Under Kakuzu's predatory gaze, the three youngsters hastily fled the scene.
Uchiha Nian secretly glanced back, as if trying to imprint the generous older brother's retreating figure in his heart, but Kakuzu sensed his gaze.
A cold gaze swept over, making Nian instantly shrink his neck and flee in panic after Kirito's retreating figure.
'So, fighting me in front of those three brats was your goal?' Kakuzu hinted meaningfully, 'That Uchiha kid must be quite close to you, right?'
'Kakuzu, I don't particularly like people who are too clever,' Kamihane said softly. 'If you are smart, then please pretend not to be so clever. That way, we'll get along much better. Understand?'
He still wore that same smiling expression, but after these words, a chaotic wave of murderous intent surged forth—only to vanish in an instant. The abruptly stagnant air made Kakuzu's breath hitch, breaking out in a cold sweat from the shock.
'Understood.'
"Mmm, that's more like it." Kamihane resumed his friendly demeanor.
The two departed together, leaving Konoha Village behind.
...
By the time Uchiha Nian and the other two ran back to the residential area, dusk was already approaching.
On the horizon, the enormous setting sun descended, casting its dusky glow upon the Hokage Rock. The carved visage of the First Hokage was half bathed in golden brilliance, half shrouded in ink-like darkness.
The trio paused briefly before the Uchiha clan's territory.
"Man, that was close today. We almost lost our lives," Kirito said, clutching his pounding heart with lingering fear.
"We narrowly escaped death. Fortunately, that blindfolded man carried no killing intent—not toward us, nor that strange individual." Orochimaru's instincts had always been sharp.
'What I'm more curious about is how he knew the identities of all three of us,' Kirito frowned. 'Orochimaru is one thing, but Nian… no offense, but almost no one outside the clan knows about him.'
'Could it be… he's from the Uchiha clan?' Nian suddenly suggested.
'Impossible. I'm certain I've never seen him before,' Kirito immediately denied.
Nian hesitated, wanting to share the scroll in his hands with his companions, but the two refused.
Orochimaru clearly had other priorities. After leaving behind the phrase 'A gentleman does not take what others cherish,' he departed.
Having witnessed the battle between Kamihane and Kakuzu firsthand, his perspective on immortality was completely reshaped.
Meanwhile, Kirito ran home with a heavy heart, more curious about the identity of the blindfolded youth. He intended to ask his sister for clarification.
Left with no choice, Nian could only clutch the scroll tightly and dash back home in haste.
As soon as he entered, he immediately locked the door, shut the windows tight, and even drew the curtains completely closed before slumping down against the wall.
Only when the small lamp in the room flickered on did he carefully retrieve the scroll and slowly unseal it.
'Spiritual Transformation Technique!'
'Transforming chakra into a living soul that can traverse any distance to kill enemies, control their bodies, or enter their mental realms...'
He read word by word, feeling grateful in his heart that he had learned to read from Uncle Setsuna. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to understand the scroll now.
But as his reading progressed and he reached the specific cultivation methods, his small brows gradually furrowed.
There was no other way. He could only carry the scroll with him and wait until he gained more knowledge about ninjutsu before attempting to study and practice it.
...
"Sunagakure rogue ninja, 'Calamity Wind' Kaji, I'll be taking your heart along with 30 million ryo."
Amid the wind-swept desert sands, Kakuzu gripped a man by the throat as black tendrils slithered from the fissures in his wrist, violently piercing through the victim's chest.
Wrapped in the black tendrils, a bloody heart was plucked out with gruesome precision.
"This should be the last one."
Not far away, Kamihane stood atop a high boulder, surrounded by the corpses of rogue ninjas scattered across the ground.
'Good, now all five elemental hearts are complete,' Kakuzu responded gruffly, a fissure splitting open on his chest as he inserted the still-warm heart into the hollow. With the slow stitching of black threads, his flesh returned to its original form.
After devouring, the two of them set off together.
"How many people has the organization you mentioned recruited so far?" Kakuzu followed behind Kamihane and asked, "It's not just the two of us, is it?"
"Of course not, there's one more," Kamihane said. "I'm just the errand boy here—she's the real boss of the organization."
"Her?" Kakuzu hesitated for a moment. "Is she strong?"
"Extremely strong!" Kamihane nodded, his face showing a rare serious expression for the first time. "The kind who tells me to go east, and I wouldn't dare go west."
"So that's how it is..." Hearing this, Kakuzu became noticeably more reserved.
Watching Kamihane's carefree back, he hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Speaking of which, there are so many powerful figures in the world, and plenty of ninja with Kekkei Genkai. Why did you specifically choose me?"
"Of course, it's because I saw potential in your abilities," Kamihane said, shaking his head. "My subordinates need resilience akin to cockroaches—hard to kill."
"Uh..." Kakuzu was at a loss for words, unsure whether this was a compliment or an insult.
Kamihane seemed to recall something. "But your current strength is indeed too weak. Relying on information asymmetry in battle isn't the way of a true warrior. If someone discovers your secret of immortality, you'll be in deep trouble."
"Thanks to you, three brats already know about it now."
'Don't worry, they won't talk.'
As he spoke, Kamihane reached into his robe and took out another scroll, casually tossing it to Kakuzu.
"This technique suits you better. Practice it from now on."
"This is..." Kakuzu opened the scroll with skepticism, his eyes falling upon a line of small characters at the beginning:
"Secret Technique: Eight Gates Released Formation."
He exclaimed in shock, 'This isn't the final technique you unleashed...'
Not long ago, the terrifying power that Kamihane suddenly erupted with in the Konoha Forest, treating his body like a plaything to dismantle at will—Kakuzu still remembered that scene vividly.
"Exactly, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians within the human body contain unimaginable power. The 'Eight Gates' is the ultimate taijutsu secret that unlocks the channels restraining chakra within the body, allowing one to temporarily gain immense strength."
Kamihane shook his head, 'But the specific effects vary from person to person. The higher one's physical strength, the more they can endure the devastation, and the greater the power they obtain.'
Kakuzu's pupils trembled as he stared at the scroll, his breathing growing noticeably heavier.
'Especially the final gate. Once opened, one can instantly gain power far surpassing that of the Five Kage,' Kamihane's tone was persuasive. 'The price is the complete extinguishing of the heart's flame. For an ordinary person, it would mean certain death, but for you...'
He revealed an intrigued smile, 'After all, you have five hearts.'
Kakuzu fell silent as he rapidly flipped through the scroll's contents. The esoteric effects described within were largely consistent with what Kamihane had explained.
"This truly is a technique more suited to me," he took a deep breath, closing the scroll, then hesitated slightly. "But with such formidable power, you'd willingly let me train in it? Aren't you afraid that..."
"As I said earlier, the effects of taijutsu vary from person to person."
Kamihane discerned the implied meaning in his words and smiled faintly, "If you don't cultivate it, seeing me is like a frog in a well beholding the bright moon. If you do cultivate it, seeing me is like an ant facing the vast sky."
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