Open with a reveal when you meet; don't underestimate my intelligence network, Kakuzu's first try at Susanoo

"Boss? Boss, what—"

Before the other two rogue ninjas could react, Uchiha Jun had already stepped out from behind Hikari.

He patted Hikari on the shoulder, his tone so casual it was as if he were saying the weather was nice today. "All right, I'll take it from here."

Then he raised a hand and casually snapped his fingers in the direction of the three rogue ninjas.

Genjutsu: Secondary Son Path.

The three rogue ninjas stiffened at the same time, their eyes turning vacant and dull. Then, all at once, their expressions twisted as they screamed hysterically.

"Gah!! Don't squeeze it till it bursts!!!"

"Ugh—"

The next moment, all three bled from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. Their faces contorted, and they died on the spot!

The crowd around them gasped. Some people screamed and ran, while a few brave souls edged closer to see what was going on.

Uchiha Jun dusted off his hands and turned to Uchiha Hikari.

"Let's go. This place is filthy. We'll find somewhere else to wander."

Uchiha Hikari froze for a moment, then deactivated her Sharingan. The cool indifference returned to her face, but the line of her mouth softened just a fraction.

"...Okay."

The two turned and left, soon disappearing into the crowd.

Simply put, Secondary Son Path was a plot from some manga Uchiha Jun had read in his previous life. The protagonist was captured by his enemies, who used supernatural powers to keep him alive while bringing in the most exceptional of four gay men to have fun with him.

The five of them had fun together for three months, trying every possible variation. In the end, the protagonist was subjected to a torture known as the 'Ultimate Insult': his manhood and Demon Pill were crushed by a pair of pliers!

For a straight man, it was torture above all other tortures!

And just now, with the aid of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Jun's genjutsu had made the three rogue ninjas experience half a month of Secondary Son Path, followed by the Ultimate Insult.

After leaving the snack-stall area, Uchiha Jun led Hikari toward a high-end entertainment district in the northern part of Tanzaku Town.

The buildings here were clearly grander than those along the central street. The flagstone roads were wider and smoother, and both sides were lined with izakaya, casinos, and hot spring inns hung with red lanterns. Now and then, a few ninjas wearing Konoha's standard flak jackets hurried past.

"There are more people here than there were back there."

Uchiha Hikari stood beneath an old cherry tree and reached out to catch a falling petal.

She had changed into a new, pale blue kimono that Uchiha Jun had picked up for her at a clothing shop. Her hair was tied into a simple ponytail, revealing her neat neck and fair profile.

Uchiha Jun leaned against the cherry tree with his hands in his pockets, his gaze drifting casually over the people passing along the street.

Then Uchiha Jun spotted Black Jin Jifei—ah, no.

He meant the number-one must-eat-list contender in the Shinobi World: Kakuzu.

Kakuzu was hiding in some out-of-the-way corner, using an unknown secret technique to conceal himself as he watched the entrance of an izakaya across the street.

If Uchiha Jun hadn't just gotten his Mangekyō and been enjoying keeping it activated behind his contact lenses, he might not have noticed him.

Uchiha Jun's pupils contracted slightly, then quickly returned to normal.

He quietly looked away and casually walked over to a skewer stall nearby. He ordered a huge pile of grilled skewers and handed half to Hikari.

"Eat."

Hikari took the skewers and bit into one. Her brows relaxed slightly.

As he worked his way through the skewers, Uchiha Jun watched Kakuzu out of the corner of his eye.

Kakuzu didn't seem to have noticed him—or perhaps he had, but didn't care.

A rich young man out with a little girl was a common sight in a place like Tanzaku Town. It wasn't worth the attention of a legendary powerhouse who had once tried to assassinate the First, Senju Hashirama.

"Who is that person?" Uchiha Hikari suddenly asked, her voice low. Her Sharingan had begun to emerge around the edges of her pupils.

"You know him?"

Uchiha Jun paused, then smiled.

"Pretty sharp senses."

In a voice only the two of them could hear, Uchiha Jun said, "Kakuzu, an S-rank missing-nin from Takigakure. His bounty starts at around seventy million ryo, though I can't remember the exact figure."

"He's watching that casino." Uchiha Hikari's Sharingan shifted. "...No, he's watching someone inside. That woman with the blonde hair."

"That woman is the Senju descendant I mentioned before. She has Senju Bloodline."

Uchiha Hikari followed Uchiha Jun's gaze, her pupils contracting briefly once more.

A window on the second floor of the casino stood open.

A woman was leaning against the windowsill, propping her chin on one hand and holding a bottle of sake in the other. She tipped her head back and took a long swig.

Her golden hair fluttered in the night breeze. A purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead glimmered faintly in the warm lantern light.

Most eye-catching of all were the two enormous mounds on her chest.

—Princess Tsunade.

One of the Konoha Sannin, granddaughter of the First, and the legendary "Big Slug."

Kakuzu was plotting to go after Tsunade.

That guy had some nerve!

A real tough one!

Uchiha Jun's lips curled up slightly without him realizing it.

Kakuzu's intentions were clear. He had his eye on the bounty for one of the Sannin, who was alone, and wanted to pull off a "surprise cash-out" like Uchiha Jun had.

But was Tsunade that easy to kill?

The answer was obviously no.

If Kakuzu got close enough for her to land a punch, there was a good chance he'd get "super-dismantled" and end up cosplaying as Fang Yuan from the first arc for a week.

Kakuzu must have realized that too. He only watched her from afar for a while, his expression growing increasingly grave, before turning without a word and heading for the exit to Tanzaku Town.

Well, either he couldn't beat her, or even if he won at a terrible cost, it wouldn't be a price Kakuzu could afford.

"He's leaving."

"Mm." Uchiha Hikari swallowed her last lamb skewer and brushed the cumin from her hands. "Should we kill him?..."

"No need. I'm planning to recruit him. The old geezer's a rare specimen. It'd be a shame to kill him."

"Besides, Hikari, you're no longer a 'weapon.' You're a living, breathing person. No one's going to force you to do anything bloody anymore. Enjoy life!"

Uchiha Jun stretched and started toward the direction Kakuzu had gone, taking the opportunity to rack up more affection points with a certain Uchiha.

After all, anyone who'd watched Pokemon knew that with enough affection, a "Healing Roar" could be used as a basic attack. The last thing he wanted was for her to grow up into Charizard, the strictest father in his buddy Ash's life.

The two followed Kakuzu openly, passing through Tanzaku Town's southern gate before taking a path that led into the wilderness.

Kakuzu walked ahead at an unhurried pace, the scroll pouch at his waist swaying slightly with each step.

Of course, he had noticed the two little shadows behind him.

But he didn't think much of it.

A kid of twelve or thirteen with a girl of the same age—the pair hardly seemed worth the attention of an old monster who had lived for nearly a hundred years.

Kakuzu continued on at an easy pace, passing through a sparse stretch of woods before reaching a dried-up riverbed.

The pebbles underfoot made faint, scattered sounds in the night breeze.

Uchiha Jun and Uchiha Hikari followed him through the woods and onto the riverbed.

Kakuzu stopped and turned around.

His face wore the weary, irritated look of someone who'd been bothered by a fly for half the day.

With one hand, he pulled a stack of bounty notices—about a dozen—from his scroll pouch. He flipped through the first page with his fingers and compared it to Uchiha Jun and Uchiha Hikari's faces, then checked the second and third pages...

He finished flipping through them.

Nothing.

There was no bounty on Uchiha Jun.

There wasn't one on Uchiha Hikari, either.

Kakuzu furrowed his brow.

They'd followed him, but these two brats were nobodies?

Two brats with no bounties dared to "hunt" Lord Kakuzu?

Who gave them the nerve!?

Annoyed, he shoved the bounty notices back into his pouch and rolled his shoulders, preparing to kill the two clueless little punks in front of him.

But just as he was about to form hand seals, Uchiha Jun spoke.

"Kakuzu, missing-nin from Takigakure, wielder of Earth Grudge Fear. You have five hearts and can use five chakra natures at once."

Kakuzu froze mid-motion.

"You once carried out a mission to assassinate the First, Senju Hashirama. You failed, but making it back alive was no small feat, right?"

Uchiha Jun continued, his tone as casual as if he were reading out a supermarket flyer. "You've lived for nearly a hundred years. You've probably amassed enough wealth to buy a small hidden village, haven't you?"

"Oh, right. You're most afraid of Lightning Style, because lightning chakra can temporarily paralyze the black tendrils of Earth Grudge Fear, right?"

Kakuzu's pupils contracted. Sweat poured down his face as he stared at the smiling Uchiha Jun. The expression that said "I'm swatting away a fly" had vanished completely, replaced by utter shock.

They hadn't even started fighting, and this little shit had already dug up his entire file!

And he'd gotten every detail right, without missing a thing!

Damn it, even his parents—who had been dead for ages—hadn't known him as well as the kid in front of him did!

"...Who are you?"

Kakuzu's voice was hoarse and low, carrying an unusual note of caution.

Uchiha Jun smiled.

"Don't underestimate my intelligence network, Brother Kakuzu."

Kakuzu's mouth twitched.

He'd lived for nearly a hundred years, and this was the first time anyone had called him "brother."

And the one saying it was a kid who looked no older than twelve or thirteen!

But at that moment, Kakuzu had no time to care about the insult to his seniority.

There was only one question on his mind—

Where had this brat come from?

Could he be like Kakuzu, some old relic who had survived through secret techniques?

If that were true...

It would make sense that he knew his secrets—like hell it would!

Even someone from the same era couldn't possibly have uncovered his information this thoroughly, could they?!

He knew how many hearts Kakuzu had, knew Earth Grudge Fear was vulnerable to Lightning Style, and knew his history.

"I'll ask you again—"

Kakuzu's hands rested on the pouch at his waist that held his shuriken. His fingers curled slightly, ready to draw a weapon and cover his retreat at any moment.

"Who are you?"

Earth Style: Earth Spear!!

A seasoned veteran like Kakuzu didn't waste time. He pretended to ask Uchiha Jun who he was, but he had already formed the hand seals. He hardened the tendrils in his arm and unleashed an Earth Spear powerful enough to shatter rock, attacking Uchiha Jun!

Seeing this, Uchiha Jun said nothing. He only smiled, silently releasing his chakra and activating his ultimate skill.

Pressure-Free Brother!

In an instant, a vast wave of chakra erupted around Uchiha Jun!

Purple chakra surged from his body like a storm, forming a translucent energy skeleton that enclosed him!

It was—Susanoo!

Kakuzu's pupils contracted to pinpricks, and his body retreated half a step almost against his will. The pebbles beneath his feet clattered.

"Susanoo..."

Kakuzu's voice was full of unconcealed shock. As someone who had once witnessed Madara Uchiha's giant Susanoo rampage across the Shinobi World, he was naturally familiar with the technique.

Uchiha Jun's Susanoo couldn't compare to Madara Uchiha's Complete Body Susanoo, formed with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—the one he had gained by combining his eyes with Izuna's pristine, ninety-nine-percent-new Mangekyō.

But it was still Susanoo!

"Are you a Mangekyō Sharingan wielder from the Uchiha Clan?!"

This time, Uchiha Jun didn't put on airs. Instead, he shouted with fervor.

"Ughhh~ Ah~ I'm gonna~ set it off!!"