Just this little bit of money, and it wasted so much of my time… what a loss.
"Haha, sir, you must be joking. If everyone coming to the Exchange could walk away with as much as you do every time, countless people would be more than happy to waste their time here."
Leaving the underground exchange, finally free from the stench that reminded him of a public toilet, Kakuzu inhaled greedily, savoring the scent of money. With a satisfied smile, he muttered, "Ahh… money is the most beautiful thing. Only money will never betray me."
Then, as if remembering something, he caught the faint sound of battle in the distance. He frowned.
"Even from this far away, I can hear fighting. Sounds intense… That Scorpion fool better not have smashed a valuable head. No, I need to get over there right away."
He thought about it briefly, then shrugged it off. Wherever there was money to be made, it didn't matter where he went.
Meanwhile, Sasori had just repaired his puppets. He tested the barely functioning Third Kazekage puppet, making sure it could still fight, then looked up to see Aoyama holding back four opponents—Ino, Shika, Cho, plus Might Guy—all by himself.
Kongō, the giant ape, wielded a massive battle axe, clashing fiercely with Hatake Kakashi. The brutal strength of the beast against the refined technique of the Copy Ninja made for a violent spectacle: thunderous clashes, arcs of lightning, and the terrifying gleam of the axe slicing through the battlefield.
To press the advantage, Aoyama even summoned Godzilla. The thick-skinned beast charged into the fray, tearing apart the Ino–Shika–Cho formation, barreling straight toward Yamanaka Hiichi and Nara Shikaku—carefully avoiding Chōza of the Akimichi clan.
Everyone in Konoha knew: with their Multi-Size Technique, the Akimichi clan's giants rarely lost in contests of raw strength. Even-tailed beasts could be matched.
Aoyama's Godzilla, still far from its full potential, didn't dare take Chōza head-on. Instead, it relentlessly harassed the weaker Shikaku and Hiichi.
Aoyama himself dragged a line into the dirt with his toe and stood there, taunting Might Guy. The two exchanged brutal, straightforward blows—steel fists smashing against monstrous strength. It was nothing fancy, just raw taijutsu clashing in its purest form.
Sasori wisely didn't interfere with that brawl. Taijutsu specialists were a nightmare matchup for puppet masters. Instead, he chose his target carefully: the Ino–Shika–Cho trio. Pulling out the repaired Third Kazekage, he unleashed waves of black iron sand that floated menacingly in the air.
"Magnet Release—Iron Sand Drizzle!"
The storm of iron sand roared forward, more terrifying than a barrage of senbon. Under puppet master control, the grains carried enough force to pulverize stone.
Sensing danger behind him, Chōza spun around and thrust his massive palm at the incoming attack.
"Secret Technique—Partial Multi-Size Jutsu!"
Squelch!
Flesh and blood could not withstand iron sand. In less than a second, his giant arm was shredded through, mangled beyond recognition.
"Aaahhh! My arm!"
Chōza howled in agony, releasing his jutsu. His arm shrank back to normal size, but the damage remained, gruesome and bloody.
Sasori sneered coldly.
"Idiot. You think mere flesh and blood can stop my Iron Sand? Pathetic."
"Got you!" Nara Shikaku gritted his teeth, forming seals. "Your shadow is mine!"
Godzilla froze mid-step, staring dumbly at the shadow that had crept under its feet and linked with its own. Its massive body suddenly felt bound, unable to move freely.
Unlike the previous Nara clan members Aoyama had faced, Shikaku was the clan head. His mastery of shadow techniques was absolute. Even Aoyama's monstrous strength could only resist so much.
Just then, Kakuzu arrived, hurrying onto the battlefield. His eyes instantly locked onto the most valuable prize: Hatake Kakashi.
That head alone was worth a fortune.
Without hesitation, Kakuzu flicked his sleeve. From the wide cloth, a kunai slipped free, whistling straight for Kakashi's throat.
Whssht!
The sound was so faint that only veteran shinobi could detect it.
Kakashi bent backward just in time, dodging the kunai. His body burst into smoke—Substitution Jutsu. A wooden log splintered in his place as Kongō's axe came crashing down.
The great ape roared, pounding its chest, eyes burning with savage light. Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Even for him, this beast's resilience was frightening.
"Even ninjutsu can't pierce its hide… and shuriken or kunai are useless. If it gets within range, I'm finished."
Fortunately, Kongō's new battle axe had replaced its habit of tearing prey apart with its bare hands. Now it just hacked and hacked with brutal swings—like chopping firewood—until it was satisfied.
Kakuzu saw another opening. His hands blurred through seals in an instant, and he spewed blazing fire toward Kakashi's landing spot.
"Fire Release—Searing Migraine!"
The roaring flames surged forward, heat radiating so intensely that even from ten meters away, Kakashi felt his skin burn.
"Tch… No choice. I'll have to use the technique Guy entrusted to me. Hopefully my body can withstand it…"
The firestorm roared in. Within half a second, it was almost on top of him. Kakashi's Sharingan widened, and with a surge of chakra bursting from his body, he vanished from the flames' grasp.
"What?!"
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. Bad memories stirred. He remembered fighting Aoyama, who had used the same technique—Eight Gates.
Kongō bellowed furiously, still locked on Kakashi. It even growled threateningly at Kakuzu, as if warning him not to steal its prey—or be split in two first.
Even Kakuzu felt a chill at the glare. The beast was terrifying. After a half-second of thought, he decided not to push his luck. He'd find another target.
Aoyama and Guy's battle raged like thunder, fists cracking the air, each strike aiming to shatter bones. Kakuzu had no intention of jumping into that madness—using ninjutsu against such taijutsu monsters would only disgrace his Earth Grudge Fear. Better to go after weaker prey.
Chōza, bleeding and staggering, was barely holding on under the Kazekage puppet's relentless pursuit. If he stopped for even a second, the Iron Sand would shred him to pieces.
Shikaku strained desperately to pin Godzilla down with his shadows. Even with all his skill, the difference in raw strength meant he could only keep it still, not control it.
That left one target.
Yamanaka Hiichi.
And Kakuzu's hungry eyes locked onto him.