Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

Boom! Kakuzu slightly tilted his head sideways while simultaneously thrusting his left hand forward.

However, Saitama was faster and no less powerful. The moment Kakuzu tried to anticipate the attack, Saitama had already reached right in front of him.

His right fist, wrapped in lightning, smashed directly into Kakuzu's astonished face.

Kakuzu's face instantly distorted, his body flying backward from the impact.

But Saitama didn't give him a chance to escape. With his other hand, he grabbed Kakuzu's clothes and yanked him back forcefully.

Boom! Another punch—one Saitama threw in reverse—landed squarely on the other side of Kakuzu's face.

After finishing all this, Saitama quickly stepped back and slapped both hands onto the ground.

[Earth Release - Earth Wall Formation]

Boom! Several yellow earthen walls shot up vertically from the ground, encircling him and forming a protective barrier.

At that moment, the Mask Beast's attack arrived—a Fireball enhanced by Wind Release, growing even larger as it engulfed Saitama and the surrounding earth walls.

Since integrating with this body, Saitama had been able to master all types of Elemental Release Jutsu, so an ordinary Earth Release technique naturally posed no challenge.

The scorching heat continuously roasted the walls, yet failed to break through the defense.

Kakuzu didn't waste this brief opening. He controlled the Mask Beast to retreat backward.

He noticed Saitama holding back some of his power. Though unaware why, this meant Saitama wasn't fighting at full strength against him.

Even so, Saitama had still nearly killed him instantly—this alone sent a shiver down Kakuzu's spine.

Boom! The earth walls exploded, sending flaming debris scattering outward along with the flames.

Saitama stood untouched, standing in a small circle of undamaged ground, completely surrounded by scorched earth and burning flames.

"Can I say something now?" Saitama shrugged his shoulders, believing he had already demonstrated strength matching Kakuzu's, sufficient for having a rational conversation.

Two Mask Beasts flanked Kakuzu, their black threads rising and falling gently with each breath.

Seeing Saitama had no intention of continuing the fight, Kakuzu did not dismiss the Mask Beasts. In a heavy voice, he replied, "Go ahead."

Earlier, Kakuzu's arm which had stretched out had already retracted back to his body. The cloth covering his face had also been rendered tattered and broken from Saitama's two punches.

"I'm not here for your bounty—I want you to join my organization. Of course, you have the right to refuse!"

Standing tall, Saitama casually brushed dust off his clothes as he spoke.

Finishing his words, Saitama silently added inside his mind, "If you refuse, then I'll just kill you!"

"Your organization?" Kakuzu questioned. Accustomed to acting independently, he generally disliked being tied down by groups.

"That's right. For now, though, I can't tell you its name."

Nodding, Saitama walked a few steps toward Kakuzu. Kakuzu remained on edge but didn't attack.

"What benefits will I gain if I join?"

Kakuzu understood the situation—he couldn't outright reject. He needed a way out, some kind of compromise.

"Hmm, you can take over the organization's financial control!"

"If you've got any ideas, feel free to talk to the leader about it later!"

Saitama rubbed his chin. He knew the saying that Kakuzu controlled the finances was just a figure of speech—it wasn't like there was actually any need for money.

When it came to spending money, the person who really knew how to use it in the Organization was definitely Konan. That woman put every coin toward "art."

"I can join you, but I don't like being restricted!"

Kakuzu thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Hmm, the Organization doesn't have much control over you. As long as you complete your assigned tasks, you're free to do whatever during your downtime."

Saitama explained while dispersing the electric current around his body first, showing goodwill.

"Fine!" Kakuzu, ever stingy with words, saw Saitama withdrawing his chakra and let the black threads covering his body flow back inside.

"Are all the people in your Organization as strong as you?"

Kakuzu asked curiously. Saitama had just shown tremendous strength, one that could suppress him in many ways.

"Not really. Right now, probably only the leader is stronger than me! With your strength, you could definitely rank among the top in the Organization!"

Saitama caught on to Kakuzu's thoughts and casually replied.

After all, with Akatsuki currently having only five core members including Kakuzu, Kakuzu's power did rank highly—at least fourth place!

Zetsu's combat capability can currently be completely ignored.

"Now that you've joined us, I'll take you to meet the other members and get you familiarized with the Organization a bit more!"

Saitama walked beside Kakuzu. The black threads still swirled around Kakuzu, showing he hadn't let his guard down completely.

"Let's go. We should head back anyway after this outing!"

Saitama signaled to Kakuzu and started walking forward.

"If you're not in a rush, I plan to visit the Golden Exchange first!"

Kakuzu walked toward the corpse of that rogue ninja earlier and threw the body over his shoulder.

"Sure, I'll come along too. Just consider it broadening your horizons!" Saitama smiled, looking gentle—completely unlike the savage fighter from earlier.

...

"Zetsu, is this the place?" Konan, expression cold, looked toward a nearby ordinary bungalow, unremarkable and without any distinguishing features.

Hiss! A black-and-white part of Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground.

"There's no mistake. That one's inside!"

White Zetsu took a look and spoke to Konan, then sank into the ground again.

Just as he entered the earth, row after row of densely packed needles shot out from the bungalow.

The target was none other than Konan!

Swish! Konan leapt, revealing two white paper wings from her back.

...

Amegakure Village.

The secret base of the Akatsuki organization.

The rain continued falling, creating a relatively peaceful atmosphere.

Nagato stood on the highest floor, with Deva Path Yahiko standing beside him.

"Yahiko, look—we're one step closer to our goal! Don't worry, I will help you realize your ideals!"

Watching the raindrops drift outside, Nagato's eyes flickered with coldness. Beside him stood Deva Path Yahiko, motionless as a puppet.

The wounds he had sustained from his previous battle with Saitama had already vanished, and the black chakra rods covering his body had increased.

"Cough! Cough!" Nagato suddenly coughed violently. He covered his mouth with one hand, and when he opened it again, there was a streak of blood staining his palm.

It might be due to excessive use of the Rinnegan's power recently, but Nagato's body had become even more frail, and his hair color had lightened significantly.

Crack! A bolt of lightning split across the sky, illuminating the floor where Nagato stood—and also lighting up both him and Yahiko behind.

Several figures could be seen standing neatly along the wall, their bodies pierced all over by black chakra rods as well.

...

Saitama and Kakuzu arrived together. First, they cashed in their bounty at the Golden Exchange, then immediately set off again toward Amegakure Village.

He had no idea what had changed in his absence—but honestly, he didn't care.

...

Elsewhere, Konan was walking with a shadowy figure trailing beside her.

That figure crawled forward like a scorpion slithering across the ground.

"I hope it's really as good as you say. Otherwise, this would just be wasting my time—even though time isn't exactly valuable to me!"

A low voice came from within the puppet, like decaying wood grinding together.

"Joining the Organization gives you access to a wealth of resources—in intel, supplies, you name it."

Konan remained calm, continuing to speak as she walked.

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