One move.
Though it was called one move, Kakuzu had used his full strength—though he had also warned Hiruzen.
Five Release: Grand Barrage collided with Earth Grudge Fear: Ultimate Shot, leveling the surrounding forest to flat ground. The power was astonishing!
Both sides were masters of the Five Element Release techniques…
But even among masters, there are ranks.
Kakuzu knelt on one knee, coughing up black blood.
His upper garments had long since been torn apart. His robust body was covered in the black dust from the explosion, and behind him, two of the masked heart monsters were already close to shattering.
"I'll say…"
"You're the first to clash head-on with me in Five Element ninjutsu…"
Not to mention now—Hiruzen's chakra was abundant…
Even before his talent had become one with Konoha, if Kakuzu had clashed with him in Five Element Release techniques, he would have had no chance of victory.
Hiruzen chuckled and extended his hand toward Kakuzu.
"Third Hokage-sama, your reputation is indeed well deserved…" Kakuzu hesitated slightly, then grasped Hiruzen's hand and rose with the motion.
This scene gave him a faint sense of déjà vu.
Back then, when he had fallen to the ground, Senju Hashirama had also asked Uzumaki Mito to release the Adamantine Sealing Chains, personally pulling him up and even reminding him to be careful.
"Put it on. Though your constitution is unusual…" Hiruzen removed the black cloak with red clouds and tossed it to the bare-chested Kakuzu.
In truth, Hokage also did not want to keep wearing that oddly styled outfit…
If he returned to Konoha wearing that thing and the patrol unit did not question him, he would instead launch a major inspection!
"…Thank you." Kakuzu silently draped it over himself and, after a moment, spoke in thanks.
Although in terms of strength Hiruzen still could not compare to Senju Hashirama…
Both were stronger than him. Both possessed the ability to kill him.
Moreover, that indescribable boldness and calm bearing that made one unable to summon hostility…
Was nearly the same…
"Do you need to recover?"
Hiruzen examined the Earth Grudge Fear clone. The masks upon it were on the verge of falling apart. "It truly is a formidable ability. With Earth Grudge Fear, one can be counted among those who live as long as heaven and earth."
"Heh. Just barely clinging to life in this hellish ninja world."
Kakuzu let out a hoarse laugh. "Please wait a moment."
He found Hiruzen increasingly interesting…
He actually asked whether he needed to recover?
Was he worried that extracting the essential portion of Earth Grudge Fear would cause him irreversible damage?
That did not sound like something a ninja should think—much less a Hokage.
The Earth Grudge Fear clone turned into black threads and poured into Kakuzu's back, causing his somewhat shriveled body to fill out once more.
With an extension of his arm, a large number of black threads emerged from the seams, gradually intertwining into a black bundle of threads.
Kakuzu's face remained expressionless, yet from his back came the sound of something like a mask shattering.
Kakuzu gave a hard tug. As if he felt no pain at all, he carefully trimmed away the excess portions and packed it into a dense rectangular block.
"Earth Grudge Fear: twenty million ryō. The deposit will be deducted against the fee for sparring with you, and ten million ryō for the intelligence fee…"
"Thank you for your patronage, Konoha's Third." As he spoke, Kakuzu also took out a storage scroll, sealed it inside, and handed it to Hiruzen.
"Truly a businessman…" Hiruzen gave a thumbs-up.
Although this scene was somewhat bizarre, the professional dedication Kakuzu displayed…
Was indeed admirable.
"Next time you need to deliver the goods, just come to the outskirts of Konoha."
"The patrol unit or ANBU will spot you—tell them you're here to see me."
"I'll come personally to meet you." Hiruzen weighed the scroll in his hand and said with a smile.
Kakuzu smiled. "Though Konoha is considered strong among the Five Great Hidden Villages, it's not as if I would be discovered by your subordinates…"
"It was only because I ran into you and…"
Kakuzu glanced at Danzō. His mouth clearly twisted to the side. "And him, that's all."
Danzō's face remained expressionless, yet he had already clenched his back teeth tight.
Damn it, my fists itch!
He really wanted to plant one punch in Kakuzu's face, then use Wind Release to finely chop him into mince!
Even if Hiruzen really did have a bit of charisma—though not much…
Why was he being targeted like this?!
Was it really such a crime that he liked using bounty hunters without paying them, and occasionally killing a few on the side as extra income and to pick up a little spare change?
"If they can't discover you, then it will also help us in Konoha patch the gaps in our security."
"If that happens, I can pay extra." Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
And at the words "pay extra," Kakuzu's gaze sharpened.
That casual tone only made the rich-patron air even stronger…
Just how wealthy was Konoha?
"Then it's a deal, Hokage-sama." Kakuzu thought for a moment, then still used the honorific.
For Hiruzen, who carried echoes of Hashirama, he did not begrudge giving respect.
Besides, this was also a super big patron…
"When you come again next time, you can also come to Konoha to see an old acquaintance."
"Mito-sama told me that people of your generation withered away like fallen leaves…"
"She said Hashirama-sama mentioned you many times, saying you were a talented but unlucky young man…" Hiruzen said with a sigh.
And in fact, Hashirama had not mentioned it at all—but who would know?
Sentiment, sometimes, only needs a single anchor point.
Moreover, a missing-nin once spared by Senju Hashirama crossing decades of time, arriving under Hiruzen's influence to visit Uzumaki Mito…
And now even working for Konoha…
With that echo from past to present, it could be said that the old tale had been given new life.
It would not only allow Uzumaki Mito to feel a trace of comfort.
It would also allow Hiruzen's reputation, indirectly, to form a subtle correspondence with Senju Hashirama's.
Though it would not produce immediate results, this was something that moistens things silently…
Perhaps one day it would bring unexpected returns.
"Hashirama-sama and Mito-sama? After all these years, the two of them still remember someone like me…" Kakuzu trailed off here, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a pause, he continued: "This missing-nin from another village… a bounty hunt—"
"I will prepare a gift and pay a visit, if Mito-sama is willing to receive me."
Hiruzen nodded. "She will. Until next time."
With that, he turned and departed in a carefree manner, waving his hand.
Danzō, however, did not move. He stood in place, narrowing his eyes as he sized Kakuzu up.
With a sinister sneer, he said, "You'd better keep your word. I'll be watching you…"
Kakuzu also smiled.
Logically speaking, this should have been the most classic good-cop, bad-cop strategy.
But judging from the personal charisma Hiruzen had displayed, even if Danzō were to play the villain, he would not need to be so crude and blunt…
It could only be said that this was simply his nature—born evil, the darkness of the ninja world.
Even staying at the Hokage's side, he could not learn much.
"And who do you think you are…"
"The one who signed the contract with me was Hiruzen, not you. Are you the Hokage?"
Kakuzu retorted without mercy. "If you came alone—even bringing those wolf pups of Root—could you really keep me here?"
"Would that be difficult?"
Danzō carried himself with disdain. "As for the Hokage—I am not now, but in the future…"
He was now the one who had obtained Mito-sama's necklace, and Hiruzen had given it to him of his own accord.
"Enough, Danzō!"
"Don't ruin things with a friend…" Hiruzen's voice carried from afar.
"Hmph…" Danzō pointed at his own eyes, then at Kakuzu, before turning and leaving.
The meaning was that he would keep watching Kakuzu at all times.
Yet what was interesting was that when Hiruzen called out to him, he indeed did not say another word.
'This man truly isn't very bright…' Kakuzu silently commented to himself: 'The Hokage has it hard, working alongside someone like that.'
But toward Hiruzen—and even toward Konoha—Kakuzu had formed a different view.
A trace of curiosity rose in his heart.
Kakuzu tightened the black cloak with red clouds around his body.
Just moments ago, he had been thinking that the present Konoha was no longer the one from Senju Hashirama's time…
Now, it seemed that might not be the case.
Thinking carefully, over the past year he had not seen those Root people doing anything that broke the rules.
In their place were more efficient and meticulous ANBU operations, whose deterrent force and sense of mystery far exceeded the past…
"What has changed?"
"Still need to keep observing…" Kakuzu lifted the suitcase filled with money. The heavy weight in his hand made him feel at ease.
But another question arose in his mind.
Among the current Five Great Hidden Villages, their finances were not exactly abundant…
Judging from Hiruzen's scale of spending, Konoha seemed to be quite wealthy now?
Where did that money come from…
And compared to where the money came from, Kakuzu was even more curious about how Hiruzen would spend it…
Store it away? Or recruit more strong individuals like himself…
But ninja like him were unique in the shinobi world…
As for the surplus? Surely he wouldn't distribute it to the lower-ranking ninja…
Even though Hiruzen had displayed a trace of something unusual…
Kakuzu still held many stereotypes about the upper echelons of hidden villages.
After walking the shinobi world for so many years, the best he had seen was someone like Hiruzen—having even a bit of human warmth was already extremely rare.
As for distributing money to the lower ranks, that lay outside Kakuzu's mental framework.
"Most likely he'll store it away. Perhaps this Third Hokage and I are kindred spirits…"
"He also needs the sense of security that money brings."
"But to recruit someone like me, an outsider from another village, with sincere payment—that is rare indeed…"
Kakuzu shook his head and decided that when he had the chance, he would visit Konoha and think about these matters then.
Since he had received the money—and even such a large advance deposit—
He should do the job properly first!
Otherwise, it would go against his ninja way…
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Hiruzen and Danzō were heading back toward Konoha.
"Danzō, you should occasionally pay attention to your reputation…"
"Tension and relaxation, firmness and leniency—that is the better way to control people," Hiruzen said seriously.
Having Danzō play the bad face had indeed proven effective time and again.
But the problem was that he also had to remind him from time to time. Otherwise, even with Danzō's temperament, one day he would sense something was off.
Yet Danzō's reply was beyond Hiruzen's expectations.
"Hiruzen, I understand your good intentions, but I cannot do that…"
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