Chapter 47 - 47: The Undead and the Demon Eye
Sasori froze.
Not because of an enemy or threat—he just couldn't believe what Zeldris had handed him.
A scroll. Old. Black. Buzzing with unfamiliar chakra and etched in symbols that practically whispered to him.
"Eternal... art?" he murmured.
His voice barely registered, but the emotion in it was real. Heavy.
For most people, "art" was a concept. For Sasori, it was a damn religion. He had turned himself into a puppet in pursuit of it. Killed for it. Lived beyond his expiration date for it.
Now? The answer to everything he'd chased might've just shown up on a Tuesday.
He stared at the scroll like it might disappear if he blinked.
Zeldris, watching with an expression that screamed I knew this would break you, couldn't help but chuckle.
"What're you spacing out for, old man? Go study it. That thing could give your puppets PTSD."
Sasori said nothing.
He didn't need to. He clutched the scroll like it was sacred text and vanished inside the hideout without another word.
Zeldris turned away, hands in his pockets, wind brushing through his silver hair as he stepped outside.
"Guy's so dramatic," he muttered. "No wonder Deidara couldn't shut up around him."
The desert greeted him with sun, heat, and a horizon that went on forever.
Perfect testing grounds.
He took a breath and let the Demon Eye activate.
His pupils shimmered violet, and suddenly the world turned crisp. Razor-sharp. Beautifully detailed. He could see a fly trying to land on a cactus five kilometers out—and regretting it instantly.
"Okay, that's ridiculous."
Then, something caught his eye.
Or rather—someone.
A silhouette on the horizon, blurry in the heatwaves, walking slowly across the sand.
Zeldris squinted.
Red clouds.
Black cloak.
And that weird stitched-up energy signature he'd recognize anywhere.
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
He vanished in a blink.
A few dunes away, Kakuzu trudged through the desert like he hated it—and to be fair, he probably did.
"Waste of time," he muttered, voice raspy beneath his mask. "They better be right about this."
He scanned the horizon again. Nothing but sand and heat.
"This kid better be worth the bounty..."
The paper crinkled in his hand—a bounty poster. Fresh ink. Top priority. The face on it looked young. Almost harmless.
Almost.
Kakuzu was a patient man. Well, kind of. He was mostly made of rage, debt collection, and spare hearts, but still—he'd been in this game a long time.
And 100 million ryo?
That was a number that made him forget how much he hated teenagers.
He stopped.
Something felt... off.
He spun around.
And there he was.
A silver-haired kid with his hands in his pockets, standing like he just popped out of nowhere. Casual. Calm. Annoyingly relaxed.
Zeldris smiled.
"Yo. You must be the infamous Kakuzu. Aka—'that guy who stitched himself together like IKEA furniture.'"
Kakuzu's brow twitched.
"Who the hell—?"
"Zeldris," the boy interrupted, pointing at himself with his thumb. "Star of the show. Current owner of your 100 million payday. Thought I'd save you the scavenger hunt."
Kakuzu didn't say a word.
He slowly pulled out the bounty poster and looked between it and the silver-haired kid.
Yep. Same smirk. Same punchable face.
"...Didn't expect the jackpot to come walking up to me," he muttered. "Even better."
He cracked his neck, eyes glowing faintly green. "You're gonna make me rich, kid."
Zeldris tilted his head.
"You really think I'm just gonna hand over my head like it's a lost parcel?"
Kakuzu's fingers twitched, already reaching for his cloak. He was seconds away from going full horror movie.
But then—
Zeldris struck.
Not with an attack.
With words.
"Oh, by the way," he said, voice cool, "aren't you the guy who threw a couple of shuriken at Hashirama from like... eight football fields away, then ran off telling people you fought the First Hokage?"
Kakuzu's entire soul twitched.
"You little—!"
Zeldris grinned wider.
"You did, didn't you? You hit a tree, panicked, and left. Legendary stuff."
Now Kakuzu was furious.
Veins bulged. Threads wriggled under his skin. The whole desert felt heavier.
But Zeldris didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Instead, he leaned forward, Demon Eyes glowing, the air around him humming like static.
"I'll give you one chance," he said softly.
"Walk away."
Kakuzu snarled. "Or what?"
Zeldris's violet gaze sharpened like a blade.
"Or you die."
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