"Where to next? Or are we staying a while longer?"
Kakuzu asked the two of them. He wasn't particularly keen on staying here any longer.
"I haven't looked for the ruins yet. Kakuzu, take us around the ruins first."
"I agree. I'd like to stay a little longer and take the chance to develop water and earth release chakra in one go."
Clearly, both of them wanted to stay a while longer.
"How are things on your end? The higher-ups in Takigakure aren't going to call in reinforcements, are they?"
Kakuzu merely smiled, closing his eyes and opening them again as he tilted his head. His words and gestures dripped with disdain.
"Bring in ninja from other villages? Do you think they'd dare? Every last one of them is a coward. What they fear most is retaliation from someone like me who doesn't care whether he lives or dies.
"If experts from the great nations came, Takigakure would owe them a favor. Sooner or later, those nations would sink their claws into the village's most valuable treasure-the Seven-Tails!"
"What about missing-nin? Aren't there plenty of bounty hunters?"
"Hmph! Guess who's the most famous?"
True enough. Kakuzu was, after all, someone the Akatsuki had chosen.
Anyone who made it through the Akatsuki's rigorous selection process was bound to be one of the best bounty hunters.
Kakuzu was also the only bounty hunter with Kage-level strength.
For now, though, he only had one of his five hearts. He was nowhere near Kage level, merely on par with a Jonin.
Once the time was right and Xuanhui fitted him with the other four hearts, he should have strength beyond Kage level.
"Fine, we'll stay a few more days. The mountains and waters here are beautiful. It's a good place to train in peace."