Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 99: Kakuzu

"All we have is a lead, so why the rush?"

Gari glanced at Mu. "Lord Second, what's our next move?"

He wasn't sure what was going through Haneda Fuji's mind.

Did Fuji want them monitoring each other?

Or was it simply that even ninjas of their caliber might face issues acting alone?

But grouping them into teams of four seemed unnecessary. Two-man squads might've been more efficient.

That said, Gari personally didn't mind being paired with the Second Tsuchikage.

Mu didn't respond to his question. Instead, his sharp gaze shifted toward the staff member at the underground exchange. His tone dropped.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

The man flinched under the piercing stares. Catching sight of Kaguya Yuko's amused smirk, he gulped and decided to speak up.

"Lord Kakuzu… he often turns in bodies here. Typically, he stays in one country for a while, hunting down all valuable targets before moving on…"

He didn't need to finish. The four understood perfectly.

"Hunting in the Land of Fire… Are there any suitable targets lately? Don't tell me he's targeting Konoha's shinobi?"

Kaguya Yuko narrowed his eyes, his words dripping with menace.

The staff member trembled under the oppressive killing intent. Abandoning the last of his discretion, he blurted everything out:

"Recently… the bounties on Konoha's ninjas have spiked significantly. That's what lured Lord Kakuzu to the area. But… I'm not sure if he'll actually go through with the contracts."

After all, targeting Konoha as a lone mercenary could only be described as… bold.

Mu's eyes sharpened as he gave the man a meaningful look. "Hand over every bit of information you have on him, including photos."

The underground exchange wasn't a legitimate organization. They collected information on bounty hunters just as much as they provided bounties for them.

"Y-Yes, right away!"

Once the four had what they needed and prepared to leave, the staff member let out a sigh of relief.

Having dealt with all kinds of shinobi, today had been particularly nerve-wracking.

Among the four, he recognized three faces from past bounties—people who were supposed to be dead. Their contracts had long been removed.

Even if they weren't dead, why would ninja from three different villages team up?

Whether it was a clever ruse or part of some conspiracy, the idea that they might actually be resurrected corpses seemed ridiculous.

No, better to keep his mouth shut and not get involved.

Just as this thought passed through his mind, a shadow appeared silently behind him. A swift motion ended his life.

"We walk together, and no one believes we're the real deal."

Gari glanced at the fallen staffer and the figure replacing him behind the counter. His tone carried a hint of amusement.

"But if a fight breaks out, some of our signature techniques will expose us. Then what?"

"Why worry about it?" Kaguya Yuko grinned, baring sharp teeth. "The boss didn't say we had to cover our tracks."

Gari ignored him, turning to Mu instead, awaiting his decision.

"Clean up all traces," Mu commanded coldly.

If they were careless, it wouldn't be Hyuga Fuji facing trouble—it would be the villages backing them.

The white creatures Fuji controlled had near-flawless transformation techniques. Once they infiltrated the population, rooting them out would be nearly impossible.

It was clear Fuji wouldn't hesitate to deploy them across the Five Great Nations, targeting spies, nobles, and bureaucrats for replacement.

If they carelessly left behind any clues, misinformation could easily spiral out of control, creating unintended consequences.

Hearing the warning in Mu's tone, Gari nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Aburame Shikuro quietly pulled out two bounty posters he'd swiped from the exchange. His narrowed eyes studied the images and the sums listed.

…

"In a world of betrayal and lies, money is the only thing you can trust."

This was the belief Kakuzu had come to embrace after decades of life as a ninja betrayed by his own village. It gave purpose to his seemingly endless existence.

A massive fire release jutsu reduced his enemies to ash. Kakuzu grabbed one charred corpse and slung another over his shoulder. He prepared to head to the nearest exchange to cash in.

These two weren't worth much, only seven million combined, but it was still a decent payout.

Though the bounties on Konoha's leadership were tempting, Kakuzu knew better than to act recklessly.

Their heads were priced in the billions. While enticing, those targets were leagues beyond the shinobi typically valued in the tens of millions.

As he weaved through the forest, Kakuzu's thoughts wandered. Suddenly, he froze.

Four figures blocked his path.

One stepped forward, a wild grin on his face.

"So, you're the legendary immortal Kakuzu? I hear you fought the First Hokage once."

It was Kaguya Yuko, leading the team that had tracked Kakuzu down over several days.

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he studied them. Something about their appearances was… familiar.

Seeing him remain silent, Kaguya Yuko's grin widened.

"I'll take that as a yes. In that case, let's fight—"

"Wait."

Kakuzu carefully placed the bodies on the ground. Ignoring the charged atmosphere, he pulled out a booklet and began flipping through its pages.

The four watched him with puzzled expressions as he muttered under his breath.

"Second Tsuchikage Mu. Bounty: two billion. Deceased. Contract revoked."

"Kaguya Yuko. Bounty: thirty-five million. Deceased. Contract revoked."

"Explosion Release Gari. Contract revoked."

"Aburame Shikuro. Contract revoked."

Kakuzu's green eyes scanned the group again. Not one of them was a "living" ninja. With a sigh, he hoisted his corpses back onto his shoulders and began walking away, muttering,

"Just a bunch of worthless imposters. Your transformation jutsu is decent, though. If you ever earn your own bounties, come find me—at least break a million."

Having lived so long, Kakuzu had seen plenty of bizarre things.

Sometimes young ninjas from smaller nations, newly skilled in transformation jutsu, would mimic famous shinobi to prank or deceive others. They rarely thought about the consequences.

And then there were the occasional eccentrics—those who disguised themselves as shinobi from the Five Great Nations, traveling together as if doing so would somehow bring peace to the world.

Pathetic.

In a world like this, only money could offer any real solace.

Kakuzu didn't care how these imposters knew his name. They weren't worth his time.

"Lord Second, for some reason, I'm feeling particularly irritated," Gari muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"Mm. Me too," Mu replied, his gaze chilling. He glanced at Yuko. "Enough playing around. End this quickly."

Before Yuko could respond, Mu's chakra surged, filling the air with an overwhelming pressure.

Kakuzu, sensing danger, immediately sprang into action.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"

(End of Chapter)