Kakuzu was a simple man.
He loved only money.
He wasn't a scheming old fox like Danzo, nor a scholarly sage like Orochimaru.
So, when faced with Hikari Uchiha's aggressive interrogation and the implication that he was some kind of soft-hearted old man, his first instinct was to deny everything, release a burst of killing intent, and intimidate this insolent Uchiha.
But that sequence of actions was cut short.
Hikari Uchiha snapped his fingers, and two other Uchiha appeared, carrying large, lacquered leather cases.
Kakuzu swallowed his words hard.
Inside those boxes lay something simple, yet brutally persuasive:
One hundred million Ryo.
"Sss—!"
Kakuzu sucked in a breath of cold air, his glowing green eyes fixed intensely on Hikari.
His tone gradually became formal, even bordering on eager. Beneath his black mask, the corners of his mouth twitched visibly upward. Relying on his years of experience as a bounty hunter, he made an instinctive judgment.
"You want to take out that penniless brat?"
"Because he threatens your position within the Uchiha clan?"
Hearing this absurd yet grimly realistic assumption, Hikari's lip twitched. He shook his head firmly and spoke with a calm voice.
"Mr. Kakuzu, let's make a deal."
"This one hundred million is to buy your intervention. Save that child, just once."
"Save him?"
For a moment, Kakuzu was genuinely confused.
He tilted his head slightly, looking toward the distant ruins that resembled a parking lot hit by a hurricane. He followed the flickering flames of battle up to the high, encircling cliffs of the Valley of Hell.
There, a straight line of fire connecting heaven and earth suddenly ignited!
A giant blade of flowing flame, even more massive and imposing than the Forbidden Jutsu Kakuzu had seen months ago, was slowly taking shape. Even Kakuzu couldn't help but twitch his eye at the sight of it.
Compared to that monstrosity, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, who was currently cowering at the edge of the cliff, looked like the one who needed saving.
Kakuzu's expression turned peculiar. He wondered if the Uchiha were all fools with too much money to burn. Is this one hundred million really going to be this easy to earn?
Hikari followed Kakuzu's gaze without so much as an arched eyebrow. He nodded calmly.
"That's right."
Hikari was no fool.
As part of the clan's high-ranking leadership, he knew exactly what the Uchiha lacked most: Power.
The emergence of Ren Uchiha felt like a heaven-sent opportunity for the clan's resurgence, but it came wrapped in infinite danger. With Chiyo of Sunagakure making Ren's intel public and placing a bounty on him, every major power in the ninja world was now aware of his existence. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had placed a price on his head, despite knowing Ren wasn't the one causing chaos in their capital. It was hard to tell if it was intentional or a "mistake."
More dangers awaited Ren in the future, yet the current Uchiha clan lacked the strength to protect him.
The Uchiha were no longer the titans of the Warring States period. Without legends like Tajima, Madara, Izuna, or Kagami, they found themselves constrained when facing Kage-level enemies. They even had to rely on this child to protect them.
If Ren hadn't intercepted those two Tailed Beast Bombs earlier, few in this camp would be alive. This realization had driven Hikari to cast aside the clan's pride and seek outside help.
As long as Ren Uchiha grew into the towering tree that shaded the clan, any investment was worth it!
And so, Kakuzu—the man he had been watching and guarding against—fell perfectly into his plans. He was the ideal choice: a rogue ninja with a grudge against the Senju and a bounty hunter's professional detachment.
As for the exorbitant fee...
To the Uchiha clan, a problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem at all. They had already poured over a billion Ryo into Ren's development; what was a bit more for Kakuzu?
Moreover, once Kakuzu got a taste of the Uchiha's bottomless pockets, would he ever be able to return to the life of a wandering bounty hunter, working himself to the bone for scraps?
One thought the other was a rich fool ripe for the picking.
The other was busy calculating a future where his "tool" was firmly in place.
Both sides were in perfect agreement.
Hikari flashed a smile and handed over a briefcase full of cash. Taking the case, Kakuzu couldn't hide a satisfied grin beneath his mask.
Smack!
He reached out and firmly shook Hikari's hand.
"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Employer!"
"Rest assured, my reputation is impeccable. I will give my all to save that brat!"
Kakuzu turned to leave, clutching the briefcase.
However—
Just as a smile spread across Kakuzu's hidden face, relishing the thought of a "free" hundred million for doing absolutely nothing...
CRACK!
In the sky filled with churning clouds and wild blue lightning, a straight bolt of white thunder suddenly tore through the heavens!
Startled, Kakuzu looked up.
He saw it—descending like a god of war from the skies.
A wild, brutal, and burly silhouette that was hauntingly familiar.
"That's..."
Kakuzu's green pupils shrank violently. The smile froze on his face.
"The man who killed the legendary Kinkaku and ended the First Great Ninja War... The so-called 'Strongest Spear and Shield'..."
"The Third Raikage—A!"
This was a powerhouse who had dominated the ninja world before Kakuzu had even made a name for himself. A being that even the elite of the Hidden Waterfall could only look up to in awe. Old memories flooded back, and Kakuzu's expression darkened instantly.
Behind him, Hikari saw Kakuzu stop in his tracks.
He watched as the figure plummeted, his body flickering with pale lightning that transformed into pitch black in a split second—moving so fast the Sharingan could barely track him!
Faster and faster! Like a black lightning arrow!
In an instant, the figure swung his palm, using a finger-blade to slash at Ren's overwhelming giant sword of flame.
At the point of impact—
BOOM!!
The sheer atmospheric pressure caused the ground within a hundred meters to collapse simultaneously, kicking up a circular sandstorm that rose high into the air.
After a pause of less than half a second, the colossal, heaven-piercing blade of flame was shattered.
By that figure wrapped in black lightning.
Using only the tip of two fingers.
"That... is the Third Raikage?!"
Hikari's face filled with horror, a bitter taste rising in his mouth. The disparity was so vast it left him dazed. The swordsmanship he had practiced for half his life didn't even match a single finger of such a monster.
Hikari turned urgently toward his only hope.
When he saw the S-rank rogue ninja—his hired help—stop and stare up at the billowing sandstorm, Hikari's heart sank. He asked hesitantly:
"Sir... surely you aren't abandoning the mission?"
Kakuzu remained silent for a moment.
He glanced at the other fifty million Ryo still in Hikari's hand, then recalled the image of the boy who had intercepted those Tailed Beast Bombs earlier, indirectly saving him.
He hesitated for a long time.
Finally, Kakuzu turned back, his voice sounding like he was grinding his teeth.
"No..."
"But for this... you're going to have to pay extra!"
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