When Hyuga Yu mastered this peculiar Yang Release Tenseigan power—born from the combination of the Caged Bird's chakra and "vitality"—it felt as though he had unlocked the door to the deepest secrets of life.
His control over his own body sublimated to an entirely different level.
Even without using the Byakugan for internal examination, he could clearly perceive the trajectory of every single shred of Tenseigan chakra circulating through his body, along with the real-time feedback from every tissue under its influence.
This drastically raised the upper limit of Hyuga Yu's potential in taijutsu.
At the same time, another bizarre phenomenon occurred. Previously, the piece of Earth Grudge Fear flesh that Kakuzu had left behind to track Hyuga Yu underwent a peculiar transformation when the Yang Release chakra passed through that particular section of his hand's chakra pathways.
These Earth Grudge Fear threads, which had disguised themselves as Hyuga Yu's own blood vessels and pathways to form their own self-sustaining system and circulation, had actually "defected"!
Much like how Samehada betrayed Kisame to willingly pledge allegiance to Killer Bee, the perfect Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails who possessed higher-quality chakra, Earth Grudge Fear also seemed to be a "living entity" devoid of subjective consciousness. Upon coming into contact with Hyuga Yu's superior Yang Release Tenseigan chakra, it proactively attached itself to him and surrendered all control.
Hyuga Yu gained a flash of insight. Or rather, Earth Grudge Fear itself was fundamentally a product of Yang Release—stitching flesh, self-constructing chakra pathways, self-replication, stealing chakra natures, and extending lifespan by constantly replacing hearts to achieve a pseudo-"immortality."
Kakuzu had only obtained the right to use it, whereas only a true master of Yang Release could seize absolute control.
Through this fragment of Earth Grudge Fear embedded in his hand, Hyuga Yu inversely perceived Kakuzu on the other end—his location, physical condition, chakra, and even the five hearts of different elemental natures that sustained his existence.
Consequently, Kakuzu's stealth techniques, which far surpassed those of ordinary shinobi, ended up making him look like he was standing under a glaring spotlight to Hyuga Yu. Every single movement was entirely within Yu's grasp.
This guaranteed that his ambush on Hyuga Yu could only end in failure.
Right now, in the Hidden Rain Village, at the center of the ruined battlefield atop the high-rise building, Hyuga Yu held a strand of Earth Grudge Fear scraped from Kakuzu, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Sure enough, it's a product of Yang Release... What's more, it has completely integrated with this guy. Or to put it another way, the deceased shinobi 'Kakuzu' became the consciousness of Earth Grudge Fear, while Earth Grudge Fear itself reconstructed his body."
"Destroying the five hearts kills the consciousness known as 'Kakuzu,' but Earth Grudge Fear itself won't die. It will simply wait quietly for the next 'consciousness' to come along and merge with it."
"From the perspective of carbon-based life, this guy is no longer a living person, but rather... an artifact."
Upon hearing this, Kakuzu, who was pinned in place, had his pupils constrict violently. As if the heaviest secret buried deep within his heart had been ruthlessly exposed, a flash of panic crossed his face for the very first time. He snarled coldly, "Brat, what utter nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Is it really nonsense?" Hyuga Yu narrowed his eyes. Through their interconnected Yang Release chakra, fragments of a long-buried past flashed rapidly before his eyes. He looked at Kakuzu and said with absolute certainty, "Mr. Kakuzu, you actually died a long time ago, didn't you?"
"Fifty years ago, on the eve of the First Five Kage Summit, in order to preserve Takigakure's Seven-Tails, you lunged with a kunai at the God of Shinobi, launching an assassination attempt. However, fate is a cruel jester. Because Sunagakure refused the distribution of Tailed Beasts during that first summit, Takigakure managed to keep the Seven-Tails by a stroke of luck. Yet, when you returned to the village as a hero, you were betrayed, imprisoned, and sentenced to death by the village higher-ups, who were terrified of incurring Hashirama Senju's wrath."
"Though you died in that dungeon, your heart was unexpectedly claimed by the spontaneously growing tendrils of Earth Grudge Fear, granting you a new lease on life."
"You used this power to slaughter every single one of the Takigakure elders who betrayed you, and defected from the village."
"But... for all these years, despite clearly possessing the power to completely annihilate Takigakure, you never lifted a finger against the village. And Takigakure, when dealing with such a terrifying adversary, merely designated you as an S-rank rogue ninja and took no further action."
"What's even stranger is—"
"Since then, a near-collapsed Takigakure not only survived three consecutive Shinobi World Wars but grew increasingly prosperous, even making a quantum leap in their techniques for controlling the Seven-Tails... Yet, the strangest thing of all is that this isolated village, hidden away behind a massive waterfall, has practically no source of income."
"Meanwhile, you—an S-rank rogue ninja of Takigakure, Mr. Kakuzu—have spent decades taking bounties in the underground black market, amassing massive fortunes... and yet, your lifestyle has remained incredibly austere and frugal, like that of an ascetic monk."
"How peculiar~"
Hyuga Yu looked at Kakuzu, a faint smile playing on his lips as he asked, "Where did all that money go, Mr. Kakuzu?"
Just like that, the deepest secret buried in the recesses of his soul was effortlessly stripped bare!
Kakuzu's face darkened instantly as he tightly clenched his fists, a razor-sharp killing intent quietly bleeding into his gaze toward Hyuga Yu!
However, Hyuga Yu merely raised his hand slightly and formed the Ram seal.
The chakra Kakuzu had just finished kneading was instantly devoured clean once more by that cyan chakra within him. Alerted by this sudden disruption, Kakuzu snapped his head up, his gaze locking onto the back of Hyuga Yu's right hand. He could feel that the source of this suppressing force was coming directly from that piece of Earth Grudge Fear-infested flesh he had left behind. Right now, that black patch of flesh was quietly shifting, transforming into what looked like a cyan, flame-patterned tattoo on the back of Yu's hand.
The terrifying mechanism that Kakuzu was experiencing—one that could effortlessly drain his chakra and render him entirely powerless to resist—was being generated from that very spot!
His expression faltered slightly as he gritted his teeth and barked coldly, "Tennin, what kind of underhanded sorcery have you used against me?!"
"Look at you, getting all worked up again," Hyuga Yu chuckled, his gaze turning icy as he said, "Don't try to deflect, Mr. Kakuzu—"
"I am asking you: where did all your money go over all these years?!"
Hyuga Yu slowly stepped closer, extending a finger as an inch-long, azure Chakra Scalpel ignited at his tip. With a fluid stroke, he sliced open a single stitch on Kakuzu's bare chest, causing a bank passbook to slide out and fall from his body.
Hyuga Yu caught the passbook, flipped it open, and held it up before the immobilized Kakuzu. Inside, the balance was pitifully low—hardly reaching a four-digit figure.
750 Ryo.
Just enough for a few bowls of Ichiraku Ramen. Though, to be fair, that was still more money than Hyuga Yu currently had on him.
Confronted with a financial statement so laughably meager it completely contradicted his status as an S-rank rogue ninja and one of the underworld's premier bounty hunters, Kakuzu turned his head away in sullen silence.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Yu began counting on his fingers to break down the damages. "You hunted me for three days, delayed my commercial negotiations with my business partners, ambushed me twice, and severely injured me once. This has gravely disrupted my day-to-day work and personal life. Therefore, you owe me compensation for emotional distress, medical bills, and lost wages. Given my current market value, calculated against my standard hourly rate..."
Kakuzu snapped his head back around, staring at the rambling Hyuga Yu. Taking a deep breath, he ground his molars together, his facial muscles twitching with immense reluctance as he growled, "Just give it to me straight, Tennin. How much do you want?"
"I don't want money."
Kakuzu was stunned. "You don't want money?"
Hyuga Yu patted Kakuzu on the shoulder, pulling back the Yang Release Tenseigan chakra from the man's system. He then waved the meager bankbook in the air and scoffed, "Even if you signed over your entire life savings to me, what does it amount to?"
Kakuzu gritted his teeth. "Then what do you—"
"I plan to collect this debt from Takigakure instead."
Kakuzu let out a cold sneer. "Takigakure has nothing to do with me. I am a rogue ninja."
Hyuga Yu smiled back. "And what if I go right now and wipe that village off the face of the shinobi world?"
Kakuzu went completely rigid. He stared into Hyuga Yu's dark eyes, and seeing the dead-pan seriousness reflected in those black pupils, he felt a bone-chilling dread creep up his spine.
He couldn't dismiss the youth's words as a mere bluff. This kid had literally brought down a hidden village before—and not just any village, but Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Having personally witnessed his power, Kakuzu harbored no doubts that Tennin wielded the catastrophic strength necessary to wipe Takigakure, and the entire Land of Waterfall, clean off the map.
Kakuzu squeezed his fists, feeling a profound sense of helplessness wash over him for the first time in decades. In a low, slightly trembling voice, he asked, "What... what do you actually want?!"
But Hyuga Yu merely looked at him, speaking in a calm, measured tone. "Now that we've settled my tab, let's talk about yours, Mr. Kakuzu."
"My tab?"
"What is the bounty on my head that brought you here?"
Kakuzu frowned slightly, replying honestly, "Two hundred million Ryo."
Yu pressed further, "And are you capable of collecting it?"
Kakuzu fell silent, the humiliation of moments prior washing over him. His body and mind had been completely stripped of autonomy, thoroughly manipulated by this youth, who had even pierced through the deepest secrets of his past.
He lowered his gaze, muttering sullenly, "No."
"What's your typical monthly income?" Yu asked.
"When business is good, over ten million Ryo. When it's slow, maybe a few hundred thousand."
Hyuga Yu nodded. "I'll offer you a flat monthly salary of ten million Ryo. Come work for me."
Kakuzu stiffened, looking as though he severely doubted his own hearing. He snapped his head up, his small green eyes widening significantly. "What did you say?"
Hyuga Yu kept it short and sweet. "Ten million a month."
"There'll be a three-month probationary period at one million Ryo per month. And to be clear, everything I'm quoting is net income, after taxes."
Kakuzu eyed him with heavy suspicion but countered immediately, "I've investigated you. You're broke. A complete pauper who even owes the bank eight hundred thousand Ryo!"
Hyuga Yu's face darkened instantly. He sneered, "You were right there during the negotiations with Iwagakure. You know damn well they are about to pay me five hundred million Ryo in reparations!"
"And that is just the beginning."
However, the moment the topic shifted to finances and business models, Kakuzu completely lost his intimidation, openly scoffing at Yu's claims. "What beginning? That shell hospital you're planning to open?"
"Do you have any idea how much it costs to establish a major hospital? Have you factored in labor costs, equipment procurement and maintenance, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, overhead, or the legal costs of malpractice lawsuits and disputes?"
"Have you projected the ratio of patient volume to operating expenses? Where do you even intend to build it? Konoha? Don't tell me you're unaware that Konoha already has its own established hospital? Do you have any inkling of how deep into a deficit the Konoha Hospital runs during times of peace?"
"You're a naive brat. You think just because you stumbled into a little wealth, you can suddenly afford to burn through cash like water?"
"Let me give it to you straight—"
"In this warped world where wealth is siphoned by the ruling elites and nobility only to ultimately pool into the pockets of shinobi, working as a ninja is the absolute easiest, lowest-risk, zero-capital venture there is!"
"That chunk of change you just made—wasn't it also extorted through purely shinobi methods?"
After delivering his lecture, Kakuzu cast a thoroughly disdainful look at Hyuga Yu, scoffing, "If I follow you, I doubt you'll even be able to afford my salary in three months' time!"
Hyuga Yu stared at Kakuzu in surprise, genuinely taken aback that the bounty hunter possessed such sharp insights into hospital logistics. As each of Kakuzu's soul-piercing questions hit home, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper. It was true—to turn an ideal into reality, money was vital, but it wasn't a magic cure-all.
To establish the state-of-the-art hospital, laboratory, biopharmaceutical enterprise, and ultimate scientific research tower that Yu envisioned... a paltry 500 million Ryo wouldn't even cause a splash. It wouldn't even fully cover the initial setup costs, let alone turn a profit. He would have to aggressively vie with the Konoha Hospital for highly finite resources—patients, doctors, nurses, research talent, specialized equipment, and institutional backing from both the village and the Land of Fire.
It was no surprise Kakuzu lacked faith in him. On the surface, Kakuzu was a ruthless, premier bounty hunter and an S-rank rogue. But in truth, every coin he squeezed from the underworld was funneled back into rebuilding Takigakure, making him one of the foundational architects operating in the shadows of the Land of Waterfall.
Having played that role, he understood far better than anyone how a hidden village or a minor nation functioned within the parameters established by the God of Shinobi. He knew the hidden machinery of generating wealth, which only made Hyuga Yu's grand ambitions look laughably detached from reality.
By now, Kakuzu had a solid grasp of what Hyuga Yu was aiming for. Without a question, the kid possessed a towering vision.
It was this very ideal that allowed him to cast aside standard shinobi vendettas, sparing Hanzo of the Rain, Kitsuchi of the Stone, and Kakuzu himself despite their attempts on his life. Much like Hashirama Senju before him, he sought to wield a paradigm-shifting strength to hammer the world into a shape of his own choosing.
Yet, as Kakuzu stared at Hyuga Yu, seeing the distinct silhouette of that legendary God of Shinobi overlapping with the brat standing before him, a sardonic smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
The longer one lived, the more one witnessed. The peace and order established by Hashirama's wishful thinking had completely crumbled; in the mere fifty years since his passing, three separate World Wars had erupted—each far more devastating, expansive, and slaughtering more children than the entire Warring States Period ever had. Kakuzu did not believe Yu's naive fantasy stood a chance. If anything, history proved that the grand crusades of visionaries like him only invited catastrophic ruin upon the world.
They were the genesis of order, yet simultaneously the harbingers of chaos.
Kakuzu loved money; he lived to accumulate wealth. He claimed to have severed ties with Takigakure, yet he spent his life secretly shielding and bankrolling his old home to ensure its prosperity.
But he refused to gamble the one thing he actually cherished on a wide-eyed idealist who mirrored Hashirama Senju.
Exhaling a long, heavy breath, Kakuzu broke the silence. "Tennin, I can see that you aren't a bloodthirsty killer."
"Let's cut straight to it. What exactly do you want from me? Or better yet..." Kakuzu paused, pinning his gaze onto Hyuga Yu. "Name your price. How much will it cost to buy back my life?"
But Hyuga Yu merely shook his head, holding Kakuzu's gaze with unwavering intensity. "I told you, I don't want money."
Kakuzu's brow knit together in irritation as he growled, "I already told you, your dream is fundamentally impossible!"
"There is absolutely no foundation in this world to support the hospital and labs you want to build, let alone that far-fetched future you keep waxing poetic about!"
Hyuga Yu tilted his chin up, asking with eerie calm, "And what if the Konoha Hospital belonged to me?"
"What if you factor in my status as the official successor of Root? A prime candidate for the mantle of Fourth Hokage? The personal disciple of Danzo Shimura? And the future patriarch of the Hyūga Clan, the wealthiest noble family in the entire shinobi world? What if all of those belong to Hyuga Tennin?"
"With all that leverage backing me, is it enough to get my ideal off the ground?"
The rebuttal Kakuzu was about to hurl died instantly in his throat. His mind rapidly calculated the feasibility of Yu's blueprints from a purely pragmatic angle—analyzing political leverage, systemic policy, and the foundational structure of the hidden village system.
The conclusion he reached was... It was actually viable.
Kakuzu's expression hardened. When he actually tallied up the staggering political and economic capital the kid genuinely possessed, he found himself utterly devoid of an argument to refuse.
Hyuga Yu held his gaze, taking a slow, measured breath before speaking in a low, resonant tone. "And if even that isn't enough..."
"...What if I simply become the Hokage?"
Yu leaned in closer, his face inches from Kakuzu's mask, his voice dropping into a register of absolute, frigid detachment. "And if that still falls short..."
"...What if I forcibly unify the Five Great Shinobi Nations, conquer the entire world, eradicate every single faction that stands in my path, and forge a single, absolute empire?"
Kakuzu's throat went completely dry. He stared at Hyuga Yu, paralyzed by a mixture of shock and sheer disbelief.
"You're entirely correct, Mr. Kakuzu," Hyuga Yu said, his demeanor returning to an eerie serenity. "I am not a bloodthirsty tyrant."
"But if an atrocity becomes necessary to fulfill my vision, I will execute it without a shred of hesitation. Rest assured, you don't need to worry about whether I can afford your salary."
"Because from the moment we crossed paths, you never held any chips to begin with."
"You are entirely free to reject my offer. Just as I am entirely free to leave this building right now and initiate the total collapse of Takigakure."
Kakuzu's pupils dilated in panic. Staring at the overwhelmingly aggressive youth before him, he gritted his teeth. "What do you want from me?"
"What possible worth do I possess that makes you go to such absurd lengths to subjugate me?!"
Hyuga Yu replied evenly, "Every stepping stone toward my ideal is priceless to me."
"And I always claim what is mine."
"For instance, I require a premier powerhouse capable of safeguarding my laboratory and corporate assets—that would be you. Furthermore, I require an invaluable experimental template capable of helping me pioneer highly controllable extracellular matrix and vascular tissue engineering... and that would be Earth Grudge Fear!"
Kakuzu didn't have the slightest clue what "highly controllable extracellular matrix and vascular tissue engineering" actually meant, but he understood the blatant threat perfectly. He also recognized that his concerns about a stable paycheck were a non-issue for someone with this kind of capital.
And so, prior to signing his life away, Kakuzu put forward his final terms: "A monthly base salary of no less than fifteen million Ryo. And if you expect me to throw hands with someone of my own caliber or stronger... that's going to cost you extra!"
Hyuga Yu agreed without a moment's hesitation. "Deal!"
Slipping into his new role seamlessly within a fraction of a second, Kakuzu asked, "So, Boss, what's our first order of business?"
A sharp smirk played on Hyuga Yu's lips as he issued the very first KPI for his newly founded venture without an ounce of hesitation: "Track down Hiruko!"
"We seize the Chimera Technique, and we abduct Hiruko himself!"
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