NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Mastery
Once, Kakuzu fought with kunai and jutsu in the streets. Now, he buys properties, runs factories, and chats amiably with clients. A true boss template.
Kakuzu leaned back in his chair, feet propped on a stool, body reclined at a 120-degree angle. He sat quietly, exuding a refined air as he flipped through documents. From afar, he looked every bit the cultured, high-quality shinobi.
His gaze dropped slightly to the document in hand: The Principles of Organism Reconstruction. A rare text from a century ago, it was a technological marvel in this world.
The "animals" described here were not ordinary cats and dogs. These were unique creatures of the shinobi world: octopuses the size of mountains, flying birds with three or four heads, and massive rhinos that could flatten trees with a single step.
What set them apart from normal beasts was the presence of chakra in their bodies. With sufficient strength, a powerful shinobi could even subdue them as summoning beasts.
A hundred years ago, someone had theorized cloning these animals using just a strand of fur or feather. Unfortunately, with war ravaging the land and lacking the necessary technology, the idea had remained just that—a theory.
But now, it seemed plausible.
Kakuzu turned page after page, absorbed in the text. Suddenly, the door opened.
Standing respectfully at the doorway was his subordinate, "Kaede." Kakuzu's nicknames for his underlings were straightforward and often based on their most obvious traits.
"Kaede, what's the matter?"
The subordinate waved a hand, signaling the guards to leave, and they wisely closed the door behind them. Alone now, Kaede placed a hand on his chest and spoke apologetically.
"Kakuzu-sama, my apologies. There's an issue that requires your attention."
"Speak."
"Someone borrowed three large sums from us."
"Wait." Kakuzu interrupted, a cold edge creeping into his tone. "Did you forget my rules?"
The Skies Casino operated legally, and Kakuzu had added an extra rule for loans: one loan at a time. A borrower could only take out another loan after repaying the first.
"And you're telling me this person borrowed three times without paying back—and lost again this time?" Kakuzu's tone grew icier, and the room seemed to chill with it.
The oppressive cold made Kaede shiver. He dropped to one knee, stammering, "Kakuzu-sama, the borrower… he's from the Senju clan. He had such a convincing story that the staff at the lower level let their guard down."
"Senju?" Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.
The rapid growth of Skies Casino was partly thanks to Senju Tobirama, the assistant to the Hokage, who had backed it. However, all operations and management were handled solely by Kakuzu. Without his efforts funding Tobirama's experiments, the forbidden jutsu research would have collapsed long ago.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Still, Kakuzu had no intention of giving free rein to any Senju, no matter their status.
"Bring him here," Kakuzu ordered.
"Uh…" Kaede hesitated, swallowing hard. "Kakuzu-sama, the man's chakra levels are strong—probably jonin level. I'm afraid—"
"If he refuses," Kakuzu interrupted, his gaze piercing, "you will kneel and beg him to hit you until you're bruised and battered. Then crawl to the Senju compound and roll around their gates, telling them this matter won't end without a billion ryo."
P-play dead at the Senju's doorstep?! That was a death sentence!
Kaede gulped and nodded reluctantly before scurrying out.
Fortunately, the Senju debtor seemed surprisingly cooperative and was brought to Kakuzu's office within minutes.
The man radiated vitality, his cheerful demeanor completely at odds with his massive debt. Most striking was his bowl-cut hairstyle—it was almost a declaration of personality.
Kakuzu dismissed Kaede with a wave, his tone calm but commanding.
"Leave him to me."
Relieved, Kaede quickly shut the door behind him.
Kakuzu's gaze locked onto the man.
The subtle chakra fluctuations from his body hinted at a Transformation Jutsu. But the transformation was laughably poor—if anyone compared him to an old photograph, they'd notice immediately.
This was clearly a younger version of Hashirama Senju himself.
Seeing Kakuzu's piercing look, the man sheepishly scratched his head, tilted his face upward at an absurd angle, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! My bad, my bad! I didn't expect the boss here to be Kakuzu-sama. That makes things much easier!"
Poof!
With a burst of smoke, the transformation vanished, revealing the First Hokage's familiar features: waist-length hair, simple light-colored robes, and his ever-goofy face.
"Please, Hokage-sama, take a seat," Kakuzu said with a polite smile.
Hashirama sat down with an awkward grin, clasping his hands together.
"Kakuzu, my apologies! I… uh… forgot to bring money on these trips. I'll definitely repay you next time!"
His tone was earnest and apologetic.
Kakuzu, ever the pragmatist, decided to humor him.
"If the Hokage says so, I'll trust your word."
Weighing the three IOUs in his hand, Kakuzu noted that the total amount barely came to ten million ryō. For him, it was a drop in the ocean. Honestly, he didn't even care if the debt was repaid.
"Hahaha, Kakuzu, you really get me! Just hold onto those IOUs for now—I swear I'll pay them back eventually. Uh, so... can I leave now?"
"The esteemed Hokage wants to leave? Who would dare stop you?"
"Heh, Kakuzu, you've got quite the sense of humor."
Senju Hashirama chuckled awkwardly and was about to leave when Kakuzu's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Hashirama-sama, I'll be sure to send these IOUs to your residence later. Oh, by the way, isn't Uzumaki Mito-sama the one managing your household finances?"
"Ah... um..."
Hearing Mito's name, Hashirama froze, his expression shifting into a mix of panic and embarrassment.
"Kakuzu, come on, we're friends, aren't we? You can't do this to me! If you send those to my house, I'm finished—completely finished!"
"Oh? Are we talking kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the laundry board, or..."
"Durian!"
Hashirama blurted out, immediately regretting it. He slapped a hand over his mouth, silently berating himself for letting it slip.
Kakuzu, on the other hand, stood up and gave Hashirama a knowing smirk.
"Durian spikes piercing the skin, with Hashirama-sama's legendary healing factor, the wounds would scab over in no time. Then they'd be torn open again, over and over... Mito-sama is a genius."
Listening to Kakuzu's detailed description, Hashirama wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it. He quickly grabbed Kakuzu by the arm, pleading with him.
"Kakuzu, we've known each other for ages. You can't let this get out, especially not to my wife. Otherwise..."
"Your wife? Hashirama-sama, are you sure that's how you normally refer to Mito-sama? Alright, I'll make sure to repeat your exact words to her."
"Oh, come on, Kakuzu! What do you want? Just name it!"
At this point, Hashirama was on the verge of despair, while Kakuzu maintained his calm, collected demeanor. The First Hokage might be a powerhouse on the battlefield, but in other areas, he was surprisingly clueless—something Kakuzu found amusing.
From the moment Hashirama walked in, Kakuzu had pieced together two key details.
First, Hashirama claimed he'd repay the debt, but everyone knew his luck was atrocious. He never won at gambling, so any money meant for repayment would likely vanish at the tables.
Second, the fact that he came to the casino alone, disguised with a transformation jutsu, clearly meant he didn't want anyone back home to find out. Mentioning Mito was just a shot in the dark, but the reaction was more than he could've hoped for.
To Kakuzu, Uzumaki Mito remained an enigma. He only knew she hailed from the Uzumaki clan and that even Uchiha Madara showed her a rare degree of respect. Considering Madara's lifelong bachelorhood, Kakuzu suspected there might have been... something there.
But in the end, Mito had chosen the simple, straightforward Hashirama. Perhaps life with him promised a bit of fun. After all, a woman capable of keeping both Hashirama and Madara in check was a true force to be reckoned with.
Just casually dropping her name had made the so-called God of Shinobi go weak in the knees. makes you the big brother.
Watching Hashirama squirm, Kakuzu realized he had him firmly in his grasp.
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