Steam filled the bathhouse, curling into the air in soft, wispy tendrils. Sitting in the warm waters, Kakuzu leaned back, allowing himself a rare moment of relaxation. Draped in a thin bathrobe, a woman named Ni knelt beside him, her delicate hands pressing into his shoulders with practiced ease.
"Kakuzu-sama, does that feel better?" Ni asked with a gentle smile.
Kakuzu let out a small chuckle, lifting a hand to lightly pat her soft cheek. The process of integrating the Kokuō's horned beast genes into his right arm had been painful and arduous. However, in the end, he had succeeded. Now, a thin, translucent membrane covered his right arm.
It might not seem impressive at first glance, but within that layer resided the formidable power of the Five-Tails. A rough estimate suggested that a single punch from his enhanced arm carried forty times the destructive force of his previous Earth Release-hardened fists. This was a massive boost to his taijutsu capabilities.
Of course, the Kokuō's genes weren't so easily tamed. Though he had absorbed its power, full assimilation had yet to be achieved. Every now and then, the beast's chakra would surge unpredictably, preventing him from wielding its power at will. But Kakuzu wasn't concerned. Given time, he would fully suppress the remnants of the Kokuō's will. Once the concentration of Hashirama's cells in his body increased, any resistance from the beast would become negligible.
Leaning his head against Ni's chest, he allowed himself to bask in the warmth and tenderness of the moment. It was a peaceful and serene scene—one that, inevitably, was about to be interrupted.
As Ni continued her massage, she suddenly sensed something amiss. The pristine, white-tiled floor of the bathhouse now bore an unnatural shadow. That dark mass began to rise, stretching upward until it took on a vaguely human shape.
"Ah—!" Ni shrieked, instinctively retreating behind Kakuzu. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment—being seen in such a state was utterly mortifying.
Unlike Ni, Kakuzu barely spared the figure a glance. With calm indifference, he patted her bare back reassuringly.
"There's no need to be so shy, Ni," he said with amusement. "You don't even have to consider him a man… Actually, you don't even have to consider him a person at all. I've confirmed this myself—he's entirely non-functional. So, relax."
The shadowy figure that had emerged from the floor was none other than Black Zetsu. The first time Kakuzu had encountered him, his instinct had been to eliminate the creature before it could become a threat. He had thrown everything at him—ninjutsu, taijutsu, even genjutsu—only to discover that Zetsu's body, though humanoid in some respects, was fundamentally different from that of a normal human.
At the time, Kakuzu had realized something peculiar: Black Zetsu had no reproductive organs. That fact alone made him wonder just how the creature had survived for over a thousand years. With that in mind, Ni really had nothing to worry about.
Still, Kakuzu sat up slightly, his expression sharpening. Black Zetsu had been missing for three years, and his sudden reappearance was unlikely to be good news. Remaining in Ni's embrace, Kakuzu lazily opened his eyes and regarded the intruder.
"Speak. What do you want?" he asked, his tone laced with indifference.
Black Zetsu, undeterred by Kakuzu's lack of respect, chuckled darkly. "Heh heh… Kakuzu-sama, I have some rather shocking news for you."
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow but didn't react too much. Zetsu leaned in slightly before delivering his message:
"Uchiha Madara has awakened the Rinnegan."
"Oh? Is that so?" Kakuzu's response was calm, almost indifferent.
To him, this wasn't particularly surprising. Madara was older than him, after all. Kakuzu was already over fifty, which meant Madara was likely well into his sixties. Even if the legendary Uchiha had returned to the world, he was hardly in his prime. The hidden wounds left by Hashirama in their legendary battle were probably still haunting him.
If he were truly as powerful as he once was, he would have crawled out of his coffin long ago and gone after Tobirama first.
Of course, just because Madara wasn't in his prime didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo were still formidable weapons. And with the Outer Path's Gedo Statue now under his control, he certainly wasn't someone to underestimate. However, Kakuzu saw no need to concern himself with the matter. If things continued according to the original timeline, there was no need to interfere. The last thing he wanted was to gamble on an uncertain outcome and end up making things worse for himself.
Even so, Kakuzu understood the importance of maintaining appearances. He feigned mild surprise, his brow lifting slightly as he processed the news.
His lack of reaction didn't go unnoticed. Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of suspicion.
"Heh heh heh… Kakuzu-sama, you don't seem all that shocked. Have you already forgotten? The Rinnegan belonged to the Sage of Six Paths. A second Sage appearing—doesn't that concern you at all?"
Kakuzu let out a low chuckle, sinking further into Ni's embrace. "All things in this world follow a cycle of cause and effect. If he's managed to awaken that power, I won't stand in his way. Besides, it's not like you'd tell me where he is, even if I wanted to find him."
Black Zetsu's expression darkened. He remained silent for a long moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. It was clear he had no intention of revealing everything to Kakuzu.
But Kakuzu could see through him. He knew Zetsu had his own agenda—one that he wasn't willing to share just yet.
"Speak. What advice do you have for me this time?" Kakuzu's tone was already tinged with impatience. He had just finished his bath and was planning to have a good fight with Ni—seven rounds, in and out, without even feeling weak the next day. And now, Black Zetsu had the audacity to interrupt him. If Kakuzu weren't certain that this bastard only ever appeared when something important was going on, he would have torn him apart on the spot.
Black Zetsu let out a couple of eerie chuckles. Though his interactions with Kakuzu were far from pleasant, the plan still had to move forward.
"Your little Tails project is moving too slowly. I can help speed things up."
At its core, the Ten-Tails plan was about fusing the power of all nine Tailed Beasts to create something entirely new. However, since Kakuzu's Hashirama cells weren't at a high enough concentration yet, he wasn't sure if his 'partner' could truly suppress a full-fledged Tailed Beast. For now, he could only extract portions of their power and seal them away.
This was Kakuzu's private plan, one he hadn't shared with anyone. But was there any information in this world that Black Zetsu didn't know?
The moment he started keeping an eye on Kakuzu, he had already pieced together the truth—Kakuzu was collecting the genetic material of Tailed Beasts. It didn't take a genius to figure out his endgame.
Kakuzu, however, wasn't surprised. He simply responded, "Quit rambling. Get to the point. I don't have patience for this."
"Hehehe… Lord Kakuzu is just as impatient as ever. Fine, I'll get straight to it. If you want to accelerate your plan, the best method is to make use of the Wood Release in your body—because, after all, that power once belonged to the Divine Tree."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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