"Give me ten servings of raw beef liver slices and monkfish liver!"
In a restaurant, a man wearing a mask with gleaming green eyes ordered these two dishes as soon as he entered.
Fortunately, this restaurant is one of the larger ones in the Northern Lands, offering a wide variety of dishes.
"They even have pig's heart, cow's heart, and sheep's heart! That's insane! But I like it!"
The masked man ordered a series of animal hearts and then put the menu down.
He swaggered past the throng of customers behind him, muttering curses under his breath:
"Get out of here, you heartless bastards!"
The person who was pushed aside by him was naturally dissatisfied, but when he saw the green eyes of the person in front of him, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out!
Anyone who isn't blind can tell at a glance that this fierce-looking outsider is not someone to mess with.
"Hmph! This village seems quite wealthy! I must check the bounty list later!"
The masked man found an empty seat in the corner and began to observe the clothing and appearance of the customers in the restaurant.
Unlike many countries in the Ninja World, the ninjas here wear all sorts of different outfits.
The four seasons in the Northern Lands are quite distinct, and now that it is summer, many villagers are wearing short-sleeved shirts.
That's right, it's just T-shirts and shirts, which are slightly different from the clothes in this world.
Aside from ninjas, ordinary people all over the streets were dressed like this, and at first glance, it really felt like Blue Star in the 1980s or 90s.
Before long, plates of delicious-looking dishes were placed on the table.
The masked man pulled down his mask and began to eat heartily. Because he was in a corner, others were intentionally or unintentionally keeping their distance from him.
As a result, no one saw his face under the mask, and besides, what's so interesting about a grown man!
"Mmm! It tastes good! But it's a little overcooked. I told you I wanted it medium-rare, and it really is!"
He was chewing on a piece of rare raw beef liver in front of him, still muttering curses under his breath.
They couldn't even shut up while eating; this scene was truly unique in the restaurant.
"Why is this guest so angry?"
A man in a white robe pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him without any hesitation.
This action caused the masked man to pause slightly, his eyes fixed on the man who had interrupted his meal.
The newcomer was not surprised; his snake-like eyes met the pair of eerie green eyes without flinching.
The two were none other than Orochimaru, the lord of the Northern Lands, and Kakuzu Rogue Ninja from Long Hidden Village who only cared about money.
After their eyes met for a few seconds, Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile, and he spoke first:
"Kakuzu, the Rogue Ninja from Long Hidden Village, has come all this way without even a word. Otherwise, we would have given you a grand welcome!"
Orochimaru's voice was a little hoarse as he spoke, sizing up the ninja who dared to assassinate the First Hokage with great interest.
He came over personally as soon as he received the news.
Kakuzu is an S-rank Rogue Ninja, and he's been planning to have someone gather information about the other Akatsuki members in a while.
Unexpectedly, Kakuzu came knocking on their door before the Net Kakuzu even started its operation.
Everyone else was personally invited by Orochimaru; this was the first talent from the Northern Lands to come to him on his own initiative.
"Who are you?"
After a long pause, Kakuzu finally spoke again, casually wiping his mouth with a tissue before putting on his mask.
He could tell that the person was a ninja from this village, although he wasn't wearing a ninja Forehead Protector, only a strange mask covering the upper half of his face.
After this guy entered the store, many ninjas wearing strange masks began to clear the area.
The once bustling restaurant suddenly became deserted, as if everyone had come specifically for him.
"The Golden Shadow of the Land of Gold is also the master of this Northern Lands!"
Upon hearing Kakuzu, Kakuzu looked at Orochimaru with a blank expression, as if to say to Orochimaru:
"Are you kidding me? I've been working since I was a teenager, and I've traveled all over the country and never heard of a shadow like Jin Ying!"
This is Rice Field Ninja Village, right? When did it become Northern Land Village?
I may have my doubts, and you can make things difficult for me, but that doesn't stop me from flipping the table!
With a "whoosh," Kakuzu swept all the dishes and bowls on the table aside.
"Kid, I don't care who you are from, Golden Shadow Northern Lands. If you disturb my meal, you're asking for trouble!"
He's definitely a hot-tempered guy; he's ready to fight at the drop of a hat and doesn't give anyone any face.
He's not afraid of anything as long as he doesn't face the shadows of the Five Great Nations. Besides, even if he does, he's not afraid. As long as the money is right, he'll take out all the shadows!
"Then let's find another place and a different way to talk!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru's figure disappeared from the spot, Kakuzu felt a great sense of alarm.
Before he could react and create distance, a dizzying sensation of the world spinning around him arose.
Kakuzu felt a blur before his eyes, and the scenery around him had already undergone earth-shattering changes.
Orochimaru knew that it was unrealistic to try to persuade a seasoned ninja like this, who was both skilled and knowledgeable, through words alone.
The simplest, most direct, and most effective way is to subdue them by force. If they don't submit, just beat them into submission. If they still can't submit by force, just kill them!
"Beat me and I'll let you go; lose and you'll join the Northern Lands!"
Before Kakuzu could react, Orochimaru's voice reached his ears, and he immediately took a step back to create distance.
Although it's unclear how Orochimaru managed to transfer him here, he has thoroughly enraged him.
"I've traveled all over the country for so many years, and the last person who spoke to me like that has had their heart ripped out by me!"
Kakuzu's gaze toward Orochimaru turned unusually dangerous. He had simply been passing by and wanted to have a meal.
What did they do to deserve this? They haven't even started looking for a target yet, and judging from their words, it doesn't sound like they're looking for revenge!
"Whoosh whoosh!"
Several members of the Shadow Guard, also dressed in white robes, arrived and surrounded Kakuzu, eyeing him menacingly.
Orochimaru waved his hand, telling them to step back. He hadn't fought in a long time and wanted to stretch his muscles!
"I'd like to study your Earth Grudge Fear and see what kind of skills a ninja who dares to attack the First Hokage possesses!"
There's not much to say; Kakuzu knows that things can't be resolved peacefully today, so there's no more hesitation.
"Kid, I'll show you how foolish it is to lay a hand on me. I'll take your heart!"
As soon as he finished speaking, clusters of black lines began to erupt from Kakuzu's back.
The lines gradually converged into four black humanoid monsters, each with a mask hanging on its body.
These masked monsters, each with different attributes, look incredibly intimidating; they could truly scare someone to death at night!
He's not afraid of being ganged up on, let alone one-on-one fights. Kakuzu loves one-on-one fights the most. Five of him could take on Orochimaru alone!
"This is very valuable for research! Is this how you achieved immortality?"
Orochimaru's interest is growing. If Kakuzu is sensible, it would be best if he could submit. If not, he'll just kill him and give this secret technique to Ringo Ameyuri.
The battle was about to break out, and in an instant, a whirlwind swept through, and powerful forces flew everywhere!