Subduing Kakuzu

Subduing Kakuzu

If Yunqing had to choose which Ninja Village to transmigrate to, he would say—

He wouldn't choose any of them. If he absolutely had to pick one, it would still be Konoha. As long as he hid well, he could make it safely to the end.

And experience a one-day tour of hell along the way.

Kakuzu was completely baffled by Yunqing's words and had no idea what he meant by saying Takigakure was pitiful.

Seeing the confusion in Kakuzu's eyes, Yunqing voiced his thoughts.

He laid out, in exhaustive detail, what he would do if he were standing in Takigakure's shoes.

"Do you know? With your talent, if you work hard enough, becoming Kage-level without relying on Earth Grudge Fear wouldn't be a problem. If Takigakure produced one Kage-level ninja through Earth Grudge Fear and added a Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, it would basically have the standard setup of a major Ninja Village. As long as it endured the initial attacks, Takigakure would become the sixth major Ninja Village."

Yunqing explained patiently.

During their fight just now, Yunqing had used the Angel's Insight Eye, along with the Void Engine and Dark Matter Computer, to run a series of calculations. The final conclusion was that Kakuzu could become Kage-level without relying on Earth Grudge Fear, even if only the most ordinary kind of Kage-level.

If Takigakure handled things properly, it had a ninety percent chance of becoming the sixth major Ninja Village.

After such scientific verification, even Yunqing had to say that Takigakure's fate was truly a pity.

After hearing Yunqing's explanation, Kakuzu could only sigh.

Everything went without saying.

Everything was already in the past.

"Work hard. At the very least, Sunagakure doesn't have so much bullshit going on."

Yunqing patted Kakuzu on the shoulder and consoled him.

Kakuzu's mouth twitched. What could he say? Yunqing was strong enough that he truly had no need to care about the strength of those beneath him.

From their exchange just now, Kakuzu knew that if Yunqing wanted to kill him, it really wouldn't be much harder than slaughtering a dog.

Kakuzu shook his head, casting those thoughts from his mind, and headed toward Sunagakure with Yunqing.

Walking through Sunagakure, Kakuzu felt old.

The poverty he remembered was nowhere to be seen in Sunagakure.

Through hard work and Yunqing's secret intervention, the land around Sunagakure had become covered in greenery. Within the village stood rows of white little buildings, while the roads were no longer dirt but paved with bricks and stone, neat and clean.

Every merchant wore a smile on their face.

"The changes are enormous. I came to Sunagakure once before. Back then, Sunagakure was truly all sand.

But now, Sunagakure is like a dazzling pearl in the Desert."

Kakuzu said with feeling.

In the old Sunagakure, everyone wore the same unchanging expression of misery. In today's Sunagakure, everyone wore hopeful smiles.

"You'll get used to it. Sunagakure will only get better and better. This isn't even the real commercial district."

Yunqing said proudly.

What he was showing Kakuzu now was merely the most ordinary residential district for civilians. They were only passing through.

"Come on. I'll take you to where you'll be living."

Yunqing led Kakuzu past the areas where ordinary people and ordinary ninja lived, heading toward a row of beautiful two-story buildings.

"This is where the teachers from the Ninja Academy and researchers from the Research Department mainly live.

Of course, many of them don't live here. They have houses of their own.

You'll live in that one over there."

Yunqing introduced the area as they walked.

For example, that building housed the person in charge of a certain research project, while that one housed a certain teacher.

"There, this one is yours. Let's go inside and take a look."

At last, Yunqing brought Kakuzu before a luxurious little building decorated primarily in dark gold.

"A while ago, a wealthy merchant offered me fifty million ryo for this house. I refused.

Open the door and take a look. There's a surprise inside."

Seeing Kakuzu's indifferent, lofty expression, Yunqing merely smiled and said something that made Kakuzu's heart pound.

At that moment, Kakuzu felt that he could devote his life to Yunqing. What a great leader—he came out swinging with such a grand gesture.

"How long can I live here?"

After thinking it over, Kakuzu ignored the mention of a surprise and instead asked cautiously.

"Until you die. As long as you're not dead, this house is yours to live in."

After saying that, Yunqing quietly watched Kakuzu.

Kakuzu felt as if his brain could barely process it. He could live here until he died? Yunqing had said it himself, so it had to be true.

Kakuzu had never approved so strongly of his decision to cultivate Earth Grudge Fear.

With Earth Grudge Fear, he could compete with Yunqing to see who lived longer.

"All right, hurry up and open the door. There's a huge surprise waiting inside."

Yunqing said casually.

No matter who it was, hearing that they would be sleeping on fifty million ryo would make them excited.

Even wealthy people from his previous life would be excited, let alone the poor ninja of this world.

Many ninja could not earn even several million ryo in their entire lives through missions.

Like Asuma in the original story, a second-generation official who would agonize for ages after hearing that he had to treat his students to Grilled Meat.

That showed just how thin ninja wallets really were.

Kakuzu pushed open the front door. A dazzling silver gleam flashed before his eyes, and with a bang, he slammed the door shut again. He swallowed hard and stared nervously at Yunqing.

Yunqing seemed to know what he wanted to ask. He nodded firmly, and Kakuzu nearly jumped up.

This time, Kakuzu opened the door only a crack and carefully observed the silver light inside.

That blinding silver gleam made Kakuzu's heart itch unbearably.

Yunqing finally lost patience. He kicked the door wide open and walked inside, pointing at the ten million ryo on the table in the living room. "Stop hesitating. This is your signing bonus. As long as you work hard, this much money won't be a problem.

You can treat it as an advance on your salary."

Ignoring Yunqing, Kakuzu threw his arms around the Silver Notes on the table, his face full of excitement.

Kakuzu's lovestruck expression made Yunqing want to punch him.

Yunqing suspected Kakuzu had the potential of Admiral Kizaru: with the salary in place, even the Four Emperors would be crushed.

Kakuzu himself was probably the type who, once the salary was in place, would beat the Hokage into the ground.

"Ahem, Lord Kazekage, I am very satisfied with you and Sunagakure. Rest assured, I, Kakuzu, am an honest man.

Since you have shown such sincerity, I will naturally repay you with equal sincerity.

Entrust Sunagakure's children's future to me. I will make sure they all become capable."

Kakuzu pounded his chest and pledged his loyalty to Yunqing.

If anyone who knew the cold and aloof Lord Kakuzu had been present, they would surely have said, Damn it, I'm going to get a stye from seeing this.

Kakuzu's rapid transformation left even Yunqing dizzy.

In the end, he did not even know when he had walked out of Kakuzu's house.

Of course, whether he knew or not did not stop him from setting aside one major concern.

He, Yunqing, the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure, had successfully tamed an adorable little creature.