In the deep shadows of the Land of Waves, the moonlight barely pierced through the thick mist drifting over the forests. Amid the quiet, a sharp crack rang out. Kakuzu kicked open the door of a popular hot spring bathhouse without hesitation.
Bang!
"Money is life!!!" he bellowed, eyes burning with greed as he surveyed the establishment.
The owner of the bathhouse looked up in a daze, unsure if he should be terrified or hopeful. He plastered a smile on his face, trying to hide the unease swelling in his gut. "H-Hello, guest! Are you looking for a bath? Our store is the largest in the entire Land of Waves! We even offer… companion bathing services for an extra fee! If you wish for more… intimate experiences, well, that's negotiable too—at a price, of course!"
Kakuzu's eyes lit up, but not for the reasons the owner hoped. "Did you say… the largest hot spring in the Land of Waves?"
"Hahahahahaha… of course, of course!" the owner chuckled nervously, thinking he had landed a wealthy customer.
"That's great news," Kakuzu murmured as he stepped inside. But rather than seeking service, black threads suddenly slithered from under his cloak, binding the bathhouse owner like a spider wrapping its prey.
"Don't need the special services," Kakuzu said coldly. "Just hand over all your ryo… now."
"W-What? Guest… w-we can talk this out—"
"Don't waste my time!" Kakuzu snapped. "I want your ryo, not your life! Unless, of course, you don't cooperate. Hahahahahaha…"
Before the situation could escalate further, a small girl rushed from behind the counter. "Papa? Papa? Why are you tied up?!"
The bathhouse owner's eyes widened in horror. "It's okay, sweetie! Daddy's just playing a game with this ninja! Now go back inside!"
Kakuzu's gaze locked on the girl. "Hahahahahaha… Boss, I suggest you hand over the money."
The owner trembled, reaching below the counter and pulling out several stacks of silver notes. "Please don't hurt her! This is all I have… everything from this store!"
Kakuzu took the bundles with a scoff. "This is all? From the biggest hot spring in the Land of Waves?" He looked utterly disappointed. "Tch. You call this a jackpot?"
Still, he kept the money. Just as he was about to leave, something else caught his eye—two brightly colored lollipops peeking out of the girl's pocket. Without hesitation, Kakuzu took them too and smirked, slipping them into his cloak.
"Thank you for your cooperation. Hahahahahaha…"
Hidan, watching from a rooftop, looked ready to vomit. "Damn it, Kakuzu! I thought I was the freak here, but you… You just robbed a child's lollipops! You're beyond twisted!"
Kakuzu shrugged. "Two lollipops are worth two meals. That's two meals' worth of ryo I don't have to spend. You think the Eight Inner Gates awaken themselves? I'm saving up for long-term strength."
"You even use your body's thread instead of toilet paper…" Hidan grumbled. "I've seen you wash it and put it back. You're disgusting, man."
Ignoring Hidan's protests, Kakuzu tucked the cash and lollipops into his chest, reinforcing the thread-lock seals inside his body, and they resumed their journey towards Gato's base in the Land of Waves.
Meanwhile, Souta Kazuki stood quietly outside a burned encampment in the northern part of the Land of Waves. Haruto and Raiga stood on either side of him, their gazes cold. The conflict had stirred deeply rooted tensions. While Souta silently studied a scroll in his hands—one he had taken from the rebuilt Scroll of Seals—his eyes occasionally flicked toward the horizon.
"Gato is dead. But trouble still stirs," Haruto said, cracking his knuckles. "This land is like a rotting wound. Always inviting flies."
"We've cut off the head. But not the tail," Raiga added, his voice rough. "Let's see who's crawling toward it now."
An ANBU arrived behind them, holding a message scroll. "There are rumors of Akatsuki members moving in this direction. One with threads… the other carries a three-bladed scythe."
Souta narrowed his eyes. "Kakuzu and Hidan…"
Back near the coast, Kakuzu and Hidan were walking the shoreline trail when two chakra signatures appeared before them—Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku. They stepped from the shadows in unison, no longer masked or transformed.
Kakuzu immediately froze. His instincts screamed danger. Hidan groaned. "Oh, great. It's you two again."
Minato grinned. "Hahahahahaha… Mysterious ninja, we meet again. Remember us? Dahuang and Xiaohei?"
Kakuzu's eyes twitched. "You again…"
"We've missed you," Fugaku added with a sly smirk. "Tell us… how much ryo have you saved since we last saw you?"
"Get ready," Kakuzu muttered, already unraveling his stitches. "They've come to rob me again…"
As their confrontation brewed, unseen from the cliffside, Souta Kazuki watched through a chakra-enhanced monocular. He could see the chaos forming from afar. He pocketed the Scroll of Seals and turned back to his father and grandfather.
"Looks like we'll be cleaning up another mess."
Haruto grinned. "Think you're ready for your next test?"
Souta's eyes flashed. "Let's find out."