Chapter 252: Kakuzu's Favorite Part
If he couldn't kill Ōnoki, then knocking him out and dragging him back to Konoha was also acceptable.
Seal his chakra, imprison him, and when Kotoamatsukami's cooldown ended, use it—problem solved.
As for how Iwagakure would react after discovering their Tsuchikage had vanished…
Fugaku didn't care.
What, would they start another Shinobi World War like Sunagakure once did?
Heh. Let them try.
At full speed, his Complete Body Susanoo crossed nations in less than a day. Soon, the silhouette of the Hidden Rain Village appeared beneath him.
From above the cloud layer, Fugaku could clearly see the perpetual storm hanging over the village—dark clouds, needles of rain, and countless metallic towers piercing the sky.
It was his first time here. Instead of diving down immediately, he hovered for a moment, admiring the scenery.
Then he suddenly slapped his thigh.
He forgot to bring a Hyūga.
Without a Byakugan user, pinpointing Nagato's precise location would be troublesome. He knew the Akatsuki base was somewhere in Amegakure, but the village was neither too large nor too small—it would take time to find Nagato.
He wasn't worried about danger; he was worried about Nagato running.
If Nagato tried to escape, Fugaku's chances of tracking him without a Hyūga would drop sharply.
"What to do…" Fugaku rubbed his chin, thinking.
A moment later, his eyes lit up.
What if he disguised himself as a rogue ninja trying to join the Akatsuki?
Konan would definitely appear to evaluate him.
If he captured Konan, Nagato's location would naturally follow.
But he rejected the idea instantly.
He had fought Nagato before. Nagato would recognize his chakra immediately.
And this rain…
If he remembered correctly, the entire village was covered by Nagato's jutsu—Rain Tiger at Will Technique. By infusing chakra into every raindrop, Pain could sense every foreign presence within the rainfall.
Anyone entering the village would be detected instantly.
Suddenly, Fugaku grinned.
"The rain has to touch me, right?"
What if he used an umbrella and a raincoat to block the droplets?
Would Nagato's sensing still work?
But he dismissed the thought just as fast.
Knowing Nagato, the rain might sense chakra disturbances even without direct contact.
Besides, whenever outsiders entered the village, Ame-nin immediately intercepted them.
While Fugaku floated among the clouds contemplating his strategy—
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Meanwhile, inside the Hidden Rain Village…
Konan was troubled.
In recent days, she had collected many powerful jutsu, but their quality varied wildly. Not a single S-rank technique among them.
The strongest she found was merely A-rank.
A-rank jutsu were useless. Even Nagato's Chibaku Tensei failed to damage that colossal Susanoo—what good would weak techniques do?
Forbidden jutsu and S-rank techniques were nearly impossible to acquire without raiding the great ninja villages themselves. Zetsu had tried his best, but such secrets were heavily guarded.
Two days ago, however, Zetsu delivered an intriguing piece of information:
The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki's Dust Release—a Kekkei Tōta—was unimaginably powerful.
Of course, acquiring it would not be easy.
Dust Release wasn't recorded in scrolls; it was passed down orally. Still, besides Ōnoki, the Second Tsuchikage Mū also used it, so there had to be a method of transmission.
Konan considered informing Nagato:
If Zetsu couldn't steal it, then Nagato would take Pain to Iwagakure and seize Ōnoki directly.
Even without their "Uchiha Madara," they had other ways of compelling cooperation—though not as effective as Sharingan-based genjutsu.
Nagato had mostly recovered since fleeing the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Fugaku. She could discuss it with him in a few days.
A trip to Iwagakure to claim Dust Release might be necessary.
Konan glanced at the date.
Kakuzu should return in the next two days.
He always returned at this time of the month to turn in his earnings.
It was one of the few days she actually looked forward to.
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Outside Amegakure
On a muddy road, a straw-hat-wearing man trudged forward at a relaxed pace.
Kakuzu.
It had been a while since he reported intel to the leader, failed the ambush on Konoha's ninja, then received news of Nagato's crushing defeat.
Realizing Konoha's Fifth Hokage was not someone he could face—even with his five hearts—Kakuzu wisely avoided the Land of Fire afterward.
He wandered other nations instead, taking bounty missions.
Last month he turned in 60 million.
An excellent haul.
This month was different. His luck was poor; he barely scraped together 40 million.
Kakuzu sighed as he approached the village gates.
Whenever he earned less money, his mood dipped.
But soon…
soon he could count money again.
That would make everything better.
Konan always let him count the organization's funds after he submitted his monthly earnings. Not just his, but all the money the Akatsuki collected.
It was, without question, his happiest moment.
The thought made him walk faster without realizing it.
Then—
"What's that?"
Something red streaked across the sky above the clouds.
Kakuzu squinted up. A crimson trail cut across the dark, rainy horizon.
"Leader's technique?"
He stared at it for a few seconds, then lost interest.
He knew the rain over the village was Pain's territory—Rain Tiger at Will. Hidden Rain was the Akatsuki base; no outsider would dare cause trouble here.
And even if they did?
The leader was unfathomably powerful. Yes, Fugaku had defeated him…
But that didn't mean Nagato would lose to just anyone.
Kakuzu accepted that the leader lost to Fugaku—after all, Fugaku was the monster who destroyed Kumogakure.
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