Chapter 69: The Third's Hashirama-esque Spirit; A Reputation for Fairness
"Lord Hokage, I suggest you stop speaking in riddles. What exactly are you looking for today?"
Kakuzu paused, his voice dropping to a low, wary rumble.
Beside Hiruzen, Danzo's expression soured even further. The moment Hiruzen opens his mouth, this rogue starts using honorifics? All he did was see through a single jutsu!
"It's simple," Hiruzen said with a calm, easy smile. "I believe you remember Lady Mito Uzumaki?"
Kakuzu's gaze sharpened into a needle-point.
How could he ever forget? The wife of the God of Shinobi. When he had made his ill-fated attempt on Hashirama's life all those decades ago, she had been there. When he was broken and defeated on the ground, still trying to crawl away, it was her Adamantine Sealing Chains that had wrapped him up like a holiday roast.
The raw power of that couple was a trauma Kakuzu would carry to his grave.
"I remember," Kakuzu replied, his suspicion softening just a fraction. He was a man who held onto old ties—even if those ties were made of iron chains.
"Lady Mito mentioned a 'brave young man' who once challenged Lord Hashirama," Hiruzen continued. "She spoke of the secret art he obtained from the Waterfall—the Earth Grudge Fear. She noted its miraculous ability to repair meridians and reattach limbs."
"That is correct."
"Konoha wishes to place a long-term standing order with you," Hiruzen said, his tone turning professional and grave. "I've heard that you have a certain... affinity for gold?"
"Name your price. We are here for a legitimate transaction. Our village has a number of veterans and injured shinobi who are suffering from permanent disabilities. We require the Earth Grudge Fear threads to restore their quality of life and their dignity as shinobi."
Kakuzu's brow furrowed.
When Hiruzen brought up Mito, Kakuzu had expected a lecture on "debts of mercy" or a threat of past sins. He never expected a sales pitch.
In truth, Kakuzu had already mentally prepared himself to cut off a segment of his threads just to pay a "toll" to get away from these two alive.
And what is this nonsense about 'quality of life' and 'dignity'? Kakuzu wondered. To him, those words were alien. A ninja was a tool. When a tool breaks, you don't spend a fortune fixing it; you toss it and get a new one.
"The Earth Grudge Fear is indeed unparalleled for stitching flesh and bypassing meridian blockages," Kakuzu said clinically. "But it has limits. It is less effective on ancient injuries or permanent atrophy unless the target's body maintains a high level of vitality."
"I'm being transparent with you, Lord Hokage. I don't want you coming back for a refund because your 'trash' ninjas didn't wake up."
Kakuzu figured Hiruzen was an idealist—a dreamer who thought he could use a dark, forbidden art to perform a public service. He assumed the Hokage was wasting money on a lost cause.
"So, as long as the 'vessel' is vital, the threads will take? Perfect. That's more than enough for our needs," Hiruzen nodded, his mind immediately drifting to the Izuna-Tobirama Clone in the secret vault.
The clone's body was overflowing with Hashirama's life-force; its only flaw was the technical "knots" in its meridians. The threads were the perfect solution.
"We'll take it," Hiruzen said, snapping his fingers.
Danzo Shimura, looking like he had swallowed a lemon, stepped forward and slammed a heavy metal briefcase onto the stone table. He flicked the latches.
Inside were stacks of high-denomination bills—Thirty Million Ryo.
Danzo had insisted on carrying the case himself. He felt that having a subordinate carry it would diminish his prestige as Anbu Commander, though he cursed the weight of the "Noble's bribe."
Hiruzen looked at Kakuzu, waiting. Usually, in a negotiation, you wait for the other side to quote a price first. But Hiruzen knew Kakuzu didn't have the leverage to play games here. He also wanted to see if Kakuzu's obsession with money was truly a psychological need for "Equivalent Exchange."
Kakuzu stared at the cash for a long time.
He finally realized that the man in front of him wasn't there to kill him. He was actually there for business. Even in a position of total military dominance, the Hokage was choosing a fair trade over theft.
"How much of it do you want?" Kakuzu asked.
He pulled back his sleeve, and a mass of writhing, black, demonic threads erupted from his skin, weaving through the air like a nest of vipers.
Danzo narrowed his eyes. He's barely human.
Hiruzen, however, leaned in with a researcher's curiosity. Compared to some of the horrors he'd seen in Orochimaru's lab, this was practically elegant.
Kakuzu's lips moved as he performed a lightning-fast mental audit. "Thirteen million Ryo. For twenty pounds of the highest-grade, high-vitality threads. That is my cost-plus rate."
"Thirteen million?" Danzo sneered. "You think you're worth a hundred million? You're overcharging, rogue."
Danzo wanted to ask if Kakuzu thought he was selling Konoha's "Sage Pills" with those kinds of profit margins, but he kept the comment to himself.
Kakuzu glared at Danzo. He despised the man. In the underground, Danzo's "Root" was famous for hiring bounty hunters and then "liquidating" them instead of paying the invoice. Danzo was a market-destroyer.
"Those who don't understand the 'Art of the Deal' should remain silent," Kakuzu spat.
"First: these are the primary threads from my core. Second: I am factoring in the chakra-replenishment cost. Third: harvesting this much will temporarily lower my combat effectiveness, which affects my ability to take high-rank contracts. Risk-adjustment is part of the price."
Kakuzu turned back to Hiruzen, ignoring Danzo entirely. "If the Hokage wishes for a fair trade, that is my bottom line."
"Agreed. In fact, let's call it Twenty Million Ryo," Hiruzen said, waving a hand magnanimously. "A good trade should be profitable for both parties. Konoha does not exploit its partners."
"Take the full thirty million. The remaining ten million? Take three million as a deposit for our next shipment. The other seven million is your Signing Bonus."
"Konoha is hiring you, Kakuzu. Not as a ninja, but as an Information Broker."
Thirty Million? It was a pittance—the equivalent of 300 Sage Pills. Seven or eight nobles' annual health budget would pay for this ten times over. If the threads allowed him to stabilize his "Master Tobirama" project, the return on investment would be infinite.
Plus, Kakuzu was an S-rank relic who traveled the world undetected. Having a permanent, "paid-in-full" line of communication with a man of his experience was worth more than gold.
Kakuzu froze.
He felt the same shock that the Daimyo and the Hyuga had felt. This man... he's actually... a stand-up guy.
"What are the terms, Lord Hokage?" Kakuzu asked, his tone now one of professional interest.
"Simple. During your contract, you do not take missions against the Leaf. I know you've already been doing that out of respect for Lord Hashirama, so that should be easy."
"Second: you collect intel. Anything Konoha might find 'strategically interesting.' We pay you the standard black-market rate plus a 10% premium for 'Loyalty.' We pay in cash, on delivery, at the village gates. No questions asked."
"I know you're a man of the market, Kakuzu. You believe in the order of the transaction. So do I." Hiruzen emphasized the word Order.
Kakuzu sat in silence for a moment, processing.
"Lord Hokage... before we finalize the contract... would you trade a single blow with me? I'll credit three million Ryo against the first intel report for the privilege."
Seeing Hiruzen's raised eyebrow, Kakuzu added, "To ensure the threads remain active, I must circulate chakra through a high-intensity exchange. It's... maintenance."
In reality, Kakuzu needed to know for sure.
In a world of betrayal and filth, did a man truly exist who could be so powerful, yet choose to follow the rules? He had seen it only once before in Hashirama Senju. He had to know if the flame still burned.
"I accept," Hiruzen smiled, standing up. "I've been wanting to see the 'Grandeur of the Earth Grudge' for myself."
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