Yuhara recognized the guy in front of him—Kakuzu. Among the many members of the Akatsuki, Yuhara was actually interested in quite a few. Like the highly capable researcher Orochimaru, the perfect experimental subject Hidan, the shark-faced Kisame whose ninja discipline was genuinely admirable, Uchiha Itachi whom he definitely wanted to kill, and Kakuzu, the ultimate money-maker.
However, most of these people were pretty much off-limits due to the timeline he had crossed into—he was simply too late. Even if he hadn't missed the chance, recruiting all of them was a near-impossible dream. Take Kisame, for example; he was stationed in Kirigakure for a long time, so Yuhara never had a shot. But Hidan, the ideal lab rat, and Kakuzu, the financial genius, were still worth considering.
Even now, Yuhara hadn't completely ruled them out. It all depended on how he played this.
"Didn't expect to run into more of your lot again," Yuhara said calmly, masking his excitement. "We just saw Orochimaru, and now it's you two. What kind of organization is this? Even someone like Orochimaru joined—can't say you're nobodies."
"Oh? You actually encountered Orochimaru and lived to tell the tale?" Kakuzu and Hidan looked at Yuhara and Shisui warily. Both had a dangerous aura that Kakuzu, with his centuries of battle experience, could smell from miles away. The moment they got close, his instincts screamed danger, and he'd been on high alert ever since.
Now hearing them casually drop Orochimaru's name only confirmed his suspicions. As messed up as Orochimaru was, Kakuzu wouldn't dare underestimate him—even if he prided himself on surviving the First Hokage.
"Two extremely dangerous guys," Kakuzu silently concluded. He was already ready to throw down, assuming these two were mercenaries hired by another faction. Didn't matter if he hadn't heard of them—mercs were trouble, and a fight was inevitable.
"Orochimaru's dangerous, sure," Yuhara said with a slight grin, "but thinking he could take us out? Pure fantasy. And we didn't even team up—I handled him solo. Satisfied?"
"That only proves Orochimaru's weak. Nothing more," Kakuzu scoffed, chakra already surging as he stared them down. Then, with a smirk, he added, "Time to do what we came here to do."
"Right, time to settle some business," Yuhara nodded—and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Kakuzu, slashing down with his blade.
Kakuzu stayed calm. That speed was impressive, but not beyond him. A flash of yellow chakra cloaked his body, and the sword strike sparked loudly, deflecting off him with a metallic screech. Yuhara's slash had failed to pierce Kakuzu's hardened Earth-style armor—a technique honed to the limit.
"Trying to sneak attack me? Die!" Hidan roared, charging in to assist, but Shisui intercepted him mid-sprint.
"Your fight's with me, freak," Shisui said coldly, his Sharingan already active. He kept his guard up—this guy was weird. Wounds covered his body, a sword was sticking out of his stomach, and blood pooled beneath him, but he showed no signs of dying.
"A Jashin cultist?" Shisui immediately recalled intel from his time in ANBU. The Jashinists from the Land of Hot Water were notoriously bizarre, believing they could gain immortality through their god.
Shisui didn't buy any of it. The cult had long been banned and hunted by major factions. Rumor had it they were behind the near-destruction of Yugakure, but no hard evidence had ever surfaced. Since then, the cult vanished without a trace.
But clearly, one of them had joined this organization—and actually achieved that so-called immortality.
"Sharingan's seeing some freaky stuff," Shisui noted grimly. "This guy's body is brimming with some strange, eerie energy. It's keeping him alive despite the blood loss and fatal wounds."
This made things worse. Shisui had no means to dispel such forces, which meant he couldn't kill this guy outright.
"You callin' me a freak?" Hidan blinked, then his face twisted into a grin, eyes filled with madness.
"You're the weird one here, honestly. But whatever. Since you survived a fight with Orochimaru, I'd really like to see how strong you actually are.
Guys like you two—sacrificing you to Lord Jashin is sure to make Him very happy!"
As soon as Hidan finished, he yanked the sword from his gut and charged at Shisui with his scythe.
But Shisui just raised an eyebrow. Hidan's attacks were wild and messy—completely uncoordinated.
Yuhara didn't bother focusing on Shisui and Kakuzu's fight. Based on his memory of the original story, Hidan's whole gimmick was using that huge scythe to go on the offensive.
Thanks to its wide reach, he could easily cut enemies and draw blood—his real objective.
That's how Asuma got wrecked in the original timeline… not to mention the dude lost his head over a monk, literally.
Charging two Akatsuki members without a clear plan? That's a death wish.
But Shisui was calm, methodical, and had a Mangekyō tuned for physical-type combat. With his speed, Hidan probably couldn't even touch him.
And if he couldn't land a hit, he wasn't a threat. All of Hidan's killing power came from that creepy Jashin ritual—or more accurately, from the enemy's ignorance about it.
Just look at Shikamaru. Weaker than Asuma, sure, but his brains buried Hidan for good.
Clang!
Yuhara didn't have time to dwell on that. With a sharp swing of his blade, he knocked Kakuzu back and dashed in close. This time, his sword glowed with blue chakra—he was using Wind Release.
Shame he'd missed his chance to learn Lightning Release twice, or he could've shattered Kakuzu's Earth-style armor way faster.
Still, his Wind Release was no joke either.
He slashed with a wind-enhanced strike, the blade creating sharp gusts that boxed Kakuzu in from every direction.
Kakuzu reacted instantly, yellow chakra flaring across his body as he maxed out his armor's hardness. And just as Yuhara's sword hit his chest, Kakuzu lifted a leg and aimed a vicious kick at Yuhara's gut.
Fast and brutal—if it landed, Yuhara would be in serious trouble.
The goal was simple: force Yuhara back. But Yuhara didn't budge. He drove his sword straight toward Kakuzu's heart.
"You're insane!" Kakuzu muttered, shocked at the suicidal move.
But then his expression hardened. Crazy or not, he wasn't scared—after all, he had more than one heart.
BOOM!
Kakuzu's Earth-enhanced fist slammed into Yuhara's chest, shaking the ground. But in that same moment, Yuhara's wind-infused sword pierced Kakuzu's heart cleanly.
Of course, Kakuzu just swapped out for another heart. But when he got a good look at Yuhara's condition, his face changed.
A layer of glowing blue chakra had formed around Yuhara—and visible within it were skeletal rib bones.
Kakuzu's blood ran cold. "Susanoo?! You're an Uchiha!"
"Oh?" Yuhara smiled slyly. "You know your stuff. Didn't think you'd recognize Susanoo."
"A jutsu unique to the Uchiha. Of course I know it—I've lived too damn long not to."
Kakuzu's face darkened. Now he understood how Orochimaru had lost. The guy standing before him was not to be underestimated.
He had been a ninja since the days of Hashirama Senju. And yeah, he'd survived a clash with the First Hokage. But only he knew how he survived.
He would never forget being overwhelmed by a single jutsu—like a baby being smacked around by a god.
If Hashirama hadn't let him live out of pity, he would've died back then for sure.
And as Hashirama's only real rival, Uchiha Madara's power was just as monstrous. Kakuzu hadn't even seen him up close, but the rumors were enough to paint the picture.
That was the era of gods, where individual power could crush nations.
Now, seeing Susanoo again? No way he could stay calm.
"I didn't expect this—you're really an Uchiha. Are you here for Uchiha Itachi?"
Kakuzu backed off the moment Yuhara admitted it, retreating at top speed while eyeing him warily.
He tried to figure out Yuhara's true motive for coming after them, but only one name made sense—Uchiha Itachi.
"Sorry, you guessed wrong."
Yuhara shook his head lightly. At the same time, that tangible, azure chakra of his formed a skeletal arm.
As the chakra continued to surge, the outline of a giant began to take shape. A skeletal phantom appeared around him.
Kakuzu instinctively turned to flee. He'd heard of Susanoo's insane defense, and what just happened confirmed it. Even with Earth Release's incredible durability and strength, he hadn't been able to break through it.
But then Yuhara said something that made Kakuzu freeze mid-step.
"I'm here for money. I'm just a mercenary ninja now."
Yuhara's calm voice carried a smile.
"As for Uchiha Itachi—I didn't know he was in your organization. Not that it matters. I'll kill him sooner or later anyway.
But for now, I've got a better idea... and that idea, Kakuzu, is you."
He paused, then slowly removed his mask, revealing his face—and his Mangekyō Sharingan, spinning ominously.
Chakra surged even more. His Susanoo let out a deafening roar, its towering form swelling in size.
Muscles of chakra wrapped around its bones, making the giant form even more terrifying.
"I've heard of you, Kakuzu. You're a legendary bounty hunter—famous across the black market.
Didn't expect to run into you here, though. What a surprise.
But since we did, I figure I ought to make an offer. I need cash, and thanks to my identity, I can't move too openly."
Yuhara spoke casually, but his eyes kept flicking toward Shisui and Hidan's fight.
As he expected, Hidan couldn't touch Shisui. In fact, Shisui was already pressing him hard.
Hidan's body was covered in wounds, blood spilling everywhere like a broken faucet. Yet he kept moving, like some undead freak.
Yuhara could tell—Shisui had figured out the solution: chop off his head. No way Hidan could keep fighting after that.
Hidan seemed to realize it too. He was dodging frantically now, but it was clear—his fate was sealed.
Shouldn't have picked a fight with an Uchiha whose speed and Sharingan were both top-tier.
"So, I want you to work for me. You're making money with Akatsuki, right? Working with me would be the same. No difference there."
Yuhara turned his gaze back to Kakuzu, smiling calmly.
"Work with you? To earn for Konoha?"
Kakuzu sneered.
"Konoha's wealth isn't something you or I can touch. Come up with a better lie."
"Who said I'm earning for Konoha? Everything I do is for myself."
Yuhara calmly deactivated the expansion of his Susanoo. This level was more than enough.
"And what we're doing—Konoha wouldn't allow it. Wouldn't touch it.
That means it's stuff outside Konoha's laws. Stuff they want no part of.
Which is exactly why I need someone like you."
"You're choosing me?" Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. "And if I refuse?"
"I already said—money is money. Doesn't matter who you earn it for. I don't believe you're loyal to anything but cash."
Yuhara smiled faintly. His Susanoo drew a blade of pure chakra, glowing bright blue.
"And if you say no... well, I'll just show you what happens when you refuse. After all, I can tell—you've got more than one heart."
Kakuzu's face changed instantly. That secret—his multiple hearts—was supposed to be known to no one.
Yet this guy had seen right through him.
He didn't even have time to respond before Yuhara's Susanoo raised its sword high, then brought it crashing down with full force.
In that instant, space itself seemed to rupture, the earth split, and the sky tilted.
A blinding wave of energy erupted, starting as a pinpoint, then exploding into something vast—a power greater than anything Kakuzu had ever seen.
The world turned white.
And all that power slammed straight into Kakuzu.
In that moment, he felt a level of danger he had never known—death so close he could hear its breath.
Then a whisper echoed in his ears.
"Remember this. My name... is Uchiha Yuhara."
(End of Chapter)
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to 30+ at patreon.com/Emik01.