"Sāra, thank you so much." Kakuzu turned to Sāra with a rare smile, his gaze shifting from the steady flow of water beneath the Ryūmyaku.
Sāra brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled back. "Kakuzu, no need to be polite. We have plenty of Ryūmyaku in our country. Feel free to take what you need. And Hidan, you help yourself too," she added, glancing at the man standing nearby.
With the defeat of Mukade, Sāra's rule as queen had been solidified. Despite Kakuzu's simple expression of thanks, Sāra felt it was hardly enough to convey her gratitude.
Kakuzu, ever practical, accepted the offer. Beside him, Hidan bared his teeth in a grin and eyed the Ryūmyaku.
"What's the big deal? Nothing here's as powerful as the blessings my god provides."
"Shut up," Kakuzu shot back, his eyes narrowing. "You'd better absorb some of that Ryūmyaku's power instead of relying solely on your Taijutsu. Keep it up, and I'll bury you alive right here."
Though arrogant and defiant, Hidan held his tongue at Kakuzu's sharp tone. Despite his rebellious nature, Kakuzu saw potential in Hidan. For one, they had shared many battles in the past. And secondly, Kakuzu was confident that Hidan couldn't cause too much trouble under his watch.
Muttering under his breath, Hidan begrudgingly absorbed the Ryūmyaku's energy. Since it was free, there was no reason to refuse.
Days passed, and Kakuzu had absorbed a significant portion of the Ryūmyaku. While it did enhance chakra flow, the effect was limited. Once depleted, the Ryūmyaku couldn't offer further growth. Kakuzu was under no illusion—no amount of Ryūmyaku power would allow him to challenge a Susanoo-wielding foe. It was a useful supplement, but true strength had to be earned through his own means.
On the final night before their departure, there was a knock at Kakuzu's door. When he opened it, Sāra stood outside. The moonlight highlighted her flushed cheeks, and her light attire did little to block the night's chill.
Kakuzu said nothing, stepping aside to let her in.
"Kakuzu," Sāra began, "if not for you, my people would have fallen under the rule of that tyrant, Anrokuzan. You saved us all."
From the outside, Kakuzu's strength made it seem like dealing with Anrokuzan was a trivial matter. But for Sāra, it had been a near-impossible battle. To her, Kakuzu was nothing short of a savior.
Kakuzu stood, meeting her gaze. He gently lifted her chin with a finger. "And how do you plan to thank me?"
"I…" Sāra's face turned an even deeper shade of red at Kakuzu's bold move.
Without another word, Kakuzu scooped her into a princess carry. With a snap of his fingers, the room's lights went out.
...
The next morning, Kakuzu quietly adjusted the blanket over Sāra and stepped out of the room without a sound. He wasn't part of this world and couldn't stay.
At the meeting point, Hidan was already there, sitting cross-legged with an impatient scowl.
"Kakuzu, what the hell took you so long? I spent all night communing with Lord Jashin, and even that didn't take this long."
"Shut it. Unless you want to be stuck here forever, keep your mouth shut."
Kakuzu's gaze turned skyward. Leaving Roran was simple—it was just another alternate space-time, after all. Using space-time ninjutsu was the key.
Like the little blond brat in the movie, mastering the Flying Thunder God technique would allow for a quick exit. Although Kakuzu hadn't fully mastered the technique, he had another space-time jutsu—Edo Tensei. While its primary function was to summon the dead at their peak power, it also demonstrated a deep understanding of space and time.
Kakuzu weaved the seals: Tiger—Snake—Dog—Dragon. Though the hand signs represented Edo Tensei, he didn't activate the jutsu. Instead, he tuned in to the spatial and temporal flow.
As soon as he grasped the correct point in time and space, a bright light enveloped both Kakuzu and Hidan. Moments later, they were back outside.
They found themselves in the middle of the Wind Country's endless deserts, with ancient ruins behind them.
"Finally, we're out. It's been way too long since I tasted fresh blood. Time to go hunting," Hidan declared, stretching before scanning the area for potential victims.
Despite the desolation, Hidan's luck held. A lone figure with red hair was approaching from the distance.
"Heh. A redhead brat? Looks like today's my lucky day."
Hidan reached for his scythe, ready for a kill, but Kakuzu blocked him with a firm hand.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Hidan scowled.
Kakuzu didn't respond. His gaze was locked on the approaching figure.
The boy had red hair and a youthful face, appearing around fourteen or fifteen years old.
"Hey, kid, what time is it?" Kakuzu asked.
The boy looked the two over, taking in Kakuzu and Hidan's presence. He quickly assessed that they were ninja, and clearly not from Sunagakure. The intense chakra emanating from both of them made it obvious they weren't just any shinobi—they were formidable. His hands moved slightly behind his back, but he didn't make any sudden or threatening moves. Instead, he calmly answered,
"It's March 15th, New Calendar Year 38."
Hidan still looked confused, but Kakuzu's brows furrowed. He had only been inside for seven days, but when he came out, seven months had passed. It seemed the space-time distortion wasn't just a trivial matter.
Kakuzu nodded to the boy in thanks. Then, without warning, he reinforced his left hand thirty-fold and slammed it into the ancient ruins behind him. A deafening crash followed as stones collapsed and rained down, burying the entire structure in rubble. The ancient kingdom of Roran would now remain silent, undisturbed by anyone.
With that, Kakuzu and Hidan turned and left without another word. The boy remained standing in place, silently watching their retreating figures. Once they were gone, he turned his gaze back to the ruins. Stepping into the rubble, he stopped in front of a pile of stones. Carefully lifting a large slab, he revealed a corpse buried beneath it.
The boy dragged the body out. When the full face of the deceased was revealed, there wasn't the slightest flicker of emotion in the boy's eyes.
"Oh? It's the Third Kazekage. I didn't expect to meet you like this."
Kakuzu's body had begun to respond to the magnetic release power of Saburo, and it was slowly awakening within him. To balance out Hidan's bloodthirsty nature, Kakuzu had thrown the Third Kazekage's corpse to Hidan to dispose of. However, Hidan had failed to deal with it properly. When they exited the other dimension, anything not belonging to Roran was expelled along with them. That was why the Kazekage's corpse had appeared here.
The boy said nothing more, silently taking possession of the corpse.
...
Elsewhere, Sāra awoke in a bed within Roran. She opened her eyes and looked in the direction Kakuzu had left. Without a word, she got out of bed, dressed, and returned to her kingdom to resume her role as queen.
Ten months later, Sāra gave birth to a baby girl.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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