Shiyu Uchiha gave chase toward Kakuzu's primary body. Facing Shiyu Uchiha's fierce assault, Kakuzu felt alarm bubbling up inside. The brutal reality had already sharpened his senses, and now he began thinking about how to escape the battlefield—no longer clinging to dreams of bounty. But Shiyu Uchiha? He wasn't about to let Kakuzu off the hook that easily.
To prevent Kakuzu from slipping out of his sight, Shiyu activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, using its immense power to lock onto Kakuzu firmly. At the same time, he performed hand seals with one hand, continuously casting ninjutsu to disrupt Kakuzu's movements and leaving him no room to escape.
Drawing upon decades of combat experience and his cunning mind, Kakuzu attempted to shake off Shiyu's relentless pursuit. But Shiyu stayed right on him, giving Kakuzu not even a moment to catch his breath.
Kakuzu tried escaping repeatedly, yet every attempt ended in failure. Shiyu kept him cornered tightly, and the distance between them gradually closed. Under the looming threat of death and relentless pursuit from Shiyu, Kakuzu's instincts kicked into overdrive, and he quickly devised a plan he considered flawless.
Risking Shiyu drawing closer, he first unleashed several ninjutsu techniques to create an opening. Then, he decisively activated his composite ninjutsu. The Wind and Lightning chakra natures surged forth from the masks on his body as he performed hand seals, merging into several chakra energy spheres that moved at incredible speed with shocking power.
These energy spheres raced toward Shiyu Uchiha at an astonishing speed. Yet, to Kakuzu's disappointment, Shiyu's Shifting Body Technique once again surpassed his imagination. Just when Kakuzu thought escape was entirely impossible, Shiyu miraculously leapt several meters into the air, skillfully dodging the attack.
Immediately afterward, midair, Shiyu unhesitatingly unleashed his Fire Release ninjutsu—[Great Dragon Flame]. A massive flaming dragon's head rapidly surged toward Kakuzu like lightning. Although Kakuzu successfully avoided the most intense explosion core, the shockwave alone cost him yet another Earth Grudge Fear mask.
Realizing only one mask remained, a wave of panic and dread crashed over Kakuzu. He couldn't recall how long it had been since he last felt the fear of facing death directly. Now, that suffocating dread returned, creeping ever closer like the Shinigami himself had materialized just inches away.
In that instant, Kakuzu suddenly realized that despite his lifelong firm belief, his own life still mattered deeply.
Therefore, he desperately tried to flee from this desperate situation. Yet amidst the fierce battle with Shiyu Uchiha, locked down by the Mangekyou Sharingan, he ultimately proved no match and was struck down by a series of powerful blows from Shiyu Uchiha's blade, now ablaze. At this moment, Kakuzu lay severely wounded, barely clinging to his last thread of life.
However, since Shiyu Uchiha did not immediately take his life, Kakuzu felt momentarily relieved. He deeply understood that if his opponent had not delivered a killing blow, there was still something left worth keeping him alive for.
Thus, Kakuzu struggled to lift his heavy head and looked toward Shiyu Uchiha, wanting to see what the man who had defeated him looked like.
After confirming that Kakuzu was temporarily unable to resist and ensuring the surroundings were safe, Shiyu Uchiha found a large stone and sat down on it casually.
Then, he turned his eyes toward Kakuzu, who was lying flat on the ground, and spoke with an extremely show-off tone: "[Earth Grudge Fear's Secret Jutsu] is indeed quite interesting, but unfortunately, your power isn't strong enough. If you could use composite ninjutsu combining all Five Natures, I might've felt a bit threatened. Too bad."
After saying these words, a hint of pride surged in Shiyu Uchiha's heart, making him feel as if he already possessed the demeanor of a great master.
As a ninja who had lived through many long years, Kakuzu naturally had considerable understanding of the Uchiha Clan. Although Shiyu Uchiha's words sounded somewhat arrogant and conceited, he didn't take much offense.
In Kakuzu's view, this situation—where he at least still remained alive—was already relatively favorable.
However, Kakuzu clearly realized the fundamental reason for his defeat. He felt greatly astonished that Shiyu Uchiha knew so much about him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been defeated so thoroughly.
Of course, another even more important reason made Kakuzu choose to remain silent—he was now at a disadvantage and could only lower his head helplessly. As long as Shiyu Uchiha didn't force him to hand over all his wealth, everything could still be negotiated.
Therefore, Kakuzu directly said: "Head of the Uchiha Clan, how can you spare my life? Just tell me straight."
Upon hearing this, Shiyu Uchiha secretly felt delighted but maintained an outwardly calm expression, pretending to speak indifferently: "Not bad then. In that case, I'll be straightforward too. You name a figure yourself; if I find it acceptable, I'll let you go. As the most feared bounty hunter in the ninja world, your savings should be quite substantial, right? Surely enough to buy back your own life."
The reason Shiyu Uchiha spoke like this was precisely to test just how much wealth Kakuzu would be willing to offer in exchange for his life. Then he planned to ask ten times more than whatever Kakuzu proposed. He believed Kakuzu wouldn't dare part with such a huge sum, which would force Kakuzu to offer his techniques instead—after all, Kakuzu valued his contractual integrity greatly.
Kakuzu, still lying on the ground, hesitated for a while before trying to speak. After a moment of inner struggle, he gritted his teeth and finally spoke out with evident reluctance: "Ten million… How does that sound to you?"
This price disappointed Shiyu Uchiha slightly. Though he hadn't originally expected Kakuzu to state an incredibly high number, the actual offer still fell short of even his modest expectations. Immediately, he furrowed his brows and visibly showed his dissatisfaction.
Observing Shiyu Uchiha's expression, Kakuzu's heart tensed. He deeply understood that his own life was now entirely in the other person's hands. Should he fail to meet his opponent's demands, today might truly become his last day.
Thus, after a long pause, he finally opened his mouth again and said with a grimace: "What if I raise it by another ten million? That's really the most I can do." After finishing his words, Kakuzu nervously watched Shiyu Uchiha, hoping desperately for acceptance. At the same time, his last remaining heart twitched violently—not from pain, but from sheer financial dread.
Shiyu Uchiha said nothing, letting his silence speak for his discontent. He quietly watched him, and an impasse settled between the two.
After a while, Kakuzu finally made another concession, offering to raise the price to 30 million. However, when he saw the number, a flicker of crimson flashed in Shiyu's eyes, and deep down, he knew this was the highest Kakuzu was willing to offer.
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