"Hey, hey! Kakuzu! Are you alright?!"
Hidan's frantic shouts echoed through the clearing. Chiga narrowed his eyes. A strange ripple of power surged, and Hidan's body suddenly split apart into floating pieces. The dismembered limbs hovered eerily in midair, yet Hidan felt no pain.
Hidan stared in shock. He'd been dismembered before, but this was different — there was no agony, only confusion.
"What did you do to me?!"
Chiga didn't bother answering. With a snap of his fingers, several spheres of darkness materialized, swallowing up Hidan's floating body. Without a word, he sealed him away inside the Door-Door Space.
With Hidan handled, Chiga turned toward Kakuzu's motionless form. His tone was calm, almost mocking.
"How much longer are you going to pretend? That little attack was nothing more than losing one of your hearts, wasn't it?"
Kakuzu remained still, as if truly lifeless.
Chiga raised a finger, crackling purple lightning gathering at its tip.
"Seems you're not interested in keeping your remaining hearts either."
The sharp buzz of electricity intensified. Kakuzu finally moved. His back twisted unnaturally, and a black, masked creature erupted from him. The mask shattered instantly, the body dissolving into a pool of black fluid.
Kakuzu rose to his feet, eyes narrowed.
"You know about the Earth Grudge Fear technique?"
"Of course," Chiga replied casually.
He shifted his aim, unleashing a thick beam of purple lightning. The blast ripped through the trees in a straight line, leaving only charred destruction in its wake.
Kakuzu silently measured the power and speed of that attack. If it hit him head-on, he wouldn't just lose a heart — his entire body could be obliterated.
The thought of fighting Chiga now felt like suicide. Even more unsettling, Chiga hadn't activated his Mangekyō Sharingan once during this entire exchange. Hidan had been effortlessly sealed away. The sheer gap in power was crushing.
Kakuzu's instincts told him today might be his last day alive. Still… to die left him unwilling.
Chiga walked toward him, speaking in a conversational tone.
"Your leader must be feeling generous, sending his people in waves . Is he running out of members?"
Kakuzu blinked. Chiga's words hinted that another pair from Akatsuki had already been here before him and Hidan. Who could they have been?
A faint smile touched Chiga's lips as he glanced upward. A flock of crows approached from the sky.
Kakuzu followed his gaze. Recognition flickered in his eyes.
The crows landed and merged into the form of Uchiha Itachi. Without hesitation, Itachi dropped to one knee before Chiga.
Kakuzu nearly choked on air. Hokage? Uchiha Itachi — Akatsuki's member — kneeling to Konoha's Hokage? And calling him "Hokage-sama" at that? Wasn't Itachi a rogue ninja?
Chiga smiled faintly.
"Ah, Itachi. Why are you here?"
"Hokage-sama, I heard fighting from this area while on Dark Ops patrol. When I went to find you, Yugao told me you'd already left, so I came to investigate."
"Good," Chiga nodded. "You're being a very diligent Anbu Captain."
"Anbu Captain?!" Kakuzu thought his understanding of reality was unraveling. So not only did Itachi defect, he's now Anbu Captain?
Itachi's gaze sharpened as he turned to Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu… I didn't expect you'd be the one sent to Konoha. Did your leader order this?"
Kakuzu gave a stiff nod.
"What about Kisame? Is he still alive?"
"Of course," Itachi replied evenly. "He's my subordinate now."
Kakuzu was left speechless.
Chiga waved a hand dismissively.
"Enough. Let's wrap this up and head back."
"Yes, Hokage-sama. How do you want to deal with Kakuzu?"
"Hmm… execute him on the spot?" Chiga said lightly.
Kakuzu's entire body tensed.
"But then again," Chiga continued, "I recall the village is missing someone to oversee finances. Who could fill that role, I wonder?"
Itachi instantly understood — Chiga intended to recruit Kakuzu.
Kakuzu, infamous for his obsession with money, rarely spent it. His joy came from accumulating it. In truth, he'd be perfect for managing Konoha's treasury.
Realizing this, Kakuzu didn't waste a second.
"Hokage-sama… I have extensive skills in financial management. Perhaps you could give me a chance?"
Chiga glanced at him, feigning doubt.
"You? From Akatsuki? Are you defecting?"
"Yes! I no longer wish to remain there. Please allow me to join Konoha."
When he'd first joined Akatsuki, Kakuzu had been impressed by Nagato's strength and the group's loose restrictions — perfect for someone who valued profit above all. But now, facing Chiga's overwhelming might, fighting was pointless. And the chance to manage Konoha's wealth? Irresistible.
His green eyes practically sparkled with visions of gold and Ryō.
"And your special skill is…?"
"Making money! My special skill is making money!"
Itachi almost laughed outright. Seeing Kakuzu's desperation was almost worth the situation.
"Hokage-sama," Itachi said diplomatically, "Kakuzu truly is gifted when it comes to finances. He'd be more than capable of managing the treasury."
Kakuzu shot Itachi a grateful look. Even in the strangest circumstances, old connections had their uses.
Satisfied, Chiga nodded.
"Very well. Prepare yourself and report to the Ministry of Finance tomorrow."
"Yes!" Kakuzu answered immediately, relief flooding his voice. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝓷𝓮𝓽