"Joke!"
"Even if I kill you, the money's still mine!"
When Kakuzu saw the yellow-haired brat pull out a gold brick the size of a loaf of bread, all five of his hearts trembled uncontrollably.
But then he had a sudden realization—if he killed this kid, not only could he claim the bounty and the gold, but he'd also complete the leader's mission.
Three birds with one stone!
Perfect!
This kid actually thinks he can bribe him?
Did he look like someone without principles?
Naruto didn't say a word. Instead, he pulled out another gold brick and casually placed it in his hand.
Under the sunlight, the gold sparkled so brightly it almost blinded people. It didn't take long before every eye in the gold exchange office locked onto the yellow-haired man.
At that moment, greed consumed everyone.
Nothing else mattered anymore. They didn't care who he was—they just wanted to kill him and take those bricks.
Kakuzu's face turned black. He cursed silently.
Rough!
You dare take out my gold in front of so many people?
"Senior…"
"What do I do? They look like they want to kill me…"
"I'm so scared."
Naruto took a dainty step back, clearly trying to act frightened—but he was so bad at it that he looked anything but scared.
Kakuzu: "…"
This Nine-Tails Jinchuriki… is insane!
You're Konoha's most powerful weapon, and you're telling me you're scared of this bunch of nobodies???
"I'll kill them for you."
"Just give me the gold."
Kakuzu glanced around at the thugs drawing their weapons and calculated how to take them all out. Even then, he didn't forget to reach for the glittering treasure in Naruto's hand.
Of course, that was just a distraction. He wasn't planning to let the Jinchuriki escape in the chaos.
"The gold is mine!"
"In your dreams!"
"Hand over the gold, boy… maybe I'll let you live!"
Weapons gleamed as the crowd lunged toward Naruto. And so, the man who loved money more than his life was forced to act as Naruto's temporary bodyguard.
"Dream on!"
"Both the gold and the kid are mine!"
With a swift hand seal, Kakuzu shot into the mob like a cannonball, unleashing a barrage of ninjutsu.
He tore through the crowd like a hot knife through butter. Each technique he used harvested multiple lives.
Naruto stood there, completely motionless, watching his new "bodyguard" handle the chaos. He even gave a satisfied little nod.
Before setting out, he'd thought things through. Sasori could be considered one of his people now. Deidara was half under his control.
And if he could rope in Kakuzu too… well, Naruto figured it was only a matter of time before he became the righteous leader of Akatsuki.
"Kid!"
"Give me the gold!"
After cleaning up the entire exchange hall, Kakuzu approached Naruto, visibly annoyed. The more people he killed, the more something felt off.
He was out here busting his ass, while that punk just stood there watching the show?
Damn it!
He wasn't a free bodyguard!
Besides, hadn't he originally planned to kill the brat and take the gold?
But Naruto, without hesitation, tossed two gold bricks at him.
Kakuzu caught them mid-air, sniffed them twice, and instantly forgot why he was mad. The scent of wealth made everything okay again.
Honestly, the yellow-haired brat didn't look half-bad now.
Seeing how obsessed this guy was with money, Naruto pulled out another gold brick like he was doing a magic trick.
"Senior, I really want to join your organization."
Kakuzu looked at the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, then at the gold in his hand. He paused for a long time before finally responding.
"…You may be rich, but our organization doesn't recruit Jinchuriki."
Naruto was stunned.
Wait… What!?
Four gold bricks and he still had principles!?
Not giving up, Naruto began tossing more bricks down, one after another.
When the sixth brick hit the floor, Kakuzu finally began to waver.
"Don't even think about it!"
"We—Akatsuki—plan to capture every tailed beast from every village!"
"Take my advice…"
"Boss, if you join, you're a dead man!"
Holding the gold tightly, Kakuzu blurted out Akatsuki's secrets like they were common gossip. He didn't even seem to care about Pain's strict "no leaks" policy.
And just like that, Naruto's title shifted from "kid" to "boss."
But Naruto didn't react. Instead, he calmly pulled out more gold.
This time, though, he didn't hand it over. He just laid it at his feet—like bait—while Kakuzu watched, drooling.
Kakuzu swallowed hard and muttered.
"Boss…"
"Our organization isn't some justice league. 'Saving the world' is just a… coincidence."
"I can't betray the organization!"
Naruto smiled.
"Oh? So you do have standards?"
Hearing that, Kakuzu's face twisted. A second later, he gritted his teeth and said:
"…It'll cost more."
"I'll try to get you in…"
"But you can't reveal that you're the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
"Deal."
Naruto casually tossed two more bricks, nearly making Kakuzu collapse on the spot.
"Boss!"
"You just say the word next time!"
Kakuzu beamed, pulled out a sealing scroll, and eagerly collected all ten gold bricks off the ground.
Right then and there, the man who used to worship money now worshipped Uzumaki Naruto instead.
Pain who?
Sorry—he only recognized this boss now.
"Boss, come with me."
"I'll take you straight to the base."
Kakuzu packed up and looked at Naruto with the loyalty of a freshly hired intern.
"But…"
"Boss, you better figure out a way to hide your identity."
Kakuzu had even started thinking from Naruto's perspective.
After all…
Other than his name, everything about him screamed "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Anyone who had ever been to Konoha would recognize him instantly.
Especially their old leader, Pain.
"Okay."
Naruto formed a hand seal and used Transformation Jutsu—turning his yellow hair orange, erasing his fox whiskers, and swapping his clothes for a sleek black haori.
Then he drew an unsheathed blade and placed it at his waist, looking just like a ninja version of Ichigo Kurosaki.
To be safe, he also had Kurama use the power of the Gray Stone to wrap his body in a special energy layer that masked his chakra.
Even a sensory ninja would think he was just an average joe.
"All right, let's go."
With everything in place, Naruto followed his new underling toward the Akatsuki base.
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Rain Village far away, Deidara and Sasori were standing before Pain.
"When will you bring the One-Tail Jinchuriki back to me?"
Pain was pissed.
A few years ago, these two had told him they were going undercover and would "capture the One-Tails soon."
Well, it's been two years.
Not only did Sasori and Deidara vanish for long periods, they constantly asked for leave and skipped meetings.
And every time Pain asked when they'd deliver, all he got was:
"Soon."
"Real soon."
"Just a few more days."
He was fed up.
"Chief! We'll bring him back very soon!"
Nagato: …
Rough!
This again!?
Do they think I'm an idiot!?
Nagato seethed but decided to give them one final warning.
"Three days."
"If I don't see the One-Tail Jinchuriki by then…"
"You know the consequences!!"
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