Chapter 249: Kakuzu in the Sharingan
The earth-shaking sounds continued to echo from the distance.
One moment, the sky was dyed white, the next it turned blue, and before long, it became a brilliant yellow—just like fireworks.
However, people's joys and sorrows are never truly shared. Some found it nothing more than noisy.
In a corner of the Uchiha clan's camp, in front of a wooden shack used for storing miscellaneous items—
A man, bound hand and foot with iron chains, leaned alone against a wooden stake.
He wore a rogue ninja forehead protector from Takigakure, a black mask, and a loose-fitting black robe that covered his tall frame.
Silently, he gazed at the distant sky, his eerie green pupils appearing somewhat dazed, as if lost in thought.
At that moment—
From the other side of the camp, a man approached with a calm expression.
His face was broad and peaceful, clad in the Uchiha clan's standard long robe, with a longsword fastened at his waist. What stood out was his right hand, encased in a plaster cast and suspended in a sling around his neck.
This man was none other than Uchiha Kagami, recently appointed as Uchiha Ci's kenjutsu instructor.
Kakuzu glanced at the approaching man, snorted coldly, and spoke indifferently—
"How rare. Instead of helping that brat, you've come here to guard an old man like me?"
Uchiha Kagami shook his head, his face remaining composed as he replied—
"With my strength, I doubt I could keep you restrained."
"A true master of swordsmanship has a unique sense of perception. I can tell that in both power and skill, you far surpass me."
Kakuzu's brow furrowed slightly. "Then why are you here? To mock me?"
"No."
Uchiha Kagami met Kakuzu's gaze directly, his three-tomoe Sharingan activating in silence. The cold, scarlet eyes locked onto Kakuzu as he spoke—
"I simply have some questions and hope to find answers from you."
He stepped forward, stopping in front of the infamous S-rank rogue ninja, who sat motionless in captivity. Glancing at the shackles that bound Kakuzu's hands, he remarked—
"These chains shouldn't be able to hold you."
"While recovering from my injuries, I had little to do, so I took the time to investigate some past events."
"Through my findings, I discovered that you possess a technique called Earth Release: Earth Spear, which hardens your body to the toughness of diamond, making you impervious to attacks. Escaping from these restraints shouldn't be difficult for you."
Kakuzu's frown deepened as he let out a cold snort—
"In the face of the Sharingan, a Bloodline Limit that sees through all jutsu, what good are such techniques?"
"In the end, it would all be in vain."
"Heh." Uchiha Kagami chuckled faintly and said calmly—
"I've been observing you all this time, and you, too, have been observing us."
"To be more precise, you've been watching that child—"
"Uchiha Ci."
"Ridiculous!" Kakuzu didn't even lift his head, merely snorting disdainfully.
"Is it?" Uchiha Kagami laughed softly, then continued—
"Both you and I know that Hell Valley's conditions could never truly restrain you. We never intended to confine you. Capturing you was merely a way to make a statement to the Bounty Exchange."
"For someone like you, a bounty hunter who works solely for money, you're merely a tool—an unclaimed weapon. Someday, we might even find a use for you."
"At first, I thought you were hesitant to leave because you feared Ci and the Great Elder."
"That was until I uncovered some interesting facts and found something intriguing."
Uchiha Kagami smiled slightly, reached into his robes with his still-functional left hand, and retrieved an object.
It was a thread.
But unlike an ordinary ninja wire, this thread was entirely black. As the twilight faded and night fell, it seemed to blend seamlessly into the darkness, shrouded in a hazy obscurity.
The moment Kakuzu saw the thread, his expression changed abruptly.
"In the clan's reports on the events in the Land of Hot Water—"
"I discovered that during his time with the Jashinists, Ci used a technique identical to yours: Earth Release: Earth Spear."
"And this technique, according to our clan's records, was once briefly passed down in Takigakure during the early days of the Great Ninja Villages. However, after you slaughtered all your superiors, you became the sole wielder of this technique—Takigakure's most infamous S-rank rogue ninja, the so-called 'Strongest Bounty Hunter,' Kakuzu."
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed slightly as he cast a wary glance at Uchiha Kagami. He spoke nonchalantly—
"And what does that prove?"
"This technique, due to its hardening properties and its unique seal-less activation, cannot be copied by the Sharingan—not even a three-tomoe Sharingan."
"Yet Uchiha Ci learned it."
Uchiha Kagami's tone remained calm as he stated—
"Kakuzu, the heart that was destroyed in the Jashinist cave—that was yours, wasn't it?"
Kakuzu closed his eyes and snorted coldly but did not deny it.
Seeing his reaction, Uchiha Kagami became even more certain of his conjecture. He spoke with firm conviction—
"Even for someone like you, who can achieve immortality by continuously replacing hearts, that Earth-natured heart must have been special. If I'm not mistaken, it was your original heart."
As another flash of pale light erupted from the northern side of Hell Valley—
Uchiha Kagami raised the thread in his hand, stared directly at Kakuzu, and declared resolutely—
"That is why Uchiha Ci was able to learn Earth Release: Earth Spear, and more importantly—"
"The technique that no one else should have been able to learn!"
"Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear!"
The moment these words left his mouth, Kakuzu—who had been sitting calmly in the courtyard—unconsciously trembled. His gaze sharpened instantly, faint traces of killing intent surfacing in his eyes.
Noting the nearly imperceptible tremor through his Sharingan, Uchiha Kagami let out a soft chuckle before pressing on without hesitation—
"For decades, you have wandered across the ninja world—"
"You have endured loneliness beyond what ordinary people can imagine—"
"Yet now, by some twist of fate, you've found someone who can inherit all your techniques and ideals."
"And this child, orphaned and disregarded within his clan, was forced to leave the village on what was essentially a suicide mission—"
"Only to face you—an enemy that he should never have been able to defeat!"
The distant, pale flashes of light momentarily subsided.
Half of Uchiha Kagami's face was hidden in the darkness of the moonless night. His tone was laced with amusement, but the shadows obscured whether he was truly smiling.
Only a pair of scarlet eyes, as if capable of seeing through one's soul, slowly opened within the night!
The three tomoe swirled in silence, locking onto Kakuzu, who remained speechless, lost in deep thought.
"Uchiha Ci,"
"This child—is the real reason why you've stayed with the Uchiha clan, why you remain in Hell Valley."
"Am I right, Kakuzu?"
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