Subduing Kakuzu, Another Ripple

"...Understood, Master."

Genye remained silent for a moment, then, under Jiraiya's gaze, slowly stepped aside.

He figured he should at least give the old man a chance to show off.

"Hahahaha!"

Jiraiya patted Genye on the shoulder and walked forward with a hearty laugh. "Kid, watch closely. This next move is going to be spectacular!"

"Jiraiya—the Gallant—"

Bam!

Just as Jiraiya was shaking his head and swaying, the two sages on his shoulders each landed a small fist squarely on his face.

"Stop shouting in our ears!"

"Ugh!" Jiraiya's cheeks were squashed together like a steamed bun; he couldn't even maintain his cool for three seconds before his composure shattered.

"Alright, let's make this quick. I still have to go home and cook," Sage Shima said, retracting her fist and urging him on.

"Hey, old woman, stop thinking about cooking all the time. We have serious business to attend to!" Sage Fukasaku muttered, speechless.

"Father of my children, what kind of talk is that? *...#%@"

The two sages ignored Kakuzu across from them and began bickering right there on Jiraiya's shoulders.

Jiraiya: (ﾟДﾟ≡ﾟДﾟ)!

Hey, Uncle, Auntie, this is my ranked match! My apprentice is watching from the sidelines—how are you two arguing the moment we start?

BOOM!

Kakuzu's fists exploded outward once more, propelled by black tentacles as they smashed toward Jiraiya.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"

Jiraiya clapped his hands together, and the hair on his back instantly elongated to shield his front. The strands stood on end like silver needles, forming a hardened barrier.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Before Kakuzu's fists could even land, a dense barrage of silver needles shot out like a rain of hair, forming a sheet of cold light that pierced through the tentacles connecting Kakuzu's fists.

Swish.

As his long hair returned to its normal length, Jiraiya was surprised to see that the severed tentacles on the ground were still moving independently like living creatures, wriggling their way back to Kakuzu's side.

The black tentacles reconnected, and within a few breaths, Kakuzu's severed hands were as good as new.

"Oh, is that the Earth Grudge Fear technique?"

"I didn't expect this wicked art to still be passed down."

The two toad sages were well-traveled and knowledgeable; they finally quieted down, ready to get to work.

"Sage Art: Goemon!"

The man and the two sages clapped their hands together simultaneously, their cheeks puffing out as they forcefully exhaled chakra.

Whoosh!

Streams of oil, wind, and fire converged in the air. A dark yellow, scorching torrent of flame erupted like a volcanic flow, rushing toward Kakuzu with the momentum of a thunderbolt.

Facing this massive, overwhelming attack, Kakuzu's expression finally shifted.

"Earth Grudge Triple: Dust Separation!"

Three masks climbed onto his shoulders simultaneously. Fire, wind, and lightning attributes condensed into a single cyan beam, firing toward the incoming tidal wave.

BOOM!

Although both were combinations of three elements, Jiraiya's Goemon was clearly superior. In just a few seconds, it completely swallowed Kakuzu's chakra beam.

However, that brief moment of delay was enough for Kakuzu to launch his body backward and retreat to a safe distance.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm: Collapse!"

Just then, a sphere of chakra struck from a distance. Kakuzu dodged to the side, cursing inwardly.

These two young men really had no sense of honor, launching a sneak attack on a 69-year-old veteran!

But it was fine; as long as he was prepared, an attack of this level couldn't possibly hurt...

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm: Blast!"

Bam!

The three masks on Kakuzu's shoulders exploded on impact, and black tentacles littered the ground, wriggling like a pile of loaches.

"How is this possible!" Kakuzu's face showed utter disbelief.

The brat had been led by the nose just a moment ago; who would have thought he would grasp the rhythm of the battle so quickly?

"...Oh no!"

By the time Kakuzu regained his senses, a blue sphere of chakra, seven or eight meters in diameter, was already right in front of him.

"Sage Art: Super Giant Rasengan!"

A chill ran down Kakuzu's spine. The stinging sensation radiating throughout his entire body told him that if he failed to dodge this strike, he would undoubtedly die.

"Earth Style: Solid Rock!"

Ninety percent of the tentacles within Kakuzu's body surged out frantically. Driven by his earth-attribute mask, they twisted into a towering wall three to four meters thick, blocking the path of the Rasengan.

As for his main body, he fled backward with every ounce of strength he possessed.

BOOM!

The Super Giant Rasengan slammed into the wall, the terrifying energy contained within pouring out and instantly turning the surrounding miles into a landscape of blinding white light.

The thick wall was pulverized into dust in an instant. The white shockwave continued to expand with undiminished force, engulfing Kakuzu's figure.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."

After the explosion, Kakuzu was nothing more than a heap of tangled threads lying on the ground. His only remaining mask was covered in cracks, giving the impression that it could shatter at any moment.

"This guy is pretty tough. He didn't even die from that." Genye walked over to Kakuzu's side and poked at his tentacles with curiosity.

On the other side, Jiraiya sent the two Great Toad Sages away, deactivated Sage Mode, and began walking over as well.

Genye turned his head and asked, "Pervy Sage, how do you think we should deal with him?"

"Oh?" Jiraiya caught the subtext in Genye's words. "You don't intend to kill him?"

"Yeah." Genye nodded. "This guy is a talent; it would be a pity to just kill him like this. I want to try and recruit him."

Having lost the ability to move, Kakuzu could only lie silently on the ground, listening to the two of them decide his fate.

Jiraiya shook his head. "A bounty hunter who only cares about money like this—how could he ever be of use to you?"

"Heh, it's precisely because he only cares about money that it's simple." Genye said with a smile. "As long as there is enough profit, it's easy to drive a guy like this."

"Pervy Sage, wait for me here for a moment. I'm going to give it a try."

With that, Genye hauled the grounded Kakuzu up and walked toward a patch of wasteland not far away.

"Hey, Kakuzu, do you want to make money?"

After putting some distance between them and Jiraiya, Genye threw Kakuzu onto the ground and asked in a seductive tone.

"Not the small change you're used to, but real, big money."

After a moment of silence, Kakuzu spoke weakly, "I am willing to... hear the details..."

"Very good." Genye nodded with satisfaction. "So, have you heard of capital? Have you heard of monopolies?"

"..."

In just a few minutes, Genye had captured Kakuzu's heart. A few minutes after that, Kakuzu was wishing he could take Genye as his master on the spot.

The blood and sweat money he had spent half a lifetime earning wasn't even as much as what he could make from a few "capital operations"!

After a while, Kakuzu couldn't help but ask, "You're just telling me all these methods like this—aren't you worried that I'll change my mind after I leave?"

Genye pursed his lips. "That's because I have even more profitable methods. Since it's a mutually beneficial arrangement, you wouldn't go against your own interests, would you, Kakuzu?"

After some thought, Kakuzu nodded slowly. "You have successfully convinced me. I am willing to join you."

"Excellent!" Genye patted Kakuzu's... well, he couldn't even tell what part of his body that was, with satisfaction.

"In any case, you are now the first member of the Scum Organization. From here on out, our organization will definitely become famous throughout the ninja world!"

Kakuzu said calmly, "Whether we become famous or not doesn't matter, as long as there is money to be made."

Genye rolled his eyes. "There's a guy in the Land of Waves named Gato who is as rich as a nation. He's a piece of trash who commits every evil imaginable. I think his assets should be enough for you to start your business."

"I understand." Kakuzu nodded, immediately becoming excited at the mention of money.

He didn't rob people for money before because he enjoyed the process of earning it, but now, robbing people was just a means to earn even more money. There was no conflict there.

"By the way, Kakuzu." Genye asked, "Use your experience to help me analyze: who might be the one who put a bounty on me?"

Kakuzu didn't even think about it and replied directly, "You have no reputation in the ninja world, yet the description on the bounty list is extremely detailed. It must be someone from your own village."

Someone from the village...

Without a second thought, the old face of Hyuga Yuansheng appeared in Genye's mind.

"Alright, I get it. You can go now. I'll contact you again in the future." Genye nodded slightly, signaling that Kakuzu was free to leave at any time.

As long as it didn't violate his principles, Jiraiya was quite tolerant of his enemies and often "let them go," so he wouldn't care about this at all.

"Pervy Sage, I successfully recruited that guy!"

Genye returned to Jiraiya's side, showing off triumphantly.

"Let's not talk about that for now, Genye."

Jiraiya interrupted Genye, his expression grim as he said, "I'm afraid we have to cut our travels short and return to the village immediately."

"Huh?"

Genye was stunned. He didn't know what could possibly make the usually carefree Jiraiya look so serious.

"What's wrong, Pervy Sage? Did something happen in the village?"

Jiraiya nodded, his face darkening as he said, "Orochimaru... has defected!"