Akatsuki: Kakuzu The Treasurer

Kakuzu, a powerful ninja from Takigakure, was part of a group called Akatsuki. He worked together with Hidan and they were known as the Zombie Combo because they had unique abilities that made them difficult to kill. Kisame Hoshigaki, another member of Akatsuki, gave them this nickname as a joke.

Background

Kakuzu was once a skilled ninja serving Takigakure, but a failed mission led to his imprisonment and mistreatment by the village. Filled with hatred, he escaped, killing the village elders and stealing their hearts along with forbidden techniques. He became a bounty hunter on the black market, using the hearts of powerful shinobi to extend his lifespan and strengthen himself. Later, he joined the criminal organization Akatsuki, where he had a history of killing his partners. Eventually, he was paired with Hidan, who shared a similar immortality. Despite their mutual dislike, they worked together for Akatsuki.

Personality

Kakuzu was a greedy and money-focused member of Akatsuki. He cared mostly about profits and would only engage in activities that benefited him financially. He even considered money as the only reliable thing in the world. He collected bounties frequently to earn cash and had a strained relationship with his partner, Hidan, due to their contrasting interests. Despite their dislike for each other, they worked well together in battle. Kakuzu was impatient with Hidan's religious rituals and speeches, while Hidan disapproved of Kakuzu's greed and blasphemous actions. Kakuzu had a violent temper and had killed his previous partners, but he couldn't get rid of Hidan because of his immortality. Kakuzu was more cautious and less arrogant than Hidan, often reminding him to be on guard. He had a strong hatred for his village, Takigakure, due to their harsh treatment after his failed mission. As revenge, he betrayed the village, took their forbidden techniques, and killed the elders before leaving.

Abilities

Kakuzu was a highly skilled and strong ninja who became a member of the powerful Akatsuki organization. He had a violent temper and ended up killing most of his partners, except for the one who was immortal. He was selected by his village for a mission to assassinate Hashirama Senju, but although he failed, he managed to survive the battle. Kakuzu was so formidable that he would have likely defeated Team Asuma if not for the intervention of Team Yamato.

Chakra and Physical Prowess

Kakuzu possessed remarkable speed, capable of moving swiftly over long distances and disappearing from sight. He demonstrated his agility by intercepting Kakashi's attack on Hidan with his Lightning Cutter technique. In terms of strength, he effortlessly caught one of Chōji's powerful punches with a single hand and easily overpowered him. Kakuzu also excelled in hand-to-hand combat, matching the skills of Kakashi who possessed the Sharingan. Through his past victories, Kakuzu had absorbed the chakra of numerous defeated opponents, accumulating a vast reserve of chakra.

Ninjutsu

Earth Grudge Fear

Kakuzu had a unique body structure consisting of thick, grey tendrils called Earth Grudge Fear. These tendrils held his body together and allowed him to maintain his strength, health, and youthful appearance despite his age. He could separate his body parts, launch mid to long-range attacks, and repair injuries using the threads. He could even mend the bodies of others, as shown when he reattached Deidara's arms. His enduring nature allowed him to withstand direct strikes, like Kakashi's Lightning Cutter. The threads also granted him a form of immortality by allowing him to remove and integrate the organs of others into his body, specifically their hearts. He kept five hearts and needed to be killed at least five times in battle to truly die. The hearts could be released and controlled, forming monstrous bodies with powerful elemental attacks. If Kakuzu was killed, one of his spare hearts could sacrifice itself to revive him.

Nature Transformation

Kakuzu enhanced his durability by using the Earth Release: Earth Spear Technique, allowing him to survive otherwise fatal attacks. By collecting the hearts of other ninjas, he gained their elemental affinities. Each extra heart represented a different chakra nature, which he could utilize in battle by connecting his chakra system to them. While his own elemental affinity was implied to be Earth in the manga, in the anime, he showcased the ability to use water-based techniques unrelated to his Earth Grudge Fear technique. Kakuzu had specific masks representing each elemental affinity, such as the Fire Mask, Lightning Mask, Water Mask, and Wind Mask. These masks granted him the ability to use corresponding elemental techniques, with some masks having the ability to unite and unleash powerful combined attacks.

Intelligence

Despite his advanced age, Kakuzu displayed sharp analytical skills and a pragmatic mindset. He was observant and quickly noticed Shikamaru's deliberate approach in formulating a plan to counter Hidan's technique when he trapped them with his Shadow Imitation Technique. Kakuzu efficiently assessed the purpose of Shikamaru's various shadow attacks and devised countermeasures on the spot during their battle. For instance, when Shikamaru used his Shadow Imitation Shuriken Technique to trap them, Kakuzu detached his right arm, concealed it underground, and used it to retrieve his trench knife, successfully breaking free from the technique.