"Hiss—!"
"ROAR—!"
Two colossal beasts bellowed as they charged straight at each other.
The Seven-Tails, Chōmei, slammed down from the sky, while the Four-Tails raised its massive fist and met the impact head-on.
The collision unleashed a terrifying shockwave. Violent air currents swept outward, dust and debris exploding into the air as the battlefield was plunged into chaos.
"This is practically a monster showdown…"
Far from the battlefield, shinobi from Iwagakure and Takigakure could only watch from afar. Even at such a distance, the overwhelming force made their skin prickle and sweat pour down their backs.
On the battlefield, a crimson ape and a black armored insect tore into each other like feral beasts.
---
Elsewhere, Hanzō stood facing another man.
Kakuzu.
"You've got a lot of nerve," Hanzō said coldly. "After everything that happened, you still have the guts to come look for me. Aren't you afraid I'll just send you directly to afterlife?"
He let out a short, mocking laugh.
"You've been a bounty hunter for decades. And yet you still let yourself get tracked down?"
Then, almost casually, Hanzō added, "You must've saved up quite a retirement fund by now. With the war this dangerous, why not just retire?"
Kakuzu's eyes burned with resentment.
"This is because of your intelligence," he snapped. "You said Iwagakure had no Kage-level fighters left. So how do you explain the resurrected Tsuchikage?"
"If I hadn't left myself a backup, I'd already be dead."
Hanzō tilted his head.
"So what do you want from me? Don't tell me you came all this way just to warn me how dangerous Iwa is."
"Logically speaking, someone who failed should lie low and wait for things to cool down. Not rush to take another job."
"I don't have that kind of time," Kakuzu said bluntly.
"The core of Earth Grudge Fear is still bound to my original body. I'm alive now, but I've lost most of my abilities—including heart extraction."
"If I don't recover my original body, the remaining Grudge Fear will only stay active for at most two years."
Hanzō's eyes narrowed.
"So you want me to help you retrieve your body?"
He waved dismissively.
"Do you take me for an idiot? We're already preparing to attack Iwagakure. Do you have any idea what that'll cost? Who has time to hunt down your body on top of that?"
"My Grudge Fear is still linked to the original," Kakuzu said calmly. "You won't need to worry about locating it."
"And this failure happened because of your bad intelligence."
"You share responsibility."
Hanzō's gaze turned sharp.
"Have I been too lenient with you?"
"Do you really think I won't kill you?"
"Five hundred million."
Kakuzu raised his hand.
"I know your… reputation," he said. "And I can smell it on you. You're the same kind of person I am."
"You won't turn down money."
Hanzō chuckled darkly.
"With that much money, wouldn't it be easier for me to just kill you and take it?"
"That won't work," Kakuzu replied flatly.
"The money's hidden. No one but me knows where."
"I told you—this happened because your intel was wrong. And I'm not asking you to fight Iwagakure head-on. Just help me retrieve my body. There are plenty of ways to do it."
"Five hundred million. That's a bargain for you."
Hanzō fell silent.
"…You're right. The faulty intelligence was partly my responsibility."
"But the other part is your own weakness," he continued coolly.
"How exactly did Iwagakure learn you were going to strike? Even your hideout was exposed. Have you really thought about that?"
"And don't forget—you already accepted payment from me. The job was to assassinate Rōshi, the Fourth Tsuchikage. Not the first three Tsuchikage."
"You turned it into this mess. You can't deny your share of the blame."
Kakuzu's expression darkened.
Hanzō continued, unhurried:
"I'm not the kind of person who dodges responsibility. Since part of this is on me, I'll bear some of the consequences."
"But the risk is enormous. One mistake, and the entire Land of Rain becomes the target of everyone's fury."
"We can handle Iwa on the battlefield. But the Ame has civilians, trade routes, supply lines. The Five Great Nations have plenty of ways to strangle us without fighting."
"So—"
Kakuzu snorted.
"Spare me the act. Just name your price."
Hanzō laughed loudly.
"I like people like you."
"I won't overcharge you. Seven hundred million."
"You've been in this business for decades. Ten billion isn't a stretch for you. You won't miss this."
"I heard you never let anything pass without taking something," Kakuzu muttered bitterly. "Seems the rumors were true."
His heart ached as he spoke.
"Fine. Seven hundred million. I agree."
Hanzō's voice turned solemn.
"Not a single penny less. I'm the so-called 'Demigod,' and I won't accept being underpaid."
Kakuzu twitched.
He finally understood—Hanzō had absolutely no shame. On the battlefield, the man never once called himself a Demigod.
But the moment money was involved, he couldn't stop saying it.
Give him enough money, and Kakuzu was convinced Hanzō would personally throw away that title.
"Don't worry," Kakuzu said stiffly. "You'll get every last drop."
"Just focus on retrieving my body."
"Your words, not mine," Hanzō replied smoothly. "Seven hundred million for retrieving your body. If you back out—heh."
Kakuzu snorted.
Hanzō continued cheerfully,
"Then you should return the previous commission fee."
"What?!" Kakuzu froze.
"You admitted it yourself. Seven hundred million for the new job. I always deliver."
Hanzō spun the scythe on his back, the blade whistling through the air.
"Three hundred million—the fee for ASSASINATING Rōshi."
"The mission failed. So you return the money. I value integrity."
Kakuzu felt the crushing pressure radiating from Hanzō and went numb.
He wasn't afraid of death. If Hanzō had attacked immediately, even being killed outright wouldn't have scared him.
But now—Hanzō had promised to help him retrieve his body. He could live longer. He could earn more money.
"You bastard," Kakuzu growled. "This failed because of you. Seven hundred million is already daylight robbery."
"What did you just say?" Hanzō barked.
The scythe spun faster.
"I hate people who don't honor contracts. They deserve to be torn apart."
The shadow of the rotating blade fell across Kakuzu's face.
"Three hundred million, and I abandon my principles. And you won't accept that?"
"Kakuzu, are you really going to disrespect Hanzō of the Salamander?"
Disrespect? Fucking shit dude!
At that moment, Kakuzu realized something with absolute clarity:
Hanzō was a cultured bandit.
Pride? The man had once asked him how much pride cost per pound.
"Hanzō of the Salamander," Kakuzu spat through clenched teeth,
"I've finally learned what squeezing every last drop really is."
"Fine. Three hundred million. I accept."
If looks could kill, Hanzō would have died tens of thousands of times over.
"When you're old," Kakuzu swore silently,
"I'll be the first to take your head for the bounty."
His heart was bleeding.
-----------------------------///
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