Gotham was loud tonight.
Rain hammered the windows of Black Mask's office, neon lights reflecting across the glass like broken stars. The crime lord sat behind his desk, clearly nervous despite the army of armed men filling the building.
But Kakuzu didn't care about the atmosphere.
He cared about the briefcase in his hand.
Inside it sat the payment for the job—stacked bundles of cash thick enough to satisfy even his impossible greed.
A simple protection contract.
Black Mask had paid well to have someone guard him from Gotham's vigilantes. Normally that would mean Batman… Robin… maybe a few other masked nuisances.
Kakuzu didn't mind.
If anything, he was curious.
Standing near the window with the briefcase hanging casually at his side, Kakuzu silently reviewed the situation.
Humans without chakra.
Primitive weapons.
Weak physical bodies.
Yet somehow these vigilantes had survived in Gotham for years.
Interesting, he thought.
Black Mask cleared his throat nervously.
"You sure you can handle them if they show up?"
Kakuzu didn't even bother looking at him.
"You paid. I'll do the job."
That was all that mattered.
Money.
The window exploded.
Glass shattered inward as a black figure crashed through it like a falling shadow.
Batman.
He landed silently, cape spreading like the wings of a giant bat.
A second figure flipped in behind him.
Robin.
Neither of them spoke.
They simply attacked.
Robin moved first, his staff snapping forward in a blur aimed at Kakuzu's head.
Kakuzu didn't move his feet.
His free hand rose lazily and caught the strike mid-swing.
The staff stopped dead in the air.
Robin's eyes widened slightly.
Kakuzu's grip tightened.
"You're lighter than you look."
He flicked his wrist.
Robin flew across the room, crashing through a table.
Batman followed instantly, fist driving toward Kakuzu's jaw with enough force to crack bone.
Kakuzu tilted his head.
The punch skimmed past his cheek.
Another strike came—faster.
Kakuzu deflected it with the back of his hand.
Then another.
And another.
Batman was fast. Extremely fast. His technique was flawless, honed through decades of brutal training.
For an ordinary human, he was the peak.
But Kakuzu wasn't human in the same way.
Chakra pulsed through his muscles, enhancing every movement.
His body moved faster.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Every attack Batman threw was met with a calm deflection while Kakuzu continued holding the briefcase at his side.
Batman's eyes narrowed.
This opponent wasn't just skilled.
He was beyond human limits.
Robin recovered and rushed back in, striking from Kakuzu's blind spot.
Kakuzu leaned sideways.
The staff missed by centimeters.
Batman used the distraction to drive a heavy kick into Kakuzu's ribs.
The impact finally forced Kakuzu to shift his stance.
He stepped back.
Not injured.
Just… acknowledging the strike.
"Hm."
For the first time since the fight started, Kakuzu looked mildly interested.
"You're better than the others."
Batman didn't answer.
He attacked again.
This time faster.
Harder.
Kakuzu blocked several strikes in rapid succession before finally sighing.
The briefcase dropped onto the desk with a soft thud.
"Fine."
Chakra rippled through his body.
He raised one hand.
"Let's make this interesting."
A quick sequence of hand signs flashed.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."
The air exploded.
A massive blast of compressed wind tore across the room like a cannon, ripping furniture apart and forcing both Batman and Robin to leap backward to avoid being crushed.
Black Mask screamed somewhere behind his desk.
Kakuzu rolled his shoulders calmly.
That was only a fraction of his power.
He hadn't even released a heart yet.
Batman landed in a defensive stance, cape fluttering in the wind.
Robin stood beside him, staff ready again.
Both of them were now watching Kakuzu very carefully.
They understood.
This wasn't just another criminal.
This was something entirely different.
Kakuzu picked the briefcase back up and casually rested it against his shoulder.
"If you two want to keep fighting," he said calmly, "you'll need to bring more than that."
And for the first time since arriving in Gotham…
Batman realized the Akatsuki had sent something far worse than Pain's puppet.
They had sent a real monster.