Tsunade followed Yuzuru's gaze and saw a ninja completely wrapped from head to toe, only a pair of green eyes exposed, slowly approaching while carrying a corpse.
A forehead protector from the Hidden Waterfall Village hung on the man's head, the large slash across it clearly marking him as a rogue ninja.
"A rogue from the Hidden Waterfall Village…"
"Could it be that S-rank rogue—Kakuzu?"
Tsunade immediately guessed his identity.
After all, there was only one rogue from Waterfall Village well-known enough to be recognized—Kakuzu.
Rumor had it that he slaughtered the village's upper leadership and stole the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear, causing Waterfall Village's strength to plummet.
A dangerously lethal individual.
Kakuzu noticed their gaze as well, but after glancing once, he simply continued walking toward the bounty exchange.
Yuzuru stepped forward and blocked his path.
Kakuzu dropped the corpse at his feet and asked coldly, "What do you want?"
Yuzuru smiled. "Do you recognize me?"
Kakuzu hesitated, then nodded. "Yuzuru Uchiha. A bounty worth ten billion ryō. In this black market, I doubt anyone doesn't know your name."
"Then you should know why I'm here," Yuzuru replied calmly. "Not long ago, an Uchiha clansman was attacked. Based on his description, it should've been you."
Kakuzu's body tensed slightly, but he answered in an even tone, "I'm just a bounty hunter. I accepted a task on the bounty board, nothing more."
"That's irrelevant to me."
Yuzuru stepped right up to him. "You still have to pay the price."
Kakuzu looked around at the bloodstains and debris. "You did all this?"
"Correct."
Hearing this, Kakuzu couldn't help sucking in a breath.
This Yuzuru Uchiha clearly avenged his grudges without hesitation—and, more importantly, had the power to do so.
What now?
If possible, Kakuzu did not want to fight someone like Yuzuru.
Suddenly, Kakuzu noticed Tsunade standing behind Yuzuru.
A spark flashed in his mind, and he addressed her calmly. "You're Tsunade, right? If I remember correctly, the First Hokage Senju Hashirama is your grandfather."
Such an abrupt comment left Tsunade confused. "Is there a problem with that?"
Kakuzu shook his head, folding his hands behind his back. "No problem. I'm simply feeling nostalgic seeing the descendant of an old acquaintance."
Tsunade's expression shifted into curiosity. "You knew my grandfather?"
"That's right," Kakuzu said with a hint of pride. "Back then, I carried out a mission to assassinate the First Hokage."
"Though I failed, it remains the most unforgettable moment of my long life."
Tsunade stared in disbelief.
Even though she was a Konoha ninja, she knew well that the strongest Hokage wasn't Hiruzen—it was the man called the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama.
As a child, she had personally witnessed Hashirama's terrifying power.
In the face of that overwhelming Wood Release, no shinobi could stand equal.
Yet Kakuzu claimed he had attempted to assassinate him—and survived. It was astonishing.
Thinking this, Tsunade murmured, "So you're really strong."
"Pffft!"
A soft snort sounded. Both Tsunade and Kakuzu turned to see Yuzuru waving his hand dismissively. "Don't mind me. Go on."
Kakuzu scowled. "What are you laughing at?"
Yuzuru replied, "I just remembered something funny. My wife is about to give birth."
"Liar! You're clearly laughing at me!"
Kakuzu had hoped that mentioning the assassination would instill fear and make Yuzuru hesitate.
Instead, he was being openly mocked.
"I once heard a story," Yuzuru continued, "about someone who threw a shuriken at Hashirama from five miles away… and then immediately ran for his life."
"That person wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
"You little brat—enough!" Kakuzu felt his blood boil.
He had made a name for himself in the shinobi world for decades, surviving from Hashirama's era to the present.
And now he was being treated like a joke?
He feared Yuzuru's abilities, yes—but that didn't mean he would swallow humiliation forever.
In a real fight, the outcome wasn't guaranteed!
With that thought, Kakuzu leapt back, hands forming seals. "Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
His arms hardened into black iron-like limbs.
Then they detached completely, propelled by masses of black threads as they shot toward Yuzuru.
Fast—but to Yuzuru, as slow as a crawling snail.
"Too slow."
He drew his blade and swung once, severing the threads connecting the arm to Kakuzu's body.
Kakuzu showed no reaction. Unlike ordinary humans, Earth Grudge Fear allowed him to stitch his body freely—losing an arm meant nothing.
The next moment, he threw off his cloak, and two masked monsters rose from his shoulders.
He intended to end this quickly.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
Wind fed fire, and a sea of blazing heat surged toward Yuzuru.
With a low hum, Yuzuru raised his hand. "Earth Release: Earth-Flow Wall!"
A wall rose, blocking the attack—then a blue-lightning blur shot forward.
Boom!
Yuzuru shattered one of the masked beasts with a punch, then lifted Kakuzu and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
Another mask crumbled under the impact.
Just then, Kakuzu finished his seals—his body turning into a stump of withered wood as he vanished.
"Damn it… isn't this power supposed to be exclusive to the Raikage's secret technique…?"
Watching Yuzuru step forward wrapped in Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Kakuzu's heartbeat quickened.
His speed was overwhelming.
In only one exchange, he had already destroyed two of Kakuzu's hearts.
If this continued, Kakuzu might truly die here.