It's Too Troublesome to be Hokage

Nara Shikano raised his right hand.

The Konoha ninja team halted immediately.

His sharp gaze landed on the ninja emerging from the forest. The man wore a forehead protector engraved with the stylized mark of a waterfall—cut across by a deep, deliberate scratch.

"From Takigakure..."

"A rogue ninja?"

Shikadan sat up straighter on the deer cart, eyes narrowing.

Compared to the old patriarch's vague intuition, Nara Shikadan instantly recognized the man's identity.

Kakuzu.

A future member of the Akatsuki organization—one-half of the notorious "immortal duo."

Why is this guy here? Shouldn't he be busy doing mercenary work or wringing money out of the bounty system?

Was he hunting a caravan?

Or—had Konoha's recent crackdown on bounty hunters drawn retaliation from the Gold Exchange?

Shikadan frowned.

Not enough data to judge the situation… but I'd better start formulating a battle plan.

Across the field, Kakuzu calmly surveyed the Konoha group.

His green eyes locked onto their leaf-patterned forehead protectors, expression unreadable.

"The Leaf... It's been a long time."

"Seeing those forehead protectors reminds me of the first Leaf shinobi I ever fought."

A pause.

"The First Hokage."

"...Tch. Don't flatter yourself, green-eyed traitor!"

Sarutobi Asuma stepped forward with a sneer, the scolding from yesterday clearly forgotten. He drew a kunai in a flash and charged.

"You, compared to the First Hokage? Don't kid yourself!"

"You're not even in the same league as my old man!"

Nara Shikano frowned but didn't intervene.

What Kakuzu had just said... was too shocking.

A ninja who fought the First Hokage? Is he bluffing—or has he really lived that long?

Since Asuma had already leapt into action, Shikano decided he might as well use the moment to test Kakuzu's strength.

But not without insurance.

With a mere thought, Shikano extended a threadlike shadow—unsealed and seamless—linking to Asuma's feet.

Kakuzu tilted his head slightly at the young jonin's advance.

"Still talking about your father?" he muttered with disdain. "Kids these days..."

In an instant—

He crouched low.

With a subtle twist, Kakuzu snapped his right foot out in a clean, direct side-kick.

The speed and precision behind the move—

Even elite jonin might not have dodged in time.

Shikano's pupils shrank.

The shadow thread jerked.

Bang!

Kakuzu's heel slammed into Asuma's chest with explosive force.

But before the full brunt of the impact could land—

Shikano's shadow technique yanked Asuma back, the tendril snapping taut and dragging him away just in time.

"Cough! Cough!"

Asuma hit the ground near the others, clutching his chest. His face was red, breath ragged. A thread of blood trickled from his lips.

Kakuzu stood upright, lowering his foot.

His gaze passed over the Konoha team.

"What was that? A wire? A hidden tool? Or something else?"

"You kids ought to learn not to rush unknown enemies. Next time, your teammates might not be fast enough to save you."

Shikano said nothing.

That strength and speed... even among elite jonin, few can compare. Combined with the massive chakra Inoichi sensed earlier…

This Takigakure traitor might be just as dangerous as he claims.

But Shikano's expression remained calm.

"Traitor from Takigakure. Why did you block our route?"

Konoha was the strongest of the five great ninja villages—but it wasn't the world's police.

Unless there was an official bounty or territorial violation, Konoha ninjas didn't usually intervene with rogue ninja from other lands.

Unless...

...the rebel committed crimes within the Land of Fire.

In that case, Konoha had jurisdiction.

Kakuzu raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Relax. I'm a bounty hunter now."

"I don't like Konoha, sure—but I'm not here to fight."

"I was tracking a rogue from the Land of Hot Springs... but I've had no luck."

He tilted his head.

"That said, I happened to run into you lot."

"So tell me—has Konoha captured any rogue ninja from the Land of Hot Springs recently? Someone from the Chinoike Clan?"

Chinoike Clan?

He's chasing En Oyashiro?

Shikano connected the dots instantly.

He opened his mouth to reply—but at that moment, Inoichi's voice rang in his mind.

'Uncle Shikano.'

Even through telepathy, Inoichi's voice was urgent.

'If he really is a bounty hunter and a Takigakure traitor, then his identity is likely… Kakuzu. One of the most dangerous bounty hunters under the Gold Exchange.'

'He's infamous in the black market. Task completion rate and lethality are far beyond other hunters.'

Shikano's face betrayed nothing.

He turned to Kakuzu.

"That information is classified. I can't share it."

Kakuzu sighed heavily.

"So stubborn… typical of village shinobi."

He didn't want to fight.

Ninja battles were costly.

Even if he won, injuries could reduce his operational efficiency.

And efficiency meant profit.

Better to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

But just as Kakuzu began to turn away, his eyes suddenly locked on a figure in the group.

A large man in brown armor.

Engraved with the word "food."

"Wait..."

Kakuzu stared.

He hadn't been paying close attention to the lineup earlier—but now he couldn't ignore it.

"That armor... you're the new 'pig' of Konoha's next-generation Ino–Shika–Cho trio..."

Tch.

Nara Shikano threw a kunai with full force.

It whistled through the air, embedding itself just in front of Kakuzu.

"You're not mistaken."

He said coldly.

"We are the Ino–Shika–Cho team of Konoha."

"Now that you know—leave."

With Inoichi's warning and the earlier clash, Shikano had concluded: Kakuzu was likely elite jonin level.

Could the Ino–Shika–Cho trio defeat him?

Maybe—if it were just the three of them.

But with young ninja like Shikadan, Kurenai, and others present...

Too risky.

Unless Kakuzu attacked first—

It was better to avoid this fight.

"Ino–Shika–Cho, huh..."

Kakuzu's tone suddenly changed—eager, greedy.

Like a merchant spotting treasure.

"If I can't collect the Chinoike bounty..."

"Then the head of Ino–Shika–Cho will do nicely—"

"NOW, CHOZA!"

Shikano roared.

"Inoichi, get Shikadan and the others OUT!"

Boom!

Akimichi Choza exploded into motion.

His body swelled dramatically, muscles bulging, towering like a mythological giant.

With a leap that shook the ground, he launched into the air—arms curled around his knees, body rolled into a ball.

His hair grew longer and stiffer, forming a bristling, impenetrable shell.

"Akimichi Clan — Butterfly Form!"

"Meat Bullet Needle Chariot!"

Kakuzu moved to dodge—

But then he felt it.

The kunai Shikano had thrown earlier flared with Yin Release chakra.

[Shadow Binding Technique]—triggered remotely.

Dark tendrils snapped up from the kunai's shadow and locked around Kakuzu's limbs.

Too late to dodge.

His eyes widened slightly.

Above—

The spinning, iron-bristled Meat Bullet Needle Chariot descended like a meteor.

BOOM!!!

[A-Rank Ninja Battle Mission Triggered!]

Mission Name: Rebel Ninja — Kakuzu

Objective: Defeat or kill the rogue ninja Kakuzu of Takigakure

Reward: A-Rank Secret Technique Scroll

Note: This mission can only be completed once per season per target.

-End Chapter-

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