Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Kakuzu's gaze lingered between the golden high walls and Mako, who exuded a sinister aura. In the end, he made a decision that followed his heart.

He slowly raised his hand, and as a golden particle condensed, the short blade that Kakuzu had just thrown as a hidden weapon reappeared in his hand.

"Kakuzu, what do you want to do?"

Chongming was frantically jumping around in Kakuzu's sea of ​​consciousness, his seven wings almost smoking from flapping.

"I'm sorry, Mythical Beast, I have my own rules of conduct."

Shaking his head at Chongming in his heart, Kakuzu took a step forward and, under the surprised gazes of the three little ones, pulled out a golden card from the transformation device at his waist.

"As expected, humans are all idiots."

Sensing Kakuzu's unwavering conviction, Nanami pursed her lips and shared her chakra.

"Kid, I'm very satisfied with the price you offered."

Looking at the card shimmering with golden light in his hand, Kakuzu slowly inserted it into the slot on the hilt of his short sword.

"Absorb Queen! Fusion Jack!"

Accompanied by a mechanical electronic sound, Kakuzu's silver body suddenly burst forth with golden light, so bright that everyone present could not open their eyes.

"what!"

The black mist emanating from Mako's body, after being illuminated by this golden light, seemed to be suppressed and became listless.

Wow~

When the golden light faded, the three little ones saw Horned Turtles, whose body was inlaid with gold and whose wings were flapping behind them, and they were so surprised that they couldn't close their mouths.

"Round Two."

Wielding the weapon that transformed into a longsword, a glint of light flashed in the red compound eyes on Kakuzu's mask. Then, with a flap of his wings, he transformed into a golden lightning bolt and charged toward Shinji.

"eat"

Satoru, who was possessing Mako, sensed the threat emanating from Kakuzu and thus increased his malice, transforming the girl into a form more suited for battle.

"eat!!!"

In an instant, bright red keratin covered the girl's fair skin, and soon it covered her entire body. Her hands turned into dark red claws, and sharp spikes resembling dorsal fins grew from her forearms and calves.

"What the hell?"

Kakuzu suddenly stopped in mid-air, flapped his wings and landed, warily watching Shinji's aura surge, fearing that the other party might be bluffing.

"Shinko! What's wrong with you?"

When the bright red keratin crawled up the girl's neck, the horrified Shinka finally reacted, instantly appearing beside the girl and helplessly looking at the ferocious-looking Shinko.

"Eating God. Jun."

However, the girl, who had become the vessel of enlightenment, was incapable of answering his question. A fleeting moment of consciousness flashed through Mako's mind, a struggle that lasted only in her eyes before being swallowed by overwhelming malice.

"roar!!!"

Finally, bright red keratin covered the girl's face, turning her delicate face into a ferocious beast's head. Huge green compound eyes occupied most of the space on her face, and the bulging arc on the top of her head immediately reminded everyone of a piranha in the sea.

"eat"

"Mako!"

Seeing his beloved wife transformed into a non-human monster, Shenhuo immediately reached out to check on her.

"Thump!"

As a result, the changed Mako completely lost her rationality and slapped the divine fire away several meters away.

Although she had a habit of consuming people before, Mako would never harm Shinka under any circumstances. Now, it seems that she has completely lost herself.

Mako, transformed into a red piranha monster, lay prone on all fours, his green eyes fixed on Kakuzu—the gaze of a hunter.

"Ah! How did she transform too?"

The three children were overwhelmed by the aura emanating from Mako after her transformation, huddling together tightly. A chill emanating from the depths of their souls made them tremble uncontrollably.

"Her eyes looked like she wanted to devour someone!"

Danzo, trembling, tugged at the hem of Hiruzen Sarutobi's robe.

"Idiot, she eats people!"

"Such dark chakra."

Stimulated by the aura emanating from Mako, Uchiha Kagami subconsciously activated his Sharingan. As the tomoe in his eyes slowly rotated, he vaguely saw strands of extremely dark chakra emanating from the other's body.

That was a power even darker than the Yin Release chakra of their Uchiha clan, as if it were formed from pure malice.

"Kakuzu, it's not too late to run now."

Chongming's tone was unusually solemn; the monster before him was about to hatch.

"If you take someone's money, you're obligated to solve their problems."

Each character has their own code of conduct; as long as the money is right, they will absolutely go all out.

If he really lost his life, it was simply because he was less skilled than others.

"Alas!"

No longer the simple babbling of before, Mako, now a red monster, let out a piercing scream, then strained her limbs and transformed into a crimson streak.

"Bang!"

Kakuzu, now in his guard form, remained vigilant. The instant the girl attacked, he raised his longsword. With a metallic clang, the crimson claws were already at his chest. Fortunately, his timely defense stopped the sharp fingertips just centimeters from his heart.

Wow, so fast! Wow, so powerful!

This was the first time Kakuzu had felt pressure. Even when he fought the Two-Tailed Knight transformed by Silver Horn, he was at ease, finding it troublesome but not threatening. But this time was different. This red monster in front of him could seriously injure him or even kill him.

"Eek!~"

Seeing that his attack had been blocked, the red-haired monster did not continue the pursuit. He jumped back a few steps to create distance, intentionally or unintentionally examining Kakuzu's vulnerable spots.

Was she conscious?

Mako's action startled Kakuzu. Previously, the girl's behavior was like that of a wild beast following its instincts, devoid of any wisdom. But now that she was starting to think, he had to take her seriously.

"Whoosh~"

Mako didn't give Kakuzu any time to think. After locking onto the weak points at his joints, the fins on his forearms suddenly stood up, gleaming with a chilling light. Then, he bent down and transformed into scarlet lightning once more.

Seeing this, Kakuzu quickly flapped his wings and took to the sky to avoid the attack and gain an aerial advantage. However, the red monster did not give up easily. She bent over to gather her strength, and then jumped up and caught up with the sky.

"Rip!"

As Kakuzu passed the red monster in mid-air, he was caught off guard and suddenly felt a pain in his waist. Looking down, he discovered that a deep, bone-revealing wound had been torn open in a place not covered by his armor.

"Thump~"

The red monster, having successfully hit its target, landed on the ground, mockingly dripping blood from its elbow into its mouth before revealing a satisfied expression.

"Alas!"

"Hmm"

Kakuzu, who had also landed, pressed his hand to his bleeding wound, his gaze fixed solemnly on the bloodthirsty red monster.

This was the first time Kakuzu had been injured and bled since his transformation. Moreover, the black mist surrounding the wound prevented Chongming from using the power of the Tailed Beast to heal it, causing the dark red blood to flow uncontrollably.

"Go for it, Hunter Knight Sword!"

Seeing that Jiao was losing the fight, the three little ones immediately waved their little fists to cheer him on.

"Huff~ Huff~"

The black mist emanating from the red-clad figure seemed to possess some kind of poison. It entered Kakuzu's body through his wounds, disrupting the flow of his chakra and affecting his mind.

"Don't lose, Mr. Knight!"

Gasping for breath, Kakuzu felt himself about to be engulfed by overwhelming darkness, but just then, a series of childish calls forcefully pulled him out of the dark tide.

"Phew, that was close!"

"Idiot, this malice is like a plague, it can't be eliminated at all. But it's good that I'm here, otherwise you would have already degenerated into a man-eating monster."

Kakuzu, relieved to have regained his senses, heard Chongming's exasperated voice in his ears. It turned out that the Seven-Tails had been desperately suppressing the malice that had seeped into his wounds, which gave him a chance to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry, I was careless."

Because of his actions, Kakuzu almost implicated the divine beast, which made him feel very ashamed, and he immediately stood up and apologized.

"Alright, alright, this isn't the time to talk about that. This thing in front of you can't be destroyed by conventional means at all. The old man had no choice but to seal it in the Box of Bliss back then."

Chongming swallowed the malice within Kakuzu's body. As a product of the Divine Tree, it was barely able to digest this malice; otherwise, leaving it within this human body would only cause endless harm.

"Is sealing the seal the only option?"

After hearing Chongming's words, Kakuzu was at a loss. He didn't know any sealing techniques, nor did he have any sealing items. If he continued to fight this monster, he would be the one to die.

"So, run!"

Chongming ate a filthy thing, and his stomach immediately began to ache terribly, but he still endured the pain and made a suggestion to Kakuzu.

"No!"

He can't leave before the task is completed; the gold isn't hot to the touch.

"Is money more important or life?"

"money!"

"You idiot!"

Chongming was jumping around in Kakuzu's sea of ​​consciousness, wishing he could take over the account and run away right now. However, because he had just swallowed a lump of malice, he was feeling unwell and could not take over the account to fight. He could only bark helplessly inside.

"Phew~ Life is important too, Divine Beast Master, don't worry, I will take care of both."

Kakuzu's waist wound had begun to heal slowly. He glanced at Sarutobi Sasuke lying on the ground not far away, who was his mission target. In fact, he didn't need to fight to the death with this red monster. He only needed to rescue the monkey-faced man to receive his reward.

"Hey! Kids, if I snatch your dad away later, are you confident you can escape?"

After Kakuzu finished his calculations, he turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi behind him and asked,

"what?"

"I'll hold it off for you for a bit, okay?"

Glancing at the three small, thin children, the attentive Kakuzu added,

"Yes! We can!"

The three children exchanged glances, receiving confirmation from their two companions' eyes. Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and gave a resounding promise.

"good!"

Kakuzu nodded, raised his long sword again, drew the card from his waist, and inserted it into the slot on the hilt. With a sudden electronic sound, everyone present felt a strange gust of wind.

"Tentacle impact!"

"His wings are moving!"

The three little ones behind Kakuzu followed the source of the wind and discovered that the strong wind in the arena came from the wings flapping behind the knight.

The phantom of the Seven-Tails solidified behind Kakuzu, and the thin blade in his hand became heavy. His eyes were fixed on the red monster, and Kakuzu instantly transformed into a giant tentacle, crashing towards his target.

"Boom!"

The extreme speed and immense impact carved a deep trench in the hard ground. Facing Kakuzu's ultimate attack, the red monster roared and, instead of dodging, leaped high into the air, slashing down at Kakuzu with its single hand adorned with a sharp dorsal fin.

Big cut!

"boom!!!"

The clash of their ultimate attacks instantly created a massive aftershock, sending the three little ones tumbling about. Meanwhile, Shenhuo, his face bearing scratches, watched the scene with deep concern, his heart filled with complex emotions.

This Shinji is clearly no longer the Shinji he once was; he has completely transformed into a cannibalistic monster.

"Kids! Now's your chance!"

Suddenly, Kakuzu's sharp voice rang out from the still-smoldering smoke and dust. The three little ones jumped up and immediately ran towards the unconscious Sarutobi Sasuke.

"."

As they passed by Shenhuo, the three of them were wary, worried that the man on the monster's side might try to stop them. But Shenhuo only glanced at them briefly before stepping aside, his unfocused eyes filled with complex emotions.

"You all better run away."

Shenhuo looked at the three little ones carrying Sarutobi Sasuke on their backs and said softly.

"Uncle, aren't you going to run away?"

Although Shenhuo and that cannibalistic woman were in cahoots, he had been quite cooperative before and even promised to release the three of them.

"I promised I would never let go again."

Even with blood still seeping from the scratches on his face, Shenhuo shook his head firmly.

"Okay, sir, be careful."

Kind words are no match for a death wish, and the three little ones aren't exactly saints either. They immediately carried the unconscious Sarutobi Sasuke and ran off in another direction from the town, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Phew~ My mission is complete."

Just then, the dust and smoke finally dissipated. The two men in the arena were locked in a struggle. Kakuzu, wielding blades in both hands, desperately resisted the sharp claws that were about to grab his face. When he caught a glimpse of the gold bricks out of the corner of his eye, he felt a sense of relief.

"Bang!"

So he deliberately relaxed his defense, took a step back, and used the moment to dissipate the force to land next to the gold bricks with several backflips. He quickly took out a storage scroll and, at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, pocketed the gold bricks scattered on the ground.

"It's in! It's in!"

This windfall will keep Kakuzu happy for quite some time.

"Mako! Wake up!"

Just as Kakuzu finished packing up the gold bricks and was about to run away, the sound of the divine fire in the arena caught his attention. Looking at the man trying to awaken the red monster, he hesitated and stopped.

3500 million, that doesn't seem like a small amount.

"Shinko, I am Shinka!"

Approaching the silent, red-haired figure, Shenhuo tentatively spoke, and upon discovering that the other party did not react, he mustered his courage and reached out to touch the other's head.

"Mako, turn back into normal after you've eaten your fill~"

Gently stroking the red monster's hideous head, Shinka did it as naturally as he would stroke Mako's long hair.

"Huff~ Huff~"

A series of low humming sounds emanated from beneath the keratinous skin. The familiar rhythm filled Shenhuo with joy, so he continued to stroke the cold keratinous shell and softly called out to it.

"Mako, let's go home~"

"Mako, I bought you new shoes."

"Mako, it's me."

The gentle whispers caused the red monster's tense hands to slowly lower, and its green compound eyes flashed with an unusual light, as if two consciousnesses were vying for control of its body.

"Mako."

"eat"

The familiar murmurs once again came from the red monster's mouth, and a glimmer of hope was awakened in Shenhuo's eyes. His efforts had not been in vain, and Mako's consciousness had once again gained the upper hand.

However, at this crucial moment, a large silver hand pressed down on the shoulder of the divine fire.

"Rogue ninja, Shinka, please come with me!"

"Eat!"

Shinji, whom the divine fire had finally managed to summon back, was disrupted by this incident, and Satoru's malice attacked again. With a strange cry, she suddenly raised her hand and sent both the divine fire and Kakuzu flying.

"Thump!"

The two, who were thrown back by the immense force, landed on the ground together. Shenhuo, being a mortal, spat out a spurt of blood upon landing. Although Kakuzu was protected by armor, his internal organs were also displaced by the force of the monstrous shock.

"What's going on? Why is he stronger again?"

Kakuzu stood up unsteadily, his tone full of surprise. "My casual attacks before weren't this powerful!"

"You naughty idiot!"

With his mouth full of blood, Shenhuo lay on the ground cursing angrily. He was about to awaken Zhenzi when this silver-haired monster interrupted him, causing the awakening to fail.

"Eat!"

At this moment, the strange noise rang out again. The two turned their heads at the same time and found that the red monster's green eyes were one bright and one dark, and the movements of its left and right hands were also very uncoordinated, as if two spirits were fighting for control.

"Alas!"

However, Mako's consciousness was quickly suppressed by Satoru, and she turned into the monster with the fighting spirit she had before.

"not good!"

When the opponent's green compound eyes locked onto him, Kakuzu's combat radar was instantly activated, and he instinctively drew his short sword to defend himself.

"Bang!"

But this attack was far more powerful than before. Kakuzu, even with his weapon, was grabbed by the red monster and slammed heavily onto a stone pillar on the side of the street, shattering the hard stone pillar into pieces on the spot.

"Cough cough cough"

Beneath his mask, Kakuzu coughed up a mouthful of blood, the horror in his eyes refusing to fade.

"Is she on drugs? How can she be so strong?"

Indeed, what surprised Kakuzu was the red monster's strength. In their first encounter, while the monster's attacks were fierce, they weren't this heavy.

Could it be that the opponent has a built-in growth panel, getting stronger the more they fight?

"Mako is naturally very strong."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Shinho stood up tremblingly and explained to Kakuzu beside him.

The young man who grew up with Mako naturally knew the girl's little secret: despite being a frail girl, after refining her chakra, her physical strength suddenly became terrifying; she accidentally struck the divine fire, causing her to vomit blood.

To avoid attracting attention, Shinka had always instructed the girl to hide this talent, because there were quite a few ruthless ninjas in the Land of Grass. If they discovered Shinko's talent, it would be one thing to capture her for research, but if they used her as a breeding ground for seeds, wouldn't he become the victim?

"Physical talent, you know."

Having roamed the ninja world for many years, Kakuzu naturally knew about some special talents. It seems that this girl who transformed into a red monster has some kind of special bloodline.

At this moment, Kakuzu also regretted it a little. He could have run away with the gold bricks just now, but he was blinded by 3500 million.

"Alas!"

The red monster didn't care whether you regretted it or not. It further controlled Mako's body and made full use of the girl's innate great strength. Its two sharp claws swung fiercely, grabbing towards Kakuzu's face.

"Bang!"

Kakuzu, who was being targeted, had no choice but to abandon his short sword and switch to gauntlets for defense. However, the red monster's strength was too great, and he was knocked to the ground after only three seconds.

"puff!"

Beneath the mask, blood seeped from Kakuzu's mouth and nose. In his mind's eye, Chongming looked on with a mixture of disappointment and frustration, choosing to stand by and watch this time.

Without endangering Kakuzu's life, it wanted to teach this reckless human a lesson about the consequences of acting rashly.

"Hair-piercing palm strike!"

Just as the red monster's claws were about to strike again, a hand carrying a sharp, swift force slapped down behind it.

"Alas?"

After being hit, the red monster's body trembled a few times, stopped what it was doing, turned its head, and looked at the divine fire that attacked it with a hint of doubt.

At this point, the red monster, having further eroded Mako's soul, had begun to develop human consciousness.

"you"

Kakuzu, who had escaped death, looked at the divine fire that had saved him with great surprise. He had wanted to capture the fire to exchange for money, so why would the fire save him?

"Don't overthink it, I need you to help me subdue Mako."

Shinka knew that if Kakuzu were killed, no one would be able to stop the Red Monster, and Shinji would be unable to recover. After weighing the options, Shinka decided to form a temporary alliance.

"I'm very expensive."

Upon hearing that it was a commission, Kakuzu instinctively started to ask for a price.

"Is 3500 million enough?"

Divine Fire struck the stunned red figure with another powerful palm strike, knocking him back several meters before landing beside Kakuzu. Pointing to himself, he said...

"you"

Kakuzu, who understood the meaning of the divine fire, was instantly stunned. Looking at the dejected man in front of him, he saw a hidden death intent in those unfocused eyes.

"Agreement reached, get to work quickly."

Ignoring the speechless Kakuzu, Kamui assumed an attack stance.

"Alas!"

The red monster's face was filled with murderous intent; after exercising for so long, its stomach was growling again.

"Hair-piercing palm strike!"

Divine Fire struck first, its palms creating several afterimages as it slapped at the red monster from a very strange angle.

"Sigh~"

I really just want 3500 million!

With a complex expression, Kakuzu gripped his short blade tightly, gritted his teeth, and chose to leap forward to join the battle.

War is imminent.

"This guy is interesting!"

In the shadows of the battlefield, Uchiha Gin, transformed into the Rider of the Void, carefully examined the red-haired monster who had brutally beaten Kakuzu, stroking his chin with interest.

"I never imagined that besides tailed beasts, there were other things that could be made into transformation tools~" (End of Chapter)