Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

"Damn it!!" Ameinu snarled, his eyes bloodshot with frustration. A deep sense of anger boiled within him. Why hadn't the intel mentioned the true capabilities of Boil Release? Those higher-ups in Kirigakure were scum, sending him on this mission without so much as a warning. He bet his life that there were even bigger secrets hidden within Ruto's abilities.

But right now, Ameinu couldn't afford to dwell on it. The bounty of 30 million ryō was tempting, sure—but only if he lived to claim it. As an experienced bounty hunter, he knew when to cut his losses.

"Retreat! Let's go, now!" he shouted, spinning on his heel and darting away with a burst of speed. He had to get as far as possible from the corrosive mists of Boil Release, or his body would dissolve until not even bones remained.

The other bounty hunters didn't need to be told twice. One after another, they followed Ameinu's lead, fleeing the area. Behind them, Ruto smiled coldly, his transformation from prey to predator complete.

"Have you forgotten?" Ruto's voice rang out, calm yet laced with menace. "In your panic, you've already inhaled plenty of my Boil Release. It's working its way through your bodies as we speak. You're not going anywhere."

With a single leap, Ruto launched himself into the air, closing the distance between him and the fleeing hunters. He had no intention of letting them escape. If they got away, they'd expose his location, and that was a risk he couldn't take. No, he'd eliminate them here and now—and then find a new island to hide on.

The dense forest blurred past as Ameinu and his men sprinted, choking on pain as the Boil Release corroded them from within. Ameinu glanced back, his jaw clenched tight.

"We won't last like this," he thought, his mind racing for a plan. "That bastard will kill us all if we don't lose him."

"B-Boss!" one of the hunters stammered, his voice trembling. "There's someone up ahead!"

"What?!" Ameinu snapped his head forward.

Through the swirling mist, a towering figure loomed, walking slowly in their direction.

"Who the hell is that?! Get out of the way!" Ameinu shouted, frustration boiling over. Without hesitation, he hurled a handful of shuriken forward, each one primed with explosive tags.

The shuriken sliced through the air, embedding themselves in the ground and nearby trees.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions rocked the area, smoke and debris scattering in every direction. Trees were blown to splinters, and the ground was left scorched.

Yet from within the smoke, steady, rhythmic footsteps emerged.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ameinu's heart sank as the figure came into view—unscathed.

"What… what the hell is that?!" he gasped.

Standing before him was a man, clad in blackened steel from head to toe, his towering frame exuding an oppressive presence.

It was Kakuzu.

The bounty hunter's eyes widened in recognition and terror.

"Well, well," Kakuzu said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "We're in the same business, aren't we? Seems polite to introduce myself."

Before anyone could react, Kakuzu's hands blurred into a series of hand signs, finishing in an instant.

Electricity crackled violently as he raised one arm.

"Lightning Release: Thundercrack Spear."

The air seemed to vibrate as a sharp, piercing sound filled the forest. From Kakuzu's hand, a spear of pure lightning chakra formed, buzzing with destructive energy.

"This technique," Kakuzu said, his voice calm but sharp, "is my first original jutsu. Consider it a parting gift."

The spear erupted from his hand, streaking forward like an eagle in flight—fast, unrelenting, and deadly.

Ameinu's pupils dilated, the image of a lightning dragon reflected in his eyes.

"It's too fast…!"

Instinct screamed at him to move, but the Thundercrack Spear was faster. Before he could even think of a counter, it was upon him.

"No, no, no!!"

Screams filled the air as the spear tore through the hunters, leaving destruction in its wake.

When the Thundercrack Spear struck, it was like a primordial beast had opened its enormous maw of lightning, swallowing the bounty hunters whole. The violent arcs of electricity intertwined, coiling and writhing over their bodies. Each crackle of lightning felt like the beast's fangs tearing into them repeatedly.

Their flesh began to scorch, their faces and any exposed skin darkening to a charred black. In mere seconds, the devastating power of the Thundercrack Spear faded. But for the bounty hunters, those few seconds stretched into what felt like centuries of excruciating torment.

Of the remaining four, one had been reduced to a motionless husk of charred flesh, lying prone on the ground. A gentle breeze would be enough to scatter him to ash. Another's entire body was pitch black, save for the stark white of his lifeless, unblinking eyes, staring blankly at the sky. The agony of those fleeting moments had been etched into his final expression.

Only the bounty hunters' leader, Ameinu, managed to survive the initial strike, though barely. He lay sprawled on the ground, his blood pooling beneath him and soaking into the dirt. Trembling, he raised a hand, weakly trying to lift his head. His face, a grotesque mix of burnt flesh and oozing blood, told a tale of unimaginable suffering. His cracked, charred lips moved soundlessly, as though he had something to say.

Standing tall above him was Kakuzu, his imposing frame casting a shadow over the defeated hunter. He looked down at the man, his voice calm yet dripping with cold disdain.

"Ah, my apologies," Kakuzu said, his tone mockingly sincere. "It seems the technique wasn't quite powerful enough. You're still clinging to life, left to endure this misery. My mistake."

As he spoke, Kakuzu reached down, placing a hand firmly on Ameinu's trembling head.

"I'll make sure to refine the jutsu for next time," he continued, his voice steady. "For now, allow me to end your suffering."

With a quick, practiced motion, Kakuzu twisted his hand. A sickening crack echoed through the clearing as Ameinu's head was wrenched to the side, his life snuffed out instantly.

Dusting off his hands, Kakuzu straightened, his expression unreadable. In one move, he had eliminated a competitor and cleared the path toward his true target.

His gaze shifted, locking onto the ninja with a 30-million-ryō bounty. The man stood ready, his hands already forming seals, while a haze of Boil Release bubbled and hissed around his mouth.

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