The Next Target

The vast ruins appeared exceptionally chaotic.

The dignified S-rank missing-nin Kakuzu lay amidst the debris like a salted fish.

If Danzo were to see the bounty hunter he regarded as his trump card acting like a pug before Qin Yu, he would likely find it hard to accept.

"Rest assured, you will eventually realize that this decision is the right one," Qin Yu said, patting Kakuzu on the shoulder.

"You have lost four hearts, and I happen to have a very good target in mind. If you can obtain it, your strength will definitely skyrocket to a new level."

Had he not witnessed Qin Yu's formidable methods with his own eyes, Kakuzu might not have believed these words.

But after enduring the torture of two Rasengans, Kakuzu was now desperate to become stronger.

He wanted to stand tall before Qin Yu from this day forward.

"What power are you talking about?" Kakuzu grabbed Qin Yu's arm.

Feeling the strength in those five fingers, Qin Yu couldn't help but smile.

In this world, the most dangerous people are those without ambition.

If one wants to know how to make a person become more powerful, the only way is to amplify their ambition infinitely.

For instance, Obito Uchiha transforming from a dead-last student into the mastermind behind the scenes is the best interpretation of this.

"You should have heard that the catalyst for the Third Shinobi World War was the disappearance of the Third Kazekage from Sunagakure, right?" Qin Yu looked at Kakuzu.

Because he operated in the shadows for years, this bounty hunter had access to intelligence channels that outsiders might not possess.

In Kakuzu's world, there was nothing that couldn't be solved with money.

"I know; that matter caused a massive uproar, but I don't know who did it," Kakuzu shook his head. "There is a bounty of one hundred million ryo for the Third Kazekage on the black market. Are you sure it wasn't Konoha?"

"It wasn't!" Qin Yu shook his head. "I want you to find someone. Once you find him, you must find a way to seize the heart of the Third Kazekage from his hands."

"Once you possess the Iron Sand, your strength will ascend to a new level."

Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear allowed him to acquire chakra nature transformations by plundering the hearts of others.

Iron Sand, much like the Dark Lightning of the Cloud Ninja, was a special mutated attribute distinct from a Kekkei Genkai.

Others might not be able to obtain this power, but Kakuzu was an exception.

There was only one thing Qin Yu couldn't understand: why, in the Original Work, such a potentially powerful ninjutsu was often played so poorly.

Could this be the legendary plot-induced stupidity?

Sensing the shift in Qin Yu's gaze, Kakuzu smiled helplessly and struggled to sit upright.

"B-Boss!"

"I know you must be thinking that with such a powerful secret technique as Earth Grudge Fear, why haven't I sought out special individuals to possess before?"

"It's not that I didn't want to, but I couldn't do it alone."

Qin Yu was well aware of the reasons behind Kakuzu's helplessness.

His fame stemmed from being sent by Takigakure to assassinate the First Hokage.

After throwing a shuriken from a distance, he had been so terrified by a mere glance that he tucked his tail and fled back in disgrace.

Fearing the truth would come out, Takigakure slapped him with an Unfounded Charge upon his return.

Unable to stomach the injustice, Kakuzu stole the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear.

Takigakure's overall strength was already lacking; in the later stages of the Original Work, a single jonin could wipe out an entire village.

Facing a monster like Kakuzu, they were nothing more than target practice.

"Do you know the whereabouts of the Third Kazekage?" Kakuzu could no longer contain his impatience.

In the distance, Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao were startled and prepared to step forward.

Qin Yu's Mangekyo Sharingan spun abruptly, instantly hypnotizing the pair.

It wasn't that Qin Yu didn't trust Uzuki Yugao, but he didn't want to implicate her or have her subjected to surveillance by Danzo and the Anbu.

If it came to an interrogation, that would be even more undesirable.

Watching Qin Yu hypnotize Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate with a mere glare, he felt a surge of shock before finally realizing something was amiss.

"Boss, your Sharingan... it's the same as Uchiha Madara's, isn't it?"

Back in the day, there were only two people in the ninja world capable of sending Kakuzu fleeing in terror with a single look.

The first was the First Hokage.

The second was Uchiha Madara.

As someone who had survived the First Shinobi World War, Kakuzu was no stranger to the existence of Uchiha Madara.

"Something like that." Qin Yu made no attempt to hide it.

If he wanted someone to work for him with absolute loyalty, he had to be able to intimidate them.

Otherwise, why would they risk their lives for him?

"Let's get back to business." Qin Yu steered the conversation back. "You have plenty of connections in the black market; go find out about a man named Sasori of the Red Sands."

"If you find him, tell him to hand over the heart of the Third Kazekage. He needs a lot of materials to create his Human Puppet, and he has to keep the subjects alive during the modification process."

The greatest feature of a Human Puppet is its ability to retain the ninjutsu the person possessed while they were alive.

Although it still required a Puppet Core, for Qin Yu, it would be great if Kakuzu could obtain the Iron Sand.

However, if he could recruit Sasori of the Red Sands, that would be even better.

Besides, if he could find Orochimaru, perhaps he could even arrange for some reproductive cultivation—that would be the best of both worlds.

"Are you talking about that brat?" Kakuzu's expression faltered.

Qin Yu raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

"Of course I do." Kakuzu nodded.

"That brat is obsessed with making puppets. Sometimes he buys bodies from me that aren't quite dead yet, or he puts out bounties for me to capture living people. I never imagined he'd be crazy enough to go after the Third Kazekage."

"That's the leader of his own village."

Qin Yu felt a moment of helplessness.

He hadn't expected that the people he wanted to recruit would be one obsessed with money and the other with such twisted hobbies.

It seemed the Akatsuki organization was just a collection of weirdos.

But then again, if they weren't cut from the same cloth, how could they have ended up on the same path?

"Since you know where he is, you should head out. A few Root ninjas have just arrived nearby; you should be able to handle them, right?" Qin Yu glanced toward the woods in the distance.

The three Root ninjas who had just arrived and were hiding inside to monitor the situation saw their expressions change drastically.

Without time to think, they immediately attempted to retreat.

Their mission this time was to observe the battle between Kakuzu and Qin Yu, then report back to Danzo.

However, they never expected this.

They had anticipated a prolonged battle, but they hadn't expected that by the time they arrived after hearing the explosions, the fight would already be over.

"Don't worry, Boss. They won't escape my grasp. As for finding that guy, I should probably swap out some hearts first." Kakuzu gave a sinister grin.

Inside the dense forest, jet-black threads of blood vessels shot out instantly.

Like a massive net, they blanketed the area, descending upon the three Root ninjas.