The Truth About the Rogue Ninja

"It's you?!"

Takikage's voice trembled with shock. His eyes widened as he stared intently at Kakuzu, whose true form was gradually being revealed.

That cold and ruthless face looked particularly sinister in the flickering candlelight.

"How is this possible! How did you manage to get here so silently, bypassing all my carefully laid defenses?!"

Takikage's words were filled with disbelief; he couldn't understand why Kakuzu could break through his defenses so easily.

However, Kakuzu did not respond to his question, but simply stared coldly at Takikage, his eyes seemingly able to see through everything.

He then acted swiftly, using black lines to seal all of Takikage's joints, rendering him unable to move.

The black lines, as if alive, tightly bound Takikage, giving him an unprecedented sense of constraint.

"Hmph! Utterly foolish old man!" Kakuzu's tone was filled with anger and disdain. "So what if I failed a mission? You actually want to kill me! Do you know how much I sacrificed for this mission?"

Kakuzu unusually lost control of his emotions, and his words were filled with anger and resentment.

He kept venting his emotions, as if he wanted to pour out all his dissatisfaction and pain.

Looking at his once loyal subordinate who had now become so crazy and irrational, Takikage was filled with complex emotions.

He understood that the incident had thoroughly enraged Kakuzu and brought their relationship to an irreparable point.

Kakuzu, originally an elite ninja of Takigakure, had an unparalleled loyalty to his village!

One day, he received a mission: to assassinate Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage of Konoha!

Left with no other choice, he had to go on the mission, but how powerful was Hashirama Senju?

If it weren't for his kind heart, Kakuzu would never have been able to return to Takigakure alive!

That is why Takikage, using this as an excuse, wanted to severely punish Kakuzu.

But how could Kakuzu possibly accept this?

So he stole the forbidden technique of Takigakure Village, "Earth Grudge Fear," gained immense power, and defected from Takigakure Village.

It can be said that the old man in front of us is the real culprit behind Kakuzu's defection!

"Kakuzu, how dare you betray the village and infiltrate here!"

Takikage said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with anger and resentment.

Kakuzu gave him a cold look, a mocking smile playing on his lips:

"Betrayal? Hmph, you were the ones who wronged me first! I was just seeking my own way to survive."

As he spoke, he increased the pressure of the black lines, causing Takikage even more pain.

Takikage struggled, trying to break free of his restraints, but Kakuzu's strength was too great, and he was unable to resist at all.

"Kakuzu, this won't end well!"

"Takikage shouted, his voice tinged with despair."

Kakuzu, however, remained unconcerned and said calmly:

I don't care about the outcome.

"All I know is that I now have enough power to do what I want to do."

After saying that, he was preparing to deliver the final blow to Takikage and end this futile struggle when, unexpectedly, ripples appeared in the space, like a gentle breeze brushing across the surface of water.

Obito and Fengtian suddenly appeared before them.

The appearance of Fengtian caused Kakuzu's expression to change slightly, a hint of resentment that vanished in an instant.

But he quickly composed himself, the black lines retracting swiftly into his body like snakes, his anger and resentment buried deep within him. He stepped aside to observe the situation.

The moment Kakuzu stopped, Takikage coughed violently.

Each cough felt like it was trying to expel his internal organs. He struggled to lift his head, his eyes filled with wariness and doubt.

"Who...who exactly are you?"

Upon hearing this, Fengtian's face remained calm as still water. He slightly raised his head, his deep eyes seemingly able to see through all things, gazing at Takikage with an almost divine air. His voice was deep and authoritative:

"We are Twilight, descended upon this filthy world to save it..."

"For the peace of the entire ninja world, Takikage..."

"Hand over the Seven-Tails!"

As Fengtian finished speaking, his eyes suddenly shone with a brilliant light.

That was the unique radiance of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, carrying boundless pressure, pressing down on Takikage like a mountain.

Under the oppressive force that almost crushed his soul, Takikage's body trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind.

However, his eyes were like a stubborn rock in a raging fire, exceptionally firm and full of unyielding spirit.

"Heh, so you're the infamous 'Twilight' that's been all over the ninja world!"

Although his voice was hoarse from the pain, the sarcasm and defiance in it were clearly audible.

"But unfortunately! You won't be able to squeeze even a single drop of information about the Seven-Tails out of these old bones of mine!"

Takikage's words were resolute, and a hint of madness flashed across his face—the madness of clinging to one's beliefs even in the face of dire circumstances.

Immediately afterwards, his right hand shot out like lightning, and in his palm, a ball of chakra condensed to its maximum intensity shone as brightly as a miniature sun.

That was his last trump card, and the secret he was prepared to defend with his life.

Without the slightest hesitation, Takikage gritted his teeth and slammed the massive ball of chakra, powerful enough to destroy the heavens and the earth, hard against his own forehead.

He was willing to sacrifice his own life to bury this power and this secret forever in the darkness.

However, at this critical moment, Fengtian's lips curled into a smile that was a mixture of amusement and disdain.

His eyes suddenly blazed with a dazzling light, the unique and mysterious power of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, which he unleashed to its fullest potential at this moment.

The forbidden technique of “reversing cause and effect” was unleashed instantly like a ghost under Fengtian’s control.

In the blink of an eye, the ball of chakra in Takikage's hand, powerful enough to destroy everything, vanished as if wiped away by an invisible hand, as if it had never existed.

"What...what kind of power is this?"

Takikage was shocked and couldn't help but ask a question, but before he could get an answer, Fengtian's figure appeared in front of him like a ghost.

Fengtian gently grabbed his neck with one hand and lifted him high up.

As the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan was activated, Takikage's eyes gradually lost their light, eventually being replaced by chaos.

That was an illusion cast upon him by Fengtian, a fate he was powerless to resist.

Just when everything seemed to have settled down, Fengtian suddenly turned his gaze to the window, where a figure was hidden in the shadows, quietly observing everything.

A playful smile appeared on Fengtian's face, and his voice echoed in the empty room:

"How much longer are you going to watch?"