Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

Boom! The raging flames exploded mid-air like fireworks, completely incinerating the black creature that had tried to ambush TenTen.

"This fan is incredible!"

After her earlier hesitation, TenTen now wielded the Basho Fan with confidence, feeling the sheer joy of using ninjutsu freely. Without having to worry about chakra—thanks to the pill—she could unleash its full potential.

With the immediate threat eliminated, TenTen rushed toward her allies, who were still surrounded by the strange black creatures.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Kakuzu wandered through the chaos, his body stitched and grotesque as ever. Despite his frustration at being under someone else's control, he was alive—albeit as a reanimated corpse.

"Although being controlled is unpleasant... at least I still exist. I wonder if that guy is here yet," Kakuzu muttered, his voice cold.

The "guy" he referred to was Kirito, the one responsible for his original death. Even though Kakuzu knew he stood no chance against Kirito in life, let alone now in his weakened reanimated form, his desire for revenge remained.

"Then again, I imagine his bounty is even higher now," Kakuzu smirked grimly as he tore through the battlefield, indifferent to the coalition ninja trying to stop him.

Boom!

The sound of a powerful explosion drew Kakuzu's attention. He turned to see a familiar display—an attack that cut through with alarming precision.

"Could it be him?" Kakuzu muttered, feeling a twisted sense of nostalgia.

"Take this!"

TenTen swung the Basho Fan, unleashing a storm so powerful that it distorted the trajectory of a lightning strike. The massive bolt smashed into a distant boulder, shattering it completely.

Whoosh! An orange-masked creature moving at high speed barely avoided the storm, skidding to a halt to reassess its target.

Suddenly, a blue-masked creature descended from the sky. It opened its mask-like mouth and spewed a torrential wave of water toward TenTen and the nearby coalition ninja.

Whoosh! Splash!

The wave crashed toward them, threatening to sweep everyone away.

"Not on my watch!"

TenTen swung the Basho Fan again. A thick earthen wall erupted from the ground, blocking the massive wave and protecting everyone behind it.

"Now it's my turn!" TenTen shouted, waving the fan a second time.

Whoosh! A blazing tornado of fire roared forward, engulfing the blue-masked creature and another black monster nearby. Both were incinerated instantly, their charred remains vanishing into ash.

"We did it!"

The rescued coalition ninjas cheered, celebrating their victory.

"Not bad, girl," a gruff voice interrupted their celebration. "That weapon in your hand... it's one of the legendary Six Treasures—the Basho Fan."

Everyone turned toward the voice. Emerging from the smoke and chaos was Kakuzu, dragging the limp body of a coalition ninja by his collar.

Seeing Kakuzu, TenTen tensed. She recognized him immediately from Kirito's descriptions and knew how dangerous he was.

"Since you have the Basho Fan, I take it you defeated Kinkaku," Kakuzu continued, his stitched mouth curving into a smirk.

"That's right," TenTen replied, signaling her comrades to retreat.

"Such a pity..." Kakuzu muttered, his voice dropping ominously. Without hesitation, he plunged his hand into the chest of the ninja he held, pulling out his still-beating heart. "I was so close to gathering all five hearts. You'll do nicely to replace one of them."

Whoosh! Absorbing the heart, another black creature with a red-marked mask emerged from Kakuzu's back.

"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"

The masked creature leapt into the air and unleashed a massive torrent of flames that spread like a sea of fire across the battlefield.

"Retreat!" TenTen shouted, quickly raising the Basho Fan.

Whoosh! In response to the sea of flames, she released a powerful water surge, dousing the inferno instantly. The collision turned into a billowing cloud of steam.

"Let's finish this!" TenTen yelled, swinging the fan once more.

Zzzt! Lightning crackled through the mist, targeting Kakuzu's last known location. But Kakuzu, ever cautious, had already leapt clear, avoiding the attack.

"Impressive," Kakuzu admitted, retracting the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear back into his body. "To use the Basho Fan so effortlessly... You're more formidable than I thought."

TenTen narrowed her eyes. She remembered Kirito's warning: "Kakuzu's strength lies in his multiple hearts and elemental masks. Use the fan wisely against him."

"Your weakness is already clear to me!" TenTen declared, channeling her chakra into the fan.

She swung it again, combining Water Release and Lightning Release into a devastating dual-element attack. Thunder roared as lightning intertwined with crashing waves, surging toward Kakuzu.

"She knows?!" Kakuzu's eyes widened. Recognizing the danger, he launched himself into the air, unfurling his black threads to glide away from the oncoming attack.

Whoosh!

Just when he thought he'd escaped, a bright streak cut through the air. A glowing fishhook, faster than Kakuzu could react, struck his back and embedded itself deep into his body.

"What... What is this?!" Kakuzu struggled as he felt something pulling at him from within.

The hook glowed brightly, and TenTen grinned as she tugged on the fishing rod.

"Got you!"

With a powerful pull, TenTen yanked a mass of gray chakra—the core of Kakuzu's heart—right out of his body.

"Ugh... My chakra..." Kakuzu gasped as his body convulsed.

Without his chakra, he fell from the sky like a broken puppet, crashing into the electrified waters below.

(End of Chapter)