Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 18 Work for Me, Kakuzu
After leaving the gold exchange, Menma and Kakuzu arrived at an open space.

"Boy, if you're not wanted and have a bounty on your head, drop the money and leave, and I might spare your life." Kakuzu put the money box into his storage scroll, and a hoarse warning came from beneath his mask.

Kakuzu was an extremely arrogant person. After all, he was a powerful figure from the same era as the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and had even attempted to assassinate the First Hokage.

Although he was severely injured by Hashirama's Wood Release, Kakuzu often said, "I am the man who has fought against the God of Shinobi."

Since defecting from Takigakure, Kakuzu has made a living in the ninja world by earning bounties, and his greatest hobby is counting money.

Because he had experienced distrust from the village and betrayal from his partner in the first half of his life, Kakuzu believed that only money would never betray him.

"Do you think I'd be worthless just because I killed the Cloud Village envoy?" Menma stood a few meters away from Kakuzu, placing a large suitcase full of money aside, and a soft laugh came from behind his mask.

"Indeed, even without a bounty, you could probably get some money by taking your corpse to Kumogakure, huh." Kakuzu sneered, his hands quickly forming hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Rising Spear!" Several sharp, spear-like rocks protruded from around Menma and thrust fiercely towards him.

Mianma leaped into the air, his robes fluttering in the wind.

"Yosh, this is the time!" A calculating glint flashed in Kakuzu's eyes, and his right arm suddenly flew out, activating the Earth Grudge Fear!

The black lines at the joints darted out like venomous snakes, carrying the right arm as it attempted to pierce through the enemy opposite.

This is a tactic he often uses. Once the enemy is forced into the air and unable to turn or move, Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear is suddenly activated, aiming straight for the opponent's heart!
Kakuzu used this "First Encounter Kill" technique to kill many ninjas.

However, Kakuzu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Because he saw that after the other person jumped up, they did not fall, but hovered in mid-air, looking down at him from above.

"This is troublesome..." Kakuzu murmured hoarsely from beneath his mask.

Kakuzu has never really encountered an enemy who can stay airborne in all his years in the ninja world.

The black lines on Kakuzu's right arm danced, and the tentacles of the Earth Grudge wove a dense net in the air, attempting to block the opponent's movements.

Menma casually tossed out a few kunai, which passed through the large net woven by the Earth Grudge and shot towards Kakuzu on the ground.

"Hmph!" Kakuzu moved slightly, easily dodging the kunai.

"Is that all? Kid!" Kakuzu had just uttered his sarcastic remark when he heard a thunderous roar behind him.

He turned around abruptly, and a sharp pain came from his back.

An arm crackling with dark purple lightning pierced through Kakuzu's body, shattering one of his hearts amidst the shock in Kakuzu's blue pupils.

"When?!" Kakuzu was shocked as he felt the Earth Grudge Mask collapse after losing a heart.

He swung his arm, which was linked to the Earthly Grudge, and grabbed the person who had attacked him from behind, only to find that the other party was just a shadow clone that turned into smoke and disappeared the moment his arm caught it.

"Aaaaah!" With a howl, Kakuzu collapsed.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

"This trick is really effective." Menma toyed with a kunai in his hand.

Using shadow clones or transforming into kunai to shoot behind the enemy, and then launching a surprise attack with lightning speed, is a technique frequently used by Naruto Uzumaki.

Although it looks simple, it contains a complex tactical approach that blends truth and falsehood.

Most ninjas in the ninja world cannot defend against this move.

After all, in such a highly tense battle situation, a ninja cannot pay attention to every kunai that is dodged.

On the ground, Kakuzu remained motionless. If it were anyone else, after piercing Kakuzu's heart, they might have thought they had won and would have gone over to clean up Kakuzu's body.

However, Menma knew perfectly well that Kakuzu had five hearts, and faking death was just one of his usual tactics.

After Kakashi pierced Kakuzu's heart with his Lightning Blade, he became careless and was kicked by Kakuzu, who was pretending to be dead, resulting in serious injuries.

Mianma floated in mid-air, looking down at her with a chilling tone: "If you continue to play dead, I don't mind crushing the remaining four hearts."

!!!

Kakuzu, who had been lying on the ground pretending to be dead, suddenly opened his eyes, his blue pupils trembling.

He got up from the ground, his body hunched over, with a large bulge on his back.

puff-

Suddenly, a black masked monster tore through Kakuzu's black robe from behind, and as the mask collapsed, the masked monster also vanished into thin air.

ha~
Kakuzu, panting, looked at the vortex-like figure floating in the air with deep apprehension instead of disdain, his voice hoarse: "How did you know..."

"The secrets of Takigakure?" Menma stood in the air, like a god: "The ninja world holds no secrets for me."

"Now, I'm giving you two choices: work for me, or let me crush your four other hearts." Menma stood proudly in the void, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Do I have a choice?" Kakuzu asked with a hoarse, bitter laugh, before kneeling on one knee.

Kakuzu is a very pragmatic person. Not only does the other party know his secret, but they can also destroy his heart in one move.

If I don't submit to them, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave here alive today.

------

A port in a city in the Land of Lightning.

Several merchant ships of the Cado Company were docked at the pier, and workers dressed in shorts were speeding up the unloading of various goods under the foreman's orders.

Kado stood on the deck at the bow of the ship, watching his men at work, occasionally letting out angry roars.

Suddenly, Kado's small eyes spotted two figures approaching from a distance.

The person walking in front of him made him tremble, and he quickly jogged down.

On the dock, Kakuzu, who had been subdued, silently followed behind the boy in front of him, his blue eyes filled with 'I can't understand'.

"My lord! My lord!" Kado, his short body moving swiftly, arrived before Menma and said respectfully, "My lord, you're back!"

"Who is this?" Kado also saw Kakuzu, who was tall and exuded an aura of unapproachability, behind Menma.

“Kakuzu, this is Gato, the member in charge of making money in the organization. Your temporary task is to stay by his side and protect his company as they trade with various countries in the ninja world.” Menma turned his head and said to Kakuzu behind him.

“I will give you a fixed salary, and you will have the right to access the accounts of the Cardo Company. Of course, you can still work part-time as a bounty hunter, as long as you don’t leak the organization’s information.”

"Hmph, not bad treatment at all." Kakuzu snorted lightly, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask.

Having a fixed salary to receive, being able to continue as a bounty hunter, and even being able to work in the finance department of a large company made Kakuzu feel much better after losing to Menma.

After arranging for Gato and Kakuzu to leave the Land of Lightning together first, Menma continued on to Kumogakure.

I'm planning to send some local specialties from my hometown to Yunyin Village.

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(End of this chapter)