Chp-58: Rasa’s Pride Shattered

"Intercept? Intercept what?"

Rasa looked bewildered. He had been searching for the rogue ninja these past few days and had no idea how he had crossed paths with Kakuzu.

Seeing Rasa's confused expression, Kakuzu's anger flared even more.

"I never expected the great Magnet Release Rasa to be such a coward, stealing my bounty and pretending to be ignorant."

Kakuzu's accusation left Rasa even more puzzled.

"Alright! Since you're determined to play dumb, I'll show you the evidence!"

Kakuzu grabbed a handful of golden sand from his chest and tossed it toward Rasa. The gold sand floated in the air, coalescing into a ball and hovering beside Rasa.

"This is my gold sand? How did you get my gold sand?"

The familiar chakra link confirmed it was his own gold sand, deepening Rasa's confusion.

"See? You admit it now. You used your gold sand technique to steal my bounty. How will you compensate for my loss?"

"I stole your bounty?"

Rasa felt his mind spinning, but he began to grasp Kakuzu's accusation. Someone had used a technique similar to his gold sand to intercept Kakuzu's bounty, leading Kakuzu to confront him.

"It wasn't me. I've been here the entire time, searching for the rogue ninja. I couldn't have stolen your bounty."

"Then how do you explain this gold sand? Is there anyone else besides you who can use this technique?"

Rasa was speechless. The most puzzling aspect was that someone else could use the gold sand technique identical to his own. Could it be a long-lost relative?

"The evidence is irrefutable, Rasa. As a prominent figure in the ninja world, don't you have the guts to own up to your actions?"

Kakuzu's cold stare bore into Rasa.

Rasa clenched his teeth.

"I've been here the entire time, and my comrades can vouch for me."

"They're your men; of course, they'd side with you."

"The black market has intelligence agents, and many ninjas here have seen me."

"You could have used a shadow clone to cover your tracks."

"You…"

Rasa felt his blood pressure spike, his teeth nearly grinding to dust. Kakuzu was determined to blame him, regardless of his explanations.

Should he fight? His Magnet Release was formidable, and he had several Sand ninjas to assist him. If it came to a fight, the outcome was uncertain. The Sand Village couldn't afford a significant loss.

Kakuzu saw through Rasa's hesitation and sneered.

"I suggest you stay calm. I fought the First Hokage before your father was even born!"

In other words, he was seasoned and formidable. Rasa was no match for him.

This declaration stunned Rasa and his subordinates.

The First Hokage had single-handedly ended the Warring States period and established the one country, one village system. Kakuzu, having fought him, was a living legend. The sheer weight of his name squashed any thoughts of rebellion.

Kakuzu revelled in their reactions. Whenever someone dared disrespect him, a mention of his battle with the First Hokage silenced them.

These weaklings dared to challenge him? They were no match compared to Hashirama Senju.

Back in the day, he…

Wait, how did that fight go again?

Oh well, he couldn't remember. But the fact that he fought was enough.

"Well? Have you decided? My time is valuable."

Kakuzu's eyes remained fixed on Rasa.

Rasa's face darkened and lightened in turn. In the end, he had no choice but to yield.

"How much did you lose? I'll pay for it."

He was tired of arguing. If money could resolve the issue and make Kakuzu leave, it was a price worth paying. After all, they were here to both hunt the rogue ninja and procure supplies. They had brought plenty of cash.

Handing over some of it to get rid of Kakuzu wasn't a big loss.

"Sixty million."

Kakuzu named his price.

"Sixty million???"

Rasa's eyes widened, his teeth grinding in anger.

"There's no mission in this black market worth 60 million ryo. You're extorting me!"

From his hidden spot in the trees, Hyuga Satoru was also stunned by the amount.

Sixty million? That was a hefty price.

The actual bounty for that wandering ninja was only twenty million.

He tripled the price. Impressive…

When Kakuzu stormed back, Hyuga Satoru knew a good show was about to unfold. His intricate plan had worked. It wasn't overly complex but highly effective.

Only Rasa could use the gold sand technique, a well-known fact in the ninja world. And Rasa's presence near the black market made him the perfect target for Kakuzu's ire.

Unbeatable logic.

The key lies in the secrecy and use of information. Rasa's abilities were well-known, his flashy gold sand unmistakable. No one would suspect Hyuga Satoru.

That's the advantage of good intel.

Even if his electromagnetic abilities were exposed in the future, by then, he'd be strong enough not to fear Kakuzu and Rasa combined.

The worse off Rasa was, the happier Hyuga Satoru felt.

After all, Rasa was the one who instigated the Third Ninja War. The more he struggled to become the Fourth Kazekage, the more likely the war's start would be delayed, giving Hyuga Satoru more time to prepare for the war's threats…

Elsewhere.

Rasa's face was a picture of misery.

Since becoming the Third Kazekage's disciple, he had never faced such humiliation.

But this was Kakuzu, someone he couldn't afford to antagonize.

A man who had fought the First Hokage – just the thought of those words weighed heavily on his chest, crushing any rebellious thoughts.

"Sixty million is impossible. There's no bounty that high in the black market."

"And my lost time doesn't count?"

Kakuzu retorted.

"If it weren't for you, I could have completed several bounties by now. Isn't that a loss?"

"You!"

Rasa felt on the verge of insanity, wanting to end this quickly. He pulled out a scroll and tossed it to Kakuzu.

"This has exactly sixty million. Satisfied?"

Kakuzu accepted the scroll, opened it, and began counting meticulously, even wetting his finger to flip through the notes.

"There's 59,728,800 ryo. You're 271,200 ryo short."

Kakuzu extended his hand.

Rasa's blood pressure soared as his team rummaged through their pockets, eventually throwing a wad of disorganized bills at Kakuzu.

"Take it all! It's more than enough!"

Satisfied, Kakuzu left.

Watching him go, Rasa felt his blood boil. He stumbled, supported by his trembling subordinates.

The mission to capture the rogue ninja had failed, and their funds were depleted, their pockets now emptier than their faces.

"My name is Rasa. How did my life come to this..."

Rasa roared in frustration.

"Who! Who is plotting against me…"

His voice echoed through the forest, startling birds into flight.