At Kakashi's words, Kakuzu's pupils abruptly contracted, and his body froze. Even the constantly writhing Earth Grudge Fear paused for an instant.
Shin Uchiha, the Uchiha Clan Head, the strongest man in Konoha...
The moment Kakuzu heard what Kakashi said, those words flashed through his mind, and his heart sank despite himself.
As a dedicated money-grubber and bounty hunter, Kakuzu kept a close eye on information from across the ninja world despite his advanced age. That way, whenever he encountered a suitable target, he would know exactly how much they were worth.
And according to Kakuzu's information, Shin Uchiha sat at the very top of the list of people he must never provoke.
Kakuzu knew perfectly well that he had not survived this long solely because of the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear. More importantly, he knew which people he could not afford to cross.
If he charged straight at every formidable opponent he encountered, then even with Earth Grudge Fear and his five hearts, he would have died long ago and been buried beneath the yellow sands.
And Kakuzu knew full well that Shin Uchiha was someone he could not afford to provoke.
Anyone hailed as Konoha's strongest fighter undoubtedly possessed the power to crush all opposition. Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, the White Fang, the Sannin, and others like them were all people he could not afford to cross.
So, after hearing Kakashi's words, Kakuzu fell silent for a moment before asking in a low voice:
"Has that lord come here as well?"
Although Shin Uchiha was only in his twenties, Kakuzu felt no awkwardness whatsoever in addressing him as a lord.
Having survived in the ninja world for so long, Kakuzu had long since understood that strength ruled everything here. Who cared how old