Chapter 41

The vast ruins lay in utter disarray, remnants of battle scattered across the ground. Amidst the wreckage, the immortal Akatsuki member, Kakuzu, slumped like a discarded marionette, his battle-worn body resembling a lifeless husk.

If Danzo were to witness this scene, he would undoubtedly see Kakuzu as a prime bounty hunter, a ruthless mercenary feared across the underworld. Yet now, before Qin Yu, the infamous rogue shinobi, Kakuzu seemed no more than a defeated beast licking its wounds.

It was almost unbelievable.

"Relax," Qin Yu said, clapping Kakuzu on the shoulder. "You'll soon realize this decision is the right one."

"You've already lost four hearts. But I have the perfect target in mind. If you can claim it, your strength will soar beyond measure."

Even witnessing Qin Yu's overwhelming prowess firsthand, Kakuzu struggled to believe such a claim.

However, after enduring the torment of Qin Yu's twin Mangekyō Sharingan abilities, he was now desperate for more power.

He staggered to his feet before Qin Yu.

"What strength are you talking about?" Kakuzu demanded, gripping Qin Yu's arm with his clawed fingers.

Feeling the tension in Kakuzu's iron grip, Qin Yu chuckled.

In this world, the most dangerous individuals are not the strongest but the most ambitious.

If one seeks to create a formidable force, they must first fuel that ambition.

Take Uchiha Obito, for example—once a mere Genin, yet transformed into the mastermind behind the Akatsuki.

That is the power of ambition.

"You've heard of how the Third Great Ninja War began, right?" Qin Yu asked, watching Kakuzu intently. "It was triggered by the sudden disappearance of the Third Kazekage."

Kakuzu, who had spent decades in the underworld, possessed intelligence networks far beyond the reach of ordinary shinobi.

As a bounty hunter, there was nothing he valued more than lucrative information.

"In the black market, the bounty for the Third Kazekage is a staggering 12 million ryō," Kakuzu murmured, narrowing his eyes. "But no one knows who was responsible for his disappearance."

"You think it was Konoha?"

Qin Yu shook his head. "No. What I want you to do is find someone—the one who took the Third Kazekage's heart. Once you do, take it for yourself."

"With the Iron Sand Kekkei Genkai, your power will reach an entirely new level."

The art of Jiongu—Earth Grudge Fear—allowed Kakuzu to steal hearts and gain new chakra natures.

Iron Sand was akin to Kumogakure's Black Lightning.

Both were rare elemental transformations, separate from Kekkei Genkai but just as potent.

Most shinobi could never wield such power, but Kakuzu was an exception.

And yet, in the original timeline, he had squandered his potential.

A man who could have dominated the battlefield had played his hand poorly.

Was this fate's intervention, or merely a case of wasted opportunity?

Qin Yu's expression darkened as he studied Kakuzu.

Seeing the shift in Qin Yu's eyes, Kakuzu sighed and slowly straightened himself.

"Boss, boss..."

"I know what you're thinking."

"You're wondering why someone with the Earth Grudge Fear technique hasn't taken more special hearts."

"It's not that I didn't want to. It's just that I couldn't do it alone."

Kakuzu's frustration was evident.

His name had once been infamous for a failed assassination attempt on Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.

Yet in reality, he had barely scratched the legendary shinobi before fleeing in terror.

Upon returning to Takigakure, the village leaders, fearing retribution, had branded Kakuzu a criminal.

Enraged, he had slaughtered them all and claimed their hearts, perfecting his forbidden technique in the process.

Takigakure had long since faded into obscurity, its influence in the ninja world negligible.

By the end of Naruto Shippuden, a single Jōnin-level shinobi could have decimated the entire village.

So, despite his monstrous abilities, Kakuzu had never reached his full potential.

"You know where the Third Kazekage's body is?" Kakuzu asked sharply.

In the distance, two Konoha ANBU—Moonlight Hayate and Yūgao Uzuki—instinctively tensed, preparing to intervene.

However, in an instant, Qin Yu's Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life.

A mere glance sent both ANBU into a hypnotic trance.

Qin Yu didn't distrust Yūgao, but he had no desire to involve her.

If Danzo's Root division caught wind of their conversation, things would get complicated.

Kakuzu's eyes widened at Qin Yu's display of power.

"Boss… your Sharingan… It's just like Uchiha Madara's."

In the history of the ninja world, only two individuals had ever frightened Kakuzu into retreating with a single glance.

The first was Hashirama Senju.

The second was Uchiha Madara.

Having lived through the First Great Ninja War, Kakuzu was no stranger to the Uchiha's terrifying might.

"Something like that," Qin Yu replied vaguely.

If Kakuzu was to follow him, he needed to understand true power.

"Now, back to business." Qin Yu shifted gears. "You have contacts in the black market. Find a man called Sasori of the Red Sand."

"When you do, retrieve the Third Kazekage's heart from him. He turns shinobi into human puppets, so he needs living bodies to preserve their abilities."

Human puppetry was unique.

Unlike normal puppets, human ones retained the jutsu of their former lives.

Though their chakra cores remained intact, Sasori had no personal use for Iron Sand.

For Kakuzu, however, it would be invaluable.

If he could also recruit Sasori into their ranks, that would be even better.

And if Orochimaru was still unreachable, Sasori could be an alternative in research and experimentation.

"That brat?" Kakuzu scoffed.

Qin Yu frowned. "You know him?"

"Of course I do," Kakuzu grunted. "He buys fresh corpses from bounty hunters and sometimes commissions us to capture shinobi alive."

"I never thought he'd be crazy enough to go after the Kazekage."

"That was the leader of his own village."

Qin Yu sighed.

It was amusing.

The Akatsuki had a habit of attracting the most unorthodox individuals.

One man was obsessed with money.

Another sought perfection through puppetry.

Yet somehow, their paths had converged under a common banner.

"Since you know where he is, get moving." Qin Yu gestured toward the nearby forest. "Some Root operatives just arrived. You can handle them, right?"

In the shadows, three Root ANBU flinched.

Their mission was to observe the battle between Kakuzu and Qin Yu, then report back to Danzo.

They had assumed the fight would be long and grueling.

Yet by the time they arrived, the battle had already ended.

"Boss, don't worry," Kakuzu sneered. "They won't escape me."

The dense forest shuddered as dark tendrils erupted from Kakuzu's body.

Like a monstrous web, his Earth Grudge Fear jutsu spread through the trees, ensnaring the helpless Root operatives in a lethal embrace.