Only now did he realize that Zetsu was actually one of Tobi's men.
Although Chiriku's bounty was a staggering thirty million ryo, he had no intention of working hard for Tobi. Since he couldn't contact the leader at the moment, there was only one way.
Finally, a public restroom appeared ahead. Kakuzu had been to this place many times and was familiar with the personnel. Carrying the bag with the corpse, he walked inside.
He pressed a spot next to a urinal, and a section of the adjacent wall slid open, revealing a person Kakuzu knew well—a bald man with a scar on his brow. Kakuzu was secretly pleased; thankfully, it was still the same person.
The moment the bald man saw Kakuzu, he greeted him with exceptional enthusiasm. "Big Brother Kakuzu, long time no see! Please, come in."
Kakuzu walked in slowly and took out the corpse.
The bald man checked it against his handbook, his face filled with astonishment. "Isn't this Chiriku from the Fire Temple? He's worth thirty million!"
"You've caught a big fish this time, Big Brother Kakuzu."
"Hehehehe..." Kakuzu let out a satisfied chuckle. "Check him, same as always."
The bald man paused for a moment, then bowed and replied, "Don't worry, Big Brother Kakuzu. I'll make sure everything is handled properly for you."
After a simple inspection, the bald man said to Kakuzu, "Big Brother Kakuzu, next time, could you try to keep the corpse a bit more intact? A hole this big makes it difficult to store."
Slightly displeased, Kakuzu stepped forward and inserted his fingers into the hole in Chiriku's chest to measure it. "Fine. I'll be more careful next time." Kakuzu withdrew his hand and flicked it clean.
The bald man nodded. "Thank you for your consideration, Big Brother Kakuzu. Here is the thirty million." With that, he walked into the next room and returned with a massive chest of money.
Kakuzu opened the chest, glanced inside, and then closed it, letting out a satisfied "Hmph."
"I'll be back the next time I have business." Having said that, Kakuzu picked up the money and left.
Seeing that Kakuzu didn't even bother to count the money, the bald man understood.
After Kakuzu was long gone, the bald man quickly dragged Chiriku's body into the inner room. He reached into the corpse and began to search. Soon enough, he found a hidden, secret letter.
The bald man unfurled it and saw it was covered in minuscule characters woven from Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear threads. As he read the contents, his expression shifted from surprise to grim seriousness.
So that's how it is. No wonder Big Brother Kakuzu didn't even count the money. It seems I'll have to make a trip myself.
...
Beneath the Five Great Shinobi Countries, the strongest was currently the Land of Rice Paddies. Especially in terms of its economy, it completely suppressed the surrounding smaller nations. The completion rate of its ninja village's missions had also become a leader among the minor countries.
Although Orochimaru and Kawasaki's factory layouts in the Land of Fire had caused a slight decline in the Land of Rice Paddies' profits, the preconceived notion that its products were more delicious still prevailed among many people. While some restaurants in the Land of Rice Paddies had closed, others had specialized in high-end cuisine—dishes that the central factories could not replicate. As a result, its income remained robust.
After years of development, Otogakure had grown to a considerable scale. The information that Kabuto Yakushi had revealed his Sage Mode upon his return had also been sold by Kakuzu to the exchange stations. With Otogakure's development in full swing, many factions were willing to pay a high price for intelligence on Kabuto. It was no longer a secret that he had mastered Sage Mode.
Sage Mode was a rare ability in the world, and its users were all top-tier masters of the shinobi world. Otogakure's reputation soared as a result. More and more ninja came to join, fostering a cycle of positive growth.
However, Otogakure had always had a huge hidden problem: a lack of high-level experts who could hold their own. Kabuto was indeed powerful, but it would be too embarrassing for the Kage to have to step in for every difficult problem.
Otogakure had originally relied on the Uchiha clan, but now the Uchiha were not permanently stationed there. Furthermore, Lord Orochimaru had indicated that the Uchiha clan might gradually withdraw from Otogakure in the future, instructing Kabuto to prepare in advance. Because Orochimaru had left all his laboratories here to Kabuto before he departed, it was likely he would not be returning.
Kabuto began his own independent experiments. Having always been Orochimaru's assistant, he was completely at ease in the field of biological science.
Through his experiments on the Sound Four under his command—Sakon, Ukon, Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Jirobo—Kabuto discovered they were excellent vessels for natural energy. He extracted tissue from their cells, cultivated it in combination with his own cells, and then implanted it back into their respective bodies. After a period of time, the cells proliferated on their own, completely replacing the original cells of the Sound Four.
Once Kabuto had stored a sufficient amount of natural energy himself, he infused it into the four of them. They became his backup reserves of natural energy. Although they could use this power, their conversion rate was low, resulting in a degraded form of Sage Mode.
But even a degraded Sage Mode was still Sage Mode. For the four of them, it was a tremendous enhancement. Their strength leaped directly to the elite jonin level. At the very least, they could now be dispatched as representatives of Otogakure. Among the minor nations, no other small village possessed such strength and prestige.
The biggest difference between the degraded Sage Mode and the Cursed Seal was that the former consumed natural energy, while the latter exhausted one's life force. In the original timeline, their reliance on the Cursed Seal would have killed them all within two years at most.
But now, things were different. After their cellular modification by Kabuto, they had become excellent inert carriers for natural energy. Although they couldn't yet absorb natural energy on their own and their mobilization speed was slower than Kabuto's, it did not harm their bodies. In fact, with repeated use, their bodies gradually grew stronger. If they continued to train, they might one day be able to truly master Sage Mode.
...
Land of Whirlpools, deep within a cavern.
"Ah...!"
Nagato's agonizing scream once again echoed through the cave. It was a difficult ordeal he endured almost every day. Although she had grown used to the sound, Nagato's cries of pain still wrenched Konan's heart.
There was very little Konan could do to help him, other than preparing his meals and nutritional supplements. Outside, she was constantly busy, using her abilities and the materials provided by Kawasaki to set up various traps and defenses. If Tobi dared to invade, Konan would be sure to give him a big "surprise"!
Every time the will of the Hashirama cells flared up, countless fragments flashed through Nagato's mind—remnants of Hashirama's battle memories and fragmented images of his jutsu. Nagato understood that once these fragments passed, the episode would be over.
But he never expected that today, after the fragments dissipated, the scene in his mind would slowly transform into an image of his own current body. As if through x-ray vision, Nagato dazedly witnessed the division and proliferation of the Hashirama cells, and their fusion with or replacement of his own cells.
His perspective shifted, and it felt as if Nagato had become blood itself, flowing through his own body. It was a bizarre sensation, to be able to witness his own internal organs from within. Here was the stomach, there were the lungs, and over here was the heart...
But as his consciousness swept past his heart, Nagato was stunned to see a pitch-black area right beside it...
A Cursed Seal!
Nagato's eyes snapped open, realizing he had endured today's mental assault. He clutched his chest. So, there's a fuinjutsu seal on my heart? No wonder I couldn't harm myself, nor could I damage the Rinnegan.
Nagato's wails ceased abruptly. Konan rushed back in from outside, terrified that something had happened to him. But when she got closer, she saw that Nagato was unharmed and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Nagato sat on the bed, panting heavily, his entire body drenched in sweat. In his hand, he clutched a book.
*The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja*.