One exchange.
Kakuzu had called for a single trade, but he hadn't held back. He threw everything he had into the strike, and to his credit, he had warned Hiruzen before the collision.
The Five Style: Great Combo Attack t the Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot. The resulting explosion leveled the surrounding forest, turning ancient oaks into splinters and scorched earth. The power was staggering.
Both n were masters of the five elents, but even among masters, there are tiers.
Kakuzu knelt in the dirt, coughing up black, oily blood. His upper garnts had been vaporized by the blast, leaving his powerful fra covered in soot and debris. Behind him, the thread-monsters writhed; two of the porcelain masks on his back were cracked nearly to the point of shattering.
"I have to say..." Kakuzu rasped, wiping his mouth. "You're the first person to ever match blow-for-blow in elental mastery and co out on top."
Even before Hiruzen had "rged" his talent with the village's growth, Kakuzu wouldn't have stood a chance in a fair duel against the "Professor." Now? It wasn't even a contest.
Hiruzen gave a soft chuckle and extended a hand to the fallen rogue.
"The stories didn't do you justice, Lord Hokage," Kakuzu said. He hesitated for a heartbeat before taking Hiruzen's hand and allowing himself to be pulled up.
In that mont, Kakuzu had a flash of déjà vu. Decades ago, after he had fallen before Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi had done the exact sa thing—pulling him from the dirt and telling him to stay safe.
"Put this on. Your constitution is unique, but it's a cold morning," Hiruzen said, unfastening his black-and-crimson cloud robe and tossing it to the half-naked Kakuzu.
In truth, the Hokage was just looking for an excuse to get rid of the "edgy" outfit. If he walked back into Konoha wearing that without being stopped by his own patrols, he'd have to fire the entire security division for incompetence.
"Thank you," Kakuzu muttered, draping the heavy fabric over his shoulders.
Hiruzen might not have the raw, world-breaking divinity of Hashirama Senju, but he was undeniably stronger than Kakuzu. More importantly, he possessed that sa inexplicable, gravity-defying charisma—a calm, boisterous authority that made it impossible to maintain a grudge.
"Do you need ti to recover?" Hiruzen asked, eyeing the cracked masks. "I'd hate for the extraction to cause you permanent damage."
Kakuzu let out a dry, hacking laugh. What kind of ninja asks his 'prey' if they're okay? He had expected Hiruzen to be a cold pragmatist, but this man was behaving like a concerned doctor.
"I'll live. This world is a hell, but I've learned how to survive in it."
The black threads of the Earth Grudge Fear slithered back into Kakuzu's skin, filling out his withered fra. He reached into his own shoulder, pulling out a massive, tightly woven ball of black filants. He ignored the sound of porcelain snapping in his back, his expression never wavering as he "trimd" the essence of his power into a compact, dense cube.
"The Earth Grudge Fear essence—Twenty Million Ryo. I'm deducting the 'sparring fee' from the first shipnt. The remaining Ten Million covers the information retainer."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Third Hokage." Kakuzu sealed the cube into a storage scroll and handed it over.
"You're a professional, Kakuzu. I respect that," Hiruzen said, giving him a thumbs-up.
"When you have the next batch ready, don't bother with the black market. Just co to the village periter. The Anbu or the Patrol Net will find you. Just tell them you're there to see ."
"I'll co out and et you personally."
Kakuzu smirked. "Konoha's security is famous, but I'm not so Genin you can just 'find.' I've spent fifty years staying invisible."
"Unless," Kakuzu glanced at Danzo, his lip curling in a sneer, "I run into you... and him again."
Danzo Shimura didn't move, but the sound of him grinding his molars was audible in the quiet pavilion.
God, I want to kill this man, Danzo thought. I want to crush his throat and feed him to my summon. Why does everyone love Hiruzen but treat like a plague-carrier?
He knew his reputation for "black-ops greed" preceded him, but he still found Kakuzu's blatant disrespect insulting.
"If my teams can't find you, then you're doing us a favor by exposing the holes in our net," Hiruzen laughed. "If you make it all the way to my office undetected, I'll double your bonus."
The ntion of a "Bonus" made Kakuzu's eyes spark. Konoha must be swimming in gold...
"Deal... Lord Hokage," Kakuzu said, finally using the proper title.
"Next ti you visit, bring so gifts," Hiruzen added casually. "Lady Mito told your generation is fading like autumn leaves. She said Lord Hashirama used to ntion you often—said you were a 'talented boy who just had a run of bad luck.'"
In reality, Hashirama had likely forgotten Kakuzu's na five minutes after the fight, but Kakuzu didn't know that.
The idea that the God of Shinobi and the Founding Matriarch rembered him as a "talented boy" hit Kakuzu harder than any jutsu. It refrad his entire life of exile as a "misunderstanding" between elites. It gave him Face.
"The First and Lady Mito... they still rember ?" Kakuzu's voice faltered.
"I... I will bring a proper tribute when I visit. If the Lady is willing to receive a rogue like ."
Hiruzen nodded warmly. "She would be delighted. Until next ti."
The Hokage turned and walked away with a casual wave of his hand.
Danzo didn't follow imdiately. He stayed behind, narrowing his eyes at Kakuzu. "You'd better keep your word, rogue. I'll be watching you from the shadows. Always."
Kakuzu just laughed.
In a typical "Good Cop / Bad Cop" setup, the "Bad Cop" is a calculated role. But looking at Danzo, Kakuzu realized this wasn't an act. The man was just Naturally Evil. He was the personification of every dark, underhanded thing about the shinobi world.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Kakuzu fired back. "My contract is with Hiruzen Sarutobi. You're just the help. Are you the Hokage? No? Then stay in your hole."
"Hardly," Danzo's aura turned murderous. "I am the Shadow. And one day, I will be the one wearing the hat."
"Danzo! Let's go!" Hiruzen's voice echoed from the forest path. "Don't be rude to our new business partner!"
"Hmph." Danzo pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at Kakuzu, before vanishing in a Body Flicker.
Kakuzu watched them go, his thoughts a chaotic ss. He adjusted the black-and-crimson cloud robe, feeling the high-quality fabric against his skin.
Konoha is different, he mused. The Root isn't raiding the market anymore. The Anbu is sharper. And they have more money than the Daimyo.
Where is all that gold coming from? And what is Hiruzen going to spend it on?
Kakuzu looked at the heavy briefcase of cash. He didn't care about "Will of Fire" or "Peace." But he cared about a client who paid a 50% premium and treated him with the respect of a peer.
I'll do the work, Kakuzu decided. It would be bad for business to let a client this rich die.
On the Road back to Konoha.
"Danzo, you really need to work on your public image," Hiruzen said, glancing at his brooding friend. "The 'Dread Sovereign' look is great for interrogation, but it's terrible for networking. You need to learn how to turn the charm on and off."
Hiruzen was genuinely trying to help. If Danzo was going to be his "Bad Cop," he needed to be a competent one, not just a rabid dog that everyone hated on sight.
Danzo's response, however, took Hiruzen by surprise.
"Hiruzen, I appreciate the advice. Truly. But... I cannot do what you do."
"And I refuse to try."
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