Having never bargained with anyone before, Kakuzu felt both angry and strangely intrigued. He decided to give the kid a little more patience and said coldly, "Are the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist really just seven tiny minnows? If I hadn't arrived in time, you'd have been dead by now, as I remember it."
At those words, Anya couldn't help but get angry. Just like he himself had said, this was the first time he'd ever been beaten so badly—left humiliated and on the brink of disaster. If it weren't for his urgent need to return to the village, considering his nature of never letting an insult go unpunished, he definitely would've slaughtered a few enemies first to vent his anger.
"Uncle, they're ganging up on me!" Anya retorted. "Let them face me one-on-one. I'd cut every last one of them down with a single blade strike each."
"Absurd! You call yourself a ninja yet speak such childish nonsense," Kakuzu scoffed, unwilling to continue arguing. Going straight into someone else's village expecting one-on-one fights was sheer idiocy—unless one had truly lost his mind.
Anya seized the moment to suck up, "Of course not! To be honest, I called them small fry mostly because of how strong you are. Once we take out that guy with the Lightning Sword first, the other rusty blades can't even penetrate your defense."
Kakuzu inwardly agreed completely. At the moment, though, he didn't understand Samehada's true power—the real threat among the seven swords.
Though pleased, Kakuzu had no intention of lowering his price. Kakuzu laid his terms bare: "Five million. Not a single coin less."
"Five million?" Anya exaggeratedly gasped. "Just kill me already! How could I possibly pay that much? At most, one million!"
One million? Was this even worth abandoning his original bounty mission and coming all this way? Kakuzu simply placed his hand atop Anya's head, eyes radiating killing intent as he said, "Kid, I'll compromise—four million. How's that?"
That word "four" was growled with gritted teeth. Conceding one million was already his absolute limit. This also proved Anya carried enough weight—so much so that Haku Tsukasa standing nearby stood there trembling with fear, fearing he might crush Anya's skull any second.
In truth, Kakuzu had exactly that plan—if this annoying brat dared say no, he'd crush him on the spot.
Anya happily relented, "Uncle, you shouldn't be so impulsive at your age. Obviously, I was kidding. After you went through all the trouble coming all this way to save me, how could I only offer four million? Do I look like that kind of person?"
"Hmm?" Kakuzu eyed him suspiciously. A sudden shift like this? He didn't quite grasp what trick this brat was planning now.
Anya turned deadly serious, saying, "That one million is supposed to be your travel expenses. Saving my life alone deserves no less than several million. Adding in Haku Tsukasa's life too, I'll give you thirty million total. Satisfied?"
A flicker of warmth stirred within Kakuzu. Slowly, he removed his hand from Anya's head and found himself regarding the boy far more favorably.
"Kid, better sense finally. Thirty million it is."
Anya didn't say a word. He immediately took off the necklace gifted by Tsunade from around his neck and respectfully offered it with both hands. "Uncle, this necklace is one of Konoha's most sacred treasures. Rumor has it that someone once offered fifty million for it, and it still wouldn't sell. But since we're so close, forget about the twenty million—just consider this an extra bonus. Take it, I'll deduct it straight from your payment."
Kakuzu stared at the necklace for a long time without speaking. He was truly taken aback by the audacity of this little brat. Finally, he let out a bitter laugh and said, "You actually dare offer me this shoddy piece of string as thirty million collateral? Do you really think I won't kill you?"
"Hey hey, Uncle, I told you already, don't be impulsive." Anya knew this was a critical moment. Keeping a calm expression, he continued, "This isn't just any old necklace. It's the legendary necklace passed down from Hashirama Senju, the Ninja God who founded Konoha. They say some of his power is even contained within it. It's beyond priceless. And only because it's you, otherwise not even if you killed me would I ever offer it as collateral."
In truth, Anya himself wasn't entirely sure about the necklace's origins. But since it was a gift from Tsunade, it couldn't possibly be some cheap trinket from the side street, right? He could only borrow some authority from Konoha's First Hokage. Inwardly, he silently begged, *Come on Tsunade, give me just a little support here. If I get through this, I'll never secretly curse you again.*
When Kakuzu heard the name Hashirama Senju, his expression changed slightly. He snatched the necklace into his hand and illuminated his chakra, slowly infusing it into the necklace.
Could Kakuzu actually verify its authenticity?
Seeing this, Anya couldn't help but feel nervous. Actually, money wasn't that important to him. With enough time, completing a few tasks at the Kinto Exchange would easily cover Kakuzu's fee. But right now, time was what he lacked most. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. Now that he had the intelligence, he wanted nothing more than to fly back to Konoha, deeply fearing something might happen to his teacher while he was away.
After a thorough examination, Kakuzu's expression gradually turned to shock. That familiar chakra—there was no mistake. Long-buried memories surged into his mind.
Once Kakuzu dissipated the chakra in his hand, he stared directly at Anya until the younger man felt uneasy before he spoke, "Never thought you actually possessed one of his old belongings. This does indeed contain his power. In that case, it's qualified enough to serve as collateral."
So it actually was real! Anya was both surprised and delighted. Once he got back to the village, he definitely needed to properly thank Tsunade. Although, if she found out he'd used such an important necklace as collateral, would she skin him alive?
Thinking about this, Anya quickly added, "Uncle, this necklace is only being put up as collateral. I'll redeem it when I have money again. Of course, I won't let you get ripped off. How about this—I'll add some interest for you, one million ryō annually. How's that?"
Kakuzu looked complexly at the necklace before simply uttering two words: "Deal."
After glancing at it a few more times, Kakuzu put the necklace away. However, what Kakuzu didn't know was that since acquiring the necklace, Anya had already survived multiple life-or-death situations in the short time that followed.
After handing over the necklace and finally getting rid of Kakuzu, Anya felt much more relaxed and couldn't help feeling a bit curious, "Uncle, I remember you mentioned fighting a ninja from Konoha before—would that be the First Hokage?"
Kakuzu was quiet for a moment before slightly nodding, "Yes, it was him."
A wave of nostalgia hit Kakuzu as he remembered that battle—it had been the most important fight of his life. That single encounter had changed everything, setting him on the path of a rogue ninja who trusted no one except money.
Anya's interest grew even further, "Mind telling me how it all went down?"
Kakuzu stayed silent.
Anya teased from the side, "Uncle, doesn't it bother you keeping it all bottled up?"
Unable to take the teasing any longer, Kakuzu finally cracked, "Would you go around broadcasting that you went through all that trouble only to find out your target was just a shadow clone?"
Hmm… you got a point… whatever floats your boat.
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