Kakuzu's life had become predictably mundane.
Work. Hunt. Collect bounties. Repeat. Only money could satisfy him, only money could make him feel secure. It was a simple existence, and he preferred it that way.
Sometimes, though, his mind drifted to that stubborn bastard Rasa. The former Kazekage had actually tried to intercept a bounty—one that Kakuzu had claimed first. The fool didn't even flinch when told about his fight with the First Hokage. Instead, he'd sent hush money. Sixty million ryo in exchange for twenty million—not a bad trade, though Kakuzu still resented the man's refusal to acknowledge defeat.
His reputation in the underground black market had only grown since then. The man who made Rasa back down. He wore the title like a badge.
Kakuzu had been content.
Until five days ago.
A new bounty had appeared on the market. One hundred million ryo.
The kind of price reserved only for the Five Kage themselves.
Kakuzu's hands had trembled as he read the details. Defeated Elder Chiyo and Rasa. Mastered advanced Magnet Release. Can control all metals, including gold dust. The description went on, but one detail made everything click into place.
Another magnetic ninja? More skilled than Rasa himself?
No.
It had to be him.
The beast in the darkness.
Kakuzu's eyes had burned red with an intensity that had nothing to do with vengeance. One hundred million ryo. That was the real treasure. A brat who'd barely established himself, claiming a bounty meant for legends? Kakuzu had survived the First Hokage. He wasn't about to be intimidated by some young upstart.
He'd set out immediately to find Hyuga Seiran.
Days of searching had followed. No sightings. No leads. According to his contacts, the kid was still with Konoha's forces—somewhere in the Land of Rain, if he was lucky. Kakuzu had positioned himself along the most likely routes, waiting for chance to smile on him.
Then he saw movement at the forest's edge.
A figure emerged, moving with careless leisure, completely unaware of the presence before him. Kakuzu's breath caught. Those eyes—distinctive, unmistakable even from this distance.
He pulled the bounty from his pocket, comparing it to the approaching ninja.
It was him.
"Well, well," Kakuzu murmured, a predatory smile spreading across his scarred face. "Didn't expect to find you so easily."
The four hearts within him pulsed, and black threads shot forward, manipulating his body mask constructs into position.
Seiran's eyes narrowed with recognition.
"So you're the bounty hunter who fought the First Hokage," Seiran said, not quite a question.
"Hmph! Stop playing dumb, kid," Kakuzu snarled. "I know exactly who you are. You're the one who robbed me of my compensation. Thinking you can stall me long enough to escape? Your head and my hundred million ryo are already promised to me."
One of Kakuzu's masks opened its mouth.
"Fire Style: Head Firm Jutsu!"
Flame erupted outward in a blazing arc. Seiran rolled backward, dodging the worst of it.
A second mask spat lightning, reading the trajectory perfectly. The bolt struck Seiran dead center, but the kid barely flinched. His body crackled with energy, but his expression remained calm, almost amused.
Kakuzu's expression twisted.
"Lightning doesn't work on nanometal," Seiran said simply.
"So I'm starting to realize," Kakuzu muttered, his body hardening. He peeled away his clothing with deliberate efficiency—no point ruining good material when flesh would do. His body shifted, taking on the dark, reinforced tone of his Earth Release defense jutsu. "Don't bother trying your magnetic tricks. See this?" He tapped the cloth strip tied around his forehead, a crude black mark of the Hidden Waterfall Village hastily drawn on. "No metal. Not even this."
Seiran studied him for a moment, then spoke.
"Wait. You're a mercenary, right? A man who works for money?"
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with interest. "What are you suggesting?"
"I can pay you. Thirty million ryo."
Thirty million ryo was substantial. Kakuzu's mind raced through the possibilities. Hear him out. Take the money. Then take his head anyway. Both the contract and the bounty in one neat package.
"And what exactly would this thirty million ryo purchase?" Kakuzu asked carefully.
"Rasa's dead. Before he went, he left me a fortune in gold dust—I can liquidate it easily. Thirty million ryo, all yours, if you do one simple job for me."
"I work best on corpses and heads," Kakuzu said, his tone turning serious. "Assassination of major targets costs extra. If you're asking for a Hokage's death, we're talking a much bigger number."
"No Hokage," Seiran replied. "The job is simple. I need you to kill someone."
Kakuzu relaxed slightly.
"Who?"
"You."
The world seemed to stop for a moment.
"You what?" Kakuzu's voice came out flat, almost unbelieving.
"I need you to kill yourself. Thirty million ryo—that's the price I'm offering for your own head."
Kakuzu stared at the kid for a full five seconds, processing. Then his scarred face flushed dark with rage.
"You're mocking me?"
"Not at all. I'm making you an honest business proposal."
"No more games!" Kakuzu roared. "Nobody's coming to save you out here!"
Two of his masks opened their mouths simultaneously, one spewing fire, the other wind. The elements twisted together, creating a inferno that consumed the space where Seiran stood.
Kakuzu felt a moment of panic. If the kid burned up completely, there'd be nothing left to collect. But as the flames dissipated, he saw Seiran holding a massive metal shield, its surface glowing red-hot.
The metal rippled, transforming into a gleaming fist wreathed in flame.
Seiran launched himself forward.
"Magnet Release: Flame Fist Jutsu!"
The impact was devastating. One of Kakuzu's masks shattered under the assault, the framework crumbling.
Kakuzu roared, a sound of pure fury and pain as one of his hearts burned away.
"Brat!"
He activated his Earth Spear Jutsu, his body hardening into living stone. He came forward with a flurry of strikes—powerful, precise, relentless. Each punch carried the weight of his reinforced body.
Seiran met him blow for blow, their fists colliding in a storm of impacts.
Until Kakuzu felt his arms weaken. The constant clash against nanometal was taking its toll. His fists swelled, reddening under the punishment.
Seiran stepped back, brushing dust from his shoulders with casual indifference.
"Nanomachines," the kid said simply.
Kakuzu glared, breathing hard, his advantage slipping away with each passing second.
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