Kakuzu's heart was bleeding.
That was not a metaphor. He could clearly feel that if this continued, the heart storing his Fire Release technique might actually be lost.
To replace it, he would first have to buy intelligence on the locations of Fire Release specialists from the Underground Bounty Exchange, then hunt them down. It was far too troublesome—not only costly, but also a waste of time he could have spent making money.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, those damned Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Shadow Clones continued surging forward like an endless tide. Every time they were wiped out, new ones appeared.
Capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was an order from the organization, but he had no reason to burn through his savings just to forcefully carry it out. To take down that brat, he estimated that he would have to use all four remaining hearts. Even if he succeeded, he would be severely weakened and bedridden for ten days to half a month.
Not worth it. Absolutely not worth it.
This deal had been a loss from the very beginning.
Kakuzu's mind raced, his mental abacus clattering away. Retreating was the best option now. But the bounty of tens of millions of ryō promised by the Daimyō's Palace scratched at his heart like a hook.
Maybe... he could hold on a little longer.
As long as he held out until that fat pig of a daimyō fled with the money, he could find an excuse to withdraw and collect the bounty afterward. Yes. That was the plan.
Just as Kakuzu finished calculating and prepared to ease up on the offensive and switch to stalling tactics—
"Stop."
A single word left Naruto's true body at the center of the battlefield.
Bzzzz—
The piercing whine of Chainswords, the high-speed hum of spinning Rasengan, and the