Konoha: I have a clone in One Piece.

Chapter 196 Kakuzu: Akatsuki, what kind of trash is that?

In a certain city in the Land of Fire.

"Aren't you annoying? How long have you been following me?"

"How many times have I told you? I'm not going back to Konoha! I'm not going back to Konoha! Let whoever wants to go to that lousy village go, just leave me alone, okay?"

Tsunade walked forward while impatiently roaring at those behind her.

Behind him, Jiraiya looked helpless, but still quickly stepped forward, trying to continue persuading him:

"No, it's not because of the village that I'm asking you to go back!"

"Tsunade, Kushina is pregnant recently. You know how pregnant women are, right? Their emotions are already very unstable. She's also a Jinchuriki. This is the time when she needs a medical expert like you the most. How can those medical ninjas in the village compare to you?"

"If you're by my side, Kushina will definitely be fine!"

Tsunade stopped in her tracks, standing still with a frown on her face.

Is Kushina pregnant?

Having left the village for so long, she truly knew nothing of this matter, and...

Tsunade turned to look at Jiraiya. This guy... he's been following her for so long and only just now said something like this. What an idiot!

Just then, seeing Tsunade stop, Jiraiya's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, and he quickly pressed his advantage, saying:

"Kushina, it's been so long since I've seen you. When I went back last time, she asked me about you."

"..."

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with a mixture of belief and doubt.

Although she and Kushina have a good relationship, she is quite a bit older than Kushina, and Kushina is married now with her own friends and family. How could she keep talking about her all the time?

Tsunade frowned, deep in thought.

She really didn't want to go back to Konoha. Jiraiya's sudden visit to her couldn't possibly be because of Kushina's pregnancy. Saying that the village's medical ninjas were inferior to her sounded very fake. How advanced could medical skills be needed to take care of a pregnant woman?

So, Jiraiya was most likely sent by that old man, right?

No, he must have sent them!

Thinking of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade's expression gradually darkened. She then glared at Jiraiya and roared:

"Don't think I don't know what your purpose is!"

"Go back to the village? Don't even dream about it!"

"I have no intention of ever going back to that kind of village after I left!"

"I'm telling you, Jiraiya, if you dare follow me again, don't blame me for taking action!"

"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted coldly, then turned around and grabbed Shizune's small hand, preparing to leave again.

Behind him, Jiraiya watched the figure walk away again, and a wry smile appeared on his face.

However, even though Tsunade said she was going to take action, how could he not seize such a rare opportunity?

Jiraiya sighed, then kept his eyes fixed on the figure ahead and chased after it again.

"Wait, don't... wait, what???"

Tsunade, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped for some reason, and Jiraiya bumped into her soft back.

The irresistible warm fragrance and the soft, water-like touch are enough to drive any man crazy...

But Jiraiya's face was filled with terror!

Finished!

Am I going to die? What will Tsunade do to me? What if she doesn't treat me after she's done?

Jiraiya quickly closed his eyes, instinctively raised his hands to protect his head, and crouched down in defense.

However, after waiting for a long time, he did not feel the powerful punch coming at him, and the surroundings also became inexplicably quiet.

Faced with this strange situation, Jiraiya couldn't help but open his eyes in confusion.

……

Tsunade was completely stunned.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing!

Holy crap!!!

"Hiss~ That's terrifying! That's terrifying!"

"I've lived in the city for over seventy years and have never seen anyone so extravagant!"

"This person must be a god of wealth sent from heaven!"

The people on the street were also shocked and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

At the city gate, a figure covered in gold, with more than a dozen gold nuggets several meters in size floating behind him, slowly walked into the city. The golden light shimmered in the sunlight, making him more conspicuous than ever before.

Tsunade stared wide-eyed at the scene, almost blinded by the light!

How much silver would that be?

A single gold nugget looks to weigh tens of tons, yet this person carries more than a dozen of them with him.

One gram of gold is worth one thousand taels, one thousand gram is worth one million taels, one ton is worth one billion taels, one gold ingot is worth several hundred billion taels, and a dozen or so gold ingots would be...

Tsunade's beautiful eyes revealed intense shock; the unimaginably large sum of money left her mind in chaos!

However, soon, something even more unexpected happened.

The shimmering figure slowly walked to the front of a noodle shop.

Everyone on the street, including Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya, couldn't help but follow the golden light as it moved.

Is he going to buy this shop?

No, perhaps the entire commercial street?

Or is it that he has taken a liking to the pretty proprietress?

Everyone's eyes lit up with anticipation.

Just as the noodle shop owner was beaming with joy, thinking she was finally about to become incredibly wealthy, a muffled question interrupted her reverie.

"Boss, two steamed buns, please."

"..."

The sudden question struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly leaving the crowd on the street stunned.

"Huh?" The pastry shop owner, who was tossing her hair, suddenly stopped. Then, as if she had thought of something, she blushed slightly and whispered, "Uh... sir... sir, which steamed bun are you referring to?"

"???"

Kakuzu was completely bewildered. What did the proprietress mean?

How many types of steamed buns are there?

"Don't waste my time! Hurry up and get me two steamed buns!"

"..."

The noodle shop owner was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but purse her lips.

To flaunt so much money in the city and then only buy two steamed buns is incredibly inconsiderate!

the other side.

That guy... he seems familiar...

Jiraiya squinted at Kakuzu, lost in thought.

And beside him.

Tsunade and Shizune stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the golden, imposing figure who, after haggling with the proprietress for two steamed buns and a glass of water, turned and headed out of the city.

Only after the golden light disappeared from sight did Tsunade come to her senses and cover her mouth with a smile as she looked at Shizune:

"Haha, that person is so stingy, even though they're so rich..."

With that, Tsunade turned around.

"You agree, right, Jiraiya..."

"Hey? Where did he go? Where did he go?"

Looking at Jiraiya who had disappeared, Tsunade's face showed a puzzled expression.

……

Outside the city gate.

Kakuzu walked along, munching on a steamed bun and reading a newspaper.

When he saw the newspaper article titled "Gold Prices in the Ninja World Plunge Again, Suspected to Be a Mysterious Investor Spending Money Extravagantly," his heart couldn't help but bleed.

Damn it!

What kind of bullshit mysterious sugar daddy is this?!

That's clearly my money! How awful!

Kakuzu took a big bite of the steamed bun, swallowed it with difficulty along with water, and his face, covered in gold, was full of regret.

Because he ate the Devil Fruit relatively recently, he doesn't yet have very good control over the Gold-Gold Fruit.

This resulted in Kakuzu leaving some gold on the battlefield after each battle. Although he would carefully clean it up each time, some gold would always be left unnoticed and accidentally picked up by others.

As Kakuzu's battles in the ninja world increased, more and more people unexpectedly found gold.

These days, he's practically become some kind of mysterious tycoon who throws gold around everywhere!

Damn it!

Kakuzu viciously devoured the dry, hard steamed bun in one go, then drank some water and let out a satisfied burp.

After resting for a while, he looked up and saw more than a dozen gold nuggets floating around him.

Watching the gold glitter and shine in the sunlight, its golden brilliance dazzling.

A mixture of regret and satisfaction swirled in Kakuzu's heart, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Sigh, life... is truly as lonely as snow..."

Kakuzu remained silent for a long time before suddenly uttering a line he had read in a book.

Then, he glanced at the gold nugget again.

These gold nuggets also contain the ability users who have consumed the 'secret treasure'.

There are already thirteen. Let's send them back to the base once we've collected thirty.

Kakuzu withdrew his gaze and continued walking towards the location of the next mission objective.

……

Not long after, Kakuzu, who was walking, stopped in his tracks.

A ninja dressed in a black robe with red clouds and ripples in his pupils suddenly descended from the sky and blocked his path.

"You're Kakuzu, the bounty hunter, aren't you?"

Pain's expression was indifferent as he swept his sharp gaze across the figure before him.

Is this guy really that rich?

He even made armor out of gold and wore it, and he carried so many gold nuggets with him...

A hint of surprise flashed in Pain's eyes.

"Huh? Who are you?"

Looking at the strange figure blocking his way, Kakuzu frowned and asked.

At the same time, he began to ponder.

Red clouds and black robes... This outfit is a bit like our base's. Which faction does this belong to?

"Me?" Pain, his gaze indifferent, met Kakuzu's eyes. "I am a god, the god who will soon save this world!"

"..."

Kakuzu was speechless.

What kind of lunatic is this, talking about gods and saving the world...?

"Tsk..."

Kakuzu shook his head. This guy seems pretty strong, but he's far too arrogant. What god? Besides the boss, who else can be called a god?

"Your skills are impressive. Join our Akatsuki organization."

Pain spoke calmly, as if announcing a fact or giving an order to his subordinates.

"Oh."

Upon hearing these words, Kakuzu couldn't help but sneer, then replied with a disdainful expression:

"Are you kidding me?"

"The Akatsuki organization, what kind of trash are they?"

"Alright, stop bothering me. I don't have time to play house with you."

Having said that, Kakuzu withdrew his gaze from the other's and prepared to continue his journey in search of his target.

But at that moment...

Pain stretched out his hand and decisively activated the Rinnegan's eye technique.

"Shinra Tensei!!!"

An invisible yet powerful repulsive force swept towards Kakuzu, instantly churning up the soil and destroying the surrounding trees without any resistance.

In an instant, dust and sand flew everywhere, and the wind howled!

Kakuzu's pupils suddenly contracted.

There was no time to think; faced with this terrifying attack that struck in an instant, he didn't even have time to form hand seals for his ninjutsu.

And then, in the next moment.

The gold nuggets floating beside Kakuzu flew by as fast as flowing water, and fine gold dust began to seep out from the ground.

In an instant, a towering golden wall, over ten meters thick, appeared in front of Kakuzu.

A terrifying repulsive force quickly arrived. Even though the golden wall was as thick as a mountain and its base was dozens of meters into the ground, it was still pushed backward.

The golden wall swept backward, shoving out dirt like a fountain, until it retreated hundreds of meters before stopping!

Large swaths of soil piled up to form a small hill, and a long ditch was carved into the ground.

"Huh? It's blocking the way?"

Pain looked surprised, then gazed at the golden wall that weighed thousands or even tens of thousands of tons, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Magnetic escape? No, it doesn't seem like it.

Could it be a mutated form of Metal Escape Technique?

So there are such amazing bloodline limits in the ninja world?

If we recruit this guy, then we won't have to worry about the organization's finances anymore, right?

A smile appeared on Pain's face. He then flew into the air and looked down at Kakuzu, his eyes filled with determination.

"...So strong!"

Kakuzu raised his head and glanced at Pain, the Deva Path, his expression immediately turning serious.

Soon, the thick golden wall melted instantly, turning into a large amount of golden sand that flew towards Pain, who was floating in the air.

"His strength is indeed impressive; Madara wasn't lying to me."

Pain looked calmly at the vast expanse of golden sand that was engulfing him.

Although Shinra Tensei is still on cooldown, this kind of attack is still not a threat to him.

Pain flew swiftly through the air, with Jinsha following closely behind, but unable to catch up no matter what she did.

Upon seeing this, Kakuzu's face showed a look of anxiety.

But the next moment, he showed a look of surprise.

In the sky, the figure dressed in a red cloud and black robe suddenly paused for some reason, and was then completely enveloped by endless golden sand.

however.

Kakuzu's surprise vanished in less than a second.

He felt a strange, powerful suction force pulling his body upwards!

Trees were uprooted, and chunks of earth and rocks flew into the air. Kakuzu, powerless to resist, was also pulled into the air.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The next moment, just as Kakuzu was a hundred meters off the ground, a fierce and powerful repulsive force suddenly pressed down.

Bang! ! !

In an instant, the ground and rocks exploded, and a huge crater was formed.

The golden sands, out of control, fell slowly like golden raindrops under the sun's rays.

Pain, like a god, descended to Kakuzu's side and said expressionlessly:

"From now on, you're a member of Akatsuki!"

With that, Pain tossed out a ring, his tone cold: