The Land of Waterfalls.
Situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, it is surrounded by four countries and characterized by numerous waterfalls. The immense waterfalls prevent large-scale invasions from other nations.
One particularly large waterfall conceals the Hidden Waterfall Village, making it incredibly difficult for ordinary people to find.
However, for a man who had grown up there since childhood, it posed little difficulty.
It was night, a waxing crescent moon.
Bathed in the cold moonlight, Kakuzu stopped before the gigantic waterfall, gazing intently.
"This is the place..."
A deep voice seeped from the mask on his face.
As an elite rogue ninja of the Hidden Waterfall Village, Kakuzu's return to the village was certainly not for sentimental reasons like yearning for his homeland—those were trivial things.
He returned with a clear purpose.
He was here to take something, something that rightfully belonged to him.
The cold moonlight fell upon Kakuzu's face, a faint killing intent in his eyes.
After witnessing the unparalleled power of Uchiha Madara, Kakuzu finally realized how ridiculous his own boasted strength truly was.
Provoked by this, and perhaps influenced by Tōshirō's casual remark last time, a desire to become a Jinchūriki had grown in his heart.
Having trained in the secret technique Jiongu, his body was already superhuman. If that were the case, what harm would there be in implanting a Tailed Beast?
A powerful Jinchūriki could control the power of the Tailed Beast within them. Kakuzu believed that with his strength, controlling the Tailed Beast inside him shouldn't be a problem.
The village's acquisition of the Tailed Beast was, in a sense, thanks to him. Therefore, the Seven-Tails naturally belonged to him, Kakuzu.
"Damn you, Uchiha Madara."
True, he had been utterly defeated by him, but that didn't mean Kakuzu would obediently be controlled.
Becoming the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki was one of his trump cards to break free from Uchiha Madara.
Why "one of"? Because to escape this jinx, Kakuzu not only set his sights on the Seven-Tails within the village but also on other things.
The Hidden Waterfall Village possessed three treasures in total.
First, Jiongu.
Second, the Tailed Beast: the Seven-Tails.
Third, the Hero's Water.
The Hero's Water was a treasure so rarely known that even within the village, few were aware of it. Even he had only stumbled upon it during a mission.
Legend had it that it was an extremely rare water resource that flowed once every hundred years from a mysterious large tree within the village. Upon drinking it, one's chakra would increase exponentially by dozens of times. Even an ordinary Genin who drank it could gain the strength of a Jonin, making it extraordinarily powerful.
However, the more powerful something was, the greater the risks associated with it.
Drinking the Hero's Water would drastically shorten the user's lifespan. Many Hidden Waterfall Village ninja had lost their lives at a young age after drinking the Hero's Water.
But this side effect meant nothing to Kakuzu.
After all, the Jiongu jutsu itself was a secret technique developed to counteract the side effects of the Hero's Water.
If he lost his lifespan, he could simply replace his heart, which was incredibly simple for Kakuzu.
Thinking of this, Kakuzu prepared to act tonight.
The exact locations of the Jinchūriki and the Hero's Water were still unknown. Kakuzu planned to secretly infiltrate under the cover of night, then kill a hapless individual to disguise himself. Through a few days of observation, he would gradually deduce the approximate locations, and then make his move.
The Hidden Waterfall Village's strength was long past its prime, but even so, it was once a first-rate ninja village beneath the Five Great Nations. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Kakuzu still lacked the confidence to take on the entire ninja village alone.
Just as Kakuzu was about to make his move, he suddenly sensed an anomaly behind him. It seemed someone was gradually approaching.
Kakuzu's eyes widened. He realized the figure was already standing behind him.
"Such impressive stealth. Even I only just now reacted."
"No, that's not right."
"Perhaps the fact that I can even sense him now is because he intentionally allowed it."
A person with such power, and still alive, Kakuzu thought of one person, and only that person possessed such strength.
"Uchiha Madara..." Kakuzu said in a low voice to the shadow behind him, without turning around.
"Hmph hmph..."
Hearing this, Kakuzu turned around, his eyes fixed on Uchiha Madara.
Before Kakuzu could speak, Uchiha Madara spoke first: "I recall you were once a rogue ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village. At this time of night, why have you specifically returned to the village? It can't possibly be for some utterly boring reason like longing for your homeland, can it?"
Kakuzu remained silent.
"There are only two valuable things in the Hidden Waterfall Village. One is a Tailed Beast, and the other is the Hero's Water. I wonder which one you've set your sights on, having specifically returned to the village, or perhaps..."
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes, speaking with profound meaning. "...you have designs on both?"
His thoughts exposed, Kakuzu could no longer maintain his silence. He cursed in a low voice, "Damn it..."
Uchiha Madara smiled: "As expected..."
"You bastard..." Kakuzu watched Uchiha Madara warily.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not here to stop you."
This unexpected answer startled Kakuzu.
"It's rare, indeed, for someone to actively seek to become a Jinchūriki," Uchiha Madara's tone held a hint of amusement.
Kakuzu demanded, "What exactly do you want?"
"Do you need my help to become a Jinchūriki?"
Uchiha Madara's reply exceeded Kakuzu's expectations. He exclaimed in surprise, "Wh—"
"A Jinchūriki is, after all, the village's most important asset. They're certainly heavily guarded. Even if you wanted to do it without alerting the guards, it would be no easy feat."
Uchiha Madara then added proudly, "But with my help, everything will be as easy as pie."
Kakuzu looked at Uchiha Madara, his gaze seeming to ask why he would help him. Was he not afraid of Kakuzu turning against him?
Uchiha Madara understood his thoughts but didn't answer directly, merely saying, "Consider it an advance payment for this transaction."
Kakuzu's strength was good, but not strong enough.
With Tōshirō's current strength, Kakuzu honestly didn't have a high chance of defeating him head-on.
But if Kakuzu also possessed the power of a Tailed Beast and the assistance of the Hero's Water, then his chances of winning would greatly increase, practically assured.
In silence, Kakuzu pondered seriously for a moment.
Uchiha Madara's ability to disregard the backlash of Kakuzu's increased strength clearly indicated extreme confidence in his own power, fearless of any outrageous actions Kakuzu might take.
This unfathomable strength added more pressure on Kakuzu when facing Uchiha Madara.
He looked deeply at the other man, wondering how truly strong this man was.
"Hmph, with a Tailed Beast, I should be able to capture bounty targets more easily."
This sentence was a roundabout acknowledgment of Uchiha Madara's proposition.
Uchiha Madara understood. "Then, you lead the way."
Kakuzu turned around, leaped, and entered the waterfall, revealing a hidden cavern.
Uchiha Madara followed closely behind.
The two quickly officially entered the Hidden Waterfall Village.
With Uchiha Madara's assistance, the search for the Seven-Tails and the Hero's Water proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
First, Uchiha Madara used his Sharingan to control the village head, forcing him to reveal the exact whereabouts of the Seven-Tails, and then to retrieve the village's prized Hero's Water.
Kakuzu picked up the transparent, gourd-shaped water bottle containing the Hero's Water and gazed at it. As he placed it in his bag, he looked at the crimson eye gleaming in the darkness, feeling a surge of emotion.
The last time he had worked with the Sharingan was three years ago. He never expected to be collaborating with someone who possessed the Sharingan again so soon.
However, this time, he had gone from being the primary actor to the subordinate. He couldn't help but feel that fate truly enjoyed playing tricks on him.
With the Hero's Water secured, Uchiha Madara prepared for the next step. "Now, let's go find the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki."
(End of Chapter)
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