In his final fight against Naruto and Team Kakashi, Kakuzu is defeated by a new generation. While he curses them, Kakashi notes that being surpassed by the youth is a natural cycle.

When reanimated, Kakuzu's soul is described as returning to the afterlife with a calm demeanor, perhaps finally free from his long, angry life.

Originally, Kakuzu was an elite, loyal Jonin from the Hidden Waterfall Village (Takigakure). He was tasked with an impossible, near-suicidal mission: to assassinate Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage and "God of Shinobi".