Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

Fire Style: Searing Migraine!

Wind Style: Pressure Damage!

The massive area combination of these jutsu was unleashed once more. This time, Sakumo was farther from Kakuzu, making it impossible for him to forcefully push through the attack as he had before. 

Instead, he quickly retreated, seeking cover.

The ferocious flames and wind ravaged the area, seemingly consuming a vast portion of the forest.

The sea of fire raged on for quite a while. When it finally subsided, the forest was heavily damaged, with large swathes burned to ash.

When Sakumo and Lightning emerged from their hiding places, all they saw were Kakuzu's black-threaded creatures flying off into the sky. Kakuzu himself was nowhere in sight.

The two exchanged a glance, their faces mutual dismay.

"That guy… ran away?" Lightning muttered, his lips twitching. Kakuzu's figure was no longer visible, indicating he had fled far from the battlefield.

"..."

Sakumo was speechless. He hadn't expected his ferocious opponent to suddenly retreat like that.

"What a pity. I have another mission to attend to and can't chase after him," Sakumo sighed, suppressing his lingering killing intent. 

He could only let it go for now, deciding to handle it another time.

To dare attack Konoha's shinobi—especially an old comrade of his, a former ANBU captain, and a senior—was an unforgivable act.

"Dammit!" Lightning cursed in frustration. That bastard had killed three of his subordinates and nearly claimed his life, yet he had managed to escape unscathed.

Although Lightning had destroyed two of Kakuzu's hearts, it wasn't enough to soothe his anger or alleviate his frustration. He felt utterly stifled.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. By the way, where are you headed? And why aren't you wearing your ANBU uniform?" Lightning asked, trying to shift his focus.

It was rare for Sakumo, the ANBU Commander, to be seen out of uniform, especially during a mission.

"I'm on my way to the Land of Fire's capital to deliver an important document to the daimyo," Sakumo explained. 

A document important enough to require personal delivery by the ANBU Commander must indeed be of great significance.

Hearing this, Lightning didn't probe further. He simply nodded, then began tidying up the battlefield, preparing to return to Konoha.

"By the way, Captain, how did you end up clashing with Kakuzu?" Sakumo asked, curious.

Although he didn't know much about Kakuzu, ANBU records labeled him as extremely dangerous, so Sakumo had a vague impression of him.

"He came looking for me, claiming someone had paid him to take my life," Lightning replied. 

He was also puzzled about who could have spent so much money to hire someone like Kakuzu to kill him.

"I see… Even though Kakuzu escaped, for safety's sake, I'll escort you back to Konoha, Captain," Sakumo offered. 

Learning that this encounter wasn't a coincidence, his heart grew heavy. This was clearly part of a larger conspiracy, and he couldn't afford to take any chances.

Leaving Lightning to return alone would be too risky. Kakuzu might double back once Sakumo was gone, putting Lightning's life in danger.

"There's no need. Your mission is more urgent. Besides, Kakuzu doesn't know you're delivering a document. He won't dare return. 

"Don't worry, I'll take another route and head back to Konoha quickly. There won't be any problems," Lightning declined Sakumo's offer, understanding the document Sakumo had to deliver would be extremely important.

Hearing this, Sakumo agreed. Kakuzu had fled in the opposite direction of Konoha, and if Lightning moved quickly, Kakuzu wouldn't be able to catch up.

"In that case, Captain, be extra cautious. Take an unfamiliar route and avoid the ANBU passageways," Sakumo instructed.

"Understood. I'll head back now," Lightning said. The two then parted ways, with Lightning choosing a lesser-known path back to Konoha.

The journey was uneventful. Lightning returned to Konoha safely and reported the incident.

Within half an hour, Hui was informed.

After all, an S-rank/kage level rogue ninja attacking a Konoha shinobi was no trivial matter and required Hui's attention as the head of the Administrative Division.

"Kakuzu… Someone paid him to kill Captain Uzuki Ryogawa… That person… heh," Hui scoffed coldly after reviewing the incident report.

It didn't take him long to guess who might be behind such an act.

Uzuki Ryogawa was just an ordinary elite Jonin of Konoha. Who would bother hiring someone like Kakuzu to assassinate him? And how many in the ninja world would dare to provoke Konoha now?

Hui was 90% certain the mastermind was Black Zetsu, with a 10% chance it could be Madara Uchiha.

At this point, Black Zetsu wasn't yet considered Madara's "will." He was still operating in the shadows, orchestrating various schemes.

Madara, on the other hand, was likely still in his state of hesitation, unsure of his next move. It was highly unlikely he would go after Hui directly.

"Perfect. The village needs time to consolidate recent developments. Looks like it's time to study sealing techniques with the Uzumaki Clan," Hui mused to himself.

He wasn't in a rush to track down Black Zetsu. Hui understood that without reaching the Six Paths level, he couldn't deal with Black Zetsu.

After all, Black Zetsu was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's will, and Kaguya herself was a Six Paths-level entity. Hence, conventional methods couldn't kill Black Zetsu—it was practically impossible.

But just because he couldn't be killed didn't mean he couldn't be sealed.

Sealing techniques were mysterious and full of endless possibilities.

If Kaguya couldn't be killed, she could be sealed in the moon, rendering her immobile.

With these thoughts, Hui moved on to his next task, ensuring the protection of those who might become Black Zetsu's next targets.

The situation eventually settled down. Meanwhile, Kakuzu was added to Konoha's most-wanted list, and Sakumo made it his personal mission to track him down whenever possible.

Though frustrated, Kakuzu was also relieved. As long as it wasn't Hui hunting him down himself, he could handle it.

Konoha continued to develop steadily. Hui refrained from introducing new policies, allowing time to assess the impact of existing ones.

Rushing too many changes at once would only create problems for the village. Thus, for the next year or two, Konoha would focus on stability and quiet growth.

The ninja world also began to calm down. The recent war had claimed many lives, leaving people mourning their losses.

In response, each village implemented measures to rebuild morale and ensure progress.

One day, Iwagakure announced that Ōnoki of the Two Scales would succeed as the Third Tsuchikage, marking the beginning of a new era for the village.

Following Iwagakure's announcement, Sunagakure and Kirigakure also declared their respective successors as the Third Kazekage and Third Mizukage.

With this, the ninja world—excluding Konoha—entered the era of the Third Kage.

It seemed a new era had begun for the entire ninja world.

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