of thousands of times more. How could his techniques possibly have any effect?

Everyone could see Kakuzu's hesitation.

From a distance, Sasori called out helpfully, "You'd better fight, Kakuzu. Otherwise, the consequences… probably won't be pleasant."

Kakuzu's body trembled.

He understood.

Uwa's overwhelming display was meant to kill two birds with one stone.

He was the chicken being made an example of. Sasori was the monkey meant to be warned.

His earlier provocations had clearly reached Uwa's ears.

Now Uwa was disciplining him while using him to send a message to future recruits: don't make the same mistake.

Kakuzu looked at Uwa, clenched his teeth, and focused.

He summoned the Wind, Fire, and Lightning masked beasts and merged them into his right arm, channeling all of his chakra.

"Your power has far exceeded my expectations. I provoked you, so if you take my life now, I won't complain."

Kakuzu's expression turned solemn as he shouted, "This next attack is my strongest technique. Take it, Acting Leader Kurosu!"

"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!"

He gathered every last drop of chakra.

The mask monsters opened their mouths and unleashed a massive chakra cannon.

Rumble!

A thunderous explosion erupted.

But Uwa was ready.

Five hundred million sakura blades formed a gigantic hand.

It rose in front of him, easily blocking the blast.

Then, with a firm grip of his fingers, the enormous hand crushed the chakra cannon in its palm.

Boom!

The immense chakra wave scattered, rattling the entire cavern.

Uwa gently curled his index finger.

Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!

A portion of the sakura sea separated, forming four glowing Senbonzakura blades.

They streaked through the air, shattering the masks on Kakuzu's back, leaving only his original heart intact.

Kakuzu stared blankly at Uwa.

"Why? Why didn't you kill me?"

"Your life's not worth that much. What would I gain from killing you?"

Uwa tilted his head and said flatly, "Besides, it's your first offense. Manpower in the Akatsuki is scarce, so I'll let you off this time."

"…"

Kakuzu was at a loss for words.

He had genuinely thought he would die.

But all he lost were his four Earth Grudge Fear masks. The price was steep, but not fatal.

As long as his main heart was intact, he could use the secret technique Heart Seizure to steal others' hearts and rebuild his masks.

More importantly, Uwa had deliberately avoided his vital organs.

That meant he knew the ins and outs of Kakuzu's forbidden technique.

Kakuzu looked at the calm figure standing before him, deeply shaken.

If even the acting leader is this strong… then what kind of monster is the real leader, Pain, the one with the Rinnegan?

The Akatsuki truly was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

He'd fought Pain once before.

Even with his strongest jutsu, he couldn't even scratch him.

He was defeated in a few short moves and then recruited into the Akatsuki. He had no idea just how strong Pain really was.

Not to mention the masked man who always stood by Konan's side.

That man possessed the Uchiha clan's Sharingan and a strange, space-time jutsu. Another untouchable figure.

And Konan herself, though a woman, had easily defeated Sasori of the Red Sand and brought him into the organization.

Let's not forget 

Sasori was the man who killed the strongest Kazekage.

That woman couldn't be weak.

Looking at it this way...

Was he… the weakest in the group?

Unaware of Kakuzu's inner spiral, Uwa moved on.

With the battle concluded, the Akatsuki held their first formal meeting.

Konan, Obito, Sasori, and Kakuzu stood before Uwa.

His expression turned serious.

"What I'm about to explain are the rules of the Akatsuki and our initial plans. First and foremost: under no circumstances is internal killing allowed between members. Understood?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, his eyes automatically shifted to Kakuzu.

Konan, Obito, and Sasori all turned their gazes as well.

"…"

Kakuzu instantly felt uneasy.

Why was everyone staring at him?

Do I look like the kind of guy who'd just kill my teammates?

Why are you all giving me that look?!

But under Uwa's intense gaze, Kakuzu could only sigh and nod reluctantly.

"I understand, Acting Leader. I definitely won't kill teammates. Unless they really piss me off."

"Even then, it's not allowed."

Uwa replied calmly, "If a personal grudge gets too serious, you may report it to me. I'll consider reassigning your partner."

"…Fine."

Kakuzu nodded again, powerless to resist.

After laying out a few more rules, Uwa moved on to business.

"The Akatsuki's first priority is simple. Kakuzu, you'll handle bounty missions to generate operating funds for the organization."

"No problem!"

Kakuzu thumped his chest, his eyes shining.

"Making money? That's my specialty. Don't worry, Leader I've already got a target."

As he spoke, he pulled a bounty scroll from his cloak and flipped to the first page.

[Bounty Notice]

Name: Kurosu

Age: 120

Abilities: Unknown

Bounty: 150 million ryo

Description: Although his appearance is that of a 17-year-old, he is suspected to possess both eternal youth and an immortality technique. He is rumored to have lived during the same era as the legendary Hashirama Senju. One year ago, in the southeastern region of the Land of Rain, he instantly killed the so-called 'Demigod' of the ninja world, Hanzo the Salamander. Extremely dangerous!

"That's him! Kurosu!"

Kakuzu pointed at the scroll, his tone full of excitement.

"A full 150 million ryo! If we can take this guy out, the Akatsuki will be financially secure for years. Isn't this plan brilliant?"