Chapter 38: Kakuzu, Go Kill Uchiha Madara!
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Kakuzu.
The name seemed to possess a certain magic.
At the very least, the Waterfall shinobi immediately halted at their captain’s call, staring as one of their towering comrades stepped forward.
“We are shinobi of the Leaf.”
The young Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out, hoping to use Konoha’s name to negotiate with the Waterfall shinobi. “Konoha bears no hostility toward the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls…”
“Kill them!”
The shinobi of the Waterfall Village cared nothing for such things.
Having lived deep in the mountains for so long, they had no regard for which villages were called the great powers. Their only duty was to carry out the orders of the leader of the Waterfall Village. They would not hesitate even if ordered to assassinate the Hokage of Konoha, let alone kill two little Leaf brats!
The Waterfall shinobi charged rapidly toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura. Only Kakuzu, the one who had been named, rushed toward Emiya Shihara!
There was no other reason…
Kakuzu was the strongest shinobi in the Waterfall Village.
That was why the village’s higher-ups had always relied on him to deal with their most troublesome problems.
“Die…”
Kakuzu gripped a kunai in his hand. Moving with tremendous speed, he flashed behind Emiya Shihara and abruptly drove the blade toward his heart!
“Lord Emiya!”
A trace of fear arose in the young Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart!
Even the young Danzo stared at the scene in horror!
This had to be a joke!
Their mission had only begun a few days ago!
Both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura felt as though the sky were collapsing. They could not imagine what kind of condemnation would await them when they returned to the village after Emiya Shihara had been killed…
The two young men desperately tried to rush over, but a group of Waterfall shinobi blocked their path. Fighting with all their strength, they struggled toward Emiya Shihara!
However…
At this tense moment, Emiya Shihara showed not the slightest hint of panic. He even forced himself to seize the narrow interval of time and accept a newly refreshed quest on his shinobi system panel.
There was no time to spare.
The quest had appeared rather suddenly.
An opportunity like this might never come again.
[Unfinished Quest (3/3)]
[S-Rank Quest: Demonstrate the ability of an immortal body before Kakuzu.]
The instant Emiya Shihara accepted the quest, Kakuzu’s kunai pierced through his heart.
The sight caused the expressions of many onlookers to change drastically!
“Shihara…”
Black Zetsu, concealed beneath the earth, could not believe what had happened.
“You have got to be kidding…”
Uchiha Madara, hidden within the forest, watched the scene in astonishment. He simply could not believe that Emiya Shihara would be powerless to resist before these Waterfall shinobi!
“Lord Emiya…”
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura truly felt as though the sky had fallen.
“What is going on…”
Only Kakuzu, who had single-handedly pierced Emiya Shihara’s heart, sensed that something was wrong. He had already seen dust and fragments churning within the wound in Emiya Shihara’s chest!
The next moment—
A thunderous boom rang through the air!
A figure clad in red lamellar armor descended from the sky!
“Get lost!”
Madara realized that there was no longer any point in remaining concealed. He kicked Kakuzu away from Emiya Shihara and carefully examined Emiya Shihara’s condition.
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Only when Madara saw the dust and fragments gathering once more around Emiya Shihara’s heart did he finally relax. It seemed that Emiya Shihara would not die after all.
Madara’s mood eased slightly.
He even sneered inwardly at Senju Tobirama a few times.
That sinister little schemer’s jutsu was just as despicable as ever. Once someone was revived through that technique, the dead were doomed to neither live nor die in peace!
“That is…”
“Uchiha Madara!”
The young Danzo’s voice instantly rang out.
When Madara appeared before them, the two boys, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, truly felt that the heavens had collapsed completely. This was even worse than Emiya Shihara’s death.
“So that is Uchiha Madara?”
Even the Waterfall shinobi deep in the mountains recalled that legendary figure from the Warring States era, and terror appeared on every face.
Ever since Madara had appeared in Konoha, news of the village’s search for him had spread throughout the shinobi world. For the first time, Konoha had even begun defining him as a rogue ninja of the Leaf. The only difference was that Konoha had not issued a wanted notice.
Aside from the First Hokage…
There was probably no one else in the shinobi world capable of killing Uchiha Madara.
Regardless, Madara’s feigned death could no longer remain concealed.
When the Waterfall shinobi present saw Madara appear, their fighting spirit rapidly diminished. They even began to feel that something terrible was about to happen.
What if Madara casually decided to kill them?
“Kakuzu!”
“Kill him!”
The captain of the Waterfall shinobi pointed at Madara and shouted to Kakuzu. He immediately led the rest of his men in a rapid retreat. “We are withdrawing first. The leader’s mission is now in your hands. Do not forget to kill those two teams!”
“Abandoning your own comrade? That is utterly shameless!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi was dumbfounded by the Waterfall shinobi’s actions.
Even the young Danzo was stunned by their shamelessness, as though he were witnessing such a wondrous species for the first time in the shinobi world. Who abandoned their comrades to die as cover the moment danger appeared, just so they could escape?
But…
They probably ought to retreat as well…
The young Danzo hurried toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. He suddenly realized why the Root shinobi stationed around the perimeter had not stopped the Waterfall shinobi. Perhaps those shinobi from the village had already been killed by Madara!
If that was the case…
Then they had no reinforcements at all…
He and Hiruzen Sarutobi could never hope to fight Uchiha Madara!
Even the First Hokage had failed to kill Madara. What could two lower-ranking Leaf shinobi possibly do? Had they not already done everything they could to protect Emiya Shihara?
“Hiruzen, we should retreat too…”
The young Danzo quietly reminded Hiruzen Sarutobi.
“…”
The young Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated.
However…
Just as the two boys faltered, Kakuzu, who had been abandoned, silently picked up his kunai.
The burly man looked at Madara’s figure and charged toward him without hesitation, clearly willing to risk his life for the village’s orders!
“You…”
Madara was somewhat surprised by the Waterfall shinobi’s conduct. He was even more surprised that Kakuzu had bravely charged straight at him. “Have you lost your mind?”
This man…
Was he a complete idiot?
Could he not see that his comrades had abandoned him?
Did he not understand that his captain had deliberately sent him to his death?
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Kakuzu’s gaze remained resolute. He swung his kunai at Madara, but in an instant, Madara seized his wrist with one hand!
Crack!
Madara twisted and broke Kakuzu’s wrist!
The kunai fell from Kakuzu’s hand.
Yet Kakuzu still refused to give up. Ignoring the pain entirely, he raised his foot and kicked at Madara!
Crack!
One of his legs was broken as well!
The difference between them was simply too great!
Whether in strength or combat experience, Kakuzu was utterly helpless before Madara. Madara raised a hand and seized Kakuzu by the throat, apparently ready to kill him on the spot!
As it happened—
At precisely that moment, Emiya Shihara’s voice interrupted Madara’s movement.
“Killing someone in front of a medical ninja is nothing short of a desecration of our shinobi way. Is there anything I can do in exchange for sparing his life?”
“…”
Madara looked at Emiya Shihara in bewilderment.
“…”
Kakuzu’s eyes were even more perplexed than Madara’s, as though asking why Emiya Shihara was still alive—and perhaps why he was willing to spare him.
“Lord Emiya!”
Joy surged through the young Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart.
“Hiruzen!”
The young Danzo hurriedly seized his sleeve, hoping his friend would calm down. The two Leaf shinobi could be killed by Madara at any moment!
“Hmph…”
Madara contemptuously released Kakuzu’s throat.
To him, Kakuzu and the Waterfall shinobi were nothing more than tools he had secretly used to test Emiya Shihara’s character. Whether those tools lived or died was irrelevant.
Besides…
This man’s life could be exchanged for a promise from Emiya Shihara.
Madara had come precisely to obtain information from Emiya Shihara. It could not have been better if his opponent were willing to make a promise on behalf of someone completely unrelated to him.
“…”
Kakuzu struggled awkwardly to his feet. Without a word, he limped away.
After enduring such a humiliating battle—and being abandoned by his comrades—he did not know what to say. He did not even know what meaning remained in his life.
Perhaps…
A shinobi’s purpose was simply to carry out the leader’s mission.
“Wait…”
Emiya Shihara suddenly called out to Kakuzu.
“…”
Everyone present turned to look at Emiya Shihara.
“Your injuries.”
Emiya Shihara’s face remained expressionless. His features even appeared somewhat lifeless because of his Impure World Reincarnation body.
Yet beneath the radiance of the setting sun, his figure seemed exceptionally holy.
“To let an injured man leave wounded in front of a medical ninja would be rather unbecoming…”