Chapter 326

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

Kakuzu, beneath the mask, glanced with his peripheral vision at the three captured brats. He had heard their conversation clearly; this rogue ninja was truly too bold.

Even when beating a dog, one must look at its owner. Who was Senju Tobirama? Senju Hashirama's own brother. How dare you touch his disciple? Are you tired of living?

"Shenhuo, shall we change locations?"

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

"Ignorant fool, take this!"

How could Shenhuo listen to a bounty hunter who came to capture him? His face darkened, and he swung his palms to press the attack.

"Blast Palm!"

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

"Hmph!"

Seeing Kakuzu unmoved, Shenhuo, feeling slighted, increased the force of his palms, striking toward the opponent's vital points at a very tricky angle.

If it hit, it would mean death or injury.

"Watch out!"

Seeing Kakuzu drop his hands and give up resistance, the three little ones were all shocked. With the unique aesthetic of youth, they subconsciously categorized the silver-white knight into the camp of justice, so the moment Shenhuo attacked, the three of them shouted in anxiety.

"Die!"

"Boom!"

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

Could he have some hidden trump card?

As a secret technique of the Grass Hidden Style, the Blast Palm was a palm technique created by the Grass ninjas borrowing from the strengths of many schools. Its trajectory was ever-changing, and its force was soft yet firm, killing invisibly, making it a headache for many who faced it.

Shenhuo had once relied on his mastery of this move to successfully promote to elite captain. The elder who taught him this move had even praised him for being better than his master, certain he would carry this secret technique forward.

However, 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 been absorbed by the knight armor. His body hadn't felt a ripple at all. If not for Shenhuo's solemn expression, he would have thought the opponent was just feinting.

"Whoosh~"

Sensing something was wrong, Shenhuo immediately withdrew his palms and took several steps back to distance himself from Kakuzu. Looking at his slightly reddened palms, his heart was full of astonishment.

He had clearly hit him solidly; why did the opponent have no reaction at all?

"What exactly are you?"

Shenhuo, beginning to take Kakuzu seriously, assumed a professional stance, his brow furrowed as he issued a soul-searching question.

"I have already introduced myself. My code name is Sword."

Kakuzu crouched into a sprinting stance, holding his short sword vertically in front of him, and answered in a calm tone.

"Stop playing dumb. Who exactly are you?"

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 silence. This familiar question seemed to follow some kind of formula.

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

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

Tailed Beast Knight?

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

"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 fiercely at the confused Shenhuo, indicating they didn't know either.

But one couldn't blame them for being ill-informed. The other four great nations hadn't revealed any news before fully mastering the power of the Tailed Beast Knights. Konoha, because it didn't have a tailed beast yet, had also sealed the news of the Tailed Beast Knights, so until now, the name of the knight hadn't spread in the Ninja World.

"Is that a Tailed Beast Knight?"

Uchiha Madara, who had been cut in line earlier, was now standing in a hidden spot not far away, his ears pricked high. 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 tailed beasts except the One-Tail, opened his scarlet eyes to observe carefully, identifying the true form of this Tailed Beast Knight.

"Not bad."

After confirming the tailed beast's identity, Uchiha Madara closed his eyes, returning them to dark pupils, full of consideration. After a long while, he gave a fair evaluation.

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

He hadn't expected that after becoming a Tailed Beast Knight, the sense of oppression would be much stronger than when it was in its large form; it could barely enter Uchiha Madara's eyes.

"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 his own upcoming transformation into a Tailed Beast Knight.

"Small talk over, Shenhuo, surrender!"

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

"Bai Chi!"

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

"Fire Style: Ghost Lantern."

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

Facing Shenhuo's desperate resistance, Kakuzu said nothing more. He swung the short blade in his hand, moving with the wind; his elegant footwork was 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. Shaking the embers off the tip of the blade, the sparks were like cherry blossoms blooming in the dark, so beautiful that one couldn't bear to look away.

"So cool!"

The three little ones completely forgot their current situation. Sarutobi Hiruzen even 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~

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

"Clang~"

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 blade.

"Ping~ Pong~"

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

"Clang~ Boom!"

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

"Snap!"

Finally, Shenhuo hadn't reached his limit, but the sword in his hand couldn't hold on anymore. As a katana made of refined steel, being able to hold out this long against a short blade made of tailed beast power was already mind-boggling.

"Thump!"

Just like that, Shenhuo, now without a weapon, was knocked back by a swing of Kakuzu's short blade, falling beside Zhenzi, who had been watching the battle all along.

"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 gourmet delivery was.

Unexpectedly, the opponent's level was not bad, defeating 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!"

Shenhuo stood up, panting. Kakuzu's casual swing had made him feel as if he had been hit by a galloping beast, and all the bones in his body were trembling.

"Woman, you are not on the bounty list. I have no need to fight you."

Looking at Zhenzi walking slowly toward him, Kakuzu, who had obtained a portion of tailed beast privileges, sensed thick and complex emotions 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. He subconsciously held his short blade horizontally in front of his chest. A huge metallic ring sounded; the woman's pale little hand had already grabbed his blade. It looked weak, but it was actually not simple.

"What exactly are you?"

Kakuzu held the sword with both hands, and rich tailed beast chakra permeated his body. The short blade, filled 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. Her grip on the blade loosened slightly. Kakuzu took the opportunity to withdraw the short blade and kicked the woman in the lower abdomen, the huge impact sending her flying several meters away.

"What is this?"

Kakuzu, smelling a strange odor, raised the short blade in his hand in confusion, discovering that where the woman had grabbed it, a black mark remained. Black mist rolled on the mark, occupying the normal area of the blade at a speed visible to the naked eye.

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

"Be careful, this guy is not simple."

Chomei's voice suddenly sounded, with a rare solemnity in his tone.

"Divine Beast, do you know this woman's origin?"

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

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

Chomei didn't answer directly, instead muttering to himself in confusion.

"Divine Beast, she..."

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

"Zhenzi, what have you experienced? Are you really still you..."

"Boom!"

The opponent's methods were bizarre, and Kakuzu didn't dare to be arrogant. He immediately backflipped to dodge Zhenzi's attack, landing just beside 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, clearing up Kakuzu's confusion.

"Satori?"

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

It's not that Kakuzu is ignorant; the Box of Ultimate Bliss belongs to the ancient era, and probably not many people recognize it now.

"Can it be solved? Divine Beast~"

Hearing Chomei say 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 was not 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 this human, Kakuzu. He didn't care for food or drink; tasteless dry cakes and cold water were delicious to him. He didn't care for clothes or accessories; coarse cloth was his standard. He couldn't bear to stay in high-end hotels when traveling, either sleeping on the streets or in ruined temples.

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

"Sigh, forget it."

Kakuzu was indeed obsessed with money, but since the Divine Beast had said so, he gave up the idea.

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

"Excuse me, can you please save my father?"

Just as Kakuzu was about to retreat, a slightly nervous voice sounded 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 instantly, Sarutobi Hiruzen froze on the spot.

"Why? Aren't you a knight?"

Although he didn't understand the meaning of a knight, the aura the other party emitted carried a certain halo of justice, making Sarutobi Hiruzen subconsciously think the other party was a good person who didn't seek rewards.

"Ha? You're engaging in moral kidnapping at such a young age. You'll 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 labeled the monkey-faced brat with a very fitting tag.

"Tsk, what a pity for my little money~"

Without paying any more attention to the dejected Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kakuzu clicked his tongue and turned around, preparing to run away.

"Eat!"

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

"So troublesome."

Kakuzu, having turned around, sensed he was locked on by malice. He flicked the short blade in his hand toward Zhenzi's face, while simultaneously leaping high, assuming a flying kick pose in the air, and kicked toward the woman.

Rider Kick!

"Eat."

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

"Boom!"

The two forces collided in the air, making a deafening sound. The rubble on the nearby rooftops was lifted by the shockwave, and the clattering sound was endless.

"Thump!"

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

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

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

Sensing Kakuzu's intention to retreat, Sarutobi Hiruzen 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 realistic. Who said heroes had to give for free? 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?

"Unless you can take 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 retreat. Anyway, these three brats didn't look like they could take out a huge reward.

"Eat."

"Hurry up, I'm leaving~"

Seeing Zhenzi lock onto him again, Kakuzu waved his hand to cut the bonds of the three, preparing to lure this woman away before leaving. It could be considered as winning a chance 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 start a charity fund or something?

"I have ten thousand ryo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, having regained his freedom, hurriedly rummaged through 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—at most, he could 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 right, I dare to fight 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 wildly as if it had turned on an accelerator, almost ruining his reputation.

"It must be that brat Hamura!"

Rubbing his sore rear, Otsutsuki Hagoromo's two true and one false eyes blazed with fire, and he gritted his teeth to open the portal to the Moon's Pure Land.

A sage who doesn't avenge this grudge is no sage!

"Clang!"

With the landing of the golden brick, Kakuzu's eyes beneath the mask 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 into the bag again.

"Clang!"

"..."

Still not enough?

"Clang!"

"You..."

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

After a long while, Kakuzu looked numbly at Uchiha Kagami, who was pulling one gold brick after another out of his bag. He didn't dare to confirm if he was dreaming anymore. If this was truly 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, also blinded by the gold bricks, looked at the high golden wall in front of him, tears of envy flowing from the corners of his mouth. But now was not the time for this; he shouted, waking Kakuzu from his fantasy.

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

Kakuzu, having regained his senses, coughed awkwardly a few times, then looked seriously at the curly-haired brat who emitted an aura that annoyed him.

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

Uchiha Kagami, having taken out half of his family fortune, found that the silver knight's tone had become a bit kinder, so he stated 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 brat who threw money around like dirt 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 have so much New Year's money; how old are you, kid? You aren't an old cucumber painted with green lacquer, pretending to be young, are you?

Scratching his little curly hair, Uchiha Kagami answered with a strange expression:

"My uncle said New Year's money has to be heavy, otherwise, if it doesn't press down, it's easy to die young." (End of chapter)