By the time Gekko Chizan arrived, he saw only Saibon, with his heart dug out, already lifeless.
"Yahiko, where's Kakuzu?"
Yahiko shook his head, eyes bloodshot.
Seeing his reaction, Gekko Chizan understood—Kakuzu had already fled.
That ancient monster, who had lived for who knows how many years, truly had honed extraordinary survival skills.
Looking at Saibon, who had now gone to heaven, Gekko Chizan suddenly felt this must have been fate.
He and Yahiko had been thinking about manipulating things in secret, and yet Kakuzu killed him instead?
He hadn't even used a curse technique on him...
Wait, curse...
Yes. The thought struck him, and Gekko Chizan immediately squatted down, stretched out his right index finger, and began drawing circles on the ground.
Meanwhile, he silently repeated Kakuzu's name in his heart. Curse technique—draw a circle to curse you, activate!
Yahiko and the group of Takigakure shinobi stared wide-eyed at this strange action, completely at a loss.
"This is a ritual from my hometown to pray for the departed."
"Don't mind me, you all continue."
"It'll be done soon."
Hometown? Konoha?
The Takigakure shinobi memorized this gesture—eyes closed, drawing circles. Maybe they'd try it later.
Who knew—maybe their comrades underground could feel it?
...
At the same time, Kakuzu, still on the run, was getting accustomed to his new heart. This was a process he always had to go through with the forbidden technique Earth Grudge Fear.
Although Earth Grudge Fear allowed him to forcibly extract an opponent's heart and chakra nature, then transplant it into his body through flesh stitching to make it his own...
To ensure compatibility, Kakuzu usually screened his targets.
Today, Gekko Chizan had destroyed one of his wind-attribute hearts, forcing him to set his sights on Saibon.
He had to admit—Saibon's heart was perfect for him. That rich wind-nature chakra gave him immense comfort.
But while he was moving swiftly, he suddenly crashed into something. It made him stop in his tracks.
Sensing the state of his body, Kakuzu let out an irritated growl:
"Damn it, the numbness still hasn't worn off. What the hell kind of jutsu did that brat use?"
Even with all his experience, Kakuzu couldn't recognize what Gekko Chizan had used.
After all, though he had lived long, he'd never fought tailed beasts, nor studied them in detail.
"Buzz!!"
"Hm???"
Suddenly, a loud buzzing sound snapped him out of his thoughts.
When his gaze swept over, his face darkened.
A swarm of hornets filled the sky, surrounding him completely.
Only then did he notice his body was covered in honey. In an instant, he realized what he'd just hit—it was a series of beehives!
His tendrils lashed at the hornets. The sight was strange, even grotesque.
Normally, Kakuzu wouldn't have feared this at all. But for some reason, the numbness across his body grew even heavier.
Even his Earth Grudge Fear tendrils went limp. Kakuzu froze, powerless, as the hornets engulfed him.
In his mind, he had already hacked Gekko Chizan into pieces countless times!
All because of that damned brat!
[Ding! Curse technique successful. Kakuzu, because of the curse, was swarmed by venomous hornets, his grudge toward the host reaching its peak! Special reward: 200 million ryō!]
[Ding! The curse will continue for three days.]
...
Hearing the system's chime and the sudden deposit of 200 million ryō, Gekko Chizan had a strange thought. He couldn't help but ask the system:
"System, this 200 million... don't tell me it's Kakuzu's savings???"
[Ding! The host is correct. This is indeed Kakuzu's savings—all the funds from one of his accounts.]
Damn, as expected. This black-hearted system... but he liked it.
If Kakuzu saw him as cash, then it was only right for him to loot Kakuzu's wealth through the system.
"Hm? Chizan-kun, have you finished your blessing?"
"Mm... mm, yes, it's done."
Gekko Chizan glanced at Saibon, then at Yahiko.
No matter what, with Saibon dead, their follow-up plans could continue.
"To think it turned out to be the Takigakure rogue Kakuzu this time."
"Don't worry. Once I return to the village, I'll inform the higher-ups and have them increase the bounty and manhunt for Kakuzu!"
"Someone like him won't escape justice!"
Spoken with righteous conviction, Gekko Chizan instantly became a towering figure in the eyes of the Takigakure shinobi.
Yahiko, too, knew the importance of their plans. He immediately chimed in:
"Thank you, Chizan-kun. If Konoha can lend us aid, Takigakure will be endlessly grateful."
"And Chizan-kun, you will always be a friend of Takigakure."
"If not for your help, I might have been killed by Kakuzu too."
"Thank you!"
When acting, teammates mattered.
Look at Yahiko—he really knew how to play the part.
Yahiko already held a certain status in Takigakure. With his words, those around him were convinced.
One after another, they thanked Gekko Chizan.
"Sigh, my condolences."
"I still have a mission, and Kakuzu's matter must be reported to my village as well."
"My comrades are still on the way. I fear Kakuzu might try a counterattack. Everyone, I'll be taking my leave."
With that, Gekko Chizan departed.
After all, with their leader dead, Takigakure would be in turmoil for some time. But he trusted Yahiko's ability.
As long as Saibon was gone, Yahiko would certainly seize control of Takigakure.
And then, Takigakure would become Gekko Chizan's backyard.
As for Kakuzu? Hmph. The curse was already in effect. From the system's feedback, he knew Kakuzu wasn't in a pleasant state.
That reassured him, since Kakuzu hadn't managed to catch up to Pakura and the others.
"Chōmei, lend me chakra. I need to fly straight to Pakura and the others."
"Alright."
In the previous battle, Gekko Chizan hadn't borrowed even a shred of Chōmei's chakra—he feared Saibon might notice.
After all, as village leader for so long, Saibon was deeply familiar with the Seven-Tails' chakra. Chizan couldn't take that risk. If Saibon had discovered it...
Then it wouldn't have been Kakuzu killing him, but Gekko Chizan killing him.
Chakra surged as Gekko Chizan activated Flying Thunder God.
He crossed the distance, appearing ahead of Pakura and the others.
"Hm? Chizan, you're back!"
The four with Pakura hurried to a stop. By now, they had already reached Takigakure's border.
"Yes, Kakuzu escaped, and Takigakure's leader Saibon has fallen."
"I bid farewell to Takigakure, then used Flying Thunder God to come here."
"After all, I feared Kakuzu might go after you. Remember, we're all on the hit list."
"Let's return to the village now. The matters of Kakuzu and Takigakure still need to be reported."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo