Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

Kakuzu rolled up the scroll and looked forward. He hadn't forgotten the massive creature staring him down, its predatory eyes fixed on him. Earlier, his distracted actions had been a sign of disrespect. Now, Kakuzu refocused all his attention on the colossal foe before him.

"Roar!!"

The Three-Tails let out an earth-shaking bellow, still furious about the spit Kakuzu had audaciously launched at it earlier. As its roar echoed, an overwhelming surge of chakra burst forth—red and blue intertwining at a ratio of two to eight, merging into a perfectly balanced sphere. A new Tailed Beast Bomb formed at its core.

Whoosh—whoosh—

The wind howled wildly, sending Kakuzu's hair flying in all directions. The surface of the water churned violently, waves crashing in unrelenting chaos. Faced with such terrifying power, would Kakuzu dare to meet the attack head-on?

Of course not.

The only reason he had sacrificed a heart earlier to guide the Tailed Beast Bomb was to ensure the death of the Mizukage. Kakuzu did not possess the strength to match Hashirama Senju, nor did he share the same misfortune as the Mizukage, and he certainly lacked the reckless courage.

So, no, he wouldn't take the hit head-on. Only a fool would.

With his hands crossing in front of him, Kakuzu created over a hundred shadow clones that scattered in different directions. If he could alter the trajectory of the Tailed Beast Bomb even slightly, he could survive the shockwaves and retaliate effectively. His strategy was clear, and it didn't take long for Kakuzu to wrest control of the battle's rhythm.

The duel between Kakuzu and the Three-Tails became a fast-paced clash of power and wit.

Hours passed.

From a distance, the Island was shrouded in thick black smoke. But up close, the scene was even more shocking.

The entire island was riddled with massive craters. The relentless barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs had transformed the landscape beyond recognition. When the displaced islanders eventually returned, they'd likely be dumbfounded to discover their home had vanished.

The island, now battered and sinking, was gradually being swallowed by the sea. It was only a matter of time before the remnants of their homes joined the ocean's depths.

Of course, none of this concerned Kakuzu. After all, this "demolition project" had been personally overseen by the Mizukage. Kakuzu was merely lending a hand.

As for the islanders' compensation, Kakuzu wholeheartedly supported them seeking reparations from Kirigakure. The village was bound to be lively in the coming days.

But that was all for later. For now, Kakuzu stood on the water, drenched, facing the Three-Tails as it prepared for another attack.

The spectacle of their battle was undeniable, showcasing the immense chakra reserves of a Tailed Beast. Yet, aside from the barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs, Kakuzu's Five Nature Transformations, and a few forbidden techniques, there wasn't much variety to the fight.

The Three-Tails was a Tailed Beast, but its glaring weaknesses were evident.

Its sheer size made it cumbersome and unwieldy. Its bulk was more a hindrance than an advantage, rendering it unable to maneuver effectively. Should it face attacks from multiple directions, its turtle-like body made it nearly impossible to respond efficiently. Its back, exposed save for the occasional defensive swipe of its three tails, was a glaring vulnerability.

This apparent flaw had always been the Three-Tails' Achilles' heel. Its ungainly physique confined it largely to water, making it one of the least impressive of the Tailed Beasts.

Consider its peers:

The Nine-Tails, agile and fierce, could devastate entire regions with its might.

The Eight-Tails could level a forest in an instant.

The Seven-Tails? It could fly.

Even the One-Tail, Shukaku—despite its similar bulk—was the undisputed ruler of the desert and often clashed with the Nine-Tails with brazen confidence.

In contrast, the Three-Tails lacked dominance even in water. Though it possessed vast chakra reserves, its size hampered its combat effectiveness—a tragic reality.

However, this inherent disadvantage wasn't entirely insurmountable. If the Three-Tails were sealed inside a jinchūriki, it could leverage a human vessel's agility to compensate for its unwieldy frame. A "slimmed-down" Three-Tails would undoubtedly be a far more formidable foe.

Kakuzu still remembered how, in the original story, a leaner Three-Tails had effortlessly dispatched a young shinobi named Juzo upon its debut.

But the Three-Tails in its current form posed little threat to Kakuzu. Despite its immense chakra reserves, its sluggishness made it a manageable opponent.

Even so, Kakuzu had no intention of subduing the Tailed Beast today.

For one, his chakra reserves were heavily depleted after the earlier fight with Byakuren. Though he'd recovered some energy, it wasn't nearly enough.

Secondly, this was still Kirigakure's territory, and Kakuzu had just killed their Mizukage. It was only a matter of time before reinforcements swarmed in seeking vengeance.

Lastly, Kakuzu lacked a proper sealing method. Though he carried sealing scrolls, their limited capacity was only suitable for smaller items—corpses, shuriken, kunai, or personal belongings—not something as massive as a Tailed Beast.

Sealing a Tailed Beast required an enormous scroll, like the ones Hashirama and Madara used in their battles.

Of course, there was one other impractical option...

Becoming the Three-Tails Jinchūriki? Kakuzu could only scoff at the idea. If he were to become a jinchūriki, why settle for the Three-Tails? It had to be the Ten-Tails or nothing.

For this reason alone, taking the Three-Tails today was simply not in the cards.

Kakuzu bent his knees slightly, then leapt with a burst of power, soaring through the air like an arrow released from a bowstring. He landed steadily atop the massive shell of the Three-Tails.

Standing on its sturdy carapace, Kakuzu found himself reflecting on something he'd been missing. After all his years in the ninja world, he didn't even have a summoning beast of his own. It was, frankly, a little embarrassing.

During his time in Konoha, he'd noticed even the likes of Hiruzen Sarutobi—a brat back then—could summon Enma, the Monkey King. But the Sarutobi Clan's ability to summon Enma was an inherited skill. They had a summoning contract with the Monkey Clan that had been passed down for generations. Hiruzen Sarutobi had been born into the privilege of summoning Enma, it wasn't something most people could replicate.

Still, not everyone was content to accept their lot. Take Danzo Shimura, for example. Upon seeing Hiruzen with his summoning beast, Danzo had been unwilling to fall behind.

Kakuzu wasn't sure where Danzo had found his summoning beast, but he remembered the day Danzo proudly showed it off in front of him and Tobirama.

The beast… Well, it had the trunk of an elephant, the head of a pig, legs like a dog, and a body reminiscent of a cow. In short, it was a bizarre chimera of features that didn't seem to belong together.

If memory served, it was called… Oh, right. The Baku.

Its strange appearance had been so striking that while Kakuzu and Tobirama managed to hold back their laughter, the young Hiruzen couldn't contain himself. He burst out laughing, dragging Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado along with him.

Their laughter seemed almost mocking, as if ridiculing Danzo for summoning something so absurd-looking.

Faced with Hiruzen's laughter, Danzo closed his eyes, lowered his head, and clenched his fists tightly. It was clear to Kakuzu that Danzo thought Hiruzen was mocking him—belittling him, looking down on him, dismissing him as nothing more than a loser.

All those negative emotions swirled in Danzo's mind until he finally snapped. He raised his head and roared his grand ambitions:

"My Baku will one day be as tall as a tailed beast! Can you claim the same?"

"My Baku will devour everything in its path! Can your summoning beast do that?"

"My Baku will feast on Fire Release jutsu, eating flames for sustenance! Can yours even come close to that?"

"You're all nothing! How dare you challenge me for the title of Hokage!"

Kakuzu had no idea if Danzo's outburst was driven by genuine pride in his summoning beast or simply a desperate attempt to avoid being underestimated. Either way, it had left Kakuzu feeling more than a little awkward.

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