"Isn't that right… Immortal—Kakuzu?"
Kakuzu's eyes weren't on Hanzō—they were fixed on the two money chests beside him.
Only after several seconds did he remember to look up.
"That's my line. For the leader of the Hidden Rain… stealing a bounty hunter's job doesn't hurt your pride?"
"Pride? How much does that cost per pound? I'll sell you some."
"…"
Kakuzu choked on his own reply, unable to speak.
"I've been stalking the Earth Daimyō for a long time. The moment I finally got my chance… you got to him first."
He paused, then smirked.
"But fine. Since you killed the Daimyō, I'll be taking his bounty—and yours."
Seeing the murder in Kakuzu's eyes, Hanzō narrowed his own.
"You really aren't afraid of dying, are you?"
"You stole my bounty. That makes you my enemy."
Kakuzu tore open his cloak, revealing the four terrifying masks embedded in his back.
"Money is everything to me."
"And your bounty is now the highest in the entire shinobi world. The Land of Fire's exchange house raised the reward to four hundred million ryō. Right now, you are the single most valuable man alive."
"Tch… should've drained those old fools dry when I had the chance."
Hanzō recalled the meeting with the Third Hokage. The man practically wore poverty on his face, yet somehow still scraped together money to raise Hanzō's bounty.
"The Third Hokage… an actor worthy of an Oscar Award."
"But Kakuzu, you sure you want to make an enemy of me?" Hanzō flicked the money chests aside. He'd emptied his storage scrolls earlier at the Daimyō's estate—he couldn't seal anything else right now.
"No need to be dramatic. I would never harm money."
"And speaking of money… hearing your name reminds me of a certain shinobi I once fought."
"The God of Shinobi—Senju Hashirama."
"I heard you became a missing-nin after that, didn't you?" Hanzō said. "Now I understand why."
"Let me guess."
"You were sent by the Hidden Waterfall to assassinate the First Hokage. But faced with the God of Shinobi, you failed."
"When you returned, instead of gratitude, your village branded you a failure and punished you. Cruel, considering you risked your life for them. So you escaped."
"And on your way out, you stole one of Waterfall's two forbidden techniques—Earth Grudge. With it, your strength surged. You harvested the hearts of every elder in the village. The Waterfall could not stop you and finally listed you as a missing-nin."
"For the village, you even dared strike at the First Hokage… only to be betrayed. After that, you stopped trusting anyone. The only thing left for you to believe in… was money."
"Putting all that together… sounds about right, doesn't it?"
Kakuzu was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Your analysis is flawless. People aren't worth believing in. Only money never betrays."
"Money is my faith."
"Your intel is impressive. Even Waterfall's forbidden arts… you know them. Then you should also know—"
Black tendrils burst from Kakuzu's body, splitting into eight massive cords like a monstrous spider. The four masks slid into position on his shoulders.
"—just how strong I am now!"
Kakuzu opened with his strongest state:
Earth Grudge Mode.
Hanzō drew his scythe.
"You used to be respectable. Let me see what you've got left."
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"
"Combined Style: Strange Mask Exploding Flame!"
Before Hanzō could move, the fire and wind masks opened their jaws, unleashing two A-rank jutsu that fused mid-air. The roaring inferno surged toward Hanzō.
Hanzō didn't move—but the air around him did. His clothes lifted slightly, as if stirred by unseen currents.
A tidal wave materialized out of nowhere, crashing into the flaming vortex and drowning it in white steam.
"He didn't form a single hand seal… When did he launch a Water Style?"
Kakuzu had no time to think. The wave surged forward, overwhelming the flames entirely.
"Impossible! My combination ninjutsu lost to a single Water Style?!"
The wave was now inches away.
"No—that speed… this isn't normal Water Style!"
Kakuzu leapt, forming seals mid-air.
"Earth Style: Petrifying Jutsu!"
His body—and even the black tendrils and masks—turned stone-gray as the wave struck, smashing him deep into the ground.
But he immediately burst out again, retreating.
"Good reflex. That Water Style was too fast to dodge, too fast to shield against. Hardening your entire body was the only option."
"It seems your primary heart is Earth-based. Interesting that your main body still needs hand seals while the masks don't. So when the masks return to you, your overall combat ability decreases?"
"Hmm… your four masks are like four separate chakra systems. Each executes jutsu independently based on your commands."
"Earth Grudge really is a fascinating technique."
Kakuzu's eye twitched.
Hanzō had dissected his entire secret technique after one exchange.
"I might die here…"
But he did not regret it. Anyone who stole his money—his faith—was an enemy. Even if it were Hashirama himself, he would charge in.
Money was his final belief. The last anchor of his life. No one could infringe upon it.
"Water Style: Water Screen!"
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
Water bullets fired from the Water mask. At the same time, the Lightning mask fired a spear of electricity. Mid-flight, the lightning spread into a web, linking the water bullets into a deadly electrified barrage.
"Another combination technique?"
"Earth Style: Earth Pillar Explosion."
Without a single seal, the ground below Hanzō detonated, sending a shockwave forward. The earth explosion split the electrified torrent, turning it into muddy spray.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!"
Kakuzu had been charging the technique the entire time.
He formed the Tiger seal. The black threads in his mouth vanished. His face and the four masks all opened at once.
"Haah!"
Five massive chakra beams—wind, fire, water, earth, lightning—launched simultaneously, fusing together and amplifying each other mid-air.
"A five-style barrage… similar to Hiruzen Sarutobi's 'Five Style Massive Combo Jutsu'…"
"Interesting. Now this is a fight."
For the first time, Hanzō moved.
"But—"
A world-shaking explosion ripped outward, consuming everything in its radius.
Kakuzu stared, paralyzed by shock. A massive water dragon appeared beside him, splitting into five razor-thin water tendrils, each pressing against his heart and the four masks.
He had no doubt—one twitch from Hanzō and these tendrils would turn into blades sharper than kunai and kill him instantly.
Hanzō stood behind him, the two money chests in hand, scythe sheathed.
"No matter how strong an attack is… if it misses, it's worthless."
"And earlier… didn't you say you would never harm money? You almost destroyed both chests."
Kakuzu trembled. The last time he felt fear like this was when he failed to kill Hashirama.
"Impossible… that speed… Is this space-time ninjutsu?"
"You already know the answer."
"You should also know how foolish you were. Even as a 'demigod,' I won't tolerate your provocation."
"Impossible…" Kakuzu's shaking subsided.
Slowly, he straightened.
"But I don't regret it. Even if I die here."
"I wasn't wrong. You stole my money. You attacked my faith. Even death won't make me regret my choice."
"Faith, huh…"
Maybe that's why Kakuzu and Hidan eventually formed a team. One worshipped Jashin. The other worshipped money.
"But I'm not planning to kill you. Shinobi with kage-level power aren't exactly common."
As Hanzō spoke, the water tendrils withdrew.
"What do you want?"
"I've got a job in the Land of Earth. Dangerous, but the profits are massive."
"Fortune favors the bold. If you've got the balls, the payout is seventy–thirty. You get seventy."
"That's… generous."
Hanzō raised a hand.
"Hold that thought. I'm only giving you that cut for one reason."
"I want to see how far your courage really goes."
"…I accept."
Kakuzu's eyes shifted to the money chest.
"But—I need to see the money first."
Hanzō shoved one full chest into his arms.
"You're not even going to ask what the job is?"
"Money doesn't lie. Its amount tells me your sincerity."
"This job… Half that chest is hazard pay. The other half is your advance."
"Who am I killing?"
"The Fourth Tsuchikage—Rōshi."
"What?!" Kakuzu nearly dropped the chest. "You realize he's the Four-Tails' jinchūriki?!"
"A man like you cares about that?"
"No—no, you misunderstand. That's the Fourth Tsuchikage, the tailed-beast weapon of Iwagakure! He's not some Daimyō!"
"…I should get a raise!"
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