"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough"
Kakuzu Hand Seals and activated Ninjutsu.
Just as the Ninjutsu was about to hit Karot raised his hand forward.
"Boom."
A crater formed where Karot stood, while the land Karot occupied remained intact.
"How is that possible?"
Kakuzu couldn't believe that someone could withstand his Ninjutsu without getting hurt.
"What's your name? Someone with your strength can't be an unknown nobody."
"If you can defeat me, I'll tell you."
"Snort."
Kakuzu then fell silent, throwing away his coat; this time, he was serious.
Kakuzu at full power is truly something else. After taking off his coat, he immediately launched an attack on Karot.
Wielding this kunai, he moved with incredible speed, Isshiki aimed at Karot's vitals. Every part of his body could serve as a weapon, capable of delivering a fatal blow.
Karot perfectly dodged Kakuzu's attacks, but the trees and plants were a different story. With each of Kakuzu's moves, trees fell and the ground sank, leaving craters everywhere.
Kakuzu grew increasingly anxious as the fight progressed. At first, he thought it might just be a coincidence that Karot was able to dodge his attacks, but as time went on, Karot dodged every single one of his moves, which sounded an alarm bell in Kakuzu's mind.
"Once might be a coincidence, but if it happens every time, then it's inevitable. This person's strength far surpasses mine."
Kakuzu was grave, his mind racing as he recalled the most famous ninjas in the Ninja World. But the speed of his hands showed no sign of slowing down.
"White hair, young age, and unusual martial arts attire. Could it be..."
Kakuzu's eyes widened; he had guessed Karot's identity.
Kakuzu immediately pulled out all the Explosive Tags he had and threw them at Karot. Kakuzu still felt that wasn't enough, so he immediately Hand Seals.
"Fire Release: Sea of Fire!"
Instantly, the area burst into flames. Karot was trapped in the fire, and Explosive Tags began to detonate. Kakuzu immediately turned and ran. He knew Karot's identity and knew that this wouldn't kill Karot. He was only doing this to buy time for Karot own escape.
Kakuzu's escape speed was incredible; the explosions behind him seemed to be the starting signal. The louder the explosions, the faster Kakuzu ran.
Kakuzu ran nearly twenty miles and hid in a cave, completely concealing his presence. He looked towards the cave's exit and spoke.
"He probably can't find this place!"
"I think we should be able to find it."
After Karot emerged from the sea of fire, Kakuzu had already vanished. Sensing that Karot was Kakuzu running, Karot decided to rest for a moment. Once Kakuzu's energy subsided, Karot knew that Kakuzu had hidden himself away. For someone with the ability to Instantaneous Movement, this game of hide-and-seek was the easiest thing for Karot.
Karot instantly Instantaneous Movement behind Kakuzu, just in time to hear Kakuzu's mutterings.
"Ah."
Kakuzu was startled. He wouldn't forget the sound behind him, so he rushed out of the cave without daring to look back.
Upon seeing Karot emerge from the cave, Kakuzu was on high alert.
How did you get here?
Kakuzu had clearly confirmed that he was alone in the cave. Karot's sudden appearance with the group filled Kakuzu with unease. Could it be a demon? The more mysterious and inexplicable something is, the more it inspires speculation and fear.
"It just happened all of a sudden."
Karot was right in front of him, but suddenly the voice came from behind Kakuzu.
Kakuzu didn't have time to think, but his body reacted instinctively. The kunai stabbed directly behind him, without the expected sensation of it piercing his body. Kakuzu turned around to look back.
Karot leaned against a large tree, looking at Kakuzu with a mocking expression.
What exactly do you want?
Kakuzu finally spoke, asking a question. Kakuzu already knew from Karot's many displays that Carrot's strength far surpassed his own. He simply couldn't understand Karot's purpose.
"At first I just wanted to borrow some money from you, but now I've changed my mind."
"What idea? To kill me?"
After speaking Kakuzu's body tensed up. He hadn't felt this kind of Kakuzu at the mercy of others for a long time. Now, his heart was filled with bitterness.
"How could I kill someone? You can't say things like that!"
Kakuzu watched as Karot spoke nonsense with a straight face. If he weren't outmatched, Kakuzu have made Karot understand the price of lying.
"Were the people you killed on the Cloud Ninja battlefield not human?"
Kakuzu dared not utter these words aloud; he could only think them in his heart, for speaking them aloud might get him beaten to death.
"I'm thinking of taking you on as my subordinate. It suddenly occurred to me that it's better to teach someone how to fish than to give them a fish; I know that having one full meal means having enough to eat every day."
Kakuzu's money-making ability was well-known to Karot; Konan's hundreds of millions of Explosive Tags were all earned through Kakuzu's hard-earned money. With such a money-making machine, Karot's future food security was guaranteed. Son Goku had a wealthy friend named Bulma; shouldn't Karot have a money-making subordinate named Kakuzu?
What if I say no?
Kakuzu was used to being alone, and besides, Kakuzu wasn't someone who easily trusted others. After experiencing betrayal from his companions, Kakuzu felt that only money would never betray him.
"I'm just telling you my decision, not consulting you about it."
Seeing Kakuzu's furrowed brows and silence, Karot already knew Kakuzu's choice.
"It seems I need to teach you a lesson before you'll think things through."
Karot could understand Kakuzu's reaction. "I'm free and independent," he thought, "Why should I be your lackey, living under someone else's roof? Am I the only one who's unhappy and looking for trouble?"
Karot instantly appeared in front of Kakuzu, and before Kakuzu could react, he kicked him, his knee striking Kakuzu directly in the abdomen.
Kakuzu was kicked into the air, and Karot flew up and started punching and kicking Kakuzu from mid-air. The sounds of "bang bang bang" were deafening. Kakuzu was completely unable to fight back and could only take the beating.
Karot's attacks were all aimed at Kakuzu's most sensitive pain receptors, causing Kakuzu to scream in pain.
This was the first time Kakuzu had ever experienced something like this, being hit like a punching bag in mid-air.
"I promise you, I promise you."
Before Karot could stop, he threw several more punches. Kakuzu was thrown from mid-air to the ground by one of these punches.
Kakuzu stood up, his body aching all over, but he still raised his head and glared angrily at Karot.
"Didn't I already agree? Why am I still getting beaten up?"