Chapter 42: 42 - A Heart's Worth
The person who had arrived was none other than Kakuzu, a future elite member of Akatsuki.
However, Shin was curious, "How did you find out that we pay jonin here? And why did you come looking for us?"
"You don't need to worry about where I found out. Just answer me: why can't I collect money here?"
"If you have any conditions, feel free to state them—as long as I get paid!"
All he really cares about is money, Shin thought.
Still, it was interesting that he had a sense of contract loyalty—he wasn't there to rob anyone. Just like in the original story, he was a true mercenary.
So, he went ahead and laid it out: "If I say it involves opposing the Salamander, would you be afraid?"
Kakuzu let out an indignant laugh. "Why? He is just a salamander, nowhere near the God of Shinobi."
"Oh? So you know a lot about the God of Shinobi?"
Kakuzu seemed a bit provoked.
"Are you deliberately taunting me?!"
"No, I'm just testing your courage. Now I can give you a formal answer." Shin maintained his relaxed posture, though his eyes never left Kakuzu's slightest movement.
"Yes, you can receive payment, but only if you have the courage to join us in fighting Hanzō and bringing true peace to the Land of Rain."
Kakuzu thought it over and asked, "Is this a mission? How much are you offering for his head?"
Shin shook his head.
He had no intention of paying him like a client would; that would be far too costly.
"No, it's simply an invitation to join our cause. Once you're part of it, we'll be working together on a grand mission, and one day, we'll make so much money we'll be as rich as a nation."
"But in the initial stages of this endeavor, we need to push forward together."
In today's terms, this kind of behavior by Shin would be called 'selling a dream'—a common tactic of every shady boss.
However, Kakuzu, who'd spent his entire life as a shinobi, had never encountered this kind of tactic and found himself deeply swayed for a moment.
Instinctively, he sensed something was off—who takes on a mission without payment? But this man's talk of a future wealth that could rival nations struck a tempting nerve.
Especially as Shin, with his keen understanding of human nature, kept provoking him while tempting him. He watched Kakuzu's body language carefully.
"What's the matter? Are you afraid? Did you panic just hearing the name of the Salamander?"
"Shut up! I already told you, that he is nothing compared to the true God of Shinobi!"
He was riled up.
Seeing this, Shin broke into a smile. He knew he was halfway to victory.
"In that case, let me test your strength. I've heard of this so-called God of Shinobi from Konoha, but I wonder how much of his power you actually possess."
Meeting Kakuzu seemed like fate, so Shin had no intention of letting him walk away. Temptation with promises, jabs at his pride—now it was time for an honest, head-on fight to truly win him over.
Kakuzu, with all his years of pride, wouldn't be won over by mere words. Even when capturing Pokémon, you need a mix of compassion and battle.
"Let me show you how vast the shinobi world is." He didn't back down. He might not have realized it himself, but this meant his heart was already wavering.
The other members of Akatsuki moved swiftly to clear the field for Shin. Stone walls rose around them as earth-style users created a makeshift arena, while others established barriers to contain the inevitable destruction.
Their speed and efficiency left Kakuzu a bit surprised, feeling a slight pressure.
The trust these shinobi placed in this young man was unexpectedly high.
But he didn't retreat. After living so many years, he was confident that aside from the deceased God of Shinobi, no one could make him tremble.
The flag was raised.
The battle began immediately.
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!" The air itself seemed to ignite as Kakuzu launched the first move, beginning with his signature large-scale fire attack.
Waves of crimson flames surged across the ground like a tidal wave, the heat so intense it cracked the stone beneath, rushing toward Shin. Let's see how the brat handles this level of power.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
But Shin had been diligently training his own skills lately, and his Water Wall was much stronger than those weak Ame shinobi from before.
Sizzle!
The fire struck the water wall with explosive force, instantly creating a large cloud of steam and white mist that filled the arena. The clash of elements sent shock waves through the air, forcing spectating Akatsuki members to brace themselves.
Kakuzu's expression remained neutral, though he was inwardly surprised. His threads tensed, sensing danger through the mist.
The chakra level on the other side was nothing like that of a typical teenager.
Was there really such a prodigy hidden in the remote Land of Rain?
Before he could finish thinking, five figures suddenly charged at him from within the mist.
"Shadow clones? How dull."
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!" The air howled as Kakuzu unleashed a wind technique, turning the gentle mist into razor-sharp blades that could shred flesh from bone, intending to wipe out these fragile clones in one swoop.
But the five Shin figures flickered like ghosts in and out of reality, moving like an old, lagging movie reel, each flash bringing them out of the wind attack's range.
What kind of jutsu is this? Body Flicker? A special movement technique?
Not long ago, Kakuzu was confident he'd seen it all after surviving even in front of the God of Shinobi. His threads had tasted the blood of countless unique ninjutsu users.
But only seconds into the battle, he realized—this was something he had never encountered. Before he knew it, Shin was right in front of him.
Unable to distinguish the real one, Kakuzu conservatively detached one of his masks from his body, transforming it into a large, shadowy creature to protect himself.
At the same time, he split his body and launched a punch.
"Tentacle Fist!"
The black threads split with a sound like tearing flesh, sending his wrist flying forward, detaching from his elbow like a cannonball.
Meanwhile, the mask creature behind him began casting its own jutsu, electricity crackling around its form.
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
This combination technique had ended the lives of countless shinobi on their first encounter. Kakuzu's lips curled slightly, confident that he'd stunned the young ninja.
But Shin seemed to have anticipated this and stopped right in front of him. For a normal person, there would be no warning of the incoming punch, but he bent backward at a spine-chilling angle, his body moving like liquid as the fist sailed over him.
"What?!" Kakuzu's shock was genuine—no one had ever read this attack pattern before.
And it didn't end there. To his shock, the masked creature behind him was already under attack. Still bent backward, Shin severed the black threads with a single slash. He placed his hand directly on the mask, as if knowing its weak point.
"Sealing!"
Only now did Kakuzu panic a bit. How does he know so much about my techniques?! Who exactly is this kid?
Because the goal was to subdue rather than kill, Shin opted for a sealing technique instead of simply smashing the mask.
His sealing technique primarily stemmed from insights he gained after defeating Torune, combined with the Uzumaki clan heritage generously shared by Kaori.
Tadpole-like runes quickly crawled over Kakuzu's mask, and he immediately lost connection with the Lightning Mask he'd separated.
At this point, he was genuinely rattled. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he watched his mask become useless.
The opponent even knew his mask's weakness? Just how many of his secrets did this kid know?
"Do you know me?"
Multiple figures of Shin flickered around Kakuzu.
"This is our first meeting. But I already know everything about you like the back of my hand."
"Stop pretending!"
Shin was indeed playing mind games, but with a blend of genjutsu and precise intelligence, he made Kakuzu doubt the boundary between reality and illusion.
In the next moment, the threads on Kakuzu's body exploded further, ripping through his cloak as they released more masks. The horrifying sight of living threads weaving through the air would have sent most shinobi running.
Witnessing the horrifying Earth Grudge Fear technique, the onlookers from Akatsuki were stunned, taking involuntary steps back.
Several whispered among themselves. But Shin remained calm, as if he'd seen it all before, his stance relaxed yet ready.
Not only that, but he even called out Kakuzu's next moves.
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!" The words left his lips just as Kakuzu's fingers formed the first seal.
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!" Another perfect prediction.
Kakuzu was thoroughly shaken, his movements becoming increasingly erratic. "How do you know what jutsu I'm going to use?"
If knowing about the Earth Grudge Fear could be chalked up to prior knowledge, accurately predicting his next ninjutsu was beyond coincidence.
Though his two masks managed to destroy three of Shin's clones in explosions of smoke and chakra, he felt no relief. Cold sweat slid down his forehead as he watched each clone disappear with the same knowing smile.
He was beginning to doubt reality.
Seeing Shin once again approaching with ghost-like speed, leaving trails behind him like a nightmare that refused to fade, Kakuzu dared not hesitate and used his proudest technique.
But in the next instant, Shin spoke again, deliberately lowering his voice as he precisely called out.
"Weird Mask Blast Flames!"
For a fleeting moment, Kakuzu felt an illusion as if his shadow—complete with five masks—was lurking behind this kid.
"Can you predict the future?!"
Shin flashed a devilish smile. The fact that his opponent had uttered this meant he was one step away from completely shattering Kakuzu's psychological defenses.
The battle was becoming less about physical prowess and more about breaking a mind that had survived nearly a century.
Shin's tactics were inspired by the way Kakashi outwitted Zabuza. It all came down to using intelligence and genjutsu to magnify the opponent's fear of him.
Unlike Kakashi, who relied on copying ninjutsu, Shin used afterimages and precise predictions. The battlefield had become his stage, and Kakuzu his unwitting audience.
After all, Kakuzu had ample appearances in the original story—Shin was well-versed in his techniques and intel.
Crossing through the flames, Shin got close and sealed two more masks, making his next predictions even easier.
He knew clearly: each of Kakuzu's masks corresponded to a specific nature release. He had now sealed the masks for lightning, wind, and fire.
Even guessing blindly, he had a 50% success rate. So, as he drew his blade, anticipating Kakuzu's hand seals and spread arms, Shin unhesitatingly called out again.
"Earth Style: Iron Skin!"
And Kakuzu, immediately after sealing, called out in perfect synchronization: "Earth Style: Iron Skin!"
In that moment, he nearly went mad.
The feeling of every single move being predicted was like an insect caught in a web, suffocating and hopeless.
Clang!
The Iron Skin turned his arms black, hardening them like iron, perfect for close combat. He swung them to deflect Shin's two strikes, managing to gain some distance.
Just as he breathes a sigh of relief, ready to gather himself for more ninjutsu, Shin takes a small step forward and readies his blade beside him.
Sheathing the blade at his waist, shifting into a perfect starting stance for a rising strike!
"Wind Style: Triple Slash!"
Kakuzu's blood runs cold—Shin hasn't formed a single hand seal.
Shin's shadow begins to ripple, blurring and morphing like ink in water. It finally condenses into a figure that he would never forget—one who could summon techniques with just a clap of his hands, with no seals.
"You—!" Kakuzu cries out.
With a swift slice, fierce winds howl.
After honing his original jutsu over the last few days, Shin's new technique had grown even stronger. The wind stopped, and the Earth Mask on Kakuzu's chest shattered, the pieces falling like autumn leaves.
"Wait!" At this point, Kakuzu could no longer hold back, raising his hand to halt the battle.
Shin gave a slight smile, quietly ending his technique. The afterimages and phantom forms were merely effects produced by his genjutsu.
He knew Kakuzu's fears all too well. A shame he surrendered early—Shin had so many more illusions involving Hashirama he could have used.
His genjutsu never posed direct harm, making them too subtle to trigger caution—like poison in sweet wine. More importantly, Kakuzu could never have imagined Shin would know of Hashirama.
That God of the Shinobi had passed long before Shin was even born. The advantage of a reincarnator's knowledge had been fully exploited by him. No wonder Kakuzu, despite his age, was still being played by genjutsu.
"Done fighting?"
Even as he sheathed his blade, Shin maintained his calm demeanor.
"How exactly are you doing this?"
Even now, Kakuzu found it hard to believe. Shin just smiled.
"Want to know? Then join our cause. Don't you want to see the sights that the God of Shinobi once saw?"
Kakuzu was silent, saying nothing for a long time. Had someone told him before today that a kid from the Land of Rain, barely a teen, dared to impersonate the God of Shinobi, he would've stitched their mouth shut and ripped out their heart.
But now, he was wavering. To his own astonishment.
After a long silence, he asked, "If I join, will I be able to manage the funds?"
Shin laughed.
"Why not?"
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