Talent System In The Naruto Universe-Chapter 275. Konan’s Apology

The sandstorm swept in.

Hanekawa's eyes flickered, and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan activated.

Susanoo!

A cold and sinister aura surged into the sky.

The air twisted, and in an instant, a white half-bodied skeleton formed.

A massive amount of chakra surged, quickly covering the skeleton with tendons and flesh.

Susanoo extended its hands, shielding Hanekawa.

Boom!

The fierce wind, carrying tremendous force, slammed into Susanoo.

Centered around Hanekawa, a terrifying shockwave of sand spread in all directions.

In an instant, a deep trench was carved into the ground.

Only the area where Hanekawa stood remained unscathed.

"How is this possible?"

Kakuzu's pupils trembled as he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of ninjutsu is this?!"

"Sharingan," Hanekawa replied casually.

"Isn't the pattern of the Sharingan supposed to be tomoe?" Kakuzu's gaze sharpened as he questioned.

But the aura was indeed similar to the Sharingan, only vastly more powerful.

"You can test it if you want," Hanekawa said with a smile.

His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan rotated slightly, and an invisible wave of ocular power spread.

Genjutsu: Shackling Stakes Technique!

Kakuzu felt the environment around him shift instantly. In the blink of an eye, he was trapped in a dark illusionary space.

He instinctively tried to use the Body Flicker Technique, but found himself bound to an iron rack.

The sound of wind tearing through the air echoed.

Two massive iron stakes descended from the sky, aiming to pierce him.

Kakuzu quickly dispelled the genjutsu, his heart pounding as he stared at Hanekawa.

He possessed five hearts and five types of chakra, making genjutsu less effective against him.

Yet, being pulled into an illusion with just a glance filled him with dread.

This Sharingan was truly domineering.

No, wait—this wasn't an ordinary Sharingan.

Could there be a level beyond the three-tomoe Sharingan?

Kakuzu thought of Uchiha Madara.

Though he had never met Madara, he had heard of his exploits, especially his battles against Hashirama Senju, which ended in stalemates.

The three-tomoe Sharingan couldn't possibly achieve that.

After all, Kakuzu was well aware of Hashirama's overwhelming, invincible strength.

"Let's try this next," Hanekawa said, quickly forming hand seals.

Kakuzu immediately focused, his guard at its peak.

After their brief exchange, he had already ranked Hanekawa as the second strongest ninja he had ever encountered.

The first, of course, was Hashirama Senju.

Storm Release: Storm Dragon!

Hanekawa's chakra surged, and dark storm clouds gathered in an instant.

The sky darkened momentarily before lighting up again.

A barrage of lightning bolts rained down like a storm, enveloping Kakuzu completely.

Combined Ninjutsu: Flame Wind Wave!

Kakuzu's eyes widened as he instinctively retreated, trying to escape the lightning's range.

But the lightning was too fast.

He clapped his hands together, and the Fire and Wind masks floated up, their mouths opening.

Fireballs and wind spheres were spat out, rapidly expanding in the air.

A sea of flames formed, followed by a fierce gale. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The flames, fueled by the wind, spread like wildfire.

The lightning bolts plunged into the firestorm, creating a series of deafening explosions.

Chakra surged, mixing with the sand to form a sandstorm in an instant.

Body Flicker Technique!

Kakuzu seized the opportunity to narrowly avoid the explosive aftermath.

"Kakuzu, let's try this last one," Hanekawa said calmly. "If you survive, you'll have the right to become my subordinate."

"Even Hashirama Senju couldn't kill me. What makes you think you can?!" Kakuzu, sensing the underlying meaning in Hanekawa's words, felt insulted and roared in anger.

"You survived because he was merciful, not because he couldn't kill you," Hanekawa corrected.

"I—" Kakuzu was about to retort when a chill ran down his spine.

The half-bodied skeleton suddenly straightened, its right fist swinging toward him.

Three massive tomoe connected together, flying toward him at an incredible speed.

He had no time to dodge.

Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!

Kakuzu gritted his teeth and formed hand seals.

The Wind, Fire, and Lightning masks gathered on his arm.

Three different chakra streams shot out from their mouths, merging in the air to form a terrifying chakra cannon.

The chakra cannon collided with the three tomoe.

A thunderous explosion echoed in the sky, and chakra rolled like dark clouds.

Flames, wind, and lightning were torn apart in an instant, along with the surrounding sand.

Kakuzu's eyes widened in shock.

Amid the chaos, one tomoe still reached him.

Earth Style: Earth Spear!

Kakuzu reacted swiftly, clapping his hands together.

His skin hardened like rock, granting him incredible defense.

Boom!

The tomoe exploded.

Kakuzu's body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the sand and creating a massive crater.

Hanekawa casually dismissed Susanoo and walked forward.

Kakuzu wasn't dead.

Thanks to the Earth Grudge Fear technique.

Countless black threads wrapped around him, stitching his body back together like a tailor.

In other words, to kill Kakuzu, one would need to destroy all five of his hearts or obliterate his body completely.

Even if limbs were left behind, the Earth Grudge Fear could restore him.

Moreover, Hanekawa remembered that the Earth Grudge Fear could also heal allies.

In the original story, Kakuzu had once stitched up Hidan and Deidara's wounds.

"You... you win," Kakuzu forced himself to stand.

"Your strength is impressive," Hanekawa praised.

"..."

Kakuzu's lips twitched.

He had always believed that few ninjas in the shinobi world could match him.

Given his age, he was considered a senior to most ninjas.

But he never expected to hear such a comment one day.

"So? Have you made up your mind?"

Hanekawa asked with a smile. "Become my subordinate, and you'll earn a lot of money, eventually becoming the richest ninja in the world."

"Your strength is indeed greater than mine," Kakuzu said after a few seconds of silence. "But making money isn't that easy."

Making money was his area of expertise.

He didn't believe Hanekawa could outdo him in that regard.

"Earning money through missions and bounties? That's peanuts," Hanekawa shook his head. "To make real money, you need to target the daimyos and nobles."

"Daimyos and nobles?" Kakuzu was taken aback, looking at Hanekawa's eyes.

"Are you planning to control them with your Sharingan?"

"Of course not," Hanekawa extended his hand, using the Mystical Palm Technique.

"You know medical ninjutsu too?" Kakuzu was surprised.

"I know a little," Hanekawa continued. "I'll explain the details of how we'll make money later."

His plan was to go into business.

Not just any business, but critical industries like banking, arms, and media.

Perhaps because of the existence of ninjas, the five great nations hadn't formed monopolies.

For example, arms—specifically, ninja tools.

In the original story, there was a rather absurd setting where almost all ninja tools in every country came from the Takumi Village in the Land of Craftsmen.

Such a lucrative business was left to a small ninja village?

Kakuzu nodded in understanding.

He had already tacitly accepted his role as Hanekawa's subordinate.

First, because he couldn't win.

Second, he was curious about Hanekawa's money-making methods.

"Let's go," Hanekawa deactivated the Mystical Palm Technique.

"Where are we going?" Kakuzu followed, asking.

"The Sand Village," Hanekawa replied casually. "To find a ninja."

"Are you from the Sand Village? No, wait—you're from the Leaf Village?" Kakuzu suddenly remembered Hanekawa's Sharingan and corrected himself.

He was now certain that Hanekawa was no ordinary figure.

After all, his strength was beyond reason.

The reason he wore a mask was likely because he was too famous and would be recognized without it.

"I'm a ninja from the Leaf Village," Hanekawa glanced at him and smiled. "You can guess who I am."

"Uchiha Fugaku?" Kakuzu ventured.

While the Uchiha clan was powerful, few reached Hanekawa's level.

The most likely candidate was Uchiha Fugaku, the clan's leader.

"No," Hanekawa shook his head.

Kakuzu frowned.

If not Uchiha Fugaku, then who?

There were only a few notable Uchiha ninjas in the shinobi world.

"Who are you, really?" By the time they reached the Sand Village, Kakuzu had guessed several times but was still wrong.

His curiosity was driving him mad.

"I'll tell you," Hanekawa casually removed his mask.

He had worn the mask mainly to avoid recognition by Mukade and Suien.

Kakuzu had already been subdued.

Moreover, as their business expanded, they would inevitably need to leverage the Leaf Village's power, so his identity would be exposed sooner or later.

"You're so young? Wait, you look familiar," Kakuzu thought for a moment, then his face showed shock. "You... you're Hanekawa?!"

"Have you seen me before?" Hanekawa asked curiously.

"I've seen your portrait in the black market," Kakuzu took a deep breath and replied.

"The black market?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. "So someone has a bounty on me? How much?"

"One hundred million ryo," Kakuzu paused, then added, "But no matter how much, no one dares to take it."

A ninja who could capture tailed beasts alive—unless they had a death wish, no one would be foolish enough to assassinate him.

"One hundred million ryo is no small sum. Only the five great nations or the five major villages could afford it," Hanekawa chuckled. "I'd like to know who it is."

He guessed it was most likely the Cloud or Stone Village.

"The black market operates on anonymous commissions," Kakuzu shook his head, then couldn't help but ask, "How do you have both Wood Release and the Sharingan?"

"If you want to live long, you can't be too curious."

Hanekawa stopped walking and asked, "Are you heading to the black market to exchange your bounty?"

"Aren't you afraid I'll run away?"

Kakuzu asked, slightly surprised.

"You can try," Hanekawa replied with a smile.

When he had treated Kakuzu earlier, he had secretly placed a Flying Thunder God seal on him.

"Then never mind. Since I already agreed, I won't go back on my word," Kakuzu said, choosing to be cautious.

This was Hanekawa—the ninja who had single-handedly ended the Third Great Ninja War.

"Then go ahead," Hanekawa said indifferently. "Once I'm done with my business, I'll find you."

With that, he put on his mask and turned toward another direction.

Mukade wasn't a rogue ninja yet, so he had a fixed residence.

Hanekawa had already obtained this information from Anbu, so he went straight there.

"Who are you?"

Mukade opened the door and, upon seeing Hanekawa wearing a mask, immediately grew wary.

Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan!

The moment their eyes met, Hanekawa took control of him.

Mukade was at most a jōnin—an average one, not even at the level of an elite jōnin.

Caught off guard, he stood no chance against the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

"I ask, you answer," Hanekawa said, closing the door behind him.

After a brief conversation, he had a good grasp of Mukade's current situation.

Mukade had no knowledge of the Ryūmyaku (Dragon Vein) and had never tried to unseal it.

Thinking about it, that made sense.

In the original story, Mukade was only forced to activate the Ryūmyaku while being pursued by Yamato, Naruto Uzumaki, Sai, and Sakura Haruno.

By the current timeline, that event was still over a decade away.

But that didn't matter—Hanekawa could accelerate things.

After all, he knew which sealing techniques Minato Namikaze had used.

Using the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he implanted false memories into Mukade and then turned to leave.

With those memories, Mukade would seek out the Ryūmyaku on his own.

Although he had assistance, breaking a sealing technique was not a simple task—it would take time.

To prevent any unexpected incidents, Hanekawa would send another Anbu squad to monitor him.

The black market, commonly known as the underground exchange, was a special type of mission hall.

However, it catered to rogue ninja and wandering ninja, offering missions as well as bounty tasks where anyone could be a target.

From ordinary ninjas to those with kekkei genkai, even the Kage of the Five Great Villages and the daimyos of the Five Great Nations—all had their bounties clearly listed.

After exchanging his bounty, Kakuzu waited at the entrance of the black market.

He scanned his surroundings and suddenly spotted Hanekawa standing in front of a bulletin board.

"You're interested in Sunagakure?" Kakuzu asked as he approached.

"Sunagakure is one of the Five Great Villages. As the Hokage's advisor, I naturally need to stay informed about their situation," Hanekawa replied casually.

"They still haven't chosen the Fourth Kazekage?"

Kakuzu glanced at the bulletin board and asked.

"Pakura is the acting Kazekage and has the advantage, but her strength and achievements are inferior to Rasa's," Hanekawa explained. "With both Chiyo and Ebizō retiring, the situation is at a stalemate."

"Who do you support?"

Kakuzu suddenly looked intrigued.

"Why do you ask?"

Hanekawa gave him a glance.

"Sunagakure has an underground casino that's betting on who will become the Fourth Kazekage," Kakuzu revealed his true purpose. "If you know, I'll place a bet."

Hanekawa pondered for a moment.

In the ninja world, strength determined everything.

Rasa also had the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release, which could help Sunagakure generate revenue and ease its economic strain.

If nothing unexpected happened, he was the most likely candidate to become the Fourth Kazekage—unless an external force interfered.

Would making Pakura the Kazekage trigger any benefits?

Hanekawa wasn't sure.

But he did know that if Rasa became the Kazekage, there would be no special advantage for him.

It was worth testing.

After all, to him, it made no real difference who became the Kazekage.

"If you're placing a bet, go with Pakura," Hanekawa said with a slight smile. "But don't blame me if you lose."

Kakuzu hesitated.

"Alright, I have a mission for you," Hanekawa changed the topic. "Find a way to infiltrate Takumi Village, gather as much intelligence as possible, and, if you can, reach a high-ranking position."

"Takumi Village?"

Kakuzu frowned slightly. "Are you planning to forge ninja tools?"

"Not forge, but buy and sell them," Hanekawa corrected.

Kakuzu's expression immediately changed.

He understood Hanekawa's plan.

Selling ninja tools to various villages could be extremely profitable.

Kakuzu suddenly realized that his mindset had been too limited to just being a ninja.

"Let's go."

Hanekawa didn't elaborate further and left Sunagakure with Kakuzu.

In the vast, empty desert, Hanekawa suddenly vanished from sight.

"As expected of Hanekawa."

Seeing the Flying Thunder God Technique, Kakuzu was now completely certain of Hanekawa's identity and abandoned any lingering doubts.

In his view, the most troublesome ninjas weren't those like Hashirama Senju but those who mastered space-time ninjutsu.

And on top of that, Hanekawa was immensely powerful.

Now, fighting him wasn't an option, and escaping was impossible.

But considering Hanekawa's status, he might actually be able to make Kakuzu the richest man in the ninja world.

Kakuzu thought to himself that working for the strongest ninja of this era might not be such a bad deal.

Less than half an hour later, Hanekawa arrived in the Land of Birds.

Controlling Suien was far easier than controlling Mukade.

After all, he was merely a jōnin from a small ninja village.

And even among jōnin, those from small villages were much weaker than those from the Five Great Nations.

First, their jōnin selection process was far less rigorous.

Second, the techniques and secret arts they had access to were vastly inferior.

After giving Suien the order to attack Takigakure in two days, Hanekawa returned to the Anbu base in Konoha.

The two-day timeframe was to allow Suien's forces to travel from the Land of Birds to the Land of Waterfalls.

Transporting so many people using the Flying Thunder God Technique would be far too troublesome.

"Lord Hanekawa."

Haru approached and reported, "Konan from the Akatsuki has arrived and is waiting in your office."

Hanekawa was slightly surprised.

Why would Konan come looking for him?

With that thought, he entered the office.

"Hanekawa."

Konan stood up from the sofa and greeted him proactively.

Hanekawa studied her for a moment.

Since Yahiko was still alive, she wasn't wearing the black cloak embroidered with red clouds like in the original story.

Instead, she wore a black bodysuit with a mesh undershirt at the collar. The hem stopped at her thighs, revealing a portion of her fair skin.

"Sister Konan, it's been a long time."

Hanekawa chuckled and asked, "What brings you here?"

"I'd like to first apologize for Akatsuki severing our alliance with Konoha."

Konan bowed deeply.

Konoha had helped them eliminate Hanzo the Salamander, then formed an alliance with them, providing supplies and money.

Both emotionally and logically, Akatsuki shouldn't have broken their promise.

However, Nagato had been blinded by his hatred for his parents' deaths. Combined with Uchiha Madara's manipulation, he stubbornly stuck to his decision, leaving them with no choice but to comply.

"The past doesn't need to be mentioned again," Hanekawa said indifferently.

"Thank you."

Konan straightened up and smiled.

Due to Hanekawa's butterfly effect, the Akatsuki was now thriving.

As a result, she wasn't as cold as she had been in the original story.

But her smile quickly turned into hesitation.

Because she was about to ask Hanekawa for help.

She hesitated for a few seconds before finally making up her mind.

After all, aside from Hanekawa, there was hardly anyone else who could accomplish this.

___

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