Chapter 39

"Is that Takigakure, the Hidden Village with a Tailed Beast?" Hayate Gekkō was visibly shaken.

His face darkened, his body tense. "Qin Yu… don't tell me… he's the rogue ninja who assassinated the village leader?"

"Yes." Qin Yu nodded with a smirk. "I didn't expect to run into you so soon, Kakuzu."

At his words, Yūgao Uzuki and Hayate turned pale.

This was an S-rank rogue ninja, one who had nearly wiped out an entire village.

A shinobi with strength on par with a Kage.

No matter how many times the Five Great Shinobi Nations attempted to capture such criminals…

S-rank rogue ninjas were always elusive.

And now, one stood before them.

Was this a nightmare?

"Qin Yu, shouldn't we be running?!" Hayate blurted out, panic creeping into his voice.

"We're only a few miles from Konoha—if we move now, we can reach the village gates before he catches up."

"The sentries stationed there will reinforce us."

Facing Kakuzu, a shinobi whose history was drenched in blood, Hayate's fighting spirit vanished instantly.

"Blast, shut up!" Yūgao snapped, her sharp gaze locking onto Qin Yu.

Despite the gravity of the situation, he still wore a calm, confident smile.

"Stop doubting him! You're just weakening our morale."

"If Qin Yu isn't afraid, it means he believes he can win."

"But why… why would an S-rank rogue ninja target us?"

Unlike Hayate, Yūgao's keen instincts sensed something deeper at play.

Since Qin Yu recognized Kakuzu, it meant the man was a bounty hunter—a shinobi obsessed with money.

Just earlier, those rogue ninja had placed a bounty…

Did that mean they were the targets?

"Qin Yu, are we being hunted?" Yūgao asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

Qin Yu chuckled, casually patting her shoulder. "Not bad, you're catching on."

"We've been marked with a bounty. And to make Kakuzu himself come after us… the price must be at least 20 to 30 million ryō."

"What?!"

Yūgao and Hayate's expressions twisted in shock.

As Konoha ninja, their monthly salary was barely a few hundred ryō.

Even elite jōnin rarely made over two or three thousand per year.

But someone had placed a bounty worth tens of millions on them?!

This wasn't just some ordinary assassination order.

"Qin Yu… are you saying someone inside Konoha wants us dead?" Yūgao asked hesitantly.

Over the past few days, there had been no major conflicts involving them.

But no matter what their relationship was, she couldn't help but feel concerned for Qin Yu.

"They're after me." Qin Yu shrugged. "You two just got caught in the crossfire."

"If you're scared, you can leave. Kakuzu won't chase you—your lives aren't worth the money."

Despite the grim situation, he still spoke lightheartedly.

Yūgao hesitated, then clenched her fists.

"I won't run," she said firmly. "I trust that you can defeat him. Right?"

Hayate, who had been on the verge of retreating, froze.

Under Yūgao's unwavering gaze, he swallowed hard—then nodded reluctantly.

"Are you finished talking?"

Kakuzu's cold voice cut through the air.

As he absorbed the chakra from the rogue ninja corpses, the black tendrils covering his body wriggled grotesquely.

They didn't withdraw—instead, they spread further, pulsating like living creatures.

"Heh, still chasing money, huh, Kakuzu?" Qin Yu mused.

"I have a better deal for you. How about a bet?"

"If you win, I'll give you my head."

"But if I win, you become my subordinate."

"A fair trade, don't you think?"

His tone was casual, but Yūgao and Hayate's eyes widened in shock.

Was he seriously trying to recruit an S-rank rogue ninja?!

If word got out, it would be unbelievable.

Kakuzu stared at him for a moment—then let out a low, rumbling chuckle.

"I haven't met such an amusing brat in a long time."

With a single motion, he unfastened his cloak, revealing his stitch-covered body.

Dark threads slithered across his skin, connecting his limbs and torso like a stitched-up corpse.

Even more unnerving—his chest shifted, revealing four grotesque masks embedded into his body.

From within, one of the masks yawned open, revealing a writhing, tendril-like appendage—a horrific imitation of a tongue.

Yūgao's grip on her blade tightened.

The sheer unnaturalness of Kakuzu's body was enough to unsettle even the most hardened shinobi.

Yet Qin Yu stood completely unfazed.

"You're still as disgusting as ever, I see," he remarked.

Kakuzu's laughter faded into a low growl.

"Well, well… even after seeing me in person, your expression hasn't changed at all."

"Fine. I'll accept your bet."

"But I hope you'll last more than four or five moves—or this will be boring."

Qin Yu's rise in Konoha had been rapid—only seven or eight days had passed since his name started spreading.

Even Konoha's own shinobi barely knew his true strength.

Let alone Kakuzu, a rogue ninja who operated in the shadows.

And in his eyes, no mere Konoha brat could stand against him.

"Heh. Don't worry." Qin Yu's smirk widened.

"I'll make sure you feel both pain and joy."

Kakuzu's expression darkened.

For the first time, he felt a strange pressure radiating from this young shinobi.

His patience snapped.

"Enough talk!"

"Raiton: Gian! (Lightning Release: False Darkness!)"

From the lightning mask on his back, a massive bolt of black lightning erupted—piercing through the air toward Qin Yu.

"Step back," Qin Yu said casually.

"The fight is over."

Yūgao and Hayate's eyes widened in disbelief.

They had seen Qin Yu's strength firsthand…

But to claim that he could end the battle so quickly—against an S-rank criminal…?

That was insanity.

Yet before they could argue—

BOOM!

The dark lightning struck Qin Yu directly, engulfing him in an explosion of electricity.

A thunderous roar echoed across the outpost.

Sparks scattered.

The sheer force of the attack shattered wooden beams, and dust surged into the air.

"Hah. Brat, did you think you could look down on me?" Kakuzu sneered.

But before he could finish—

The fire mask on his back twitched.

"Katon: Zukkoku! (Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!)"

A massive inferno burst from Kakuzu's mouth, consuming everything in a sea of flames.

Having just absorbed chakra from the rogue ninjas, the flames were even stronger than usual—spreading across 30 meters in an instant.

The entire outpost was swallowed in fire.

Yet—

Something was wrong.

The fire… began to twist.

A vortex formed within the flames.

The next moment—

The raging inferno was blown away.