How to Survive as an Uchiha

Kakuzu looked down. Flames licked at the sealing marks, erasing them.

"A Sharingan-based technique, huh," Kakuzu muttered.

He had seen this technique before, which meant the person before him wasn't just an ordinary member of Konoha's ANBU but a powerful Uchiha.

"I thought the current Uchiha clan no longer had anyone who could use this technique."

As one of the rare individuals in the shinobi world who genuinely didn't care about the Uchiha name, he could afford to say such things.

He had, after all, once tried to assassinate Hashirama.

But when Hashirama got serious and started "clapping to the beat," Kakuzu had been thoroughly defeated.

It couldn't be helped; once Hashirama used his Wood Release, only Madara could stand toe-to-toe with him. 

But aside from those two, Kakuzu believed that no one could stop him from making money.

"Don't you think we can call it even and walk away?" he asked sincerely.

"What do you think?" Masashi looked at him. "Don't tell me you see Konoha ninjas and instantly think of the time you got beaten up by Hashirama."

"Old memories are painful and best forgotten..."

Kakuzu's skin began to bulge, as if something were trying to break free. 

In Masashi's eyes, Kakuzu's body was brimming with an explosion of chakra. 

The Earth Grudge Fear fundamentally altered the body's structure and required an intricate combination of modifications and rare items. Mastering it was extremely difficult and impossible to copy with the Sharingan.

Kakuzu was the last person to fully master this technique, and he had destroyed any chance of others learning it when he defected from his village.

Masashi didn't underestimate this opponent at all.

As the battle began, he activated Sage Mode. Natural energy flowed into him, sharpening his senses beyond even what the Sharingan provided.

A frigid chill filled the place.

The temperature in the underground space plummeted rapidly as frost spread over the coffins one by one, the ice crackling as it expanded.

In Kakuzu's eyes, Masashi made a movement that brought back vivid memories.

And then, everything was engulfed in white.

Boom!

The mountain began to tremble. In the deafening roar, a massive white hand burst from the mountainside, sending rocks and dirt flying everywhere.

Kakuzu emerged from the ground, looking sour.

His money was gone.

The opponent's Ice Release technique had immediately destroyed everything, and the giant fist had struck him directly—too fast, too powerful to block.

But such raw strength couldn't harm Kakuzu himself, as he excelled at Earth Release techniques.

He had once survived the onslaught of Wood Release, thanks to his Iron Skin technique.

It could only be countered by sufficiently powerful Lightning Release.

Kakuzu turned his gaze to the massive hand protruding from the mountain wall.

The icy hand retreated, and moments later, two hands gripped the edges of the cave opening and tore it apart.

A complete ice giant emerged from the mountain!

"It looks just like..."

Kakuzu couldn't help but think this.

But resemblance was all it was—completely incomparable.

Taking advantage of the moment, he unleashed his Earth Grudge Fear extensions.

His back swelled, skin splitting open as four masked monsters burst out, their bodies formed by what looked like black threads. Each mask bore a different, twisted expression.

But these weren't threads—they were highly condensed chakra.

"Honestly, I don't have to fight you, but...you just piss me off, brat."

Kakuzu watched as the ice giant turned toward him, stepping closer.

Each step made the ground quake, leaving crystalline footprints in the frozen earth.

"Is this technique modeled after Hashirama?" he suddenly asked.

He knew the other could hear him.

With Sharingan of this level, even if the user couldn't hear, they could "see" it.

A hatch opened in the ice giant's head, revealing Masashi standing inside.

He also gazed at this "old acquaintance."

"Old memories are painful and best forgotten," he finally said. "That's a good line."

"Hey, Kakuzu. Want to join Konoha?"

Kakuzu's face twisted into a cold sneer. This brat really knows how to push buttons.

"Are you offering payment for this mission?"

"How much?" Masashi asked curiously. If it wasn't too much, maybe he'd consider it.

Recruiting an S-rank ninja and charging it to the village? Not unreasonable, right?

"Ten million ryō," Kakuzu said, holding up a hand. "Cash only."

What the heck... That's too expensive! Masashi immediately gave up on recruiting him.

Spending ten million to hire an S-rank ninja who might bolt at any moment? No way Minato would agree. Fugaku wouldn't pay either.

The money would have to come out of his own pocket.

"So we can't come to an agreement?" he sighed regretfully. "A ninja like you, obsessed with money..."

"Spare me the lecture. I can smell it on you—you're the same as me," Kakuzu retorted bluntly. His eyes narrowed knowingly. "In this world, money is the only thing worth trusting. Want my service? Pay up. Don't waste words."

"No way you'll tell me who's paying you, then?" Masashi asked.

"Not my concern."

"Aren't you worried about being stiffed? You know ten million ryō isn't something anyone can just fork over."

"No need to worry about that. I'm very good at collecting debts," Kakuzu said.

"Is that so? What a shame."

The ice giant's head hatch closed as Masashi stepped back.

The colossal figure raised a hand and slammed it down.

Boom!

An entire section of forest was flattened as the giant's hand plunged deep into the earth, ice spreading in a crystalline wave.

Black dots leaped onto the giant's arm, sprinting upward with inhuman agility.

Earth Release experts are so troublesome. Need to train my Lightning Release more.

The Earth Grudge Fear extensions moved quickly, their chakra bodies capable of performing any acrobatics.

He even thought they looked like huskies bounding along.

One "husky" leaped into the air, the mask on its face opening its mouth.

Masashi didn't stop it; he wanted to see Kakuzu's Five Nature Transformations. From the moment he'd seen Kakuzu, he'd decided.

The missing-nin was nothing more than a discount version of Hiruzen.

Why go all-out right away when you could milk the situation?

Flames surged toward Masashi, the intense heat radiating even through the ice. The fire took on an almost intelligent pattern, seeking weak points in the giant's structure.

"Fire Style: Searing Migraine."

A good technique. This is worth learning.

A single spark could ignite a prairie fire. This aptly described the Searing Migraine.

Among the B-rank Fire techniques that Masashi knew, the Searing Migraine was second only to the Majestic Destroyer Flame in terms of area of effect.

The difference was that the latter required the caster to continuously consume chakra, while the first was a process of compression and explosion.

First, a fireball was compressed and launched. Upon losing the chakra maintaining its compression, it bursted into flames, making it far more efficient than the Majestic Destroyer Flame. The chakra compression created a dense core of thermal energy, ready to unleash devastation at a moment's notice.

But this jutsu had another application.

In midair, the flames compressed to the extreme became a near-tangible blade of fire. The blade whistled through the air, heading straight for Masashi's neck.

He leaned to the side, the heat of the fire sword singeing a few strands of his hair.

Stronger than I remember. This world might be different from my memories—a parallel universe, perhaps? Or he was always this strong? He observed Kakuzu.

Taking advantage of the opening, the fire blade continued its arc and sliced through Prometheus.

The ice giant, still in its initial phase without its armor or the Sage Mode buff, stood no chance against the concentrated heat.

As its head fell, steam hissing where the fire blade had cut, Masashi leapt out. Propelled by a gust of wind, he charged toward the Earth Grudge Fear clone. The wind chakra wrapped around him like a cocoon, enhancing his already formidable speed.

The fire clone barely had time to react before he sent it flying with a powerful kick. The impact resonated through the air, a sharp crack followed by the whoosh of a body being launched.

It truly flew far.

Kakuzu, watching from the ground, twitched visibly. The display of raw power was unexpected.

If that were a person, their head would've been kicked clean off, he thought, reassessing his opponent's capabilities.

This Uchiha doesn't feel like an Uchiha...

The opponent's movements were bold and fluid, and his techniques seemed unusually chakra-intensive for an Uchiha, whose style was typically more precise and economical.

With a thought, the Water Earth Grudge Fear clone approached.

A barrage of water projectiles merged into a rain-like torrent, raining down mercilessly on Masashi. Each droplet carried enough force to pierce stone, turning the air into a deadly maze of liquid bullets.

It seemed he wanted Masashi back on the ground.

So, the Uchiha decided to humor him. After all, paying clients deserved special privileges. Besides, this was a perfect chance to test another theory.

Opening his mouth, he unleashed an even larger arrow of flames, which streaked through the sky like a blazing comet. The heat was so intense it created its own updraft, distorting the air around it.

The first wave of water projectiles evaporated in an instant as the inferno roared on, consuming everything in its path and surging toward the Earth Grudge Fear clone. Steam exploded outward where fire met water, creating a temporary smokescreen.

Masashi landed on the ground, now face-to-face with Kakuzu.

Two more Earth Grudge Fear clones materialized at Kakuzu's side almost simultaneously.

Although he had suspected as much, seeing Kakuzu staring at him unabashedly, Masashi promptly used a genjutsu.

Almost instantly, one of the Earth Grudge Fear clones extended its "tentacles" and stabbed into Kakuzu's body.

"Ah, so that's how it works," Masashi mused, nodding. "I was wondering why you're so different from other people."

"I've encountered many Uchiha," Kakuzu replied, his green eyes narrowing slightly. "Their genjutsu isn't as effective as you might imagine. Not when you've lived as long as I have."

Not only did he show no fear of the Sharingan's genjutsu, but he also had no qualms about using his mastery of the five elemental releases in front of Masashi.

The Earth Grudge Fear clones required no hand seals to use jutsu, and they lacked chakra pathways. Since mastering the Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu's ninjutsu couldn't be copied by the Sharingan.

If Masashi somehow managed to copy his techniques, he could only grudgingly accept it.

"You seem confident. Did you try to assassinate Madara?" Masashi asked smilingly.

"If you had his abilities, I wouldn't bother talking."

Thunder rumbled in the sky as vast amounts of steam enveloped the area, a result of evaporated water. The Majestic Destroyer Flame Arrow had been extinguished, leaving behind a charged atmosphere.

"Few Uchiha have chakra reserves like yours," Kakuzu remarked. "What's your name? I bet you're worth a fortune."

"Masashi."

Upon giving his name, he asked, "Is my bounty already up at the exchange?"

"Ah, that explains it," Kakuzu nodded, pieces falling into place. "Unfortunately, not yet. But with your strength and personality, it won't be long. Fighting you now would be meaningless." And potentially costly.

Masashi shook his head at this, and an arc of electricity flashed in the air as his fist stopped just inches from Kakuzu's face. 

The Earth Grudge Fear's black threads formed a barrier, absorbing the impact. They pulsed with wind chakra, neutralizing Masashi's Lightning Release, while more threads surged toward him like striking serpents.

But they struck empty air—he had already reappeared some distance away, leaving behind only the scent of ozone.

"That move looks like Kumo's Lightning Body Flicker..."

Kakuzu contemplated this and switched places with the Wind Earth Grudge Fear clone.

So far, Masashi had not used Earth Release techniques, which Kakuzu saw as a weakness.

Ahead, the black-thread barrier dispersed, clearing the way for the Earth Grudge Fear clone to unleash a jutsu.

As it leapt forward, its spines extended like a porcupine's quills, each one thrumming with concentrated wind chakra.

At the same time, Masashi bit his finger and pressed it to the ground.

Both released their jutsu simultaneously.

As the Earth Grudge Fear clone's high-pressure wind sphere emerged, three massive gates rose from the ground. Their monstrous, grimacing faces symbolized hell and an unbreachable barrier, earning them the title of "ultimate defense."

The third Rashomon gate fully materialized just as the wind sphere launched. It collided with the first gate and exploded, unleashing a swirling storm. The impact sent shockwaves through the earth.

The tempest ripped through trees and tore into the ground. Its mountain-shattering power was unleashed entirely upon the colossal gates.

When the chaos subsided, the landscape was unrecognizable. The forest was gone, the ground carved away like a giant had taken bites from the earth. Yet in the area where the gates had stood, the land remained untouched.

Masashi stood unharmed in this lone oasis within the devastation.

Like an island in the sea.

"This jutsu is excellent," he praised with a smile. "Thanks, Kakuzu. I really appreciate you teaching me this."

"If you can take it, it's yours." Kakuzu remained expressionless, unaffected by the remark. He continued observing Masashi closely.

The conclusion was clear: this opponent couldn't be easily killed. More importantly...

Even if he could kill him, there'd be no bounty to claim.

From birth, every life holds value.

For him, wasting life without value was intolerable. His years of experience had taught him to be selective with his targets.

Pointless killing was something he adamantly opposed.

Moreover, he truly believed that once Masashi's bounty was listed, it would be astronomically high.

If anyone dared list it at a low price, he'd personally "advise" them otherwise.

"Enough. I'm done." Kakuzu said. "I won't interrupt your mission anymore. Let's leave it at that."

The Earth Grudge Fear clones returned to his side, threads retracting smoothly back into their bodies.

"Calling it quits already?" Masashi seemed a little disappointed.

Three jutsu, all highly satisfying.

"I'll fight you again when your bounty's up," Kakuzu replied coldly. "My jutsu? Take it if you want; I'm not short on techniques." Consider it an investment in future profits.

In a way, he was a freeloading master, with an extensive repertoire of jutsu collected over his long life.

"Ever consider coming to Konoha? Their missions pay well." Masashi's tone was casual.

"Ninja villages are trash," Kakuzu refused flatly. "But if you're thinking of freelancing, I wouldn't mind having you as a teammate."

"Do you even have teammates? Haven't you killed them all?"

"Are you questioning my judgment? I only act when their heads are worth the highest price."

"You're quite the talent," Masashi said, unable to retort against Kakuzu's unashamed logic.

As a missing-nin, cashing in on your teammates' heads at peak value seemed almost... reasonable.

If it were him, he'd do the same.

The two stared at each other for a while, finding themselves increasingly alike. Two pragmatists in a world of idealists.

Finally, the two of them vanished with the Body Flicker Technique, leaving behind only the scarred landscape as evidence of their brief but intense encounter.

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