Kakuzu's hand paused briefly on the wooden door before he pushed it open.
His expression remained calm the moment he recognized the man inside.
Without a word, Kakuzu stepped into the bathhouse, his face cold and unreadable as he slid the door shut behind him.
The distance between the two slowly closed.
Steam drifted through the air as Kakuzu entered the hot spring, the water rippling softly around him.
On opposite sides of the pool, Kizaru and Kakuzu sat submerged, facing each other in silence.
Kakuzu had already recognized Kizaru as a bounty target.
And Kizaru, of course, recognized the future Akatsuki member—the infamous "walking treasury," Kakuzu.
Seven hundred million on the black market…
That alone made things interesting.
So all the attention's on me, huh?
Kizaru didn't need any extra intelligence to reach that conclusion.
How troublesome… and yet, how amusing.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as a hint of mischief surfaced in his eyes. His mood noticeably improved as he casually poured himself another cup of sake.
"Hmm… aren't you going to have a drink?" Kizaru asked lazily, raising his cup. "It's quite nice, you know~"
"No." Kakuzu's voice was cold and flat.
"Ooh… how scary," Kizaru muttered lightly, not bothered in the slightest as he downed the sake in one go.
Kakuzu watched him silently.
Less than ten years old…?
Is the black market feeding me garbage information?
The physique in front of him didn't match the report at all. The powerful muscles, the tall frame—this wasn't something a child should have.
If the intel is wrong… that's at least another fifty million.
A trace of killing intent flickered in Kakuzu's mind before fading just as quickly.
He tilted his head back, resting against the edge of the pool, closing his eyes.
His condition hadn't fully recovered yet.
And with the target's information potentially inaccurate…
Acting now would be reckless.
Better to wait.
Kizaru set his cup down on the tray and glanced at Kakuzu, who appeared to be resting.
He didn't say anything else, simply picking up a piece of pastry and eating it with a relaxed expression.
Time passed.
More than an hour went by.
The tray beside Kizaru was completely empty—every drop of sake and every piece of dessert gone.
With a soft splash, Kizaru stood up from the water.
The sound immediately put Kakuzu on alert.
His eyes snapped open, gaze lifting toward Kizaru.
"Ohh… that was comfortable~"
Kizaru stretched slightly, wrapping a towel loosely around himself before stepping out of the pool.
Then—
He began walking toward Kakuzu.
Step by step.
Kakuzu's heart tightened.
On the surface, he remained relaxed.
But beneath the water, every muscle in his body had already tensed, ready to strike at any moment.
As Kizaru drew closer, that tension only deepened.
Has he figured it out?
Kakuzu's mind raced, already preparing for combat.
One step.
Two steps.
Kizaru stopped right in front of him.
The deliberate pause only made Kakuzu more vigilant.
"Say… you there, scary-looking fellow… you're a ninja, aren't you~?" Kizaru spoke casually, tilting his head slightly.
In that instant, Kakuzu nearly moved.
"Hmm… how interesting," Kizaru added with a light chuckle, as if completely oblivious to the killing intent about to erupt. "Relax, relax~ I'm not here to fight."
He paused briefly, then smiled.
"I've got a job. Interested?"
A job?
Kakuzu's eyes sharpened slightly.
Money-related words always caught his attention.
"…What kind of job?" he asked coldly.
"A simple hire," Kizaru replied.
"How much?"
"Thirty million."
Kizaru said it casually, as if it were nothing.
"Of course~ we'll need to see what you're capable of first."
Reasonable.
Kakuzu gave a slight nod.
"When and where?"
Kizaru thought for a moment.
"Tomorrow. Nine o'clock. In front of this place."
"…Fine."
"Then it's settled."
With that, Kizaru turned without hesitation, stepping onto the wooden platform and walking out of the bathhouse.
The door slid shut behind him.
Kakuzu's gaze lingered for a moment before he slowly withdrew it.
A trap…?
Or a genuine hire?
He replayed the conversation in his mind, analyzing every word, every expression.
Nothing felt out of place.
If it's real… this is a chance to get closer.
And if it's a trap…
Kakuzu's eyes darkened slightly.
He had long since stopped fearing such things.
He had survived an assassination attempt on the "God of Shinobi" and lived to tell the tale.
Compared to that…
This was nothing.
With confidence in his strength, Kakuzu decided.
Tomorrow.
He would go.
Outside the bathhouse—
Kizaru had already changed clothes.
He stood near the entrance, hands tucked into his pockets as he glanced around casually.
A faint smile lingered on his face.
"Hmm… tomorrow should be quite interesting~"
Land of Lightning — Kumogakure.
"After thorough investigation, the identity of the enemy who attacked the village last week has been confirmed!"
Standing atop the platform, the Third Raikage's voice boomed across the gathered shinobi.
The crowd fell silent instantly.
Those who had lost comrades clenched their fists, their eyes burning with emotion.
"The enemy… is from Konohagakure."
A brief pause.
Then—
"His name is Shimura Kizaru!"
The announcement struck like thunder.
Konoha.
To the shinobi of Kumogakure, there was no greater rival.
"Revenge!"
A voice shouted from the crowd.
It spread like wildfire.
"Revenge!"
"Make them pay!"
"Kill Konoha!"
The entire gathering erupted into fury.
Watching the scene unfold, the Third Raikage felt a surge of pride.
This was the spirit of his people.
This war…
Would be won.
"Konoha's despicable sneak attack cost us 326 comrades!" he declared, his voice filled with force. "This blood debt must be repaid!"
"Blood for blood!"
"Blood for blood!"
The roar shook the air.
"Good!"
The Third Raikage raised his hand, silencing the crowd.
Then—
He clenched his fist and thrust it forward.
"From this day forward… Kumogakure declares war on Konohagakure!"
The atmosphere reached its peak.
Excitement.
Fervor.
Battle intent.
"In this war… Kumogakure will emerge victorious!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"Kill Konoha!"
The cheers echoed endlessly.
Satisfied, the Third Raikage lowered his hand and stepped down from the platform.
The rest—deployment, strategy—would be handled by others.
Behind the stage, his expression was filled with confidence.
Victory is already within reach.
At that moment—
His assistant hurried over.
"Raikage-sama," he said in a low voice, "Hanzo of the Salamander… has declared war on the Land of Wind."
…
The Third Raikage's expression froze.
What?
That madman…
Who gave him the confidence to do that?
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