Chapter 24: Chapter 24: I Am Madara Uchiha, Burning Kakuzu

Sasuke stopped and looked back. Standing behind him was Kakuzu, who had just finished collecting a bounty. He was carrying a box, the weight of which suggested a hefty sum inside.

"You look familiar. Who are you?" Kakuzu asked, his sharp eyes narrowing as he focused on Sasuke. It was Sasuke's distinctive hairstyle that triggered a sense of familiarity in Kakuzu.

"Me?" Sasuke said without hesitation, "I am... Madara Uchiha."

Sasuke wasn't exactly lying. After all, his current appearance was heavily inspired by Uchiha Madara.

When Kakuzu heard the name, he froze for a moment, then a trace of disdain crossed his face. 'Madara Uchiha?' Kakuzu thought, unimpressed. 'And I suppose I'm Hashirama Senju! Who would believe that? No one lives that long.'

A disdainful smile crept across Kakuzu's face, his green eyes gleaming with greed as if Sasuke's words had piqued his interest. He sneered and said, "Hmph. I don't care who you claim to be. Just hand over all the money you have, and I might let you live."

Kakuzu continued arrogantly, "I fought the First Hokage himself. I just wonder how strong this 'fake' Madara Uchiha is."

Sasuke stood there calmly. Though his expression was hidden beneath the tiger mask, his eyes held a faint glimmer of amusement. He responded softly, "You want my money? You should worry about keeping your own first."

'Heh,' Sasuke thought, 'I'm just a shadow clone. Why would I be carrying money?'

It so happened that Sasuke had recently developed a new Fire Style ninjutsu. This was the perfect opportunity to test its power.

Kakuzu furrowed his brows, sensing that something was amiss. Sasuke's eyes flashed knowingly as if he had already anticipated Kakuzu's response. Slowly, Sasuke raised his right hand, pointing it toward Kakuzu as if preparing to shoot.

At the same time, an orange-red flame began to form at Sasuke's fingertips, growing larger and brighter by the second.

Kakuzu's concern deepened. He could sense that Sasuke was preparing a powerful Fire Style ninjutsu, one that shouldn't be underestimated.

Suddenly, Sasuke flicked his hand forward, his voice calm but firm: "Fire Release: Musket!"

In an instant, the flame condensed into a blazing pillar of fire and shot toward Kakuzu at an incredible speed. Kakuzu's expression darkened, his eyes wide with shock as the pillar of fire hurtled toward his precious money box.

"This—!" Kakuzu's voice trembled with disbelief and fear. 'What kind of jutsu is this? He didn't even use any hand signs!'

Panic surged through Kakuzu as Sasuke's earlier words echoed in his mind. Desperate, he reached for his box, intending to flee, but it was already too late.

With a deafening roar, the fiery beam exploded upon impact, sending flames surging toward Kakuzu with incredible force. He barely had time to react before he was engulfed by the ferocious flames—along with the money box he had been holding.

Moments later, Kakuzu staggered out of the inferno, his body scorched and his money box reduced to ash. A loud "crack" echoed through the air as one of Kakuzu's masks shattered, splitting into pieces.

Despite the grievous damage, Kakuzu seemed indifferent to his injuries. Instead, his attention was fixated on the charred remains of his money box. The sight of it filled his heart with agony. He clenched his fist, seething with rage.

"Uchiha Madara!" Kakuzu roared, his voice filled with fury.

Meanwhile, Sasuke—who was elsewhere—received the memory transmission from his shadow clone. The scene of his encounter with Kakuzu played vividly in his mind. "So I ran into Kakuzu, huh? Of course, he was collecting a bounty... fitting for him."

Sasuke smirked as the memory of burning Kakuzu's money played in his mind. 'Hah, I actually burned his money. Poor old man—bet that stung.'

Sasuke nodded to himself, feeling proud of the power of his new Fire Style jutsu. But after this brief victory, his thoughts turned serious. 'Once I return to Konoha, I need to start implementing the next phase of my plan.'

He considered his strategy carefully. "I need to gather evidence against Konoha's higher-ups and recruit some allies in high places."

Sasuke's first thought was of Kakashi. Kakashi was the disciple of the Fourth Hokage, the son of the famed Konoha White Fang, and an elite Jonin deeply connected to the Leaf's inner circle. It was no surprise that Kakashi would eventually be chosen as the Sixth Hokage.

But Sasuke also knew there was a risk involved. "The question is, can Kakashi be trusted?"

His eyes narrowed in contemplation. This was a crucial question. Over time, Sasuke had learned to understand Kakashi's character. He believed Kakashi could be trusted—up to a point. However, what Sasuke intended to do was no small matter. His plans involved overthrowing Konoha's leadership.

'What if... after telling Kakashi, he reports everything to the Third Hokage? Then I'd be finished.'

No, Sasuke couldn't afford to let Konoha's higher-ups catch wind of his intentions. He needed to be discreet. That meant finding an indirect way to convey his message, protecting himself while making sure his plan advanced.

'This isn't just a small matter. One wrong move could lead to serious consequences.'