Majestic Flame Destroyer

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Qingyun created two clones of himself.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

"Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Bullet!"

"Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Flame Soaring Dragon Explosion!"

Qingyun began gathering chakra too. When Kakuzu unleashed his full power at him, Qingyun released his new ultimate technique as well.

Qingyun couldn't use the Five-Shot Technique, which combined all five elements, but he was quite familiar with Wind, Lightning, and Fire Release.

He used the Lightning Dragon Bullet and Fire Dragon Flame Bullet that the Third Hokage had taught him, then added Wind Release: Great Breakthrough. The two dragons merged into one and, propelled by the wind, crashed into their opponent.

This was the first time Qingyun had used such a powerful compound ninjutsu in an actual battle, and he was incredibly excited. Faced with Kakuzu's strongest attack, Qingyun felt no fear and charged straight into it.

Both attacks were compound Wind, Fire, and Lightning Release techniques, and both were immensely powerful. The two forces collided at tremendous speed, and the ground caved in beneath them.

The wind howled. The massive clash of chakra sent shock waves surging outward from the point where the two forces met.

Both Qingyun and Kakuzu were badly caught in the blast.

Kakuzu's heartbeats grew weaker and weaker. Qingyun, on the other hand, was experiencing the opposite: his Single Tomoe Sharingan, tempered by battle, had evolved into a Double Tomoe Sharingan.

Not only that, but Qingyun's clothes had also absorbed a good deal of the damage for him.

"Armament Haki Hardening!" Qingyun kept up his attack. Kakuzu's assault had gradually weakened, making it clear that he was running out of chakra.

Qingyun was nearly at his limit too. At this point, he was holding on through sheer force of will.

"I've lost!" Kakuzu finally couldn't hold on any longer. All his hearts had been destroyed; only the heart in his main body remained intact.

Qingyun didn't press the attack. If he kept going, his own body would suffer the backlash.

"Poof!" Qingyun dispelled his Shadow Clones. His whole body was in agony.

He could still just barely stand, and slowly made his way over to Kakuzu.

"You won. Kill me. Those of us who live by the blade have long since accepted that if we can't kill our opponent, we'll die ourselves," Kakuzu said.

"Why would I kill you? You only ended up here because of money." Qingyun didn't blame Kakuzu. The man had simply worked for whoever paid him.

Kakuzu had carried out a mission for his village to assassinate the First. When he returned, the village not only failed to understand him but punished him severely. So Kakuzu retaliated, stole the secret technique, and slaughtered the village's leaders.

Kakuzu became a rogue ninja, with no village willing to take him in. He went to the Bounty Exchange and started killing people for the rewards.

So Qingyun could understand Kakuzu. In a chaotic Shinobi World like this, what else could a man do?

"You're letting me go?" Kakuzu sneered. "You'll regret missing your chance to kill me. Sooner or later, I'll kill you."

"Suit yourself. Kill me however you like. I'll be waiting." In Qingyun's eyes, Kakuzu couldn't even defeat him as he was now, so he certainly wouldn't be able to kill him in the future.

Kakuzu fell silent too.

"Ha, you really sound like someone I know," Kakuzu said.

"Who?"

"The First. He said the same thing when he defeated me." Kakuzu's voice was calm.

"The First? That doesn't seem likely," Qingyun said skeptically.

"Actually, I'd like to know why he didn't kill you," Qingyun asked.

"That's none of your business. Since you're sparing me, I'll keep my promise and tell you where the Bounty Exchange is." Kakuzu was a man of his word, and besides, he couldn't beat Qingyun in his current condition.

After getting the information he wanted, Qingyun said, "Kakuzu, I hope you grow stronger. If you still can't kill me, how about considering working with me?"

"I've got several million silver taels and hundreds of thousands of gold taels for you to earn! And you'll get to fight all kinds of powerful shinobi." Qingyun wasn't exaggerating. He really was incredibly wealthy.

The reason? Qingyun had won it all through the lottery.

Whether it was a ten-pull or exchanging points for rewards, he always seemed to win silver and gold. At first, he hadn't thought much of it. Later, he realized that if he used the money to do something, it could lead to even greater things.

"Are you serious? I was just trying to kill you." Kakuzu stopped and glanced back at Qingyun.

"Of course I'm serious. I want to bring peace to the world and put an end to war. I want every poor person to have enough to eat, and even people like you to be able to sleep peacefully. The more capable should do more. But I assume your goals are still money and fighting strong opponents, right?"

"Fine. I'll think about it." Kakuzu then left.

Qingyun knew Kakuzu was tempted. For now, though, he was still just a kid. If he became Hokage one day, none of this would be a problem.

"Where am I?" The unconscious Kushina Uzumaki woke up.

"Minato? Did you save me?" Kushina Uzumaki asked.

Minato blushed a little. "I came to save you, but the enemy was just too strong. In the end, Qingyun and Yoshihime came to our rescue."

"Qingyun, Yoshihime—" Kushina Uzumaki lifted her head, looked at them, and immediately thanked them.

"Good. It should be safe from here on. Get back to Konoha at once," Qingyun said.

"Aren't you coming back with us?" they all asked in surprise.

"I'm going to the Underground Bounty Station! Tell everyone that I was killed by a man named Kakuzu. Then tell Teacher Sarutobi privately that I went to the Bounty Office." Qingyun believed the old man would understand. Otherwise, he wouldn't be his teacher.

The reason Qingyun wasn't returning to Konoha was that he wanted to go to the Underground Bounty Station and find the person who had put a bounty on him.

If he could find any evidence proving Danzo was behind it, he could return and report him.

It might not do much, but it was important to knock that old man down a peg.

Minato and the others had no choice but to return to Konoha first.

Qingyun, meanwhile, followed Kakuzu.

For defeating Kakuzu, Qingyun had earned a lottery draw, so he immediately chose to use it.

"Ding, ding, ding! Congratulations, host! You've obtained a ninjutsu: Fire Release: Majestic Flame Destroyer!"

Qingyun nodded. This technique was incredibly powerful! In the original story's later events, Uchiha Madara used it against the Allied Shinobi Forces. It took countless shinobi using Water Release to block the attack.

"All right, I'll learn it when I have time. The most important thing right now is to find the Underground Bounty Station."

Qingyun followed Kakuzu, but Kakuzu soon noticed him.

"What is it, kid? Going back on your word?"

"Come to kill me? Be my guest!" Kakuzu sneered at Qingyun.