After determining the target, Kakuzu immediately set off for the Land of Rain.
For Kakuzu, time is money. The sooner he captures Mokgetsu, the sooner he can happily move on to the next target.
Upon entering the Land of Rain, Kakuzu began investigating intelligence on Ninja Master Sosuke.
Although he wanted to complete the mission quickly, Kakuzu wouldn't rush headlong without a plan; after all, the opponent this time seemed far from simple based on the data.
However, this step was much easier than Kakuzu had anticipated.
The deeds of Ninja Master Sosuke were already well known throughout the Land of Rain, and Kakuzu could even hear some of the intelligence just by walking down the streets.
For example, Sosuke teaching Ninjutsu without discrimination in Xiaozhen Village for free, or how powerful ninjas mastering three kinds of Chakra Nature Changes didn't believe in Sosuke's power and suffered a hands-on lesson, and Sosuke leading seventy-two ninjas around the Land of Rain doing good deeds.
"A lucky naïve guy with a bunch of ragtag followers." Kakuzu gave his evaluation after gathering the intelligence.
In his view, what Mokgetsu was doing was no different from being a fool.
Teaching Ninjutsu for free was simply asking for trouble, and apart from some empty fame, there's no substantial gain.
The ninjas taught by Mokgetsu might feel grateful at most, and the more thick-skinned among them might not even express thanks.
If things remained peaceful, they might get along happily, but in the face of danger, they would undoubtedly scatter for safety.
It would be better to charge for teaching; at least that way, one could make money. Money is something you can always rely on.
Kakuzu, once betrayed by his village, felt this deeply.
He had risked his life for the village, only to be rewarded with charges and punishment.
The village that witnessed his growth was still like this; Mokgetsu and his team of ninjas had known each other for less than two months, and Kakuzu didn't believe anyone would risk their life for Mokgetsu.
So Kakuzu wasn't concerned about the seventy-two ninjas following Mokgetsu. He believed that as long as he demonstrated his strength, those ninjas would be frightened and abandon Mokgetsu.
Had they been ninjas from a Ninja Village, even if their ninja level wasn't high, Kakuzu wouldn't have taken them lightly. But a team made up of wandering ninjas and weak ninja organizations didn't worry Kakuzu at all.
Kakuzu usually found it beneath him to deal with this level of opponent because most likely there wouldn't be a bounty, and killing them would just be a waste of effort with no gain.
Having completed his intelligence work, Kakuzu began his formal action.
Since Mokgetsu hadn't concealed his movements, and the group was large, Kakuzu easily discovered their location and quickly set off to launch an attack.
Mokgetsu noticed the approaching Kakuzu and immediately launched an appraisal.
[Name: Kakuzu]
[Chakra: 140000]
[Skills: Earth Grudge Fear (Master Level: 5100/15000), Lightning Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master Level: 3000/15000), Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master Level: 2700/15000), Wind Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master Level), Water Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master Level), Lightning Release: Pseudo-Darkness (Master Level)...]
Looking at Kakuzu's profile, Mokgetsu could only say it had a flavor reminiscent of Sarutobi Hiruzen, like a second-hand youthful version of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He had mastered Five-Element Chakra Nature Changes, and with the corresponding master-level Ninjutsu, in terms of Ninjutsu, Kakuzu indeed could be considered a mini Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, comparing other aspects with Sarutobi Hiruzen proved difficult, as Sarutobi Hiruzen had mastered a wealth of secret techniques, was strong in Taijutsu, and had a powerful summoning beast like the Ape Demon.
"Move back a bit." Mokgetsu said to the ninjas behind him.
Among the ninjas he had encountered so far, Kakuzu's strength was definitely significant, and Mokgetsu had to bring out his strength to battle him.
The ninjas were a bit confused at this request but trusted Mokgetsu enough to back off.
The next moment, the charging Kakuzu rushed towards them.
"Another bounty ninja after the money?" Yahiko furrowed his brow.
Although Kakuzu had not yet made a move, the speed with which he appeared on the scene didn't look like that of an ordinary ninja.
"Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, you three keep a closer eye on the others in the team," Mokgetsu reminded them.
Though Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were among the youngest in the team, their strength was the greatest.
The three nodded, cautiously watching Kakuzu.
"This seems to be the legendary strongest black market assassin Kakuzu, many well-known strongmen have died at his hands, and he's even fought with the God of Ninjas." A ninja's face changed instantly upon recognizing the stitches on Kakuzu's arm.
Due to the cultivation of Earth Grudge Fear, if Kakuzu didn't wear clothes covering himself entirely, he would be highly recognizable.
The rest of the ninjas showed shocked expressions, as every statement about Kakuzu sounded remarkable, and collectively applied to one person, it was definitely a legendary ninja.
"Hang on, if he's from the era of the God of Ninjas, wouldn't he be quite old or even deceased by now?" someone noticed the problem.
The ninja who revealed Kakuzu's information shook his head; how could he possibly know such things? He only accidentally heard a bit of Kakuzu's story once.
Kakuzu ignored the other ninjas' gaze, looking indifferently at Mokgetsu, "If you're willing to let me capture you willingly, it would make things easier."
As capturing him alive could earn an extra five million ryo, Kakuzu would try to bring Mokgetsu back alive.
Ultimately, Kakuzu took on black market tasks only for money, so it was certainly best to make as much money as possible.
Under normal circumstances, Kakuzu wouldn't bother with words; he preferred to act quickly and finish early.