After leaving the bounty exchange, nma and Kakuzu arrived at an open area.
"Kid, if you're not on the wanted list, leave the money and walk away. I might spare your life." Kakuzu said hoarsely from behind his mask as he stored the money case inside a sealing scroll.
Kakuzu is an extrely arrogant man. After all, he was a powerhouse from the sa era as the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama… even claiming to have 'assassinated' him once.
Though he had been severely wounded by Hashirama's Wood Release, Kakuzu often boasted, "I am a man who has fought against the God of Ninja."
After defecting from Takigakure, Kakuzu had spent decades in the Ninja World making a living by collecting bounties. His greatest hobby was counting money.
Due to the betrayals and distrust he had suffered in the first half of his life, Kakuzu believed that only money would never betray him.
"You think I could kill that Kumogakure's envoy and not be worth anything?" nma stood a few ters away, placing the large suitcase full of money beside him. A light chuckle ca from behind his mask.
"Fair point. Even if there's no bounty, I could probably trade your corpse to Kumogakure for so money." Kakuzu snorted coldly and quickly ford hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!" Sharp, spear-like rocks erupted from the ground around nma, thrusting toward him.
nma leaped into the air, his robes fluttering in the wind.
'Now's my chance!' Kakuzu's eyes glead with calculation as his right arm suddenly shot forward.
[Earth Grudge Fear]
Black threads, like venomous snakes, extended from his joints, carrying his right arm in an attempt to pierce his opponent's heart.
This was his signature tactic. Once he forced an enemy into the air, where they couldn't dodge or maneuver, Kakuzu would use Earth Grudge Fear for an instant kill!
Countless Ninjas had fallen to this move.
However, Kakuzu's pupils suddenly contracted.
Because the man who had jumped didn't fall back down… instead, he hovered in midair, looking down at him from above.
"Troubleso..." Kakuzu muttered hoarsely behind his mask.
Kakuzu has been in the Ninja world for so many years, but he has never encountered an enemy who could hover in the air.
The black threads of his right arm writhed as Earth Grudge Fear's tendrils wove into a dense net in the air, attempting to trap his opponent.
nma casually threw a few kunai, which slipped through the net of Earth Grudge Fear and shot toward Kakuzu on the ground.
"Hmph!" Kakuzu moved slightly and effortlessly dodged the kunai.
"Is that all you've got, brat? " Just as Kakuzu taunted, a crackle of thunder echoed behind him.
He whipped his head around, but a sharp pain had already pierced his back.
An arm shrouded in dark purple lightning struck through Kakuzu's body, and in the blink of an eye, one of his hearts was crushed.
"When did…!" Kakuzu's green eyes widened in shock as he felt the collapse of one of his Earth Grudge Fear masks.
He swung his Earth Grudge Fear-linked arm, catching the attacker behind him… only to realize it was just a shadow clone, which dispersed into smoke the mont he grabbed it.
"Ahhhh…!" With a roar, Kakuzu collapsed.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
"This move really is handy." nma mused, twirling a kunai in his hand.
Transforming a shadow clone or his real body into a kunai, throwing it behind the enemy, and then launching a lightning-fast ambush… this was a signature tactic of Uzumaki Naruto.
Though it seed simple, it contained layers of deception and unpredictability.
Most Ninjas in the Ninja World cannot defend against this move.
After all, in the heat of battle, no one had the luxury of tracking every single dodged kunai.
On the ground, Kakuzu still hadn't moved.
If it were soone else, after piercing Kakuzu's heart, they might have thought they had already won and would approach to deal with his corpse.
However, nma knew perfectly well that Kakuzu had five hearts in his body, and feigning death was just one of his usual tactics.
Back then, when Kakashi pierced Kakuzu's heart with his Chidori, he let his guard down… only to be kicked hard by the supposedly 'dead' Kakuzu, leaving him seriously injured.
nma hovered in midair, looking down with a chilling tone: "If you keep pretending to be dead, I don't mind crushing your remaining four hearts."
"!!!"
Kakuzu, who had been lying on the ground playing dead, suddenly opened his eyes, his green pupils trembling.
He pushed himself up from the ground, his back hunched, a large bulge protruding from his spine.
Squelch-
Suddenly, a black masked monster tore through Kakuzu's cloak from his back. As the mask shattered, the creature dissipated into the air.
Ha~
Kakuzu panted heavily, his earlier arrogance gone, replaced by deep wariness as he stared at the floating nma. His voice was hoarse as he asked: "How do you know..."
"Takigakure's secret?" nma stood in the air like a god: "To , there are no secrets in the Ninja World."
"Now, I'll give you two choices… work for , or have your other four hearts crushed." nma stood proudly in the sky, with killing intent in his eyes.
"Do I even have a choice?" Kakuzu let out a bitter, rasping laugh before dropping to one knee.
Kakuzu is a man who knew when to yield. His opponent not only knew his secrets but could also destroy one of his hearts in a single move.
If he didn't submit now, he likely wouldn't leave this place alive.
…
A port in a city in the Land of Lightning.
Several rchant ships belonging to the Gato Company were docked at the harbor, where workers in short-sleeved shirts hurriedly loaded and unloaded cargo under the foreman's shouts.
Gato stood on the ship's deck, watching his n work, occasionally roaring in anger.
Suddenly, Gato's beady eyes caught sight of two figures approaching in the distance. The one leading the way made his entire body tremble, and he imdiately scurried down to greet them.
On the docks, Kakuzu, who is now subdued, followed silently behind the young man, his green eyes filled with confusion.
"My lord! My lord!" Even with his short legs, Gato ran very fast. He soon reached in front of nma, and said respectfully: "My lord, you've returned!"
"And this is…?" Gato glanced at the tall, intimidating figure of Kakuzu standing behind nma.
"Kakuzu. This is Gato, the organization's mber in charge of finances. Your temporary mission is to protect his company's trade operations in various nations in the Ninja World," nma said, turning slightly to address Kakuzu.
"You'll receive a fixed salary, and you'll have access to the company's accounts. Of course, you can still take on bounty hunting jobs… just don't leak any information about the organization."
"Hmph, not a bad deal." Kakuzu muttered under his mask, the corners of his lips curling slightly.
Having a fixed salary to receive, the freedom to continue bounty hunting, and even working as a financial officer in a large company made Kakuzu feel much better after being defeated by nma.
After arranging for Gato and Kakuzu to leave the Land of Lightning together, nma continued toward Kumogakure.
He was going to deliver so 'local specialties' to Kumogakure.
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