For the past year, the Land of Dragons had remained peaceful. However, the rest of the shinobi world was anything but tranquil. The Third Shinobi World War was still raging.
Sunagakure and Konohagakure clashed at Kikyō Pass, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage. Under mounting pressure, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was forced to dispatch his prized disciple, Orochimaru, to take command of the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Kirigakure's assassination squads against Konoha were in complete disarray, and their internal affairs were even more chaotic. Rumors spread from within the secluded village that the Genshī, had staged a coup and ousted the Third Mizukage, Mufū. The veracity of this claim was still uncertain, but Kirigakure's foreign policy had already become noticeably more restrained. Large numbers of shinobi were recalled to the village, focusing on internal matters rather than external conflict.
Under normal circumstances, Kumogakure—neighboring the Land of Water—would have sent shinobi to investigate. However, the war between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had reached its peak. The Third Raikage himself was leading the campaign, and both of his sons—the famed A-B Brothers—were on the front lines as vanguard forces. This was an all-out war for Kumogakure, leaving them with no resources to spare for Kirigakure.
The nation benefiting the most from this war was the Land of Earth. Konohagakure was struggling in a four-front battle, yet Iwagakure had managed to preserve its military strength to the greatest extent possible. It wasn't that Onoki was unwilling to engage but rather that he was waiting for the perfect moment—the moment that would bring Iwagakure the greatest advantage. And now, that moment seemed to be approaching.
...
Kakuzu slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a frail woman kneeling beside him, carefully wiping his hands. Lifting his other hand, he gently stroked her chestnut-brown hair.
"Ni, you've suffered," Kakuzu murmured.
The woman, Ni, froze in shock at the sound of his voice. She looked up at him in disbelief before pinching her own arm hard.
"Is this a dream?"
"No, Ni. I'm back."
The intense pain and the unmistakable voice in her ears confirmed that this was real. Ni burst into tears, throwing herself into Kakuzu's arms.
Kakuzu ran his fingers through her silky hair, knowing she had endured many hardships because of him.
"Alright, Ni. Tell me everything that has happened while I was unconscious..."
...
Two hours later, Heisei Rokuno entered the room and immediately dropped to one knee upon seeing Kakuzu.
"Lord Kakuzu, I was once just an orphan from White Tree Town. Lady Minami took me in, and I have followed her ever since. After her passing, I stayed by your side.
"For over a year, you remained motionless, as if you were lifeless yet still alive. I never knew if you would wake again, but I vowed to stay by your side. Even if your body were to be buried beneath the earth, I would stand guard at your grave."
Kakuzu chuckled. "Rokuno, it's alright. I merely had a very long dream. Now, get up."
...
Half an hour later, when Hiruko entered and saw Kakuzu awake, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.
"Lord Kakuzu, I never expected things to turn out like this!"
Kakuzu found Hiruko's reaction amusing. When he had first fallen unconscious, Hiruko had panicked, fearing that an experiment had gone wrong. He tried every method and injected every possible medicine, but nothing could wake Kakuzu.
As time passed, Hiruko grew more and more pessimistic. At one point, he even believed that Kakuzu had died from the Hashirama cell infusion. If not for Ni stopping him, he might have given Kakuzu a proper burial.
"Hiruko, there's no need for such alarm. You didn't cross any lines, and you bear no fault in this matter."
"Lord Kakuzu, I..." Hiruko still trembled slightly.
Kakuzu, however, simply shook his head. Mistakes were inevitable—no one was perfect. More importantly, after Kakuzu fell unconscious, Hiruko had continued doing his best to save him. He hadn't done anything inappropriate or attempted to seize control of the Land of Dragons for himself. Instead, he had retreated to his laboratory, immersing himself in research as long as the funding remained intact.
With Ni, Rokuno, and Hiruko maintaining order, the Land of Dragons had not fallen into chaos. Kakuzu wasn't about to hold a grudge over such matters. True strength lay in tolerance, and none of them had truly betrayed him.
In fact, he felt somewhat gratified to have such loyal subordinates.
Gesturing for Rokuno and Hiruko to take a seat, Kakuzu noticed Hiruko hesitating, reluctant to sit down.
To break the awkward tension, Hiruko cautiously asked, "Lord Kakuzu, how do you feel now?"
"Oh? That..."
Kakuzu clenched his fist lightly, feeling an overwhelming surge of power coursing through all six of his hearts. He now had a rough estimate of his newfound strength.
A smirk formed at the corner of his lips. Just as he was about to speak—
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed from outside the hall.
"What's going on?" Kakuzu frowned. "Kirigakure has settled down due to its internal strife. Could this be another nation trying to stir up trouble in the Land of Dragons?"
Rokuno immediately stood up and reported, "Lord Kakuzu, two weeks ago, a delegation from Kumogakure arrived, led by none other than Yotsuki A. He has been demanding to see you every day. Given your condition at the time, we refused to let him in.
"Initially, he refrained from acting out of respect for your reputation. But after waiting so long, he must have grown suspicious and started resorting to force."
"Yotsuki A..."
Kakuzu murmured the name of the future Fourth Raikage. How long had it been since their last encounter? And why had he come? Did he intend to drag the Land of Dragons into the war?
A nearly imperceptible smirk appeared on Kakuzu's face.
"Very well. Let him in."
After a year away from the world, it was time for his return.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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