"Ahhh, my money, my money!"
After waiting for a long while, Kakuzu was finally convinced that the man with the dragon-head mask had really left.
He let out a sigh of relief.
But as soon as he thought about the more than thirty million ryō bounty he'd handed over, his chest tightened in pain.
Before, even when the money went through his hands to Kakuzu, he still thought of it as his own—it was just kept with Konan for safekeeping. But this time, the thirty million was truly gone.
It was unbearable.
Right now felt like the most painful moment of Kakuzu's entire life.
Not only had he lost one of his masks, but he'd lost a fortune.
The thought of someone else spending his money carelessly made him howl in grief, pounding the ground over and over in torment.
"Kakuzu really is a nice guy."
Naruto smirked to himself.
He had been worrying about start-up capital for his plans. Hunting down bounty targets was too time-consuming to be a long-term option. Who would've thought a rich man like Kakuzu would walk right into his path? Over thirty million ryō—more than enough. His start-up fund was secure.
Having changed out of his "justice suit," Naruto returned to his usual look and cheerfully made his way toward Konoha, his mood soaring.
Then suddenly, he stopped and glanced to the side.
On his toes, he flicked a stone up.
"Tiger shot!"
Naruto kicked, launching the stone.
Boom!
The rock tore through the air, friction sparking flames. In seconds it turned into a blazing fireball that rocketed hundreds of meters away before crashing into a mountain.
A huge explosion rang out, and a white figure was instantly vaporized in the flames.
"Wait… how did that White Zetsu trailing Kakuzu just get wiped out?"
Elsewhere, a half-black, half-white figure rose from the ground with a shocked look.
"Did something happen? …Looks like I'll need to question Kakuzu."
The figure sank back into the earth and vanished without a trace.
"What an annoying guy… lurking around everywhere like some shadow clone," Naruto muttered, lowering his leg.
But his grin returned quickly as he resumed counting his bills, heading home in high spirits.
Life was good.
As for the stalker he'd just blasted? Just a small fry—not worth worrying about.
"Ruling a big nation is like cooking a small fish," Naruto mused.
If he wanted to unify the shinobi world, he'd have to take it step by step.
For now, his focus was Konoha. Strengthen it as his base, then expand outward.
On the surface, the Hidden Leaf was still peaceful.
At the Ninja Academy training grounds—
Naruto once again faced off with Uchiha Sasuke.
"Sasuke, it's our first match here. Don't tell me you're already sick of me."
"Shut up. This time, I will defeat you."
Sasuke's glare burned with frustration.
For days he had been challenging Naruto. And every single time, he'd been beaten bloody.
Word spread fast: the so-called Uchiha genius was no longer feared, but mocked as a failure who kept losing. His reputation nosedived.
Back at the clan compound, he endured endless sneers and ridicule. At first, he raged. But over time, he grew numb.
Without even realizing it, Sasuke had matured a little.
But when it came to Naruto, his anger always returned. Who could stay calm facing the guy who humiliated you day after day?
"Fine, make your move."
Naruto yawned lazily, almost bored.
The scene amused him—it reminded him of the past. Except this time, their roles were reversed.
Swish, swish!
Kunai flew.
Naruto deflected Sasuke's charge easily.
Sasuke pressed on with sharp punches and kicks.
"For your brother's sake, I'll give you some extra practice."
Naruto blocked calmly, gradually increasing the pressure until Sasuke could barely keep up.
"Again with this cat-and-mouse crap…" Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Not this time. I've got a trump card."
Backing up, he formed seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Flames roared forth, engulfing Naruto in an instant.
"Huh? Why didn't he dodge?"
For a moment, Sasuke's chest swelled with pride—then it dropped into panic.
Because Naruto's body inside the flames burned away to nothing.
"I-I didn't mean—"
Before Sasuke could finish, he froze. Something cold pressed against his throat. A kunai.
"You lost again."
Naruto's voice was calm behind him.
"You can't even see through a basic Body Replacement Technique. You've still got a long way to go, Sasuke."
With that, Naruto sauntered off, utterly unconcerned.
Sasuke exhaled in relief—then slumped in despair.
Defeated again.
Naruto stood like a mountain, unreachable. No matter how hard Sasuke struggled, he remained trapped at the base, powerless to climb.
The pain was unbearable. The frustration was torture.
Sasuke dropped to the ground, dazed, all pretense of Uchiha pride gone.
At that moment, he had only one thought left in his heart:
How do I defeat Uzumaki Naruto?
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