Kakuzu coldly swept his gaze over the Kumogakure shinobi surrounding him and slowly spoke.
"You're fairly sensible."
Captain Shiryu's body was taut as steel as he replied in a deep voice, "We simply don't want to expand our losses here. That doesn't mean we're letting you go. Even if you crawl out of the Land of Lightning, we'll hunt you to the ends of the earth."
Kakuzu shrugged, utterly unconcerned by the threat.
"You're really impressive. I'll be trembling with fear all the way as I run."
With the heavy metal case on his back, he started walking toward the edge of town at an unhurried pace beneath the Kumogakure shinobi's furious, wary, and unwilling stares. Every step felt as though it was stomping on Kumogakure's dignity.
Just before his figure vanished into the darkness, Kakuzu gave one last look at the civilians in the ruins whom he had "treated." They, too, regarded him with complicated expressions.
Troublesome.
But five billion ryō was worth this much trouble.
The return on this investment was quite considerable.
Three days later.
At the border of the Land of Fire, in a long-abandoned mine. The moonlight was bleak and white, casting the jagged rocks and rusted tracks in the likeness of bones.
Kakuzu arrived according to the coordinates provided by the Purifiers.
He set the specially made silver metal case from his back onto a flat rock. Several faint yet venomous curses immediately came from within, proving that the "goods" inside were unharmed and full of spirit.
A figure silently appeared in the shadows some distance away.
The man wore a flawless white mask and the standard uniform of Konoha's Root. He stepped forward without a word, merely rapping his fingers against the metal case before tilting his head to listen for a moment.