He had no idea that Kabuto Yakushi hadn't left at all and was merely resting on a tree branch.
Kabuto spotted Kakuzu at a glance, his gaze immediately shifting to the three Earth Grudge Fear beasts outside.
"Well, if it isn't the esteemed Kakuzu. To be targeted by a bounty hunter of your caliber is truly an honor." Kabuto said, his face wreathed in smiles.
"Hm?" Kakuzu frowned. The man actually recognized him. "You know who I am, junior?"
"Of course. You've roamed the ninja world for many years, Kakuzu-senpai. Legends of your exploits are whispered in many places," Kabuto replied, his posture exceptionally humble.
"Heh heh heh... Junior, I don't know what you hope to accomplish by stalling for time, but there's no one coming to save you out here."
"What can I say? Your head is worth a hundred million ryo. You should be more careful next time."
...
As Kakuzu spoke in the forest, the Earth Grudge Fear mask with the lightning affinity suddenly opened its mouth.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
A flash of white light shot out with incredible speed.
As if he had anticipated it, Kabuto leaped away with agile grace.
Kakuzu snorted. As Kabuto dodged, the wind affinity mask launched its own ninjutsu!
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
A violent gale erupted, and a powerful hurricane of trees and sand swept toward Kabuto.
Kabuto crossed his arms in front of his chest, tumbling to the ground in a somewhat disheveled manner.
Kakuzu didn't press the attack. Seeing Kabuto only defending, a sliver of unease bloomed in his heart.
Water Release: Water Cannon!
The water affinity Earth Grudge Fear opened its mouth.
Boom! A massive volume of water converged into a cannonball and blasted straight toward Kabuto.
He had decided against close-quarters combat.
A smile touched the corner of Kabuto's lips. In an instant, thick eye shadow and facial markings appeared on his face, and his pupils became reptilian slits.
A beam of light flared in his hand.
He instantly slashed at the water cannon.
The projectile was cleaved apart into a splash of water.
Kabuto stomped his foot on the ground!
Boom!
An astonishing wave of power surged to the heavens.
What's going on?! Kakuzu's heart leaped in shock.
Fire Release: Searing Migraine!
The fire affinity mask opened its maw, instantly spewing a sea of flames.
Kabuto's speed surged. He was barely singed by the flames as he escaped the jutsu's range.
The burns on his body healed at a visible rate.
Kakuzu's pupils constricted. Such powerful regeneration!
Kabuto's hands flew through a series of hand seals.
Sage Art: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
A colossal water dragon materialized behind Kabuto and lunged forward.
Wherever it passed, the flames were instantly extinguished. The dragon's head showed no sign of weakening as it charged directly at the Searing Migraine mask.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The flames on the ground evaporated the water, raising a thick cloud of steam that quickly enveloped Kabuto's figure.
Bang!
The Searing Migraine mask shattered into pieces.
Such a powerful ninjutsu!
Whoosh...
A fierce wind howled, and a tiny glint of light flashed.
The lightning affinity mask instantly cracked and fell apart.
So fast!
Kakuzu clapped his hands together.
The threads of his Earth Grudge Fear burrowed into the ground. Losing two hearts in an instant left him stunned. He never expected this unassuming man to be so formidable.
These facial markings... could it be Sage Mode?
In his long life, Kakuzu had seen and heard much, but he had only ever heard legends of Sage Mode. He had never once fought an opponent who could use it.
He'd heard the First Hokage could use Sage Mode, but Kakuzu had never witnessed it himself. He knew that Sage Mode was said to enhance every aspect of the body to an extreme degree.
With his threads underground, his opponent was momentarily without a target. Kakuzu quickly moved closer to his wind affinity beast.
Bang! The threads shot out from the earth and swiftly merged with the tendrils extending from Kakuzu himself, finally emerging from his shoulder.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
Boom!
A ferocious gale scattered in all directions. A sphere of highly pressurized wind swept outwards.
Kabuto reappeared, holding two chakra scalpels, his speed demonic. The trajectory of each blast from the high-pressure wind sphere was difficult to track, and Kabuto's speed was extreme. His body was also remarkably flexible, twisting into various shapes as he weaved through the gaps between the wind blasts.
Too fast!
Kakuzu had no time for shock. He could only switch to close-quarters combat.
The chakra scalpels left a trail of afterimages as they sliced through the air. Kakuzu formed the hand seal for an earth-style jutsu and leaned back sharply. Just as his entire body hardened, the chakra scalpels struck his arms.
To Kakuzu's utter disbelief, his petrified arms were sent flying.
While still airborne, Kakuzu kicked out, striking Kabuto's elbow and sending himself flying backward. Deactivating the petrification, he shot threads from his hands, reconnecting with his severed arms. He formed a hand seal in midair.
Bang! The water affinity mask burst from the ground.
Water Release: Water Covering!
A powerful jet of water sprayed toward Kabuto.
He can reattach them? This is even stronger than the last water cannon!
Kabuto's eyes narrowed slightly. He brought his arms up and chose to take the hit head-on.
Whoosh...
Sage Art: Yin Healing Wound Destruction!
In Sage Mode, Kabuto's body was exceptionally durable. The powerful water cannon slammed into him, but his wounds healed instantly. Other than being pushed back a short distance, he was completely unharmed.
Kakuzu stomped his feet and formed another hand seal. The water mask retracted into his body, emerging from his other shoulder.
Combination Ninjutsu: Gale-Water Blast!
The water mask produced a massive torrent of water, which the wind mask then compressed. The water cannon, now infused with wind-nature transformation, rained down like a storm of dense bullets.
Kabuto bit his thumb and flew through hand seals, slamming his palms on the ground.
Rashomon!
A massive, demonic gate materialized in an instant!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang...
Countless water bullets struck the gate, producing a deafening roar. The entire Rashomon was covered in dents.
Kabuto flickered.
He found himself face to face with Kakuzu, who was charging forward. Numerous Earth Grudge Fear threads flew from Kakuzu's body. Combining his own limbs with the threads, he attacked Kabuto from all angles.
As Kabuto parried with his chakra scalpels, countless snake shadows shot toward Kakuzu.
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!
Sizzle... Threads flew out, ensnaring the snakes. One by one, they were pierced and vanished without a trace.
Kabuto swung his chakra scalpel again, tearing a large gash across Kakuzu's chest.
Kabuto frowned.
The Kakuzu before him suddenly dissolved into a pool of water.
Was it when I summoned Rashomon?
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. He gazed to the south. He must have gone that way.
Forget it. Absorbing natural energy in the field is too slow. I can't waste any more time.
Kabuto abandoned the thought of pursuit. His transformation into Sage Mode was still not fast enough. The only reason he could maintain it for so long was due to his body's natural affinity for it, which allowed him to store a certain amount of natural energy within himself at all times. When he needed to enter Sage Mode, he just had to adjust the ratio.
However, even though his body was perfectly compatible with natural energy, the stored energy was somewhat sluggish and couldn't be used immediately. That's why he couldn't just snap into the state; he needed a moment to let the natural energy "warm up." If he tried to force it, he risked turning into a half-human, half-snake monster.
Kabuto had done some unsavory work in the past, so he was more privy to rumors than the average person. He knew of people like Kakuzu. That was why he had taken advantage of a moment of carelessness to destroy two of his hearts first. This way, even if Kakuzu managed to merge his remaining hearts, Kabuto could handle him with ease.
...
Kakuzu truly hadn't expected Kabuto to pull out a trump card like Sage Mode.
Sage Mode was the stuff of legends. In the entire shinobi world, you could count the number of users on one hand. It had never crossed Kakuzu's mind that the Kage of some minor village would master such a technique.
He had carelessly lost his fire and lightning hearts—the ones with the highest firepower and speed—right at the start, putting him at a major disadvantage. He had originally spread his hearts out to prevent Kabuto from escaping, only to be thoroughly beaten. If he hadn't quickly recalled his hearts to bolster his own strength, the fight would have been over.
After losing two hearts, the thought of retreating had already entered Kakuzu's mind. In his long years of battle, this was the first time he had ever faced a Sage Mode user. He had already died twice, yet his opponent was still perfectly fine. He was being completely dominated.
For someone with such a long life, it was foolish to fight head-on in an unfavorable situation.
Just you wait. Once I've replenished my hearts, I'll be back to settle this! Kakuzu thought, grinding his teeth.
Suddenly, the ring on his finger rippled with light. Kakuzu found a safe spot and placed a hand on his head...
...
Land of Fire.
Inside the Daimyo's mansion. "Useless!"
"Useless!"
The normally gentle Daimyo was in a rare fit of rage today. The retainers kneeling below him trembled in fear. They had caused the Daimyo to lose so much face this time; they would likely be packing their bags and returning to the countryside to farm.
"Do you have any idea what the Land of Lightning's envoy said about our Land of Fire?" the Daimyo roared at his retainers. "They couldn't even serve a decent meal! Not even half as good as what the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Paddies served them! What a disgrace! You incompetent fools have thrown away the honor of the Land of Fire!"
"Is this the 'gourmet food' you replicated? Even a pig wouldn't eat this!"
The Daimyo kicked one of his retainers over. The man's head hit the floor hard, leaving a bloody gash on his forehead. But he could only wipe away the blood and plead, "My lord, spare me! We made improvements based on the secret recipes from Konoha. Naturally, it can't compare to the original, but our restaurant business in the Land of Fire is still doing acceptably well!"
"Acceptably well, my foot!" the Daimyo thundered. "You know nothing! We spent so much on advertising, mobilized so much manpower and resources. These meager profits mean we're operating at a loss, do you understand? Now, people in the Land of Rice Paddies are laughing at us, saying our imitations are so poor that unless you eat at the Uchiha's place in Konoha, everything else is a fake!"
At the recent banquet, envoys from many nations had come to discuss trade. The Land of Fire Daimyo had confidently presented his finest cuisine, only to have it utterly scorned by the Land of Lightning. The smaller nations didn't say anything, but the disdain in their eyes was obvious. It wasn't even half as good as the food in the Land of Rice Paddies.
Are these disgusting dishes meant to look down on us? Are they trying to humiliate us?
After some inquiries, the envoys discovered that everything the Land of Fire served was a copy. And a poor one at that. For those who had never tasted the food from the Land of Rice Paddies, it might have been passable. But for those who had experienced both, the difference in flavor was immediately apparent. Their initial disdain was replaced by mockery of the Land of Fire.
The Land of Lightning's envoy had even laughed out loud. The envoy from the Land of Rice Paddies confidently declared that they would host the next banquet, guaranteeing a satisfying meal for all. Thus, the face-conscious Fire Daimyo was now consumed by fury.
"Is there a solution?!"
"I'm asking you, is there a solution?!" the Daimyo demanded after venting his anger, already thinking of how to resolve the matter. How could the Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, be outdone by a rural backwater like the Land of Rice Paddies?
The retainer replied with a pained expression, "My lord, Danzo, who was helping us with this, has already fled. And with the recent series of scandals involving the Third Hokage, the Uchiha clan's development is unprecedented. It will be very difficult to force them to hand over their secret recipes."
"Not even with my order?" the Daimyo fumed.
The retainer hastily explained, "My lord, the Uchiha are practically autonomous now. Even the Third Hokage can't do anything about them."
"Useless!"
The Land of Fire was rich in resources, and with Konoha ensuring domestic peace, the Daimyo lacked for nothing, living a life of hedonistic excess. Making a profit was secondary now; the main issue was regaining his lost face.
Just as the Daimyo was seething, a subordinate delivered a report.
"My lord, a subordinate of Orochimaru is here to see you."
The Daimyo asked, puzzled, "Didn't Orochimaru defect?"
The retainer below reminded him, "My lord, Orochimaru was exonerated by the Third Hokage. Everything in the past was Danzo's doing."
"Oh, right," the Daimyo said, as if just remembering. He had forgotten. "What does his subordinate want?"
"He says he's brought something we need most..."
...
Konoha Village.
Inside the Hokage's office. An Anbu was reporting to the Third Hokage.
"Lord Hokage, according to our sources in the black market, the assassination mission on Kabuto was a failure. However, we have managed to acquire some intelligence on him."
The Third Hokage nodded. He was Orochimaru's man, after all. It would be a poor showing if he were taken down so easily.
Ever since the leader of Otogakure had declared himself a Kage, various powers had begun to watch him closely. Some had even placed a bounty of one hundred million ryo on the Sound Kage's head. It wasn't clear if the bounty was posted by the Fire Daimyo or the Lightning Daimyo.
The heads of the Kage of the Five Great Nations were worth around three hundred million ryo. For the Kage of such a small village to be worth one hundred million, many bounty hunters were eager to take the job. Unfortunately, the Sound ninja were numerous, making it impossible to get close at first. By the time they dispersed, Kabuto only had a few people with him. It was inevitable that someone would make a move on him.
Since Kabuto was Orochimaru's subordinate, the Third Hokage had no intention of eliminating him. He was simply curious about Kabuto's abilities. As long as Kabuto fought someone and there were survivors, information about him would surely be sold on the black market. If you couldn't collect the head, you might as well get some intel to trade for resources.
Unfortunately, for the first few days, no one had managed to force Kabuto to fight. Later, after Kabuto separated from the other Sound ninja, he seemed to vanish from the face of the earth. Many who pursued him returned empty-handed. Even if they found a clue, Kabuto would sense them from a great distance and evade them. He hadn't expected someone to finally corner him.
"How much did it cost?" The Third Hokage had recently skimmed some funds from a donation to Kawasaki, so his pockets were relatively full. There was no helping it; Danzo's previous failures had led to the Third Hokage also receiving criticism. Although the Hokage's status was comparable to the Daimyo's, the Daimyo had cut some of his financial support to express his displeasure. The Third Hokage's income had shrunk, and he'd even had to reduce the resources provided to the Sarutobi clan. Of course, the Sarutobi clan dared not complain. They knew that the current Third Hokage was a force to be reckoned with. He had recently purged several clan spies from the Anbu, including those from the Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado's families. The two advisors, Koharu and Homura, were now as quiet as quails, not daring to breathe a word out of line.
The Shimura clan had been simmering with resentment since Danzo's capture, but then Danzo had broken out of prison and fled. The Third Hokage used this opportunity to discipline the Shimura clan, stripping their clan head of his honorary elder position.
"One million ryo."
The Third Hokage's brow furrowed. It couldn't be helped. Kabuto had never shown his true strength, so no one knew how powerful he was. Information at this stage was priceless. In the future, it wouldn't even fetch ten thousand ryo, let alone a million.
"What's the intel?"
"Kabuto can use Sage Mode."
The hand holding the pipe froze. After a long moment, he slowly took a puff. "Very well. I understand. You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir."
In recent years, besides Jiraiya, it seemed no one else could use Sage Mode. Among the three great sage regions, Orochimaru had ties to Ryuchi Cave. It seemed Kabuto's relationship with Orochimaru was quite deep. They were at least master and student; otherwise, why would he be recommended to train in Sage Mode?
Each sage region's Sage Mode was different, but once a user entered the state, their power would increase dramatically.