Chapter 159: Continuing to Persuade

Sorry for the delay (extra chapter)

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Kakuzu sneered, "Just you, a mere brat?"

"That's right, just me. I may still be a kid now, but in a few years, who knows? Maybe you won't be my match anymore."

"Such arrogance."

Kakuzu snorted coldly. This arrogant tone undoubtedly indicated that Uchiha blood flowed in the boy's veins.

Of course, possessing two Kekkei Genkai, he indeed had the right to be proud.

Tōshirō continued, "What do you think of my strength?"

"From the perspective of your peers, very few can achieve what you have at your age."

Having lived for so many years, Kakuzu had seen all kinds of geniuses, so his words were quite objective.

"As long as I follow my path step by step, the position of Uchiha clan leader will undoubtedly be mine in the future." Tōshirō clenched his fist, making a solemn declaration.

Kakuzu replied calmly, "With your background, why do something like this?"

"I love the village, just as I hope the village loves me the way I love it. But sometimes, things don't go as we wish. I don't want that to happen, but preparing for the worst is never a bad thing, right?"

"I love the village, just as I hope the village loves me the way I love it..." Kakuzu repeated the words to himself, feeling somewhat moved.

"You mentioned earlier that you wanted to start a company. What kind of business are you planning to run?"

Hearing this, Tōshirō knew that Kakuzu was starting to take the bait and continued to persuade him: "Anything, really, as long as it's not being a ninja—constantly fighting, putting your life on the line."

Being as old as he was, Kakuzu's thinking was somewhat rigid. Hearing that it wouldn't involve the ninja profession, he was confused about what exactly Tōshirō wanted to do.

"By the way, big bro, how should I address you?" Tōshirō asked.

Kakuzu remained silent. In his line of work, privacy was crucial.

Information was always of great importance.

Seeing that Kakuzu was unwilling to reveal his name, Tōshirō understood and played along, pretending to guess, "I'm guessing you must be a bounty hunter, right?"

Kakuzu's expression stiffened, and his deep voice carried a hint of warning: "Digging into my background is dangerous."

Tōshirō acted as if he hadn't heard and continued, "People in your line of work must make good money, right?"

Kakuzu, already not the most patient person, found this persistence irritating. His tone became harsher: "Are you looking to die?"

"I'm just saying, hypothetically, what if I had a business that made even more money than this? Would you be interested?"

The moment money was mentioned, the previously aggressive Kakuzu immediately calmed down. "What kind of business?" Money was his weakness.

Tōshirō made a shocking statement: "It's simple—robbery."

"Are you joking?"

"I'm completely serious. Don't you think taking money directly from the rich is much faster?"

Kakuzu: …

Tōshirō grinned. "Let me break it down for you. It's all about risk and profit turnover."

Kakuzu said nothing and continued listening.

"Hunting down high-bounty targets takes time and effort, and there's always the risk of being counterattacked. But robbing wealthy businessmen who have no power? That eliminates those risks."

"As long as we prepare properly in advance, once we eliminate these businessmen, all their accumulated wealth will belong to us. And each time, we're talking about billions."

Kakuzu's breathing grew heavier. This wasn't just a few million—this was billions.

The highest bounty he had ever seen was only a few dozen million ryo. Just coming across one was rare enough, and even if he did, he wasn't guaranteed to take them down alone. He might even get himself killed in the process.

But if he targeted wealthy merchants, the money was practically limitless—and there was more of it.

A single raid could bring in more wealth than hunting bounty targets for years.

Because of his past as a ninja, he had never considered this before. But now, listening to Tōshirō lay it all out, he had to admit—he was tempted.

As Tōshirō spoke, he carefully observed Kakuzu's expression. Seeing the man's eyes practically glowing green with greed, he knew he had him hooked. So he pressed on, framing the issue from Kakuzu's perspective:

"The highest bounty out there is just a few million at most. Even if you find one, it's uncertain whether you can take them down alone. You might even end up dead. But with wealthy merchants, there's no such risk."

Hearing this, Kakuzu nodded slightly in agreement. These words undoubtedly resonated with him.

Tōshirō continued his persuasion: "And robbing these rich merchants? That's just step one."

"This is only the first step?" Kakuzu was now even more intrigued.

Tōshirō continued, "That's right. Like I said before, my idea is to start a company. Once we eliminate these people, the market share they held will be up for grabs, and our company can step in to replace them. Then, we monopolize the industry. At that point, we'll be making piles of money without lifting a finger—way more than risking our necks as ninja."

Kakuzu stared blankly ahead. Just imagining everything unfolding as described made him feel lightheaded.

Tōshirō had been watching him closely and could tell he was hooked. But there was still more work to do—he needed to eliminate Kakuzu's doubts. "Where else in the world could you find a business opportunity this good? As for the risk of exposure, you don't need to worry about that. You know how to use the Transformation Jutsu, don't you?"

Kakuzu took a deep, controlled breath. "Kid, you really are full of wicked ideas."

Tōshirō took a step forward, clenching his fist. "If someone wants to become a world-class figure, they must create something new."

"Do you even realize you're talking about committing crimes? Honestly, I'm curious—what the hell have you been through to develop this kind of mindset?" Kakuzu had to admit he was growing more and more interested in Tōshirō.

Tōshirō leaned back slightly as he walked a few steps away, then turned around. "It is said that the Sage of Six Paths taught humanity how to refine chakra from the seven meridians within the body. This power has brought endless disasters to mankind. And yet, people still revere the Sage."

He rose onto his toes, stretched his neck, and pointed a single finger toward the sky. His voice rang out with imposing confidence.

"Heh… I see. No wonder people say that geniuses and madmen are only separated by a thin line."

Kakuzu found himself even more intrigued by Tōshirō.

Tōshirō remained unfazed. "In the early stages of capital accumulation, using a few… less-than-noble methods is inevitable."

"Well, someone like you… might turn out to be quite interesting in the future."

Kakuzu had been convinced.

He decided to play along with Tōshirō—after all, he had nothing to lose.

Besides, he was genuinely curious to see what kind of changes someone like Tōshirō could bring to the ninja world.

Of course, the most important factor was the enormous amount of money to be made. That was the real reason Kakuzu was willing to entertain Tōshirō's ideas.

Tōshirō breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He was fortunate to have a good read on Kakuzu; otherwise, his persuasion might not have worked.

As he was thinking, he suddenly noticed Kakuzu using his Earth Grudge Fear technique to pile up the corpses.

"What are you doing?" Tōshirō asked.

"Disposing of the bodies."

Kakuzu skillfully formed hand seals and released a Fire Style jutsu. A powerful blaze engulfed the bodies, reducing them to nothing but bones in mere moments. Now, there was no risk of anyone retrieving information from the corpses.

"You really are cautious," Tōshirō mused. His earlier conversation had already given him some insight into Kakuzu's mindset. It was no surprise that someone who had survived for so long was so meticulous.

Kakuzu glanced at Tōshirō, watching for his reaction to the destruction of the bodies.

Tōshirō remained calm. These people were nothing more than strangers to him, so he felt no emotional attachment.

Besides, even if he did feel something, what could he do? If he wasn't strong enough, there was no point in dwelling on it.

Right now, his power was too weak. He needed to stay close to Kakuzu, make as much money as possible, and quickly accumulate the 5 billion ryo he needed for the second phase of Sage training.

Kakuzu turned away. "Follow me."

Tōshirō: …

"You didn't seriously think I'd trust you so easily, did you? Since you want to make money with me, shouldn't you prove yourself first?" With that, Kakuzu started walking forward.

Tōshirō caught up. "Big bro, what should I call you?"

Without stopping, Kakuzu replied, "After you complete your first job with me, I'll tell you my name."

Tōshirō sighed and shook his head. He had planned to string Kakuzu along, but it seemed like he had really boarded a pirate ship now. Looks like he wouldn't be returning to Konoha anytime soon.

When he did return, he'd have to come up with a good excuse for his disappearance.

Walking beside Kakuzu, Tōshirō lazily asked, "So, tell me—who exactly hired you for this job?"

"Don't pry into things you don't need to know," Kakuzu responded flatly. He was professional enough to keep client information confidential.

Besides, even he didn't know much about the employer.

Tōshirō shrugged, undeterred. "By the way, have you ever heard this saying?"

"You talk a lot more than I expected," Kakuzu grumbled. "My patience isn't great. Your next words better be interesting."

"There's only one kind of person who can keep a secret forever—the dead."

Kakuzu stopped walking, his eyes narrowing. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying… what if, after you kill this important target, your employer decides to betray you?"

The implication was obvious. Kakuzu merely snorted in response—he was confident in his strength.

If the employer refused to pay, he'd just take what he was owed by force.

Tōshirō spread his hands. "How about we make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

"I bet that your employer will try to double-cross you. If I'm right, you'll have to start listening to my advice more often. If I'm wrong, I'll give you 5 million ryo. How about it?"

Kakuzu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "Five million ryo? Do you even have that kind of money?"

"Come on, I'm an Uchiha. Five million ryo is nothing to me. So, do you dare?"

"…Interesting. I accept your bet."

(End of Chapter)

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