Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With every Shadow Clone shattered by a Water Release attack, the battlefield erupted in plumes of smoke. This sound had echoed over 200 times now. Ruto was under immense pressure. He genuinely couldn't tell whether this was all real or some elaborate illusion.

No ordinary ninja could produce so many Shadow Clones, right?

Ruto frowned deeply, realizing he had fallen into Kakuzu's rhythm. Yet, at this critical juncture, he could only rely on himself. His stamina and chakra were being consumed at an alarming rate.

But then, a moment came when Ruto's eyes snapped open. The oppressive darkness around him began to wane. His tactics had worked—at least partially.

Although the Dark Night Walking Technique was a high-level genjutsu, it had its limitations. No genjutsu, barring outliers like Kotoamatsukami or Infinite Tsukuyomi, could last forever. After several tense minutes, the technique weakened significantly.

The moment his vision cleared, Ruto saw the enemy before him. His pupils contracted sharply, and he froze in shock.

Over 200 Kakuzus stood in front of him.

In that instant, Ruto understood: this was a new, groundbreaking ninjutsu far beyond his comprehension. But what good was understanding now?

A fierce gust roared from behind him. Kakuzu's towering form loomed like a tiger emerging from the jungle, ready to devour its prey. His iron fist was poised to shatter Ruto's back in one devastating blow.

In the face of imminent death, Ruto gritted his teeth and channeled chakra to his feet, spinning around just in time.

Whoosh!

The black iron fist, carrying the force of a speeding locomotive, bore down on him with a deafening roar.

Boom!

The sheer impact was overwhelming. A strike to the head or chest would have meant instant death. Desperately, Ruto raised his arms to block.

Bang!

At the moment of collision, Ruto felt his arms snap under the tremendous force. Biting through the searing pain, he struggled to keep his footing. His sliding feet carved two deep grooves into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that merged with the surrounding mist, turning the battlefield into an even murkier haze.

Panting heavily, Ruto hung his broken arms limply at his sides. The sharp, unrelenting pain coursed through his nerves as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He tried to lift his head but found himself utterly drained.

In this moment, a bitter truth became crystal clear to him.

When he first became a ninja, Ruto naively believed that the greatest gap in skill was between Genin and Jonin. A Jonin could dispatch a Genin with just a few moves, and becoming a competent Jonin had been his ultimate dream.

With this belief, Ruto dedicated himself to relentless training and missions, striving for strength. Along the way, he awakened his clan's Bloodline Limit: Boil Release. A deadly ability that could meld with the surrounding air to kill enemies silently.

Coupled with the perpetually mist-shrouded environment of Kirigakure, Ruto had enjoyed a natural advantage. His strength skyrocketed, and he finally achieved his dream of becoming a Jonin.

However, as his experience grew, he began to realize a new truth:

The greatest divide among ninja wasn't between Genin and Jonin.

It was between Jonin and elite Jonin.

Years ago, Ruto had been drawn into one of the village's darker conspiracies. It was then he first felt the disparity. Although he had some skill, he was still far from being a top-tier Jonin.

If an elite ninja decided to target him, he wouldn't fare any better than a Genin. The fight would be over in just a few moves.

This understanding solidified as he faced Kakuzu's overwhelming presence.

He wasn't just outmatched—he was utterly outclassed.

Kakuzu's appearance had sealed his fate: death.

But Ruto refused to accept it. Even with most of his strength depleted, he wasn't ready to give up. Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to lift his head, determined to track Kakuzu's next move.

But Kakuzu was nowhere to be seen.

Desperately, Ruto extended his senses in every direction, but the enemy was gone.

"Below…!"

He looked down in alarm—but it was too late.

A hand shot up from the ground, gripping his ankle tightly.

"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"

Crash! Crash! Crash!

With the sound of breaking earth, Ruto was dragged underground. His already crippled arms became useless in the tight confines, and even his legs were immobilized.

Kakuzu emerged instantly, standing before Ruto's exposed head. His black iron hand reached out without hesitation.

This wasn't just to ensure victory—it was calculated. Against a Jonin with a Bloodline Limit, Kakuzu wouldn't risk underestimating his opponent. In the ninja world, secret techniques were as numerous as the stars. Losing a bounty worth 30 million ryo because of carelessness was unthinkable.

Of course, Kakuzu knew that wasn't enough. The mission required him to capture Ruto alive. If Ruto bit his tongue and committed suicide halfway through, it would spell big trouble. That's why, the moment Kakuzu appeared, he extended his black, iron-like hand. His options were clear: either stuff Ruto's mouth with a cloth or remove his teeth entirely, leaving him no way to bite his tongue. Only then would the mission be secured.

"No… please… don't…" Ruto's voice trembled as Kakuzu's hand drew closer. His face turned pale, and he shook his head furiously, like a drum in a storm. The fear in his eyes betrayed his desperate will to live. He was pleading—for Kakuzu to spare him.

Kakuzu's sharp eyes narrowed slightly. His hand paused mid-motion but didn't retreat, staying ready to counter any sudden attempts at self-harm. Still, observing Ruto's overwhelming desire to survive, Kakuzu doubted he had the courage to follow through on biting his own tongue.

A flicker of intrigue lit up Kakuzu's eyes. It was well-known in the shinobi world that beyond ninjutsu's power, two other concepts drove people to remarkable extremes—sometimes even to their deaths. Those were the village and bonds. Inspired by these ideals, most shinobi acted without fear, facing death head-on. Even those few who feared death rarely displayed the level of desperation and panic Ruto now showed.

"What's the matter? Didn't Kirigakure teach you that, as a shinobi, you should never show weakness in the face of death?" Kakuzu's voice carried a mocking edge as he recalled his own training in Takigakure.

Being a shinobi was a merciless profession. They weren't meant to have feelings, nor should they let emotions sway their decisions. Obedience to orders and the completion of missions were their only concerns. Kakuzu figured that Kirigakure's training wouldn't stray far from Takigakure's ethos.

But Ruto's reaction surprised him. Hearing Kakuzu's words, Ruto bit his lip, lowering his head—not as a prelude to biting his tongue, but as if grappling with an intense internal struggle. After a tense moment, he raised his head, his eyes resolute, as though he'd come to a decision.

"That kind of village… I don't need to die for it!" Ruto's voice cracked, his tone raw with emotion.

"Because… because… the one who placed the bounty on my head is none other than the Mizukage.

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