Chapter 41: An Unexpected Encounter, Kakuzu Arrives!
"I'll kill you!"
Hidan was suddenly filled with impotent rage, because he genuinely didn't know how to tree-walk or water-walk yet.
Seeing this, Shinnō, who had been silently observing the entire time, narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly:
"I don't need to fight. I can carry him down."
Tsukasa glanced at him, thinking that this old man could not only carry Hidan down—he could probably run a marathon with the kid on his back without breaking a sweat.
However, letting Shinnō carry Hidan down would be like throwing meat to a wolf.
This guy had been eyeing Hidan from the start, clearly wanting something from him. Although he was acting cooperative and claiming he'd only observe, if they really let him do as he pleased, there was no guarantee something wouldn't go wrong.
"Let's scout the situation first." Tsukasa shook his head and pointed to the castle wall below that was close to the cliff face.
Then he turned to look at Hidan.
"Also, Hidan, be prepared to stay here."
Hidan remained silent. Mei Terumi nodded beside him and instructed:
"Then I'll leave it to you, Uchiha Tsukasa."
"Descend from here. There's a tree about halfway down. Hide there. With your Sharingan, you should be able to clearly observe the defenses on the wall. Record your observations every fifteen minutes. After three rounds, we'll move out."
"Time's running short. Dawn is almost here."
With that, Mei Terumi unclasped her ninja tool pouch from her slender waist and tossed it over.
"I'm not a shuriken specialist, so I don't carry many tools. I only have three kunai, ten shuriken, and two explosive tags."
"That's enough."
Tsukasa caught it, weighed it in his hand, and instantly determined exactly what was inside. He fastened it around his waist.
He stood at the cliff's edge, glanced down, and estimated the drop at nearly four hundred meters.
Wind from below whipped at Tsukasa's hair, pulling it from his forehead. A thin mist drifted beneath the mountain wall's shadow, like the gaping maw of some lurking monster.
He smiled and leaped as the three watched.
WHOOSH!
Rapidly falling!
Tsukasa activated his Sharingan mid-air and quickly spotted the tree Mei Terumi had mentioned.
He pulled out a bandage from his body, folded it, tied it to the end of a kunai, and hurled it downward.
The kunai with the bandage attached wrapped around the tree trunk. Tsukasa manipulated the bandage to redirect his descent, landing gently on the tree branch.
Then he carefully observed the castle walls now visible below.
As Hidan had said, the fortress was heavily guarded.
Night passed quietly, and two quarters of an hour passed quickly. Tsukasa climbed back up the cliff face using his hands and feet.
Compared to running up the cliff face with chakra, this method conserved more energy.
As Tsukasa emerged from the cliff edge, Mei Terumi looked at him nervously and asked:
"What's the situation?"
"Reporting, commander," Tsukasa grinned and briefly summarized his gathered intelligence.
"Mostly small fries, nothing serious. There are six shinobi with detectable chakra signatures, patrolling in two shifts."
"Most of them are guarding the entrance to the underground cave, with two stationed on the castle walls."
Having climbed up, Tsukasa gave a quick analysis:
"If we eliminate one guard, we'll have at least ten minutes to rush underground, and then..."
But before he could finish his words, Tsukasa suddenly froze, his gaze shifting past Mei Terumi to look beyond her.
In his Sharingan's field of vision, an enormous sphere of light with a terrifying chakra signature was slowly approaching from the darkness.
"And then what?" Mei Terumi frowned.
Tsukasa suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He licked his lips, his gaze gradually focusing.
"Well, I spotted a big problem."
"Problem?" Mei Terumi was confused, wondering what could make this cocky Uchiha suddenly so tense.
Before she could ask further, Tsukasa spoke quietly, one hand discreetly moving to rest on the ninja tool pouch at his waist.
"That's putting it mildly."
Seeing Tsukasa's action, the three of them tensed, then followed his gaze, looking sideways into the thick darkness beyond.
From the dense forest behind the cliff, the sound of deliberate footsteps gradually approached.
Under the moonlight, a tall man emerged—wearing a black cloak, a Takigakure forehead protector marked as a rogue ninja, and a black mask covering most of his face. His eyes glowed an eerie green in the darkness.
Tsukasa's heart sank at the sight of him.
This man was none other than Kakuzu—the Kage-level powerhouse who possessed the forbidden technique "Earth Grudge Fear," the future chief financial officer of the Akatsuki organization, and currently one of the Underground Exchange's most elite bounty hunters!
Crunch, crunch—
His feet crushed the dirt beneath them, stirring up a gray cloud of dust.
Kakuzu's eyes were cold and indifferent as he slowly approached.
"I've been searching for you for quite a while, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourselves right back here."
He scanned the faces of the four people before him, pausing briefly on Shinnō with a slight frown, then turning his gaze to Hidan standing behind the others.
He muttered:
"Tsk, what a hassle."
"This measly payment isn't nearly enough. I'll have to demand more when I return."
With that, Kakuzu suddenly stepped forward, his eyes icy, and spoke in a deep, threatening voice:
"Hand over that kid behind you."
"Otherwise—die!"
As his words fell, a terrifying wave of killing intent suddenly emanated from Kakuzu!
Under this oppressive pressure, even Tsukasa and Mei Terumi couldn't help but shift their footing and take an involuntary step back.
As for young Hidan, his pupils contracted to pinpoints when facing his future "best partner." His body began trembling uncontrollably, and he unconsciously retreated several steps, only stopping when his foot reached the cliff's edge.
"Who... who is this guy?!"
Hidan's face was filled with fear.
He had never encountered a master of this caliber—someone who could paralyze opponents with killing intent alone.
Meanwhile, Shinnō didn't move at all. Kakuzu's killing intent felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.
Still, he deliberately retreated—seven or eight steps in quick succession—maintaining distance from the three-person team.
His attitude clearly said: "Fight all you want, I'm just here to watch."
"Takigakure's S-rank missing-nin, one of the shinobi world's top bounty hunters—Kakuzu." Mei Terumi's pupils contracted sharply, clearly recognizing him.
She pulled a kunai from the holster on her thigh, her hands already forming the Tiger seal, prepared for combat.
Tsukasa looked grimly at Kakuzu, who had come for Hidan, and felt a profound sense of absurdity wash over him.
The butterfly effect he'd caused was already stirring up a storm!
The "Immortal Duo" who were originally destined to be partners had now become enemies, and Tsukasa was actually going to fight Kakuzu to protect Hidan?!
This is insane!
After a moment of shock, Tsukasa immediately turned his head, his expression fierce, pointed at the cliff, and shouted at Hidan:
"Hidan, jump down!"
"What did you say?!"
End of Chapter 41
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