"Hehehe—about Taki's problem… you'll need to pay."
"?!!??"
Rōshi's brain basically blue-screened at that sudden turn.
"I gave you solutions for the other two Great Nations' villages for free," Hanzō continued lazily. "But Taki? That'll cost money."
"You should understand—this was your job to think about as the Tsuchikage. Right now, I'm still your enemy. If I wasn't disgusted at watching a talent I once rated throw himself into the gutter, I wouldn't bother caring about Iwagakure's mess."
"And don't think you can just hold Suna in place, stall Kumo, and then calmly throw everything into dealing with Taki. That would be a catastrophic mistake."
"Taki's already pushing deep into the Land of Earth. After what I just did to your village, everything's in chaos—Taki won't miss this chance."
"Kumo's still on the road. Suna's still being checked. And everything I suggested just now was built on one premise: you solve Taki first. If you don't, you can forget stopping Suna and Kumo."
"And besides the jinchūriki… Taki brought something even I have to be wary of."
The moment he said that, both Kakuzu and Rōshi were stunned.
Taki has a weapon that even Hanzō fears?
Kakuzu's eyes flickered. He knew Taki's foundations better than anyone—he'd been from there. But he'd been gone for decades. What they'd developed, what new trump cards they'd hidden… he truly didn't know.
Rōshi looked even more unconvinced.
"Impossible. If they had something like that, why didn't they use it when they fought me? Why would they force their Seven-Tails jinchūriki to burn his life away just to hold me back?"
"First," Hanzō said evenly, "the price of using it is enormous. Taki can only use it once."
"Second, their Seven-Tails jinchūriki is old. His strength is fading, and the Seven-Tails won't stay suppressed for much longer. Using the last glow of his life to win a decisive battle—doesn't that sound like the most efficient choice for Taki?"
"That way, they conserve their trump card and save it for something more valuable."
Hanzō's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Like… breaking Iwagakure."
Rōshi clenched his jaw. "Where did you get that information?"
Hanzō only smiled—saying nothing, simply watching him.
"…I get it." Rōshi exhaled, then shook his head. "But we really don't have money."
"You know Iwagakure's broke. At best, we've got six months before our supplies dry up. After that, we won't be able to do anything at all."
"So don't pretend you're asking for cash. You're after something else. Say it—what do you want?"
"I don't believe Iwagakure has anything that could tempt you."
"Sharp." Hanzō actually praised him. "I like people like you."
"But you're underestimating the real foundation of the Five Great Villages. Their true treasures aren't visible stockpiles and coins."
"They're the ninjutsu and archives accumulated over generations… and the young shinobi who inherit them. Every Great Village is a cradle for talent for a reason."
"I won't touch your young ones." Hanzō's tone turned crisp. "What I want… is Iwagakure's jutsu."
"Ah!" Rōshi's face tightened.
Kakuzu, off to the side, wore an of course expression.
So he wasn't even pretending anymore. He'd been one step away from outright saying he'd snatch Iwa's talented kids into Ame. The younger they were, the weaker their resistance to genjutsu—"re-education" would be easy.
"Ninjutsu… fine," Rōshi said stiffly. "But how much?"
"Not much." Hanzō spoke like he was doing Iwa a favor. "When I signed a treaty with Konoha, the Third Hokage compensated me with one forbidden technique and ten A-rank jutsu."
"Giving knowledge away doesn't reduce what you have… but you lot are pitiful right now."
"So I'll take half of what Konoha paid."
"One forbidden technique, and four A-rank jutsu."
Kakuzu's mind buzzed.
That's robbery. A good A-rank starts in the tens of millions. Some A-rank are functionally comparable to S-rank depending on utility. And a forbidden technique? Priceless.
Even the underground bounty stations had posted requests for forbidden techniques and S-rank jutsu before—rewards over a hundred million. Kakuzu had been tempted.
But even he only had one forbidden jutsu worth naming: Earth Grudge Fear. The mission sat for a year without takers before it vanished.
In real value, Hanzō had spoken a few sentences and was walking away with the equivalent of hundreds of millions—if not more.
Rōshi nodded heavily.
"Fine. I agree. At this point, that loss doesn't matter."
"But on one condition: I need to know what Taki's trump card actually is, and your plan has to work. Iwagakure can't afford heavy sacrifices."
"Good." Hanzō's smile returned. "Then listen."
"Taki's ultimate weapon…"
"…is the shell left behind when the Seven-Tails molts."
"What?!" Both Kakuzu and Rōshi blurted out.
"The Seven-Tails… molts?!"
Hanzō shrugged. "You're a jinchūriki. Ask the thing inside you."
Long ago, when the Sage of Six Paths first created the tailed beasts, they were tiny—small enough to cradle. Over a thousand years, they grew into titans.
The Seven-Tails might be a flying beetle now, but its shell wouldn't "grow" with it.
The only explanation was molting.
Rōshi closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he nodded.
"You're right. But what does that have to do with a weapon?"
"Because a tailed beast's body is perfectly suited to tailed beast chakra." Hanzō's voice sharpened. "That means the Seven-Tails' shed shell can store Seven-Tails chakra with almost perfect compatibility."
"Taki collected the molted shell, modified it, and turned it into a weapon—something like an explosive tag."
"They use the jinchūriki to stockpile Seven-Tails chakra into it, and when they trigger it… its power won't be far below a Tailed Beast Ball."
"A Tailed Beast Ball's destructive force—you know what that means. In a decisive moment of war, it can settle everything."
Hanzō continued calmly.
"And right now, in those Taki storage scrolls inside the Land of Earth… they're probably carrying it."
"If Taki uses that on Iwagakure…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
Rōshi was drenched in sweat. "Then what's your plan?"
"Heh-heh." Hanzō chuckled. "Pay first."
"We're standing inside your village. It won't take long to fetch a few jutsu scrolls."
"The sooner you stop Taki, the less disaster the Land of Earth suffers."
Rōshi exhaled hard.
"Fine. What kinds of jutsu do you want?"
"First." Hanzō lifted a finger. "Ōnoki's weight-altering technique—Earth Style: Lightened Boulder Jutsu and Weighted Boulder Jutsu. Two names, but really one system, yes?"
Rōshi nodded. "A-rank. One."
"Second." Hanzō raised another finger. "The one that creates stone giants—Earth Style: Stone Golem."
"Two A-rank."
"Third." Hanzō frowned slightly. "The one that forms two mountain walls—Earth Style: Mountain Jutsu"
"…?" Rōshi stared. "That's B-rank."
"Uh—" Hanzō blanked for a beat.
B-rank?! That was the technique that once crushed even the Ten-Tails—well… with Naruto's chakra boost.
So it wasn't the jutsu itself. It was the chakra output behind it.
Hanzō recovered quickly.
"Then what about Earth Style: Mobile Core"
"B-rank."
"…Earth Style: Earth Dome Prison?"
"Still B-rank."
"Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears?"
"…"
"Then… Earth Style: Underground Move Jutsu?"
"That one's A-rank."
Hanzō pressed a hand to his forehead. "Five B-rank for one A-rank. That's fair."
Rōshi nodded. "Agreed."
"And the forbidden technique…" Hanzō's tone turned casual. "I heard you recently defeated 'the Immortal'—Kakuzu. I want the forbidden technique on his body—Earth Grudge Fear. If you haven't researched it yet, then give me his corpse."
"…So even you crave immortality, Hanzō?" Rōshi exhaled. "Fine. We haven't begun researching it. You can have Kakuzu's body."
Behind them, Kakuzu—disguised as an Ame shinobi—finally let out a quiet breath.
At least Hanzō hadn't forgotten their deal.
Then his heart stabbed again as he remembered the penny he'd already paid.
"Go get the items," Hanzō said. "Once I see them, we continue the transaction."
"Fine. Wait here."
Rōshi left.
Kakuzu stepped in close and lowered his voice.
"Taki really has a weapon like that? I've been gone for decades, but if they made a move that huge, there's no way I wouldn't have heard something."
Hanzō side-eyed him. "What? You don't believe me?"
"My words as a demigod—could they be fake?"
In that instant, Kakuzu reached enlightenment.
The moment "demigod" came out of Hanzō's mouth, he knew it—this bastard had stripped Iwagakure down to its underwear.
Demigod…
Since when did Hanzō ever care about reputation? Every time he invoked that title, it was either coercion or temptation.
Kakuzu gave him a thumbs-up—almost sincere.
"You're the most vicious man I've ever seen. Iwagakure's already in ruins, and you still won't let them be."
"Even as an enemy… you saw the respect that Fourth Tsuchikage had for you."
"And now, watching that hope flicker in his eyes… I almost feel sorry for him."
Hanzō coughed twice.
He hadn't entirely lied, to be fair—Seven-Tails molting was real.
He glanced at Kakuzu.
"Do you still want your original body back?"
Kakuzu's expression snapped shut.
…Fine. You're the boss.
It was just a shame for the Fourth Tsuchikage. He'd been conned and still thought he'd gotten the better deal.
Remembering how Rōshi's eyes had kept brightening under Hanzō's "gentle guidance," Kakuzu could only think one thing—
Hanzō was like the head of a shady cult.
The bullshit type of 'Nonsense. Everything I said was the correct way.'
But really—who would ever expect the man who could destroy you to point out a road that lets you live?
Hanzō had no bad intentions. He just wanted to make money and keep the lights on.
As for doing business with Hanzō?
Kakuzu could only acknowledge it with bitter respect—
"I'd call you the strongest."
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