Naruto: Reborn as Kakuzu, the Immortal Assassin

"Yes, Terumi... It's such a beautiful surname," Ruto sighed as he cradled the newborn boy in his arms. "If only..."

"What are you sighing about?" Hizuko playfully swatted Ruto on the shoulder, her cheeks tinged with pink. "From today, you're no longer a shinobi. We can live a peaceful life now." She hesitated, her voice dropping.

"And... we can have as many children as you'd like..."

Her face flushed as she tugged at her clothes nervously.

Ruto chuckled, warmth spreading through him. Hizuko, despite her humble demeanor, came from a shinobi family—one that had seen better days. Still, even a fallen clan retains some of its foundations. Now retired from the endless battles, Ruto envisioned a life of tranquility with her on this secluded island.

But as he gazed down at his newborn son, a sudden thought struck him.

"What's wrong?" Hizuko asked, pouting as she swatted him again. "You've been holding the baby for ages and haven't said a word!"

Ruto's silence stemmed from a troubling realization. His expression grew serious as he looked from his son to Hizuko.

She began, "I have the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai from my clan, and you have the Boil Release from yours. What do you think... will our son inherit either of these bloodline limits?"

Hizuko blinked, her gaze shifting to their swaddled child. Bloodline limits, once a source of pride in Kirigakure, had become a dangerous double-edged sword since the First Mizukage's reign. The sheer power they offered invited fear and oppression.

The thought of their child inheriting such gifts—and the dangers that came with them—cast a shadow over her heart.

"He might inherit Lava Release, or Boil Release," Ruto continued. "Or, who knows? He might awaken both." His voice softened. "Or neither."

Hizuko shook her head gently.

"Ruto, does it really matter if he inherits a Kekkei Genkai or not?" Her tone carried a trace of sadness. "All I want is for him to live a safe, peaceful life."

Ruto nodded, his heart aligned with hers. But as he turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, toward the direction of Kirigakure, a flicker of hope sparked in his chest.

Political corruption and infighting had driven him away from the village, severing his ties with its treacherous shadow. But deep down, he yearned to see Kirigakure transformed into a strong and prosperous place like Konohagakure.

For that to happen, he knew, the village needed someone—a powerful shinobi who could ignite change and lead it toward a brighter future.

Looking back at his son, he whispered in his heart:

I don't know if you can become that person, but I hope... I hope that one day, you or your descendants will cleanse the village of its darkness. This is my deepest wish as your father.

The infant squirmed in his arms, letting out a wail as if protesting his father's lofty expectations.

...

While Ruto and Hizuko embraced their new, peaceful life, far away, Kakuzu was still on the run, carrying his infamous bounty.

To his surprise, the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, didn't seem too intent on taking his life. However, politics demanded appearances, and so an elite assassination squad trailed him, keeping up the pretense of pursuit.

The squad's leader, one of Hozuki Gengetsu's closest confidants, clearly understood the real mission. They were to keep up with Kakuzu but maintain a safe distance. After all, no one wanted to engage Kakuzu directly—they valued their lives too much.

Staying three to five kilometers behind, the team tracked Kakuzu with just enough sensory perception to feign pursuit. If questioned later about their lack of aggression, they could always argue that Kakuzu's strength necessitated waiting for reinforcements.

Kakuzu, meanwhile, was growing increasingly annoyed. Even after crossing into foreign lands, the Kirigakure shinobi clung to him like shadows. They were persistent, almost like ghosts.

Determined to shake them off, Kakuzu devised a plan. He deliberately led the Kirigakure squad into the Land of Fire, hoping their presence would alarm Konohagakure's shinobi and spark an international incident.

Unfortunately for him, Konohagakure's First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was far too kindhearted. Hashirama, committed to fostering peace between nations, ensured that the captured Kirigakure shinobi were treated fairly and returned without severe punishment.

Frustrated but undeterred, Kakuzu began scheming his next move.

When the diplomat from Kirigakure explained to Senju Hashirama that they were on a classified mission and had accidentally entered the Land of Fire's territory, they offered an apology to Konoha. Hearing this, Hashirama smiled warmly and nodded, expressing his understanding. He simply ordered his men to escort the Kirigakure shinobi back and warned them not to come to Konoha again. That was the end of the matter.

To Kakuzu, this "soft-hearted Hokage" was utterly infuriating. What kind of logic was this? Sure, the Kirigakure shinobi didn't explicitly come targeting Konoha, but they had crossed into enemy territory armed to the teeth! By all rights, anyone caught in this situation should be executed as spies. But Hashirama? He was way too lenient.

If it had been Senju Tobirama instead, those captured shinobi wouldn't even leave behind fragments of bone. Kakuzu sighed, imagining that Tobirama was probably still locked up in a room somewhere by his older brother. Otherwise, those Kirigakure nin wouldn't have dared to pursue him a second time after being caught the first.

But what could he do? Those Mist shinobi, having avoided harsh punishment, clearly hadn't learned their lesson. They continued tailing Kakuzu, unwilling to give up. Since that was the case, Kakuzu decided to lead them somewhere more... interesting.

Heading northwest, Kakuzu moved steadily in the direction of the Land of Earth. He knew that both the daimyo of the Land of Earth and Tsuchikage Ishikawa weren't nearly as forgiving toward Kirigakure as Senju Hashirama. From a geographical perspective, the Land of Water and the Land of Earth were separated by the vast expanse of the Land of Fire, but that distance didn't soften their hostility.

If these Mist shinobi actually had the guts to follow him into the Land of Earth, Kakuzu could already imagine the scene:

Tsuchikage Ishikawa, upon noticing them, would call out, "Guards! Kill these Mist shinobi at once! Let's make this entertaining!"

Kakuzu smirked at the thought. The group of Kirigakure shinobi trailing behind him exchanged uneasy glances, seemingly understanding his intentions without a word. They didn't even wait for Kakuzu to reach the Land of Earth before receiving orders to scatter and abandon their mission entirely.

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