Chapter 81: Outside the Village – Bounty Hunter Kakuzu
The next morning
"Mmm…" Konan slowly opened her eyes after sleeping soundly for the first time in a long while.
The first thing she saw was a pure white ceiling. The clean and cozy environment didn't make her feel comfortable—instead, it filled her with fear.
After all, just yesterday she had still been a refugee from the slums. She had always slept in broken-down houses, never had enough to eat or wear, and was sometimes bullied.
Now, in this new and unfamiliar place, she hadn't fully adjusted yet.
"Konan, are you awake?"
At that moment, Ling Yu's gentle voice sounded beside her.
Konan immediately turned her head and saw Ling Yu sitting at the edge of her bed, smiling warmly down at her.
"Big brother… where is this…?"
Hurriedly crawling out from under the blanket, Konan moved closer to him, tightly gripping Ling Yu's hand. Her eyes carried a trace of panic as she asked in a trembling voice.
In this strange new environment, only Ling Yu could make her feel safe.
"Don't be afraid. This is a hotel in the Hidden Rain Village. We'll stay here for a few more days. Once the time is right, we'll head back."
Gently stroking Konan's hair, Ling Yu soothed her emotions and explained softly.
He knew Konan had lived a life of constant wandering and lacked any sense of security. So he planned to first let her grow closer to him and the others. That way, when he eventually brought her to the Konoha camp and introduced her to more people, she wouldn't be afraid.
"Mm… Thank you, big brother, for taking me in!"
After a moment, Konan finally calmed down. She looked up at Ling Yu with an angelic smile.
"By the way, Konan—can you tell me about the ninja who told you to follow me yesterday? Where did he say you should go to report back to him?"
Looking at Konan's thin little face, Ling Yu felt a pang of heartache. He pulled her into a tight hug. After a long while, he finally asked about what happened yesterday.
"Mm… He said if I found out where you were staying, I should go to the tallest tree outside the Hidden Rain Village to find him."
Lying in Ling Yu's arms, Konan honestly repeated every word the ninja had told her yesterday.
By now, she already considered Ling Yu her most important family. No matter what Ling Yu asked, she would answer truthfully.
Click—
At that moment, the door opened from outside. Mikoto walked in with Kushina.
"Good morning. I bought breakfast—you two should change and come eat."
Mikoto set down a large bag and began placing the breakfast items one by one on the table. After arranging everything, she spoke to Ling Yu and Konan.
"Hehe, good morning! I bought a few outfits for Konan. Ling Yu, you go ahead—I'll help her change."
Kushina walked over to Ling Yu's side, pulled him away, then took a set of children's clothes from her bag and held them up in front of Konan, ready to help her change.
Konan first glanced at Ling Yu as he prepared to leave. After receiving his reassuring nod, she raised her arms and let Kushina dress her.
Meanwhile, Ling Yu had already walked over to the table with the breakfast. He had just sat down when Mikoto's voice came from beside him.
"Ling Yu—what should we do about Konan?"
Mikoto pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, asking softly.
"Don't worry—I'll handle it. Anyone who dares use Konan like that will pay the price."
While eating breakfast, Ling Yu replied to Mikoto. A faint scarlet glint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
…
After breakfast, the group split up according to plan. Kushina and Mikoto took Konan out shopping to help her relax and strengthen the bond between them.
Ling Yu, meanwhile, set off alone toward the outskirts of the Hidden Rain Village. He intended to meet the ninja who had threatened Konan and tried to lure him out.
Logically speaking, the fact that the ninja had sent a child with almost no experience to tail him meant he already knew Ling Yu's strength.
He deliberately chose a meeting spot outside the village—clearly intending to draw Ling Yu out.
It was even possible that traps had already been set, just waiting for Ling Yu to walk into them.
But no matter how many schemes the enemy had prepared, Ling Yu wasn't afraid. In the face of absolute power, all tricks and plots were meaningless.
After a few minutes, Ling Yu arrived at the location Konan had described—the tallest tree outside the village.
Sweeping the area with Observation Haki, Ling Yu found no traps nearby—only the presence of one ninja hiding in the woods not far away.
"You're the one who lured me here?"
Using Space Power, Ling Yu instantly appeared behind the black-robed ninja and spoke.
"What?! So fast…"
The ninja leaped forward several steps, turned around, and his green eyes beneath the black hood revealed disbelief.
"Hm?"
Seeing that the black-robed figure still refused to show his face and was instead sizing him up, Ling Yu frowned.
"Universal Pull!"
Raising his hand forward, Ling Yu activated his Rinnegan. A powerful attractive force tore the ninja's black cloak away, revealing his true appearance.
The man before him had a robust, muscular build. He wore a headband with a crossed-out ninja symbol, green eyes, a black mask covering half his face, and a body seemingly stitched together—covered head to toe in dense black threads, with several still unremoved.
This was Kakuzu—the bounty hunter who had been revived since the time of Hashirama, once capable of throwing shuriken from 800 li away, escaping after fighting Hashirama himself, and achieving immortality through the Earth Grudge Fear technique.
With his secret art "Earth Grudge Fear," Kakuzu could control black threads released from his body to steal other people's hearts and use them for himself.
Including his own heart, Kakuzu could store up to five hearts at once. As long as each heart contained a different elemental chakra nature, he could use five different elemental ninjutsu.
Moreover, each heart could transform into a black monster formed by Earth Grudge Fear, capable of using the original heart-owner's ninjutsu.
Unless all five of his hearts were destroyed, Kakuzu could not die. By replacing hearts, he could live on indefinitely.
"Senju Ling Yu—same clan as Senju Hashirama. Not long ago, you wiped out three thousand Rain ninja with a single technique. The current black market bounty on your head is 80 million ryō—that's you, right?"
Before Ling Yu could speak, Kakuzu spoke first. He pulled out a bounty poster, carefully compared the portrait to Ling Yu, then revealed a sinister smile.
"I'm already that famous? But when did I get put on a bounty list—and only 80 million? Are they looking down on me that much?"
Ling Yu frowned, feeling a little dissatisfied that his bounty was so low.
But the ones who could post such a high bounty must have personally witnessed his strength and been victimized by him. Judging from the bounty description, it could only be that dog Hanzō.
"Kakuzu, right? Are you so sure you can collect this bounty?"
Ling Yu gave a light laugh, his lips curling in disdain.
"Hmph. Since I'm here, your head is mine. Blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn't have. In your next life, live more carefully."
With that, Kakuzu stopped wasting words and activated his secret art—Earth Grudge Fear.
His body suddenly swelled. Black threads burst from his back and gathered on his shoulders, forming two large bulges. Two masks emerged from the threads.
"Fire Style: Head Hardening!"
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"
Forming hand seals, the two masked creatures on Kakuzu's shoulders opened their mouths wide and simultaneously released a Fire and Wind ninjutsu.
"Combined Ninjutsu: Inferno Storm!"
In an instant, the two techniques fused together, turning into a raging sea of fire that surged toward Ling Yu.
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