"Who are you?" the middle-aged Jōnin asked sternly.
Kakuzu remained silent, estimating that his opponent was probably a Jōnin. That meant he had some worth—after all, Jōnin from various nations often appeared on black-market bounty lists.
"So, you're not interested in a proper conversation, huh?"
The middle-aged Jōnin turned to his subordinates and instructed, "Protect those two at all costs…"
Before his words could even fade, a gray blur suddenly closed in. A fist swung towards him, and those eerie green eyes seemed to say: "You should worry about yourself first."
The attack came from point-blank range. Reacting swiftly, the Jōnin pulled out a kunai strapped to his knee and swung it in defense.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang through the air.
The Jōnin's widened eyes reflected a shocking sight—his kunai had been caught barehanded.
"Impossible…"
That split-second of hesitation was all Kakuzu needed to seize an opening, slowing the Jōnin's reaction.
In the blink of an eye, a white streak slashed through the air.
"Whoosh!"
The sound was like a blade slicing through the wind itself.
Kakuzu barely managed to dodge, stepping back just in time. His eyes landed on the young shinobi who had launched the attack—his gaze held a hint of surprise. That reaction speed… it wasn't something an ordinary child should possess.
Tōshirō locked eyes with the enemy, analyzing him out loud. "This guy seems to have some kind of invulnerability—probably specializes in Earth Release."
Among the five great elemental techniques, Earth Release was undeniably the best at defense. It could even harden the user's body, making them formidable in both offense and defense.
"This kid… he's quick to analyze the situation."
Kakuzu's dark green eyes narrowed slightly. This brat might be even more troublesome than that Jōnin from earlier.
Tōshirō turned toward the Guardian Ninja near the palanquin and shouted, "Aren't you going to help?"
From their brief exchange, Tōshirō already had a bad feeling. This enemy was no pushover—they needed everyone's strength to take him down.
"I can't. If I leave, there will be no one left to protect the two Lords."
The Guardian Ninja hesitated, unwilling to abandon his post.
Tōshirō clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Escort missions are such a hassle… Always have to babysit the client.
Now he was stuck with both a godlike opponent and useless teammates.
If it were up to him, he'd just kill those two burdens in the palanquin and be done with it.
Tōshirō had already found them irritating during the journey—their arrogant, commanding attitude had worn his patience thin.
"I'm here to work, not sell my soul."
Taking a deep breath, Tōshirō began forming hand seals. Since he had allies nearby, he couldn't use his Sharingan, so he had no choice but to rely on the new technique he had just learned.
Seeing the Guardian Ninja refuse to fight, a smirk appeared beneath Kakuzu's mask.
"Perfect."
He was here to assassinate a specific target, and his enemies didn't know that. He could use this to his advantage.
Just then, Kakuzu noticed something strange about the young shinobi in front of him.
A moment ago, Tōshirō had been forming hand seals—Kakuzu assumed it was for a ninjutsu and had already prepared a countermeasure. But the result was unexpected.
Half of Tōshirō's face was now covered in eerie markings.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he sensed the boy's chakra surge.
"Interesting…"
A grin formed beneath his mask. He guessed this was some kind of secret technique.
"But kid, you're not the only one with special abilities."
"Tōshirō… your face…" the middle-aged Jōnin noticed the transformation and widened his eyes in shock.
"Just a precaution." Tōshirō replied calmly.
Ninjas were fragile. A single misstep in battle could mean instant death. If he couldn't use his Sharingan, then his only choice was the first stage of Sage Mode.
Turning to his two Genin teammates, Tōshirō advised, "You two should stay back."
At this level of battle, they would only be deadweight.
"What?! Don't underestimate us!"
One of the Genin felt insulted. He lowered his stance and charged forward without thinking.
"Wait! Stop—" the Jōnin called out, but it was too late.
At a time like this, they should be observing the enemy first, not recklessly attacking. But before he could warn him, the impulsive Genin had already lunged forward, kunai aimed at Kakuzu's throat.
"How… how is this possible?"
The sharp kunai stabbed into the soft flesh of Kakuzu's neck—but did no damage.
The young Genin's eyes widened in horror.
With one hand, Kakuzu grabbed the boy's throat. "Learning to run before you can walk is never a problem—so long as you're a genius. But if you're not, you take it one step at a time."
The Genin's legs kicked helplessly as his throat was squeezed shut.
Tōshirō shook his head in exasperation. "I literally just warned him…"
There were always fools who thought they were the main character—only to die proving otherwise.
"But you won't have to worry about that anymore…"
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he prepared to crush the boy's throat.
Before he could, a shadow flashed—the middle-aged Jōnin had rushed in.
He couldn't just stand by and watch his subordinate die.
Kakuzu had been waiting for this exact moment.
He hurled the struggling Genin at the Jōnin. As the Jōnin caught him, Kakuzu followed up with a powerful kick—sending both of them flying.
A flash of steel.
Tōshirō's Yanma blade slashed across Kakuzu's arm.
Kakuzu raised his arm to block—BANG!
Pain shot through him. Even with his hardened body, his skin had been cut.
"What the hell… my skin split?!"
It had been ages since he had last taken damage like this.
Kakuzu frowned, lifting his sleeve to inspect the wound. His Earth Release armor had been active, yet the blade still cut through.
His wariness toward Tōshirō increased.
For the first time in a long while, he pulled out a shuriken—as if recognizing Yanma as a real threat.
Tōshirō narrowed his eyes. If Kakuzu was switching weapons, it meant he wasn't planning on blocking with his hardened body anymore.
This was far from over.
This content may violate our usage policies.
Did we get it wrong? Please tell us by giving this response a thumbs down.
Chapter 158: Just This Much Money? Why Would I Risk My Life?
A middle-aged jōnin walked up and suggested, "Let's attack together."
"This guy is really strong," Tōshirō said with a serious expression, already considering backing out. "By the way, can I quit the mission now?"
The middle-aged jōnin's eyes widened, as if saying: Are you kidding me?
I'm actually not joking... Tōshirō's face showed an extremely reluctant expression. "Alright, alright..."
He would try fighting, but if things got out of hand, he was ready to run. Some people saw their missions as more important than life, but to Tōshirō, nothing was more important than staying alive.
The money from this mission wasn't even as much as what he could get by robbing the rich to help the poor. Why should he risk his life?
"Cover me," the middle-aged jōnin said as he lowered his stance and charged forward.
Clang! The sounds of weapons clashing echoed as the two fought fiercely, their kunai colliding repeatedly. For a moment, it seemed like they were evenly matched.
Tōshirō provided cover, spitting out a water bullet towards the enemy.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
With a loud explosion, the fireball hit its target, sending up thick white smoke.
"Did we get him?" The middle-aged jōnin held onto a sliver of hope.
"Don't let your guard down," Tōshirō reminded him. The enemy had a technique to harden his body.
In theory, using Lightning Release would be the best way to counter him, but unfortunately, Tōshirō wasn't skilled in Lightning Release. He had to rely on his strongest Fire Release techniques instead.
Just as Tōshirō had expected, the smoke-without-damage rule applied—the hardened Kakuzu was completely unharmed.
Kakuzu channeled power into his right foot and stomped hard, launching himself like a cannonball as he thrust his kunai forward.
The middle-aged jōnin retreated just in time, barely dodging the attack.
"Heh," Kakuzu chuckled, suddenly launching his detached arm forward, extending his kunai's reach.
No one, including Tōshirō, expected this. By the time they realized what had happened, the middle-aged jōnin had already been pierced through the throat, coughing up blood.
The throat was a fragile spot. Taking such a fatal wound, even a jōnin couldn't survive. He collapsed to the ground—completely, undeniably dead.
Tōshirō felt his scalp tingle. What the hell just happened?!
"The game is over," Kakuzu said as he removed his cloak, revealing his upper body covered in terrifying stitch-like scars.
His hands formed seals, and then, as if alive, the black threads on his body started twisting and writhing. His torso swelled before splitting open, releasing several pitch-black creatures, each looking disturbingly grotesque.
Apart from some size differences, these creatures all seemed like they were of the same species.
Calling this man a stitched-up monster wasn't even an exaggeration.
Tōshirō's mouth twitched. He finally realized who they were up against.
The future Kakuzu of the Akatsuki—the man obsessed with money.
Kakuzu had purposely held back earlier to make the jōnin underestimate him, creating an opening for a decisive kill. It worked perfectly.
Now that one of the strongest fighters on their side was gone, Kakuzu no longer had to hold back. With a casual wave of his hand, the grotesque masked creatures rushed toward the remaining genin, the servants, and the guardian ninja.
As for Kakuzu himself, he had chosen to personally "play" with Tōshirō, launching a barrage of relentless attacks.
At this point, Tōshirō knew he couldn't afford to hold back anymore. He immediately activated his Sharingan—any more hesitation, and he'd be dead.
Kakuzu, while fighting Tōshirō, felt a bit puzzled. This kid seems faster than before...
Then, when he saw Tōshirō's blood-red eyes, he paused for a moment before realization dawned on him.
"Interesting… So, you're from the Uchiha clan?" Kakuzu fought effortlessly as he analyzed, "No wonder you're so strong for your age. No… even among the Uchiha, you must be an exceptional talent."
Tōshirō exhaled slowly, glancing around.
His teammates, the guards, and everyone else were dead.
Only the two useless, trembling clients remained.
They clung to Tōshirō, begging desperately, "Please! You have to save us!"
Kakuzu looked at Tōshirō with amusement. "So, what will you do now?"
Tōshirō took a deep breath and shouted, "Isn't it obvious!?"
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes slightly, expecting the usual Konoha-style stubbornness.
"I surrender!" Tōshirō declared.
Kakuzu: …
Well, what choice did he have?
Some fights just can't be won.
In the original story, Kakuzu could overpower Kakashi in a one-on-one fight. Tōshirō was only thirteen—lasting this long was already impressive.
He wasn't weak—the enemy was just too damn strong.
Kakuzu was completely caught off guard. He gave Tōshirō a strange look.
The Uchiha clan was known for their arrogance. They would rather die than surrender.
And honestly, they did have the strength to back up their pride.
The two clients were shocked. "Huh?! What are you doing?! You're the ninja we hired! How can you do this?!"
Tōshirō had every reason to be angry. "Are you kidding me?! This mission pays this little—why the hell would I risk my life?!"
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"