Wanted (5)

Dark forest, with scars and dents at one particular site. Without a doubt, this area has been a battlefield for some time ago.

"...It seems that you managed to exceed my expectations, little sword-freak," said one man, wearing a slashed forehead protector of Takigakure, the village hidden in the waterfall. Along with the black mask covering the lower half of his face and a black cloak draped around himself, this man, Kakuzu, leaned down at the headless corpse that lied in front of him.

"Barely any scent of blood remains. The fact that the neck of this corpse is cleanly cut, with its end charred to a crisp, indicates the use of skilled swordsmanship, along with the application of fire nature. Interesting indeed."

The corpse was cold, meaning that some time passed since the end of the fight.

"Oi!"

Kakuzu was forced to stop his investigation momentarily, as an annoyed shout was heard from the back, where one regal-looking kunoichi, with her hands lazily placed into her pockets, was shouting at him.

"Until when are ya going to hold me up here?!" The kunoichi held her right hand out, "Where is the freaking pay?!"

"The girl." Kakuzu didn't even seem to consider the woman's words. He spoke with his focus back on the corpse, "You said that there was a civilian girl with the boy, correct? Black-haired, emerald-coloured eyes, moderate height, and name speculated to be 'Rika.'"

"Bas****!!!" The woman shouted with her face reddened, "Are you deaf?! I said it like twenty times already!!"

"Just to make sure." Kakuzu's face momentarily wrinkled, expressing a slight annoyance.

This headless corpse, the one who previously fought Akashi, belonged to the rank of chunin in Kirigakure prior to his defection. Kakuzu noted that although this man lacked in the field of ninjutsu, his sheer physical capability has already entered that of a jonin; he initially believed that without a doubt, Akashi's head and swords would've been brought to him.

Why he didn't come himself, you ask?

'Tch, that crazy blonde woman...' Kakuzu thought as he placed his hand, hidden by the cloak, on top of his chest, 'Wrong shot and I may have lost in a single go. Besides, what's with her unbelievable healing factor?'

Let's say that he wasn't in a position to chase for a temporary moment, due to the accidental encounter with the novice gambler in the Tanzaku Quarters; the place he went in the first place to chase after Akashi's trail.

Regardless of this information, the fact that Akashi managed to defeat this nigh-jonin-level shinobi with a civilian girl to protect, helped Kakuzu realize that he's underestimated Akashi by quite a lot.

Yet, all these pieces of information, in the end, only served to give Kakuzu the feeling of excitement.

'Up until now, just how many bounty hunters have you killed? And how much have you earned from that?'

A change in the plan, Kakuzu thought. He smelled more than just lots of money—this was an opportunity for lots and lots and lots of money.

'If I have all the fairly rich bounty hunters to hunt after you, and you end up defeating all of them, then by killing you, how much will I make?'

An elevation in Akashi's bounty perhaps, along with all possessions that he's acquired from them. Kakuzu saw this as a grand chance that he can't miss out.

Loads of money. They were right within Kakuzu's reach, and all he needed was a slight bit of patience.

'But before that...'

Erasing a crazed smile on his face—although it was hidden behind his mask—Kakuzu turned and faced the kunoichi finally, who seemed to be reeking blood lust at this point.

"Oh, glad that you finally turned to me, f***-face!" The kunoichi bickered, to which Kakuzu didn't even bother listening.

Instead, he began to walk at her with a casual demeanour.

"By the way... "

The kunoichi, who seemed gleeful to finally receive her payment for completing the 'request' that Kakuzu posted, stiffened and raised her eyebrow upon hearing Kakuzu's words.

"What's your chakra nature again?"

Kunoichi immediately got herself in stance, while flipping out a kunai. Her eyes narrowed, and she replied with a daring tone, "Mother nature ya stinky corpse of a s***."

Kakuzu's demeanour was enough for the kunoichi to determine that he had no intention to pay her. Quite a shocking thing it actually was, for the credibility of a contract was the sole source that guaranteed one's survival in the black market; Kakuzu broke the unspoken rule like a fragile toothpick.

What a money-crazed man he was.

However, the kunoichi didn't come here without any preparation. The reason they've come here late, to an extent where the corpse has gone cold, was due to her setting up some traps all over the forest—after Akashi and Rika's leave.

"...I'll let go of my annoyance with a hundred-fold increase of the original amount."

Therefore, she grinned with confidence, "Oh, and two arms as compensation as well, actually."

There was no hesitation. The kunoichi immediately formed a hand seal, about to unleash her technique.

"You see, I've been curious if you really are immortal as they say—"

She couldn't finish her words. With horror written on her face, she froze.

Kakuzu snorted, "Aren't you overestimating your skill?"

The traps that the kunoichi set up—they were the carefully-positioned explosive tags with the capability to crumble down the ground where Kakuzu was standing. Connected by thin wires that had their ends joined below the ground where the kunoichi stood, they were to be triggered by the burst of chakra, simultaneously. However, in an instance where the kunoichi didn't even realize,

all those explosive tags were now attached to her own back. If she sighted just a second later, she would've blown herself up.

The kunoichi's legs trembled. The kunai fell out of her hands, and she fell on her knees, having lost the will to fight.

From the very start, it was her loss.

"It seems that you won't get a chance to test if I am an immortal," Kakuzu said as he, now standing in front of the kunoichi, purhsed his hand into her chest and plucked out the still-beating heart, uncaring of the fact that the blood squirted everywhere from the gory sight.

The kunoichi's eyes hollowed out. Until the end, her hands were in a stiff lock; she was unable to kill herself out of fear of death.

But here was the thing.

Unlike what now-dead Kunoichi saw, the explosive seals, which are expensive, were still at their original positions. Instead, what she saw was nothing but an illusion—the genjutsu technique that Kakuzu cast as his eyes previously met the kunoichi's.

And thanks to that, without a single loss from his end, Kakuzu attained all that belonged to the kunoichi, to temporarily satiate his greed. Furthermore, these explosive seals scattered around the forest—all of them were his now.

"Water Release... useless for me, unfortunately." Kakuzu gazed at the weakening heart in his hand, before throwing it on top of the dead kunoichi, "But regardless, dead bodies sell, whether by bounties or for the purpose of experimentations alone."

Puff!

Taking out a scroll, Kakuzu not only sealed the dead kunoichi, but also the cold headless corpse that Akashi previously killed.

"And now... Akashi." Kakuzu's eyes made an arch, unable to contain his glee, "Ryuma, Kiba, and a pretty bounty on your head."

Bounty hunters are naturally driven by money. On top of the already-given bounty, place a commission for Akashi's death. A 12-year-old boy, wanted for a huge sum by Iwa and Kakuzu. A delicious piece of meat he will be, and the noteworthy bounty hunters will begin to pay attention.

And they will fight. One or other will emerge as the victor. Afterward, Kakuzu will personally kill the victor, and seize everything for himself. By doing this, not only will Kakuzu earn a mouth-watering amount of money, but also eliminate his competitors.

"Now that's what we call killing two birds with one stone."

Kakuzu licked his lips, though it was hidden behind his mask.