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Though Kagaya's strength had reached Kage-level, it was only just that—Kage-level. His swift defeat of Juzo earlier was primarily due to the element of surprise. After all, ninjas renowned for their speed were rare in the ninja world.
Juzo hadn't been particularly wary of Kagaya's speed, so he was caught off guard and defeated by Kagaya's terrifying swiftness. If they were to fight again, Juzo wouldn't lose so miserably, and the outcome would be uncertain. In truth, Kagaya's strength had only just met the standard for Akatsuki's combat members. Against any other Akatsuki member, he couldn't guarantee victory.
Of course, despite these facts, Juzo was still genuinely impressed by Kagaya.
"You're strong. You look like a kid in your early teens, but you've got that terrifying hand-seal speed and Body Flicker Technique. By the way, how old are you?"
Kagaya glanced at Juzo, noticing the sincere admiration in his eyes. "I'll be eight soon."
It was mid-July, and Kagaya's birthday was August 15th, so he was indeed approaching eight years old.
"Eight? Mind if I ask you something?" Juzo said, looking at Kagaya with curiosity about one particular thing.
"What?" Kagaya replied.
"Why did you defect from Konoha?"
Kagaya stopped walking and looked at Juzo. After a moment of silence, he answered, "Because I no longer had a reason to stay there."
"I see," Juzo responded thoughtfully, as if he understood something.
Kagaya spoke up. "What about you? Why did you defect?"
Juzo grinned. "Me? I couldn't stand the tyranny of the Hidden Mist, so I fled. By the way, do you know a guy named Might Dai?"
Kagaya resumed walking. "No, but I know of a Jonin named Might Guy."
"Tch, you're talking about that kid from back then," Juzo said. "I was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Thanks to Might Dai, the Seven Swordsmen became the Three Swordsmen."
Juzo lowered his head with a faint smile, a mix of admiration and helplessness in his voice. "Who would've thought that scruffy, bearded guy could pull off such a taijutsu move? It was shocking. So, I need to know one thing: what jutsu are you skilled in? I've seen your Body Flicker Technique, but you've got more than that, right?"
Kagaya closed his eyes, then opened them again, his black pupils now replaced by the blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan. "Shurikenjutsu, Body Flicker Technique, genjutsu. As for other jutsu, I know a bit."
Juzo chuckled teasingly. "As expected, you're impressive. You defeated me so easily without even using genjutsu or shurikenjutsu."
Kagaya closed his eyes again, his pupils returning to black. "That was just the element of surprise. I'm not that strong."
"No, in my eyes, you're already very strong," Juzo insisted.
Kagaya glanced at Juzo again. This former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen didn't seem as ruthless as the legends suggested.
"Hm."
Juzo tapped the Kubikiribocho strapped to his back. "Let me introduce myself properly. As you can see, I use this Kubikiribocho to cut down enemies. My specialty is this blade. Now that we know each other's abilities, let's formulate our tactics!"
"Tactics?" Kagaya asked.
"Yes! Tactics!" Juzo confirmed.
Kagaya looked at Juzo curiously and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't it fine to just fight separately?"
Juzo froze, then spoke with a mix of anger and amusement. "You're even more casual than I am!"
Kagaya remained silent.
Seeing Kagaya's quiet demeanor, Juzo realized this kid hadn't even considered using tactics.
"Fine, whatever. Here's Plan B: you strike first. Use your shurikenjutsu, genjutsu, or that unique Instant Clone technique of yours—whatever you're best at. Then I charge in, and you support me from the rear."
Unbeknownst to Juzo, Kagaya had always assumed Akatsuki members fought individually. Since joining, he had never thought about tactics. When partnered with Obito, they fought separately too, relying on their individual strength to overcome any lack of coordination.
Juzo's sudden talk of tactics caught Kagaya off guard. After hearing Juzo's first "tactic," Kagaya couldn't help but comment, "That doesn't sound like a tactic. It's just me going first, you following, and then we fight together."
Juzo's mouth twitched slightly. "Shut up, you brat! You're even more casual than me, and you dare criticize me? Just listen!"
"Alright. What's Plan A?" Kagaya asked.
"Fight separately, do whatever," Juzo said.
"Isn't that exactly what I said?"
"Shut up!" Juzo snapped.
After a moment's thought, Juzo added, "One last piece of advice: don't underestimate someone based on their appearance. Though I suppose I don't need to tell you that—you're a perfect example. You look like a kid in your early teens but have terrifying strength."
"Of course," Kagaya replied. "By the way, what's our first mission as a team?"
"Right here. Soon, an important figure will pass through. We just need to take them out."
"Important figure? From which nation?" Kagaya asked.
Juzo shook his head. "Akatsuki doesn't care about that. As long as the reward's good, we'll take any mission. Who the target is or which nation they're from doesn't matter."
"I see," Kagaya said.
Kagaya already knew this, but his previous missions had been around the Land of Fire, where he usually knew the target's identity. This was the first time he'd been assigned a mission without knowing who the target was.
"Let's wait here. They should arrive soon," Juzo said.
"Alright."
Kagaya and Juzo were in the middle of a vast wheat field, standing on a road that cut through it, quietly awaiting their target.
Soon, the target appeared—a group escorting a caravan, slowly approaching.
Juzo grinned, hefting the Kubikiribocho. "Here they come."