Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Work for Me, Kakuzu

Lightning Country, a certain coastal port city.

After leaving the bounty exchange, Menma and Kakuzu arrived at an open area.

“If you’re not a wanted man with a bounty, leave the money and walk away. I can spare your life,” Kakuzu said in a hoarse voice, placing the money case into his storage scroll.

He was an extremely arrogant man. A powerhouse from the same era as Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage—someone who had even once “assassinated” him.

Although he was heavily injured by Hashirama’s Wood Release, Kakuzu often bragged, “I am a man who has fought the God of Shinobi.”

After defecting from Takigakure, Kakuzu had survived in the ninja world by hunting bounties for decades. His greatest hobby was counting money.

Because of betrayals from both his village and partners in his early life, Kakuzu believed only money would never betray him.

“You think someone who can kill a Cloud Village envoy wouldn’t be worth a bounty?” Menma stood a few meters away, placing a large suitcase of money on the ground. A faint laugh came from behind his mask.

“Fair enough. Even if you aren’t on a bounty list, selling your corpse to the Cloud Village would still earn me something,” Kakuzu snorted.

His hands formed seals instantly.

“Earth Style: Earth Spear!”

Sharp stone lances erupted from the ground around Menma, shooting toward him.

Menma leapt into the air, robes fluttering.

“Perfect timing,” Kakuzu thought, eyes gleaming with calculation.

His right arm suddenly detached—Jiongu activated.

Black threads shot out like serpents, aiming to pierce Menma’s heart.

This was his usual killing strategy: force the enemy into the air, then finish them with a sudden heart extraction.

It had worked countless times.

But Kakuzu’s pupils suddenly shrank.

Menma did not fall back down.

He floated in midair.

“…Troublesome,” Kakuzu muttered.

An opponent capable of flight was rare even in his long life.

His black threads spread into a net, trying to trap Menma’s movement.

Menma casually threw a few kunai through the net toward the ground.

“Hmph,” Kakuzu shifted slightly, dodging effortlessly.

“Is that all, kid—”

A sudden thunderclap erupted behind him.

Pain exploded in his back.

A hand coated in dark purple lightning pierced through Kakuzu’s body, shattering one of his hearts instantly.

“W-when—!”

Kakuzu twisted violently, grabbing behind him with his Jiongu arm—but what he caught was only an afterimage.

An explosion of smoke.

A Shadow Clone.

“Ahhh!” Kakuzu staggered and collapsed.

Silence fell.

“That technique really is useful,” Menma said calmly, tossing a kunai in his hand.

A feint using transformation or shadow clones to turn into a kunai, then striking from behind—an old trick often used by Naruto Uzumaki.

Simple, but effective. In high-stress combat, most shinobi could not track every dodged projectile.

On the ground, Kakuzu lay motionless.

Normally, enemies would assume victory after piercing his heart and approach carelessly.

But Menma knew better. Kakuzu had five hearts. Fake death was his specialty.

Kakashi had once learned that the hard way after being kicked while lowering his guard.

Menma floated down slightly, voice cold.

“If you keep pretending to be dead, I don’t mind crushing your remaining four hearts.”

Kakuzu’s body twitched.

He slowly rose, hunched over.

From his back, a grotesque mask creature burst out, tearing through his cloak before disintegrating into fragments.

He panted heavily.

His eyes were no longer dismissive—they were cautious, even wary.

“How do you know that… about Takigakure’s secret?” Kakuzu rasped.

“There are no secrets in the ninja world to me,” Menma said, like a god overlooking ants.

“Now you have two choices. Work for me… or I crush the remaining four hearts.”

A suffocating killing intent filled the air.

Kakuzu let out a bitter laugh.

“Do I even have a choice?”

He knelt.

Kakuzu was pragmatic. The opponent knew his secret and could destroy his hearts instantly.

Survival came first.

—

Lightning Country, another port city.

Several of Gatō’s merchant ships were docked. Workers hurried under the supervisor’s shouting as cargo was loaded.

Gatō stood on the deck, barking orders angrily.

Then he saw two figures approaching.

The one in front made him shudder instantly. He rushed down in a panic.

Kakuzu, now subdued, followed silently behind Menma, his teal eyes filled with confusion.

“Boss! Boss!” Gatō ran up quickly, bowing deeply. “You’re back!”

“And this is…?” Gatō glanced at the tall man behind Menma.

“This is Kakuzu. He is part of the organization. He will protect your company and assist with trade across the ninja world,” Menma said.

“To you, I will pay a fixed salary. You may also review the company accounts. You can still work as a bounty hunter—as long as you do not leak organization information.”

“Hmph. Not bad,” Kakuzu muttered.

A fixed salary, continued bounty hunting, and access to a large organization’s finances—this suited him perfectly.

After assigning Gatō and Kakuzu to depart together, Menma headed toward Cloud Village.

He had “gifts” from his homeland to deliver.