Root Base.
Root discovered the Akatsuki Organization's activities in the Land of Thunder, and Akihara Kagura wanted to investigate the Akatsuki Organization's presence in the Land of Thunder. This matter only needed to be reported to the Hokage Tower.
The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, had no reason to stop him.
All along, Akihara Kagura has often been able to predict enemy movements in advance.
The Akatsuki Organization's members had just appeared, and Root already obtained intelligence on Akatsuki. The problem was that the information transmission was not fast enough, causing them to be a step behind.
When Akihara Kagura arrived in the Land of Thunder, Akatsuki members Kakuzu and Hidan were planning to leave. They had already extracted the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki Yugito's Tailed Beast Chakra from The Hidden Cloud Village and killed a ninja with a bounty along the way. Kakuzu took the corpse to the Gold Exchange to exchange for some money first.
Gold Exchange.
The Ninja World's Gold Exchanges have always used money to collect corpses of some well-known ninja, selling these corpses at higher prices to buyers.
Since the Gold Exchange is filled with corpses year-round, to avoid the smell being detected, the locations of Gold Exchanges are mostly hidden in toilets or garbage dumps.
These locations can be considered sufficiently secret.
In a certain sense, Gold Exchange is also a kind of alternative assassin organization.
Currently, the bounty for Akihara Kagura has been steadily rising in the Gold Exchange's Wanted Orders, reaching a price of seven hundred million Ryo, long ranked first at the top of the bounty list.
For years, this top position has remained unmoved. Yet, even so, many in the Ninja World still believe this price is too low for the value of his corpse.
"Humph, that bastard's bounty has risen again…"
Kakuzu's main purpose here is killing to exchange for money and picking up the latest Wanted Order published by the Gold Exchange. The first name he sees is Akihara Kagura at the top, his past defeat by Akihara Kagura ever present on his mind: "Seven hundred million Ryo is really tempting…"
To be honest.
Kakuzu really has some thoughts he shouldn't have.
Kakuzu doesn't quite expect to have a chance to kill Akihara Kagura. It's just that Akihara Kagura's name is too glaring on the Gold Exchange's roster.
"Because no one in the Ninja World believes they can kill him."
The Gold Exchange staff, while counting the money to give to Kakuzu, explained: "If Mr. Kakuzu could bring Akihara Kagura's corpse, perhaps the price could multiply by ten times without any problem…"
"..."
Kakuzu furrowed his brows.
Even after a few years, Kakuzu doesn't believe he has the power to deal with Akihara Kagura. That guy's Wood Release Ninjutsu is really too terrifying.
"Then just kill him!"
Hidan, standing by, waved his nose beside the stench, opening in annoyance: "I've heard that guy is called the New Generation God of Ninja. But the real God is the one I believe in…"
"Fool!"
Kakuzu glanced at Hidan and couldn't resist cursing, speaking coldly: "That bastard is scarier than any enemy you've faced. A flick of his palm can slap you to death…"
Kakuzu won't forget that during the battle years ago, his Earth Grudge Fear was crushed one by one by Akihara Kagura's Woodman Jutsu. If they encountered Akihara Kagura, a slap from the Woodman Jutsu could pin Hidan to the ground, unable to extract him!
"Here is your money."
The Gold Exchange staff finished counting the bounty and handed it to Kakuzu.
Kakuzu reached out and accepted it but didn't put the money in the box immediately. Instead, he counted it himself, seemingly worried the sum wasn't correct.
"I say you, guy…"
Hidan, annoyed, looked at Kakuzu in dissatisfaction: "Why are you always so obsessed with money? It's the most useless thing, it will corrupt your soul!"
"Only money is worth trusting."
Kakuzu coldly replied as he finished counting the money and then left with Hidan, pushing open a dark exit door.
This Gold Exchange is hidden in a foul-smelling garbage dump.
"So annoying."
Hidan grumbled in irritation, waving away the continually wafting stench from his nose as he carried his scythe, wanting to leave immediately.
"Fool…"
Kakuzu looked at Hidan, also somewhat annoyed.
But Kakuzu couldn't kill Hidan, and Hidan couldn't kill Kakuzu either. The two were internally known within Akatsuki as the Undying Duo, claiming to be unkillable.
Precisely because of this…
Kakuzu's teammate had stabilized.
Because in the past, Kakuzu liked to kill his teammates, taking their corpses to exchange for money. Now his teammate Hidan is the only man who can escape death.
However…
Their relationship was not harmonious.
Hidan, that bastard, only has his belief in God in mind. He constantly relied on his Undying Body to clash with Kakuzu's obsession with money, cursing all the while that money is worthless as he spent Kakuzu's earnings…
This fool…
Kakuzu, being an old man, was reluctant to bother with that fool Hidan.
"Next stop is the Land of Fire."
Kakuzu pondered the order conveyed by Pain via Zetsu while flipping through his bounty manual: "Let's see if I can reap some bounties on the road…"
"You just really love money…"
Hidan snorted coldly, cleaning out his ears: "Kakuzu, really not considering hunting that blasphemer named Akihara Kagura with me?"