Having successfully escaped by using an Earth Release ninjutsu, Kakuzu silently headed toward a river he remembered. Based on his experience, there had to be tracking-type shinobi in that mysterious bounty-hunting rogue shinobi squad. The simplest way to erase his scent and shake off pursuit was to flee through a stream, river, or similar body of water...
After all, water in nature could conceal one's presence. Even sensory-type shinobi found it extremely difficult to search and sense anything underwater.
"Here!"
Kakuzu looked at the river before him, muttered to himself, then jumped in without another word. Like a fish, he dove beneath the surface and swam through the water with superb diving skills...
Who knew how much time passed.
A palm-sized cloud of pitch-black insects slowly flew over from afar. It circled above the riverbank for a long time without making another move.
Soon afterward, guided by feedback from G Diao's flying parasites, the group arrived together, but they immediately lost Kakuzu's trail.
"Guess that was to be expected from a shinobi who fought the God of Shinobi?"
G Diao muttered to herself. The ink-black insects deep in her eyes wriggled even more frequently, a sign that she had grown even more curious about Kakuzu, like a beast that had discovered unusual prey.
"He was very cautious. He had clearly escaped successfully, yet he still continued fleeing this way..."
Yinglong spoke seriously from the side.
"Tch!"
Blood Leech spat to the side before saying, "What a coward!"
"He was indeed afraid of death, but that was precisely why he survived from the Warring States Period until now!"
Suzaku nodded from the side as he spoke.
"What do we do now?"
Kui Niu asked.
"What else can we do? Keep searching, of course. G Diao's flying parasites were no ordinary bugs.