For Kakuzu, He Nearly Exposed Himself

After the turmoil in Tea Country and Konoha came to an end, the Ninja World seemed to have returned to peace.

Uchiha Feng also returned to his daily, grueling training, simply waiting for Uzumaki Ayaka to master the Four Symbols Seal or the Dead Demon Consuming Seal so he could seal the Yin Nine-Tails and complete the final link in his path to becoming overpowered.

One day, Feng was sparring with Kuniyoshi as usual to practice his swordsmanship when Sada Hidemasa hurried into the backyard, interrupting their training.

"Lord! Lord!

I found information about Takigakure's Tailed Beast."

"??"

With all his thoughts focused on sealing the Yin Nine-Tails, Feng had completely forgotten that he had previously assigned his subordinates to investigate information on Takigakure's and Kirigakure's Tailed Beasts at the Underground Marketplace.

"Wait! You found information about Takigakure's Tailed Beast?"

But the moment Sada Hidemasa spoke, Feng instantly remembered and could not help exclaiming.

"Yes, Lord.

The information came from a very famous bounty hunter at the Underground Marketplace.

It was said that he came from Takigakure."

After arriving before Feng, Sada Hidemasa spoke respectfully.

Takigakure... a famous bounty hunter...

Kakuzu!

The moment Feng heard that, he almost instinctively realized who it was.

After thinking it over carefully, his eyes instantly lit up.

Nagato was still in Amegakure figuring out how to "resist rice," so Kakuzu most likely had not joined Akatsuki yet.

Given that man's obsessive love of money, if Feng promised him the position of Tea Country's Minister of Finance and revealed a little of his future plans, telling him he might have the chance to become the Minister of Finance for the entire Ninja World...

Feng could not think of any reason Kakuzu would refuse.

"Tell me everything!"

Thinking that he might be able to recruit Kakuzu, Feng stopped training and looked solemnly at Sada Hidemasa.

Before the world had entered Naruto: Shippuden, a Kage Level powerhouse still carried considerable weight.

"Yes, Lord.

The person who accepted our covert Underground Marketplace assignment to investigate Takigakure's Tailed Beast was known as the Undying Warrior.

He was actually a rogue ninja from Takigakure and a famous bounty hunter at the Underground Marketplace.

I arranged for people to verify it.

Not only does he have information about Takigakure's Tailed Beast, he even said that if we could afford the price, he could package up Takigakure's Tailed Beast and deliver it to our door."

Sada Hidemasa spoke again, explaining in a serious tone.

"He really said that?" Feng grinned upon hearing this, becoming even more certain.

"Lord, he has a good reputation at the Underground Marketplace and possesses a certain degree of credibility."

Sada Hidemasa answered with certainty.

"Hehe, good. Arrange for someone to negotiate with him and ask how much it will cost to package up Takigakure's Tailed Beast and deliver it.

If we can afford it, agree to his terms."

Feng smiled as he spoke.

At the same time, he quietly pondered:

Takigakure's Tailed Beast should be Chōmei, the Seven-Tails. Its strength was not weak among the nine Tailed Beasts, but it was not especially strong either.

However, it had a very distinctive trait: it could fly. This was unique among the nine Tailed Beasts and was an exceptionally useful ability in the Ninja World.

If Feng himself did not possess a flying Susanoo, he might have considered giving up the stronger Yin Nine-Tails and choosing to become the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki.

After all, whoever could fly controlled the skies, and as a transmigrator, Feng understood all too well how important air superiority was.

But now, if Kakuzu could truly deliver the Seven-Tails, Feng planned to seal it inside Uzumaki Ayaka.

Then, when Ayaka used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, she could take the Seven-Tails into the Death God's stomach with her.

Hehe, Feng would like to see how "Uchiha Obito" and Nagato would activate the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the Ten-Tails, then.

Chōmei, the Seven-Tails, was unlike the other Tailed Beasts. It was obscure enough that if it disappeared, they would not be able to find a replacement.

And without Chōmei, the Seven-Tails, Uchiha Obito's Eye of the Moon Plan and Nagato's terrorism would both have to be abandoned halfway through and rethought from scratch.

Although this would disrupt the plot and cost Feng his foreknowledge, it would also give him more time to develop.

Fortunately, he had watched Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. More time to develop was enough to give him absolute confidence that he could grow strong enough to fear no one.

"Hidemasa, if he really gets hold of the Tailed Beast...

Don't let him come to Tea Country. Tell him we'll make the exchange in Valley Country.

Also, stop investigating Kirigakure's Tailed Beast and the Mask Hall in the Land of Whirlpools."

After pondering for a while, Feng spoke again.

He had just realized that Kakuzu was no ordinary figure. Letting him come directly to Tea Country could easily allow Black and White Zetsu to follow the clues back to him. To avoid exposing himself, he had to take precautions.

"Yes, Lord. I'll make the arrangements immediately."

Sada Hidemasa nodded dutifully. He was very satisfied with his current status, and someone was teaching him while he steadily improved his strength. Naturally, his loyalty to Feng was high enough.

Autumn passed into winter, and the snow in the courtyard had piled up three feet deep.

Feng was still eagerly anticipating recruiting Kakuzu.

Yet he had never considered that life was disappointing eight or nine times out of ten, and reality would not always go smoothly.

Relying on a transmigrator's foreknowledge, he always wanted to involve himself in every good opportunity.

But he had forgotten that the more he did, the more traces he left behind, and the more easily he could be exposed.

While he was thinking of recruiting Kakuzu, Kakuzu, who had already been "persuaded" by Nagato, was telling Nagato every detail about someone investigating information on Tailed Beasts at the Underground Marketplace.

If Feng had not been cautious when instructing Sada Hidemasa earlier and had not chosen to have Kakuzu deliver the goods to Tea Country...

White Zetsu would likely have already found him, after which Obito or Nagato would have captured and brutally interrogated him.

Feng was still unaware of this situation. Sada Hidemasa was continuing to arrange for people to contact Kakuzu through the marketplace regarding Takigakure's Tailed Beast.

If nothing unexpected happened, White Zetsu would soon be able to follow the trail to Feng.

Then, something unexpected really did happen. The person Sada Hidemasa had arranged to contact Kakuzu happened to encounter Sasori of the Red Sands massacring a city to gather materials on the road from the Land of Rivers to the Land of Waterfalls.

The outcome went without saying. To Sasori, in the entire Ninja World, aside from his grandmother Chiyo, everyone else either beat him into submission or was beaten into submission by him and turned into Human Puppet materials.

Naturally, the people Sada Hidemasa had sent out were not particularly strong. They unfortunately became Sasori's materials.

By the time Feng received the news, word had also spread that Sasori of the Red Sands had massacred a city, fought someone, and then vanished.

Only then did Feng belatedly realize that there had been no word about Kakuzu for so long. Perhaps he had already been recruited by Akatsuki. Continuing to pursue Kakuzu would be walking straight into their trap.

At that thought, he did not know whether he should be happy or upset.

Logically speaking, he should be happy that Akatsuki had nearly discovered he was searching for Tailed Beasts, yet he had narrowly escaped disaster.

But the price was the sacrifice of several loyal subordinates, as well as losing the chance to recruit Kakuzu.

But...

Forget it. He should call his people back first and stop sending them out to investigate anything.

Now, Kakuzu might have been recruited by Akatsuki, while Sasori had disappeared after fighting someone. Most likely, Konan had recruited him just as in the original story.

All of this showed that Nagato had figured out how to "resist rice," and Akatsuki was about to emerge from the shadows.

Feng did not dare draw attention at such a critical moment. If he accidentally attracted Black and White Zetsu, he would have no way to keep lying low.