In the gloomy dungeon, Kakuzu, having lost all four limbs, sat with his back against the corner, looking up at the moonlight outside the window.
'It seems I'm really done for this time...'
Having lived for so long, he hadn't expected to become a prisoner of the Hidden Cloud Village.
'Life is truly unpredictable...'
He couldn't help but recall the past, recalling that single kunai he threw that made him proud for a lifetime.
'I didn't expect that I, a dignified man who once exchanged blows with the God of Shinobi, would be ambushed like this...'
He hadn't noticed the clone tentacle that had long since adhered to his body.
'Wonder how Uchiha Lexon is doing...'
Kakuzu couldn't help but think of Lexon.
'Wonder if he's dead...'
'Nine out of ten chances he was mobbed to death by the supporting Cloud ninja...'
He thought with some malice.
But the next moment, his thoughts shifted elsewhere.
'Seven days have passed, and no one from the Hidden Cloud has come to interrogate or torture me...'
'They just sent a ninja to guard me and deliver some simple food on time.'
'So what did they capture me for?'
'What is the purpose?'
Kakuzu was somewhat puzzled.
However...
Kakuzu tilted his head slightly, his gaze obscurely falling on the injured ninja outside the cell whose head was wrapped in layers of gauze.
Thoughts surged.
'I've accumulated a little chakra now... enough to instantly regenerate my limbs and maintain a certain level of combat capability. Should I...'
Suddenly, the injured ninja holding gauze outside the cell seemed to sense Kakuzu's gaze. His sharp eyes shifted instantly, meeting Kakuzu's gaze in a split second.
'No... this person is not weak. My current state won't do...'
Kakuzu realized this the moment their eyes met.
The ninja guarding outside the cell was not weak; given his current state, Kakuzu definitely couldn't win.
So Kakuzu looked away.
Darui, outside the cell, also stopped staring at the prisoner inside.
The order he received was only to guard the person inside and deliver meals on time, nothing more.
Darui's personality was naturally laid-back, so he was happy to comply.
Inside the cell, Kakuzu continued to gaze at the night sky outside the window.
'If I keep accumulating chakra like this, can I escape...?'
'This is the Hidden Cloud Village...'
He felt the hope was a bit slim.
'I couldn't handle one Eight-Tails Jinchuriki... let alone the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and the Fourth Raikage...'
"Sigh..."
The elderly Kakuzu couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"What's wrong, Kakuzu... why are you sighing?" A voice suddenly came from outside the cell.
Kakuzu turned his head abruptly and saw a young man smiling gently.
'Uchiha Lexon...'
"You..." Kakuzu saw Lexon standing outside the cell, while the injured ninja who felt quite strong was standing behind him with his head bowed, and he couldn't help but be bewildered.
"Are you surprised? Are you pleasantly surprised?" Lexon said with a smile.
"You... are you in league with them?" Kakuzu was stunned, and his face darkened.
The respectful attitude of the Cloud ninja toward Lexon inevitably made him think that this guy Uchiha Lexon was a traitor.
'Then what is his purpose? What is the purpose of going undercover in the Akatsuki organization?'
"You seem to be overthinking things, Kakuzu." Seeing Kakuzu's expression, Lexon knew what was going through his head without needing to think much.
"Then what do you mean?"
"Do you think if I were really an undercover agent for the Hidden Cloud, I would want to frame you?" Lexon explained, "You don't stop to think about how much weaker you are compared to me."
"..." Kakuzu remained silent and did not speak.
"Don't believe me?" Seeing his reaction, Lexon continued.
"You don't stop to think that you've already been beaten by me, and there were so many opportunities to kill you casually while executing missions together. Even if I killed you, the Leader wouldn't say anything. After all, I heard from the Leader that you used to do the same thing."
"So honestly, you are so weak, I have no reason to frame you."
"..." After listening to Lexon's long speech, Kakuzu still had no reaction.
"Although you always say you fought the God of Shinobi, in reality, it was just eight..."
"Can you stop talking..." Kakuzu finally spoke, his tone appearing somewhat low.
"Do you believe me now?" The smile on Lexon's face was very kind, as if there was no malice at all.
"I believe you, I believe you. Stop talking, stop talking." Kakuzu turned his head toward the wall, staring at it so that his face could not be seen.
"I just came over to take you with me casually." Lexon said in a flat tone from outside the cell.
"Did you make a deal with the Hidden Cloud Village?" Kakuzu's voice came from the corner.
"Correct," Lexon responded.
"I captured the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B alive that day and used him as a condition to exchange for you and save you... Look, how good I am to you."
'Why do I find that so hard to believe...'
Kakuzu thought to himself.
"I really thank you very much," Kakuzu said.
Then, he concentrated, mobilized his chakra, and activated his secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear. Black threads surged, gradually gathering at the severed points of his limbs to form the shapes of arms and legs, slowly restoring his body to wholeness.
"Let's go then."
After fully recovering, Kakuzu looked toward Lexon outside the cell.
But Uchiha Lexon's figure was not in his line of sight, only the injured ninja with his head wrapped in gauze.
"That's it for now. I still have to stay in the Hidden Cloud Village for a few days. Today was just to notify you in advance. See you in a few days." Lexon's voice came along with the sound of fading footsteps.
He followed Killer B to the Hidden Cloud Village mainly to casually sign in for things he wanted from the Cloud Village while he held a strong deterrent power over them, such as Raikage Ay's skills and physical constitution...
Seeing Kakuzu and taking him back was just a matter of convenience.
"..."
Kakuzu stared quietly at Darui, silent and speechless.
Darui's gaze was somewhat strange.
As the one assigned the task of supervision, he naturally understood that it was necessary to keep the subject of supervision within a certain degree of disability to ensure the opponent had no ability to resist.
But he hadn't expected the opponent to secretly hide the ability to restore his limbs.
'In that case... let's turn him back into a human stick and remove his ability to resist...'
Thinking this, Darui slowly drew the blade from his back.
Looking at the restless Darui, cold sweat faintly slid down Kakuzu's forehead.
'I'm really done with this...'
'Couldn't you have just taken me out first? Uchiha Lexon, you bastard...'
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