Chapter 250: Kakuzu – No, This Will Cost Extra!
Kakuzu was a simple man.
He only loved money.
He wasn't like Danzo, an old schemer, nor was he like Orochimaru, an old wise man.
So, when faced with Uchiha Kagami's aggressive questioning—implying that he was some weak old man—his first instinct was to deny it outright. He even considered exuding a bit of killing intent to intimidate this disrespectful Uchiha before him.
But—
Just as he was about to act, two Uchiha appeared at a snap of Kagami's fingers, each carrying a massive lacquered chest.
Kakuzu swallowed his words.
Because inside those chests was something simple yet overwhelmingly persuasive—
One hundred million ryō!
"Hiss—"
Kakuzu sucked in a cold breath, his green eyes locking onto Uchiha Kagami. His tone became noticeably restrained, even tinged with a hint of deference. Beneath his black mask, the corners of his mouth visibly curled up. Relying on his years of experience as a bounty ninja, he instinctively made an assumption:
"You want to take out that poor brat?"
"Because he threatens your status within the Uchiha clan?"
Hearing Kakuzu's absurd yet entirely realistic interpretation of the shinobi world, Uchiha Kagami's mouth twitched slightly. Then, without hesitation, he shook his head and calmly stated:
"Kakuzu-san, let's make a deal."
"This hundred million is to buy your intervention—to save that child's life once."
"Save him?"
Kakuzu was momentarily dumbfounded by Kagami's words.
He couldn't help but tilt his head slightly, gazing into the distance at the devastated battlefield, which looked as if a tornado had torn through a parking lot. His eyes then shifted toward the high cliffs surrounding the Hell Valley.
At that moment—
A blinding streak of fire shot straight from the ground to the sky!
Compared to the forbidden jutsu he had seen months ago, this fiery greatsword was even larger and more powerful, slowly forming before his eyes.
Kakuzu's eyelids twitched.
In contrast—
The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki from Kumogakure, who had been forced to the edge of the cliff, was the one who actually looked like he needed saving.
Seeing this, Kakuzu's expression turned odd.
He couldn't help but wonder—
Were the Uchiha all idiots? Did they have so much money that they were just burning it for fun?
This one hundred million ryō… was way too easy to earn!
But Uchiha Kagami, without even raising an eyebrow, simply followed Kakuzu's gaze before nodding calmly.
"That's right."
Of course, Uchiha Kagami wasn't actually an idiot.
As one of the clan's high-ranking members, he understood that the Uchiha's greatest shortcoming at present was—power!
Uchiha Ci's emergence was like a heaven-sent opportunity for the clan to rise again. But with this opportunity came endless dangers.
Since Sunagakure's Chiyo had made Uchiha Ci's existence public and placed a bounty on him, all factions in the shinobi world were now aware of him. This time, the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning had posted a bounty on Ci, even though he knew Ci wasn't the one causing trouble in the capital. It was hard to tell if this was intentional or just an oversight.
And in the future, there would only be more dangers awaiting Uchiha Ci.
Yet the Uchiha clan lacked the strength to protect him.
The Uchiha were no longer the mighty force of the Warring States era. They had no figures like Tajima, Madara, Izuna, or Kagami. Against Kage-level opponents, they were constantly at a disadvantage.
They even needed this child to protect them instead.
If not for Uchiha Ci intercepting the two Tailed Beast Bombs aimed at their camp earlier, there probably wouldn't be many survivors left.
That incident solidified Kagami's resolve.
He decided to set aside the clan's pride—at least for now—and seek external assistance to safeguard this child.
If Uchiha Ci could grow stronger and eventually become the great tree that shielded the Uchiha—
Then every investment in him would be worth it!
Thus, after observing and evaluating Kakuzu for some time, Kagami concluded—
This man was the perfect choice.
His past grudge with the Senju, his status as a rogue ninja and bounty hunter—all of these made him an ideal ally for the Uchiha.
As for the high cost of hiring Kakuzu—
Please.
For the Uchiha clan, if money could solve a problem, then it wasn't really a problem!
They had already spent over a hundred million ryō on Uchiha Ci.
How much could Kakuzu possibly be worth?
And for Kakuzu, after witnessing the Uchiha clan's financial strength firsthand—
Once he got a taste of the riches they offered, could he ever go back to a life of running around for petty bounties?
And so—
One side thought the other was a gullible fool, ripe for exploitation.
The other was playing their own game, calculating every move with precision.
A deal was struck!
Uchiha Kagami smiled and handed over a cash-filled safe.
And as Kakuzu accepted it, even beneath his mask, an uncontrollable grin spread across his face.
Smack!
He raised his hand and firmly shook Kagami's outstretched palm.
"A pleasure doing business, dear employer!"
"Rest assured, my reputation is impeccable!"
"I will spare no effort to save that brat!"
With that, Kakuzu turned and walked away, carrying the safe—
However—
Just as he was about to take his first step, still grinning beneath his mask—
Believing he had landed the easiest hundred million-ryō job of his life—
Crack!
The churning storm clouds overhead split apart as a brilliant bolt of white lightning illuminated the sky!
Kakuzu's heart clenched, and he instinctively looked up—
And saw—
A towering, muscular figure descending amidst the storming lightning, exuding a wild and overwhelming presence.
A presence he recognized all too well.
"That's…"
Kakuzu's ghostly green pupils contracted sharply.
His grin froze in place.
"The man who slew the legendary Kinkaku… The one who ended the First Shinobi World War… The so-called strongest spear and shield…"
"The Third Raikage—A!"
This was a man who had roamed the battlefield even before Kakuzu had made a name for himself.
A legend whom Kakuzu, back when he was still an elite ninja of Takigakure, could only look up to!
Memories of the past flooded his mind, and Kakuzu's expression darkened.
Behind him—
Uchiha Kagami, seeing Kakuzu suddenly stop in his tracks, turned to look as well.
The black lightning-clad figure descended from the heavens—
His entire body glowing with an eerie white-blue radiance before turning pitch black, moving at speeds even the Sharingan struggled to track!
And then—
Faster and faster!
Like a black lightning arrow, he shot down!
In an instant, his hand slashed like a blade toward Uchiha Ci's massive, earth-shaking flame sword!
At the point of impact—
BOOM!!
The sheer pressure crushed the ground within a hundred-meter radius, raising a massive ring-shaped sandstorm!
Then—
After barely half a second of deadlock—
The enormous, sky-piercing flame sword—
Was shattered!
"With just two fingers…"
Seeing this, Uchiha Kagami's face turned pale with shock.
His mouth twitched bitterly.
A gap this vast made him realize—
The sword techniques he had honed for decades were nothing compared to this man's single finger.
Desperate, he turned to his only hope—
Only to see his supposed ace-in-the-hole, the infamous S-rank rogue ninja of the shinobi world, standing still—
Silently watching the storm.
A heavy feeling settled in Kagami's chest as he hesitantly asked:
"Sir… Are you planning to abandon the mission?"
But—
Kakuzu remained silent for a moment.
He glanced at the five million he had yet to receive from Kagami.
Then, recalling how Uchiha Ci had indirectly saved him earlier by intercepting those Tailed Beast Bombs—
He hesitated for a long time—
Finally, with gritted teeth, he turned around and said:
"No."
"This… will cost extra!"
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