A few days later, Shun arrived at Rōran with his four consorts.
The once prosperous desert pearl was now shrouded in the shadow of drought.
Sāra stood beside him, her golden crown gleaming under the scorching sun, but her brows were tightly furrowed. She caressed the severely weathered aqueduct carvings, her fingertips covered in sand.
"Twenty-three days ago, the underground water veins suddenly stopped flowing, and the oasis dried up overnight. This is definitely not a natural phenomenon. Shun, please think of a solution. If this continues, the people of Rōran won't last much longer."
Shun did not answer immediately, but slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the crimson Mangekyo Sharingan had appeared, with mysterious patterns swirling in his pupils.
After activating Divine Eye, his gaze penetrated layers of sand, reaching deep underground.
In the vision of Divine Eye, several unfamiliar Chakra fluctuations lurked within Rōran. One of them was particularly powerful, cold and greedy, carrying a strong scent of blood.
"Kakuzu..."
Shun murmured the name, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes.
Sāra asked urgently, "Shun, how is it?"
Shun's lips curled slightly. "The underground water veins are still there, someone just deliberately blocked them. Perhaps, someone wants to use this method to force me to come here."
He formed hand signs.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A dozen Shadow Clones instantly appeared.
The main body calmly instructed, "Go play with those guests, remember to leave them alive. I want to know who is so interested in my head."
The Shadow Clones grinned, then scattered.
In the desert ruins, screams continuously rang out.
A bounty hunter had just pulled out a kunai when he was immobilized by a Genjutsu. The most terrifying images appeared before his eyes, and his mind instantly collapsed.
Another ninja attempting to escape was kicked over by a Shadow Clone, then pinned to the sand, his memories forcibly read.
The Shadow Clone sneered, "Underground bounty, 880 million ryo, quite a sum."
At the same time, Shun's main body was already standing before Kakuzu.
The masked rogue ninja from Takigakure was sitting on a large rock, counting the banknotes in his hand.
Kakuzu looked up, his green eyes glinting with greed. "Shun, your head is very valuable."
Shun's lips slightly curved. "You can try."
The next second, he threw out a few kunai, activating Flying Thunder God Technique.
Swish... Swish... Swish...
The two instantly vanished from their original spots, reappearing deep within the desert.
The desert storm howled in Kakuzu's ears. His pupils constricted, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Space-time Ninjutsu? Interesting."
Shun stood before him, his gaze indifferent, as if looking at a struggling ant.
"Kakuzu, you've lived for seventy-six years, let me see what you've got, shall we?"
The Earth Grudge Fear masks within Kakuzu's body writhed wildly, and Chakra of four elements boiled within him. He couldn't wait any longer; he had to go all out.
Fire Release: Searing Migraine.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage.
Lightning Release: False Darkness.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall.
Earth Release: Earth Spear.
Five elemental Ninjutsu erupted simultaneously. Fire and strong winds intertwined, lightning and water curtains merged, forming a destructive torrent of energy that blasted towards Shun.
However, Shun didn't even have the interest to dodge. His Mangekyo Sharingan began to spin.
"A boring fight."
Complete Body Susanoo.
Boom... Rumble!!!
The desert ground trembled, and orange Chakra shot into the sky like a volcanic eruption. Bones, flesh, armor, layer upon layer, finally forming a giant two hundred meters tall.
Kakuzu's torrent of Ninjutsu struck Susanoo's armor, but was completely annihilated without leaving even a single crack.
He had lived for over seventy years, seen countless strong individuals, and even fought against the First Hokage, Hashirama.
At this moment, he once again felt pure despair.
This was not a fight of the same level at all, it was an absolute crushing.
"What a joke. The intelligence was wrong. Damn it." His voice was hoarse, and he unconsciously retreated.
Shun stood in the crystal on Susanoo's forehead, looking down at him, a slight smile on his lips.
"What, not continuing?"
Kakuzu's rationality told him...
Run! He must run!
He turned without hesitation, Earth Grudge Fear's Chakra frantically poured into his legs, his speed bursting to its limit.
Swish!
A afterimage was left on the desert, and Kakuzu's figure had already rushed hundreds of meters away.
Shun just sighed softly, "How uninteresting."
He raised his hand, Susanoo's giant sword slowly lifted, then slashed down.
Boom!!!
The desert was split by a thousand-meter-long chasm, and the sandstorm stirred up by the shockwave swept through like a tsunami.
Kakuzu's body was sent flying by the aftermath, slamming heavily into a rock wall, blood spilling from the corner of his lips.
Shun stood within Susanoo, looking at the disheveled Kakuzu. He suddenly understood Madara's feelings when he toyed with the Five Kage in the original story.
If he used his full power, the opponent might not even be able to take one hit.
If he didn't use his full power, the opponent would get a bit cocky.
Kakuzu lay on the ground, playing dead, hoping to deceive his opponent.
Shun released Susanoo and said from above, "Kakuzu, you don't need to play dead. I have no intention of killing you. I know your past and your character very well."
Hearing this, Kakuzu still lay on the ground, motionless, continuing to play dead.
Shun smiled and said, "The Land of Water has only recently been unified, its financial system is chaotic, and the national treasury has 366 billion ryo. I need a 'professional' to manage it. Kakuzu, are you interested?"
Kakuzu stood up nimbly. "You want me to be your Minister of Finance. You trust me that much?"
Shun crossed his arms, smiling confidently. "I trust my judgment, and I can help you realize your greatest value. Of course, the remuneration will also be very generous."
Kakuzu stroked his chin, feeling somewhat swayed. After all, managing the national treasury was far more stable than being a bounty hunter, and the remuneration would certainly be substantial.
"Alright, I agree, but if you dare to treat me unfairly, I won't be polite."
Shun nodded. "Don't worry, as long as you do your job well, you won't be short on benefits."
As the battle ended, Shun took Kakuzu back to Rōran.
He used Divine Eye to find the closest spot to the underground water source. Then, he brought Sāra and the Rōran ministers to that spot.
He activated his Seraph form, condensing a flaming spear in his hand, and thrust it straight into the ground.
Boom... Boom... Boom...
The moment the spear pierced the earth, drill-like flames continuously rushed downward, melting the sand and rocks along the way.
A column of water shot into the sky, refracting a colorful rainbow in the morning sun.