Chapter 326

326. Chapter 321: The Correct Way to Use New Year's Money

Beneath the faceplate, Kakuzu glanced with his peripheral vision at the three captured brats. He had heard their conversation just now clearly; this rogue ninja had a lot of nerve.

Even if you beat a dog, you have to look at its owner. Who was Senju Tobirama? Senju Hashirama's own brother. How dare you touch his disciple? Are you tired of living?

"Seeing Shenhuo, shall we change locations?"

Fearing that he might accidentally injure Senju Tobirama's disciple while fighting, Kakuzu tilted his head and gestured toward a relatively flat and open area nearby.

"Ignorant! Take this!"

How could Seeing Shenhuo possibly listen to a bounty hunter who had come to capture him? His expression darkened immediately, and he swung his palms as he rushed forward.

"Blast Palm!"

However, Kakuzu was no longer the same as before. Having become a Tailed Beast Knight, he had reached a height that ordinary ninjas could hardly reach. Facing Seeing Shenhuo's bizarre Blast Palm, he was too lazy to even defend, leaving his guard wide open as he waited for the attack to arrive.

"Hmph!"

Seeing Kakuzu unmoved, Seeing Shenhuo, feeling slighted, increased the force in his hands, striking at his opponent's vital points from a very tricky angle.

If it hit, it would be death or serious injury.

"Watch out!"

Seeing Kakuzu drop his hands and give up resistance, the three little ones were all shocked. For this strange man who had suddenly appeared, the unique aesthetic of youth subconsciously placed the silver-white knight in the camp of justice, so the moment Seeing Shenhuo attacked, the three of them shouted out in anxiety.

"Die!"

"Boom!"

The moment his palms hit Kakuzu, a trace of doubt flashed through Seeing Shenhuo's heart. Why didn't this guy dodge?

Could he have some hidden trick?

As a secret technique of the Grass Ninja style, the Blast Palm was a palm technique created by the Grass ninjas by borrowing from the strengths of many schools. Its trajectory was ever-changing, and its force was both soft and hard, killing without a trace, making it a headache for many who faced it.

Seeing Shenhuo had once relied on his mastery of this move to successfully be promoted to an elite captain. The elder who taught him this move had even praised him for being better than his master and surely capable of carrying forward this secret technique.

However, Seeing Shenhuo had kicked an iron plate this time.

"Are you done?"

Kakuzu looked down at the palms pressed against his chest and ribs. The immense force transmitted from them had long since been absorbed by the knight armor. His body hadn't felt a single ripple. If it weren't for Seeing Shenhuo's solemn expression, he would have thought the other party was just feinting.

"Whoosh~"

Realizing something was wrong, Seeing Shenhuo immediately withdrew his palms and took a few steps back to put distance between himself and Kakuzu. Looking at his slightly reddened palms, his heart was filled with astonishment.

He had clearly landed a solid hit, so why did the other party have no reaction at all?

"What exactly are you?"

Seeing Shenhuo, beginning to take Kakuzu seriously, assumed a professional stance, his brows furrowed as he asked the soul-searching question.

"I've already introduced myself. My code name is Sword."

Kakuzu crouched into a sprinting stance while holding his short sword upright in front of him, answering with a calm tone.

"Stop playing dumb. Who exactly are you?"

Seeing Shenhuo was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. This guy was clearly messing with him!

"I..."

Being asked this, Kakuzu fell into a brief moment of speechlessness. This familiar question seemed to follow some kind of formula.

Finally, under the manipulation of a certain great will, Kakuzu struck a cool pose and subconsciously answered.

"I'm just a passing Tailed Beast Knight!"

Tailed Beast Knight?

It sounded like a profession, but Seeing Shenhuo had never heard of it, so he turned his head and cast an inquiring gaze at the three little ones, whose eyes were sparkling with stars.

"What kind of trendy thing is a Tailed Beast Knight?"

"Huh? We don't know either~"

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, attracted by the silver knight's cool design and handsome lines, shook their heads vigorously at the confused Seeing Shenhuo, indicating they didn't know either.

But it couldn't be blamed on them being ill-informed. The other four great nations hadn't revealed any news before they had fully mastered the power of the Tailed Beast Knights. Konoha, because it didn't have a Tailed Beast yet, had also sealed the information about Tailed Beast Knights, so until now, the name of the Knight hadn't spread through the Ninja World.

"Is that a Tailed Beast Knight?"

Uchiha Madara, who had been cut in line earlier, was currently standing in a hidden spot not far away with his ears pricked up. After hearing Kakuzu's self-introduction, he suddenly realized that this flashy guy was the Tailed Beast Knight his cousin had spoken of.

"This chakra is the Seven-Tails."

Uchiha Madara, who had faced all the Tailed Beasts except the One-Tail, opened his scarlet eyes and peered carefully, identifying the true identity of the Tailed Beast Knight before him.

"Not bad."

After confirming the Tailed Beast's identity, Uchiha Madara closed his eyes, returning them to their pitch-black pupils, which were filled with consideration. After a long while, he gave an objective evaluation.

In the Tailed Beast Pokémon battle after the founding of Konoha, the Seven-Tails' performance wasn't great; it lost to the Three-Tails Isobu, which had fewer tails than it, as soon as it entered the field. In Uchiha Madara's eyes, it was useless except for being somewhat cool.

He hadn't expected that after becoming a Tailed Beast Knight, the pressure would be much stronger than when it was in its large form, which could barely catch Uchiha Madara's eye.

"I wonder what the Nine-Tails Knight looks like."

Sweeping his gaze over the gorgeous armor on the silver knight, Uchiha Madara suddenly became full of anticipation for the fact that he was about to become a Tailed Beast Knight.

"Small talk over. Seeing Shenhuo, surrender!"

On this side, Kakuzu, eager to make money, had no intention of continuing to communicate with the merchandise and issued an ultimatum.

"Idiot!"

If Seeing Shenhuo were the type to give up easily, he wouldn't have become an enemy of the elders for Zhenzi's sake. Even though the strength Kakuzu displayed was unfathomable, he was still full of fighting spirit.

"Fire Style: Ghost Lantern!"

With that, Seeing Shenhuo quickly formed hand signs, and a dozen ferocious ghost-headed fireballs flew toward Kakuzu. The scorching heat made the noses of the three little ones dry.

Facing Seeing Shenhuo's desperate resistance, Kakuzu didn't say anything more. He swung the short blade in his hand, his whole body moving with the wind, his elegant footwork as if he had grown invisible wings on his back.

"Boom! Boom!..."

Only muffled sounds were heard. The Ghost Lanterns, which had been arrogant just a moment ago, were all annihilated by the short blade in Kakuzu's hand. Flicking the embers from the tip of the blade, the sparks were like cherry blossoms blooming in the darkness, so beautiful that one couldn't bear to look away.

"So cool!"

The three little ones completely forgot their current situation. Sarutobi Hiruzen also forgot about his father, whose life or death was uncertain. The three of them had their eyes glued to the silver knight, wishing they could kneel down on the spot.

Sarutobi Sasuke: You bastard~ you bastard~

Kakuzu, having finished showing off, didn't stay in place to pose. In his view, coolness was worthless in front of money, so he continued forward, his short blade aiming straight for Seeing Shenhuo's hands, wanting to cripple his ability to act.

"Clang~"

Seeing Shenhuo's swordsmanship wasn't for show either. He backhanded his worn-out sword and caught Kakuzu's attack, but the immense force transmitted through his hand almost made him drop the sword.

"Cling~ Clang~"

After exchanging a few moves, Kakuzu couldn't help but look at Seeing Shenhuo with a bit more respect. He hadn't expected the other party to be a master of swordsmanship; if he weren't a Knight, he might very well have been defeated.

"Clang~ Boom!"

As the speed in Kakuzu's hand increased, Seeing Shenhuo gradually couldn't keep up. Every strike from the opponent contained tremendous force; any slight carelessness in parrying would cause his blood to surge.

"Snap!"

Finally, Seeing Shenhuo hadn't exhausted his strength, but the sword in his hand couldn't hold on anymore. As a samurai sword made of refined steel, being able to hold out for so long in front of a short blade transformed by Tailed Beast power was already mind-boggling.

"Thump!"

Just like that, Seeing Shenhuo, now without a weapon, was knocked back by a sweep of Kakuzu's short blade, falling right next to Zhenzi, who had been watching the battle the whole time.

"Eat-God-Jun..."

Zhenzi, who had been preparing to eat Sarutobi Sasuke, was also attracted by the suddenly appearing Kakuzu. Having already eaten her fill, she decided to put this reserve food aside for a moment to see what kind of dish this newly arrived food delivery was.

She hadn't expected the opponent's level to be quite good, defeating Seeing Shenhuo with overwhelming power. Zhenzi's scarlet eyes stared straight at Kakuzu, and her desire for high-quality food prompted her to step out.

"Zhenzi! I haven't lost yet!"

Seeing Shenhuo stood up, panting heavily. Kakuzu's casual sweep just now made him feel as if he had been hit by a charging beast, and all the bones in his body were trembling.

"Woman, you aren't on the bounty list. I have no need to fight you."

Looking at Zhenzi, who was slowly walking toward him, Kakuzu, having gained a portion of Tailed Beast privileges, sensed a thick, complex emotion from her. He didn't want to rashly fight such a bizarre opponent.

Work for free? Don't even think about it!

"Eat... eat..."

But Zhenzi ignored him. Coveting the rich life energy of the Tailed Beast, she opened her hands like claws and instantly disappeared from where she stood.

"Clang!!!"

Kakuzu's internal alarm bells rang, and he subconsciously held his short blade horizontally in front of his chest. Only a huge metallic ring was heard; the woman's pale little hand had already grabbed his blade. It looked weak, but it was actually not simple at all.

"What exactly are you?"

Kakuzu gripped the sword with both hands, and rich Tailed Beast chakra permeated his body. The short blade, infused with chakra, emitted a faint golden glow.

"Sizzle~"

Under the erosion of the Tailed Beast chakra, Zhenzi's little hand emitted a foul-smelling thick smoke, and her grip on the blade loosened slightly. Kakuzu took the opportunity to withdraw the short blade and kicked the woman in the abdomen, the huge impact force sending her flying several meters away.

"What is this?"

Kakuzu, smelling a strange odor, looked suspiciously at the short blade in his hand and found that a black mark had been left where the woman had grabbed it. On the mark, bizarre black mist was rolling, occupying the normal area of the blade at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Kakuzu tried to wipe away the black mist, but with little success. Tailed Beast chakra could only slow down its erosion speed; it couldn't eliminate it completely.

"Be careful, this guy isn't simple."

Chomei's voice suddenly rang out, his tone carrying rare solemnity.

"Divine Beast, do you know the origin of this woman?"

Judging by Chomei's tone, it seemed to know the origin of this black mist.

"That shouldn't be... didn't the old man seal it?"

Chomei didn't answer directly but instead muttered to itself in confusion.

"Divine Beast, she..."

Just as Kakuzu was about to continue questioning, Zhenzi, who had been knocked away, jumped back over. At this moment, her whole body was wrapped in black mist, and her ferocious appearance made Seeing Shenhuo, who was panting to the side, feel a chill in his heart.

"Zhenzi, what have you been through? Are you really still you..."

"Boom!"

The opponent's methods were bizarre, and Kakuzu didn't dare to be arrogant. He immediately jumped backward to dodge Zhenzi's attack, landing just right next to the three little ones at the alley entrance.

"Kakuzu, that woman is called Satori, the malice sealed in the Box of Ultimate Bliss."

Chomei finally spoke again, resolving Kakuzu's confusion.

"Satori?"

"Anyway, it's a very troublesome thing, the kind that could destroy the world if you're not careful. But it's currently trapped inside that human's body, so it won't erupt for the time being."

It wasn't that Kakuzu was shallow; the Box of Ultimate Bliss was a treasure from the ancient era, and there probably weren't many people who recognized it now.

"Can it be solved? Divine Beast~"

Hearing Chomei say that the opponent's background was quite significant, Kakuzu frowned and asked in his mind.

"My advice is to leave quickly. This money isn't worth earning..."

This thing was something the old man had spent a lot of effort to seal back then. He was just a caterpillar; how could he replicate the old man's feat?

"That's 35 million ryo!"

Kakuzu's heart was full of struggle. 35 million wasn't a small amount. Seeing the money about to be in his hands, how could he give up easily?

"Sigh~ you idiot, you're going to be the death of me!"

Through their time together, Chomei had gained a further understanding of Kakuzu as a human. He didn't care for food or drink; tasteless dry biscuits and cold water were enough to make him eat happily. He didn't care for clothes or accessories; coarse cloth was his standard, and he couldn't bear to stay in high-end hotels when traveling, either sleeping on the streets or in dilapidated temples.

If it weren't for his money-grubbing personality, Chomei believed Kakuzu could have gone to a temple to shave his head and become a monk, accompanying the green lamp and ancient Buddha, becoming an enlightened high monk.

"Sigh, forget it."

Kakuzu was certainly obsessed with money, but since the Divine Beast had said so, he developed the idea of giving up.

It was only 35 million; if it were a few million more, he might have risked it.

"Hello, may I ask if you can save my father?"

Just as Kakuzu was about to retreat, a slightly awkward voice suddenly rang out beside him. He turned his head and saw three little ones looking at him with eager eyes. One of the boys, who looked like a monkey, had a pleading look on his face; the voice just now had come from him.

"That is your father?"

Kakuzu frowned, his peripheral vision catching Sarutobi Sasuke, whose life or death was uncertain, not far away.

"Yes, please help me!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had gathered his courage to ask, saw the other party respond and immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

"I refuse."

Kakuzu refused without even thinking. He was a professional bounty hunter and a part-time professional lender; how could he do volunteer work? This was an insult to his professional ethics.

"Huh?"

Not expecting the other party to reject him in seconds, Sarutobi Hiruzen stalled on the spot.

"Why? Aren't you a Knight?"

Although he didn't understand the meaning of a Knight, the aura radiating from the other party carried a certain halo of justice, making Sarutobi Hiruzen subconsciously believe that the other party was a great person who didn't seek rewards.

"Ha? You're morally kidnapping me at such a young age. You little brat will definitely be a fake good person when you grow up."

Kicking away the moral high ground Sarutobi Hiruzen had tried to impose, Kakuzu sneered and gave this monkey-faced brat a very fitting label.

"Tsk, my little money is gone..."

Without continuing to pay attention to the dejected Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kakuzu clicked his tongue and turned around, preparing to run away.

"Eat!"

Zhenzi, having missed her target, couldn't easily give up on Chomei, this big piece of fat meat. Driven by her appetite, she opened her hands again and killed toward Kakuzu.

"So troublesome."

Kakuzu, having turned around, sensed that he had been locked onto by malice. He flicked the short blade in his hand, which flew toward Zhenzi's face, while simultaneously leaping high into the air, striking a flying kick pose in mid-air toward the woman.

Rider Kick!

"Eat."

Zhenzi tilted her head, dodging the short blade, and then held her hands in front of her chest in a tearing gesture. Facing Kakuzu's Rider Kick, she grabbed fiercely, and several claw winds condensed from black mist met the flying kick head-on.

"Boom!"

The power of both sides collided in mid-air, making a deafening sound. The rubble on the nearby roof was lifted by the aftermath, and the clattering sound was endless.

"Thump!"

Kakuzu landed in a sorry state, his eyes filled with solemnity. In the clash just now, he had actually fallen into a disadvantage. Although this kick wasn't his ultimate move, it wasn't something an ordinary ninja could withstand.

At this moment, the retreat drum in Kakuzu's heart was beaten thunderously. For a mere 35 million ryo, there was no need to risk his life.

"Cough, cough, cough... please, save my father..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, sensing Kakuzu's intention to retreat, decided to try one last time. If this Knight in front of him left, his father would probably be gone for good.

"I never do business at a loss."

Kakuzu's words were sharp but also very realistic. Who said heroes had to pay for nothing? Everyone has to eat, buddy.

"Sigh... money! Our family has money! As long as you save my father, he will definitely pay you a generous reward."

Hearing the subtext in Kakuzu's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head and shouted excitedly.

"Sorry, your words have no credibility."

Kakuzu, worried about a refund from a minor, didn't buy it. What if he believed this brat's one-sided story, spent all his effort saving his dad, and then they refused to pay? Wouldn't he have been scammed for free?

"Unless you can pull out a reward that satisfies me right now, I might consider it."

Kakuzu, not wanting to have any entanglements with Konoha ninjas, tried to use a high price to make the other party back down. Anyway, these three brats didn't look like they could pull out a huge reward.

"Eat."

"Hurry up, I'm leaving~"

Seeing Zhenzi lock onto him again, Kakuzu waved his hand to cut the restraints of the three, preparing to lead this woman away before leaving. It could be considered as buying a bit of life for these brats, a return for Senju Hashirama not finishing him off back then~

Sigh~ I, Lord Kakuzu, am truly a great philanthropist. Should I go and start a charity fund or something?

"I have ten thousand ryo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, having regained his freedom, hurriedly searched his backpack and finally pulled out a thin stack of banknotes, presenting them to Kakuzu.

"Not enough."

Resisting the urge to rob a child, Kakuzu shook his head stiffly. Ten thousand ryo; he could at most help him kill a Genin.

"Danzo!"

"Sorry, Monkey, you know my situation..."

Looking at his best friend's hopeful gaze, Danzo lowered his head in shame. Little Danzo, who had never been so thirsty for money, planted a seed of wealth in his heart at this moment, waiting for it to grow.

"Kagami!"

At this point, he could only ask his foster father to intervene.

"Can you guarantee to save Captain Sarutobi?"

Kagami gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a reassuring look, then turned his head and said in a very serious tone.

"Ha? You curly-haired brat, your tone is really annoying!"

"You can't do it?"

"Nonsense! As long as the money is there, I dare to fight even the Sage of Six Paths!"

In the Pure Land.

"Ouch... ah!!!"

Otsutsuki Hagoromo was enjoying the massage chair he had snatched from his brother when the massage device on his buttocks suddenly vibrated crazily as if it had turned on an accelerator, almost ruining his reputation.

"It must be that brat Hamura!"

Rubbing his sore butt, Otsutsuki Hagoromo's two true and one false eyes were burning with fire. Gritting his teeth, he opened the portal to the Moon's Pure Land.

A Sage must avenge this grudge!

"Clang!"

With the landing of the golden brick, Kakuzu's eyes beneath the faceplate went straight. He almost reached out to slap himself to confirm if he was dreaming.

How could a brat under ten years old pull a ten-jin gold brick out of his bag?

"Not enough?"

Uchiha Kagami, who had taken out a piece of New Year's money, saw Kakuzu unmoved, frowned, and reached his hand back into the bag.

"Clang!"

"..."

Still not enough?

"Clang!"

"You..."

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

After a long while, Kakuzu looked numbly at Uchiha Kagami, who was pulling out one gold brick after another from his bag. He didn't dare to confirm if he was dreaming anymore. If this was really a dream, let him be immersed in this beautiful dream forever!

"You guy, how much do you want? Give me a straight answer!"

Shimura Danzo, who had also been blinded by the gold bricks, looked at the golden wall piled high in front of him, tears of envy flowing from the corners of his mouth. But now wasn't the time to talk about this. He shouted, waking Kakuzu, who was immersed in fantasy.

"Cough, cough, cough... kid, who exactly are you?"

Kakuzu, having come to his senses, coughed awkwardly a few times and then looked squarely at the curly-haired brat in front of him who was radiating an aura that made him uncomfortable.

"My name is Uchiha Kagami, a plain and ordinary Uchiha."

Uchiha Kagami, who had taken out half of his family's fortune, found that the silver knight's tone had become somewhat kind, so he said his name.

"Uchiha?"

Hearing this, Kakuzu was stunned. He had thought it was some noble's young master playing ninja games; he hadn't expected this money-throwing brat to be from the famous Uchiha clan of Konoha.

"He's a descendant of that guy, Kakuzu. Don't get involved with him, leave quickly!"

Chomei was shocked. You dare to take money from Indra's descendant? Aren't you afraid of being chased and hacked by a Gundam?

"Is the source of this money legitimate?"

Looking at the gold bricks in front of him with some temptation, Kakuzu ignored Chomei's complaints in his mind and asked.

"Legitimate, this is all my New Year's money."

Uchiha Kagami nodded, his expression very sincere.

"New Year's money? How old are you?"

You can have so much New Year's money? How old are you, kid? You aren't an old cucumber painted with green paint, pretending to be young, are you?

Scratching his little curls, Uchiha Kagami answered with a strange expression.

"My uncle said New Year's money has to be heavy, otherwise, if you can't suppress it, you're prone to dying young." (End of chapter)