Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

As Masato pondered the matter of saving Nagato's life, he thought of his youngest son, who was not afraid of being crushed to pieces and wanted to leave behind a pure reputation. Thinking of his youngest son, who was about to die, he also thought of his sworn brother, Kakuzu. In the original story, Kakuzu was tricked and killed because he coveted the 30 million heads of Hiruzen Sarutobi's good-for-nothing youngest son, Asuma.

Kakuzu hadn't contacted him in a long time; he'd almost forgotten. Even though Kakuzu was a rebel, he was still his sworn brother and had taken care of Sasori for so many years. He felt he had to give him a heads-up...

It's only 30 million. You can easily earn that back by running one or two deals. There's no need to risk your life for that little bit of money.

Previously, Kakuzu was quite low-key, avoiding contact with the Five Great Shinobi Villages when doing business. However, since joining the Akatsuki to pay off the Land of Rain's enormous debt, Kakuzu has become much less cautious, even daring to target the Tailed Beasts. This would have been impossible before, so he's genuinely worried that Kakuzu will be tricked like in the original story, having all five of his hearts stabbed by Kakashi...

"...I didn't expect Shinto-kun to be able to tell fortunes...Kakuzu-kun is already in the Land of Fire, fighting against the Third Hokage's son and the children of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. I'll inform him now."

If it weren't for the seriousness of his tone, Miss Slug would have really thought he was bragging. When did he become a fortune teller...?

However, seeing that Masato didn't seem to want to joke around, and regardless of whether Masato could tell fortunes or not, she disappeared with a bang to inform Kakuzu.

"...Thank you for your help."

Sure enough, upon hearing Miss Slug's words, Shinto was also taken aback; they'd already started fighting...

"??? How can you be so sure that something will happen to the horn? I didn't know you had this skill."

After Miss Slug left, Chiyo looked at her beloved nephew with a puzzled expression.

If my precious nephew had this skill, the Sand Village would have conquered the world and even reached the moon...

"It's just that I think the Akatsuki organization has no future. Even your precious grandson has pulled back from the brink, so I can't just watch my good brother get stuck in it. I'll just find some excuse to get them to quit. You know, Kakuzu is a veteran ninja who has been influenced by traditional ideas. If I directly ask him to quit, he definitely won't agree... Now the Akatsuki only has these few tailed beasts left to capture. The eight ninjas of Kumogakure are well hidden, and the whereabouts of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha are unknown. I estimate that they are probably chasing after the Eight-Tails or the Nine-Tails. Both Konoha and Kumogakure are tough nuts to crack. Although Kakuzu is quite strong, it's hard to say whether he can protect them. After all, he's my good brother, and he's taken care of Sasori for so many years. I can't just watch him go and get himself killed."

Masato explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"...It's good that he left the Akatsuki. Sigh! It's all because of those old guys from Takigakure who crossed the river and burned the bridge back then. Otherwise, someone like Kakuzu wouldn't have ended up like this."

Chiyo nodded. Based on the kindness Kakuzu had shown her in taking care of her precious grandson over the years, those old guys from Takigakure who turned on her after using her were indeed worthy of being criticized.

Such a loyal and righteous man is truly rare these days. Just because he's like brothers with his beloved nephew, he's helped her for so many years...

.....

"Haha! Die, you bastard!"

"A jet-black spear!"

"Wind Release: Emerald Mist Gale!"

"Tentacle Fist..."

"Watch out! Lei Hu can kill anyone..."

In a forest in the Land of Fire, Kakuzu and the immortal Hidan are engaged in a fierce battle with Asuma's team and Kakashi's ANBU underlings.

Asuma was really unlucky. Kakuzu had at least several dozen kilograms of bounties on his head. Kakuzu hadn't originally planned to target Asuma. Thirty million was a lot, but for Kakuzu, who was in big business, it was nothing. He earned more than that every year from endorsement fees on the black market.

1107. An unknown, immortal underling.

Moreover, Asuma is a member of Konoha and the son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. They have important matters to attend to and have no need to provoke Konoha.

If Asuma had stayed in Konoha, Kakuzu would never have thought of taking the 30 million. However, sometimes fate is like a bridge; when it comes, you can't stop it. Plus, he had a younger brother named Hidan who was on the rise in his career.

The two set off from the Land of Rain, intending to pass through the Land of Fire and head straight for the Land of Lightning. Along the way, they did a few small business deals, but their targets were either noble lords or ministers of small countries. Although the bounties were quite high, they didn't know any famous people. Hidan, who could kill so many people along the way, was getting a little tired of it.

Now the Akatsuki is famous throughout the ninja world, and as an important member, he has also gained some fame. However, compared to others, his fame is still a bit smaller. Especially after Sasori's solo fight against tens of thousands of Kirigakure ninjas some time ago, he was so excited that he wanted to fight against tens of thousands of ninjas and reach the top in one step. However, such things are rare and hard to come by. Even if he didn't die, he didn't have much confidence in fighting tens of thousands of ninjas.

So along the way, he kept thinking about how to boost his fame.

It just so happens that they had previously done a business deal with the bodyguard of the Fire Country Daimyo, the monk Jiraiya. Asuma and Jiraiya happened to be colleagues and friends. After learning that his friend had been killed by Kakuzu and his unknown henchman, Nawaki had not yet decided who to send to capture Kakuzu and his unknown henchman Hidan when Asuma took the initiative to come to him and volunteer to avenge his friend.

At first, Nawaki disagreed. After all, Kakuzu was the face of the black market, the number one rogue ninja, a true double-crown ninja, and had an unknown but immortal underling named Hidan as a human shield. It wouldn't be easy for Asuma to avenge his friend. The Third Hokage was dead, Shinnosuke was dead, and the old Sarutobi clan only had Konohamaru and Asuma left. In addition, Kurenai was pregnant. The Third Hokage had cared for him so much back then, and he didn't want Asuma to take this risk. The Third Hokage was dead, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were dead, and he really didn't want to see anything happen to Asuma.

But when he saw Asma's resolute and determined gaze, he knew he couldn't stop him.

Asuma was allowed to lead a team to avenge his friend, but Kakashi and his Anbu followers were also allowed to accompany him. Kakashi's team unexpectedly disbanded again. As a Jinchuriki, Naruto wasn't safe anywhere, so he was sent to the Toad Cave to hide. They could also try to learn Sage Mode, since Sage Mode is a skill designed for underdogs to rise to power. Jiraiya achieved this through Sage Mode; if Jiraiya could do it, Naruto, despite being Minato's son, had an even more underdog-like aura than Jiraiya, so there was no reason he couldn't...

Hidan and Kakuzu have been together for so long, and the Hidan who can't die is no longer the same as before. Asuma is, after all, Hiruzen Sarutobi's youngest son and even served as a bodyguard for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. He is relatively well-known in the ninja world, although not as well-known as the double-titled "Konoha Technician" and "Copy Ninja" Kakashi, but he is not far behind.

This is one of the benefits of having a Naruto father.

Upon seeing Asuma's team, a flash of inspiration struck Hidan, who was seemingly immortal. He actually came up with a way to boost his fame: if he could kill the son of the Third Hokage, who was also the bodyguard of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, his fame would rise even higher.

Although you can't reach the top in one step, accumulating little by little is good!

After coming up with a plan, Hidan immediately told Kakuzu. In the past, Kakuzu might not have agreed to his little brother's request, but now that the Akatsuki had made their presence felt throughout the ninja world, and this place was far from Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead, and Asuma's position in Konoha was not as important as before, since it could help his little brother gain fame and earn him 30 million, why not?

With his older brother already giving his approval, Hidan, who was unlikely to die, could no longer keep a low profile. He lured Asuma's team to a secluded grove, a perfect spot for their crime, then grabbed the large scythe from his back, turned around, and charged headlong into Asuma's team.

Hidan, who can't die, has poor basic skills and hasn't improved at all over the years. He only knows two or three moves and relies entirely on his passive skills. Logically speaking, it would be quite difficult for him to fight Asuma's team one-on-one.

Don't be fooled by Shinto's constant complaints about Asuma, Hiruzen Sarutobi's youngest son, being useless. That was in the past. As Hiruzen Sarutobi's biological son, Asuma not only inherited Hiruzen's big beard and old smoking habit, but his Wind Release talent is also top-notch. In addition, during the years he spent as a monk, he leveled up much faster than Kakashi.

Aside from his incredibly powerful passive skill, Hidan, who supposedly can't die, is really just an average genin. He might not even be a match for Asuma in a one-on-one fight, not to mention that Asuma's team also has a low-level Nara who relies on his brains.

Hidan, seemingly invincible, charged in but was brutally beaten by Asuma's team in just two rounds. His invincible passive skill was truly amazing; he withstood so much damage yet remained incredibly strong, leaving Asuma's team stunned. That much damage would have killed an ordinary person long ago, but this silver-haired, unnamed, seemingly invincible underling looked miserable, yet he just wouldn't die. Asuma's team finally understood where this seemingly invincible underling's reputation came from—this guy truly was immortal!

The saying goes, "One effort is enough, but the second will be weaker, and the third will be exhausted." So many sharp attacks were thrown at the opponent, yet he was still full of energy. Even though Asuma's morale was almost completely destroyed, Kakuzu, who originally wanted to see if his little brother had improved over the years, was a good older brother. Seeing his little brother being beaten so badly, although he wouldn't die, it was still a slap in the face to Kakuzu, the number one rogue ninja.

As the older brother, Kakuzu couldn't stand it. The lower-level Ino-Shika-Cho trio were worthless, so Kakuzu jumped out and launched a full-scale attack on Asuma, who had 30 million gold. Asuma couldn't take it anymore.

With Hidan, the invincible tank, in front of him, Asuma simply couldn't withstand the full-powered Archmage Kakuzu. Even with a Nara alt with a 99 Intelligence stat in the team, the hardware couldn't keep up, no matter how good the software was.

Just when Asuma's team was about to collapse, "Konoha Technician," "Copy Ninja," Konoha's White Fang Kakashi arrived.

He appeared with a group of his spies...

1108. Despite not being particularly strong, he can still manage a 50/50 match.

Although Kakashi is still in the lower tier and his equipment level is not yet fully developed, after so many years of hard work, he has successfully unlocked his ultimate move. With the added aura that makes him evenly matched against anyone, Kakashi and his Anbu minions made their appearance and went toe-to-toe with the immortal Hidan, and then with Kakuzu as well. This performance even confused the Nara clan's alt account, who was controlling the battlefield.

Kakashi's performance in the two matches was so inconsistent that he didn't know how to plan his tactics. One moment he was evenly matched with Hidan, who seemed to be able to survive, and the next he was evenly matched with Kakuzu, the top rogue ninja. The level difference between the seemingly immortal Hidan and the top rogue ninja Kakuzu was enormous!

Although the Nara clan's small-scale attack hasn't been planned yet, Kakashi's addition, which even puts him on par with Kakuzu, has completely relieved Asuma's team of pressure. Without Kakuzu's super-powerful energy suppression, they can still handle just some unknown underling who can't die.

Aside from not being able to die, this guy doesn't seem to be anything special...

In contrast, Kakuzu, who was being forced into a 50/50 situation by Kakashi, was bewildered.

Kakashi, the son of Konoha's White Fang and known as "Konoha Technician," was a household name. Although he had never met him, he had heard a lot about this "Konoha Technician" in the ninja world. After all, he was the son of Konoha's White Fang and had always been the center of attention.

He didn't know much about this "Konoha Technician" when he fought him. Although this "Konoha Technician" had a good relationship with his good brother, they always went their separate ways. At first, he was worried that this kid's Hatake swordsmanship was as sharp as his father, White Fang's, so he was always careful. The reputation of Hatake swordsmanship was not just for show. Even now that White Fang was old, there were not many people in the current ninja world who dared to challenge White Fang one-on-one. It was a swordsmanship that could cut down a Kage-level opponent. It was never a joke.

However, after fighting this "Konoha Technician" for about ten rounds, he discovered that this White Fang's son, the "Konoha Technician," had used all sorts of random skills, but had never used the Hatake sword. Moreover, this "Konoha Technician's" strength... was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

You could say he's impressive... but he didn't quite reach the level he expected. After all, he's White Fang's son, and that title alone is practically equivalent to a double-flowered red stick.

But you can't say he's not good... This kid is quite skilled, with all sorts of impressive ninjutsu techniques. If Hidan were half as good as Kakashi, he wouldn't still be relying on his passive skills to make a living.

What frustrated him the most was that Kakashi wasn't as strong as he had expected, yet he just couldn't defeat him. It was incredibly strange.

"Boss Kakuzu, don't hold back, okay...?"

On the other side, Hidan, who had taken several tons of damage, saw that his older brother hadn't done anything to that "Konoha technician" yet and was even being forced into a 50/50 situation. He seriously suspected that his older brother was holding back.

Although his basic skills weren't great, he did have a good eye. This "Konoha Technician" was still a bit weaker than his older brother, especially since he saw that the "Konoha Technician" was already weak-kneed and panting heavily ten minutes ago, but his older brother still didn't flinch. What else could this be but holding back?

"Idiot, shut up! ヽ(ー_ー)ノ"

Hearing his younger brother's words, Kakuzu also said with a dark face and annoyance.

Where did they go easy on him? Putting aside the fact that he's not familiar with White Fang, they're now at odds with the whole world, so killing "Konoha Technician" Kakashi wouldn't affect him at all.

He would have acted long ago if he could. Kakashi, the "Konoha Technician," is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But the problem is, he just can't kill him. He doesn't know what's wrong with the other guy. He's so weak that he can't even stand up. He's used his ultimate skill several times, but the other guy seems to be blessed by God. Every time he uses his ultimate skill, the other guy blocks it. This is so frustrating that even he is numb.

"Hoo hoo hoo... This is really troublesome..."

Sweating profusely, Kakashi knelt on the ground, panting heavily, his vision blurring. Looking at Kakuzu, the top rogue ninja, he had a feeling that this infamous bounty hunter wasn't as strong as the legends suggested. Kakuzu's ultimate attacks were always within his reach, a strange feeling. But facing four monsters who seemed to be out of position no matter who he attacked, was incredibly frustrating...

"Kakuzu-kun, Shinto-kun sent me to tell you that he observed the stars last night and discovered that you are destined to face a calamity in the Land of Fire. He urges you to leave the Land of Fire immediately..."

Just as Kakuzu was about to unleash another powerful attack, Miss Slug swayed out from under Kakuzu's collar and spoke to him in a soft, limp voice.

After saying that, Miss Slug slowly crawled back.

"........(⊙_⊙)?"

Kakuzu looked completely bewildered after hearing what Miss Slug said.

My good brother can tell fortunes?

Kakuzu was never superstitious. Although he received an education based on the ideas of the previous era, he always admired science.

But his good brother, who was thousands of miles away, somehow knew he was in the Land of Fire and even sent Miss Slug to tell him to leave the Land of Fire as soon as possible...

This is a bit mystical, considering the strange abilities my good friend possesses...

"Stop hitting us, we haven't left...!"

"Composite Ninja Technique·Fire Wind Wave/Qimen Explosion Flame!"

After thinking for a while, Kakuzu finally chose to believe his good brother. Better safe than sorry. His good brother had no reason to send Miss Slug to tell him something for no reason. There must be some danger inside that he didn't know about. Could it be that White Fang is coming soon too?

Without much thought, Kakuzu grabbed his younger brother, who was still eager to charge forward, and used a large-scale composite ninjutsu to cover their retreat, quickly withdrawing.

The longer you live, the more afraid you become of death. Besides, he has five hearts and can live for at least several hundred more years; there's no need to take this risk...

"Kakashi, are you alright?"

After Kakuzu and the immortal Hidan left, Asuma, drenched in sweat, came to Kakashi's side and helped him up.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he, his alt Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and his ANBU underlings were ganging up on the seemingly immortal Hidan. They were exhausted; the feeling of being unable to kill their opponent was truly agonizing. And earlier, he was genuinely worried that his friend had been killed by Kakuzu. He'd tried to help several times, but the immortal Hidan kept him occupied. He was still shaken; if his friend had died at Kakuzu's hands, he'd be forced to wander the world...

=.

1109. Nawaki still became the person she used to hate.

"Phew... It's alright. Luckily, the old man got tricked away by the slug, otherwise..."

Kakashi let out a long sigh and looked in the direction Kakuzu had left, seemingly lost in thought.

He had overheard what Miss Slug said to Kakuzu, which subconsciously led him to believe that the old man knew they were fighting Kakuzu, and that's why he let Miss Slug and Kakuzu fool him into leaving, since Kakuzu and that old man had a good relationship...

As for the idea that he was destined to suffer a calamity in the Land of Fire, it was just an excuse the old man used to fool people. Only that old man could come up with such an unreliable excuse.

"Judging from their direction, they should be heading towards the Land of Lightning. Let's go back and inform the Hokage first..."

Asuma sighed helplessly and said, "It's not that I don't want to avenge my friend, it's just that this duo is too strong. Hidan, who can't be killed no matter what and carries a rusty scythe to fight in close combat, is just too disgusting. If you get hit by that rusty scythe, you'll get tetanus even if you don't die."

Kakuzu is an all-around master of ninjutsu, possessing a variety of complex techniques that surpass even his father, the ninja doctor. These people really can't avenge his friend. A gentleman takes revenge even when it's too late; if they can't deal with him now, they can do it next time they meet. The current focus is on Kakuzu and Hidan both going to the Land of Lightning, undoubtedly for the Eight-Tails of Kumogakure. They should try to get the news back first.