"What do we do next?" Shino looked at Takumi.
Unknowingly, he had started treating Takumi as the team leader, not Kurenai, who was the Tokubetsu Jonin and the team's official leader.
The key point was, Kurenai thought the same way...
"Follow me." Takumi said.
Saying this, he took the lead and flipped into the mansion.
The mansion was empty at the moment.
This place held Gato's vast wealth, yet there wasn't a single person.
But that made sense, as there were two reasons. Gato certainly wouldn't leave ronin with insufficient loyalty here.
Otherwise, he might return from a trip to find the ronin had disappeared with all his money.
The second reason was something Gato absolutely wouldn't anticipate.
That someone would take the opportunity after he left to sneak into his mansion and steal.
He had controlled everything in the Land of Waves for years.
This led to a false impression.
He thought no one in the Land of Waves would dare to break into his mansion, even if he wasn't there.
Everyone followed Takumi into the mansion.
Then, following the route provided by Shino, they quickly found the basement where Gato hid his money.
"Takumi-kun, is this really okay?" Hinata felt somewhat uneasy.
This behavior seemed like theft to her.
Kiba and Shino also looked uneasy.
They never expected their first mission outside the village would be something like this.
"It's fine." Kurenai comforted them: "According to Takumi's speculation, that Gato will probably be killed soon. Once he dies, this money no longer belongs to him. We're just picking up ownerless gold."
"Besides, this money was originally extorted from the people. Take from the people, use for the people, right?"
Hearing Kurenai say this, the three looked somewhat better.
At least their feeling of resistance was much less.
Takumi gave Kurenai an appreciative look.
'Good, good, learning to be flexible.'
'Not in vain having lived with me for so long.'
While Takumi and the others were packing up Gato's wealth, Obito and the others also quietly followed, monitoring the situation.
"Wait? What are they doing?" Kakuzu suddenly said.
"What's wrong?" Deidara asked, puzzled. "Aren't they just moving things?"
"Damn!!! That's money!"
"These bastards are robbing someone else's, no, robbing my money!"
Kakuzu's body immediately began to tremble uncontrollably!
He was a man loyal to money. How could he watch so much money appear before his eyes without being able to touch it?
"Hey, Kakuzu, what are you going to do?" Deidara sharply sensed something was wrong: "What do you mean your money? You're not going to make a move, are you? If you dare make a move, I'll... uh..."
Obito delivered a knife-hand strike to the back of Deidara's neck. His eyes rolled back and he passed out.
Kakuzu didn't notice this scene.
His full attention was on Takumi and the others packing up the money below.
Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and directly jumped down from Deidara's clay bird.
Then he ran out, eyes red with a mad dash!
"Aren't you going to stop him?" Konan couldn't help but say.
"No need. It's just right to let Kakuzu test him." Obito resumed his gloomy voice: "Kakuzu is also the only one among us who hasn't had contact with Takumi. Maybe he can discover something new."
Konan nodded, looked at the unconscious Deidara and said, "Then how do we explain his condition?"
"Just say he was hit by a rock falling from the sky. His brain won't think too much about it anyway." Obito brushed it off casually.
"Uh..." Konan looked speechless, but since Obito said so, she didn't ask further.
As for Kakuzu, she was somewhat concerned.
Kakuzu's strength was considerable.
The enhancement of Ninjutsu by Earth Grudge Fear, and the Five Nature Transformations Kakuzu mastered, made him a character not easily defeated in combat.
Moreover, the extremely strong vitality of Earth Grudge Fear greatly increased Kakuzu's survivability.
Unless all the hearts inside his body were crushed, Kakuzu wouldn't die.
He was just right to use for probing Takumi's strength.
"Be careful!" Although Takumi was packing up Gato's vault, he kept a constant watch on the Akatsuki's members above.
Seeing Kakuzu suddenly jump down now, he wasn't too surprised.
Because he knew it must be their money-grabbing behavior that Kakuzu couldn't stand.
This was a man who saw money as his faith!
How could someone stuff large amounts of money in front of him while he remained unmoved?
For money, Kakuzu could do anything!
Receiving Takumi's warning, the others immediately saw Kakuzu descending from the sky and quickly scattered.
"It's someone from the Akatsuki!" Kurenai, seeing the other's cloud-patterned cloak, immediately recognized their identity.
"But why would an Akatsuki's member appear here?" Kurenai soon became puzzled.
"You're no match for him. Leave him to me." Takumi said with a serious expression.
"His body is so strange!" Hinata activated her Byakugan and immediately detected the abnormal situation inside Kakuzu's body.
"He has several hearts!" Hinata said in surprise.
"That's his secret technique! Each heart represents a Chakra Nature. He masters Five Chakra Nature Transformations. He's not an opponent you can handle." Takumi shouted loudly, then blocked the path in front of Kakuzu.
"I never expected you to know so clearly." Kakuzu's face was gloomy. He never thought his secrets would be all spoken out by someone meeting him for the first time.
'Damn, we're supposed to be investigating him, but upon first meeting, my background details are exposed!'
"Hey! You, do you know me or something?"
Kakuzu questioned Takumi.
"Of course I know you. Kakuzu, the man legendary for throwing a shuriken at the Shodaime Hokage from 800 miles away." Takumi said seriously.
Hearing Takumi's words, the others were instantly stunned.
"800 miles away? Is such thing even possible?" Kurenai looked shocked.
"At Shodaime Hokage-sama?" Rin looked shocked, 'Is this person that old?'
"What do you mean throwing a shuriken?" Kiba asked, puzzled.
"He once challenged Shodaime Hokage and didn't die." Takumi explained briefly, "But considering the strength difference between the two sides, I think he just threw a shuriken from far away, and didn't actually fight Shodaime Hokage."
With Takumi's explanation, Kurenai and the others nodded in sudden understanding.
But Kakuzu was furious beyond measure.
"Brat, you're talking nonsense! I really fought Shodaime Hokage!" Kakuzu said through gritted teeth.
"Hehe, who knows? Shodaime has been dead for so long. You could say you killed him and there'd be no way to verify it!"
"You damn...!?"
Nearby…
"This Takumi, his skill at mocking people is really outstanding." Obito said: "He can actually make even the steady-tempered Kakuzu so angry."
"Now, Kakuzu will only have eyes for Takumi, and won't pay attention to the others. Takumi said that to protect the others, right?" Konan also saw Takumi's intention.
Takumi had, of course, said it deliberately.
Just to make Kakuzu focus all his attention on himself.
First, to test the newly acquired dodging ability.
Second, to keep the others out of Kakuzu's line of sight.
Otherwise, with Kakuzu's powerful Ninjutsu, the others would likely be seriously injured or killed.
The current rookies hadn't grown up yet and couldn't handle an opponent of Kakuzu's level.
If the others died, it was fine, but he didn't want his girls to get hurt!
"Since you guessed it, then let me show you the power of Earth Grudge Fear!" Kakuzu's voice was full of anger.
After all, it was precisely because he infiltrated Konoha to assassinate Shodaime Hokage and failed back then, and was then betrayed by his village upon returning, that he stole the village's treasured secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear.