Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

But what's most striking is the corpse he's carrying, clearly a bounty target who has just been hunted down.

The staircase was narrow, and the two met face to face halfway up the stairs.

Sasuke's gaze lingered on the red-cloud-patterned black robe for a moment, then his eyes revealed an undisguised killing intent.

"Clang—!"

A clear, resonant sound of a sword being drawn suddenly rang out in the deathly silent exchange shop, only to abruptly cease in the next instant.

As Kakuzu descended the stairs, he felt an overwhelming sense of danger erupt from the depths of his soul. Driven by his fighting instincts, he subconsciously hardened his chakra and covered his chest.

"Thud—!" A dull thud sounded as a sharp blade pierced flesh.

A long sword crackling with tiny arcs of electricity pierced through Kakuzu's heart without any resistance, emerging from his back.

Warm blood was still dripping from the tip of the knife.

"..."

Angle felt a sharp, cold pain from his chest. He slowly lowered his head, staring in disbelief at his pierced heart and the pale blue blade that gleamed with a clear light.

His green eyes were filled with incomprehensible confusion.

I... I didn't even have a chance to react?!

"Goo..."

A mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, Kakuzu swayed, and fell backward helplessly.

His tall body, along with the corpse on his shoulder, tumbled down the steps like two tattered sacks, crashing heavily onto the blood-soaked ground, where they fell silent.

The entire underground gold exchange fell into a deathly silence once again.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene, their minds blank.

Another one killed?!

And it's the infamous Kakuzu?!

That immortal monster who consistently ranks high on the black market's bounty list, and who is said to have fought the First Hokage...

He just...died like that?

He was instantly killed by a boy who looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old?!

Sasuke slowly withdrew "Takemikazuchi," glanced coldly at the "corpse" on the ground, and then continued walking upwards.

Only when his figure completely disappeared at the end of the stairs did the suffocating sense of oppression finally slowly subside.

"call......"

A long, relieved sigh rang out from somewhere, as if a switch had been flipped.

Immediately afterwards, a series of gasps erupted throughout the underground gold exchange.

The crowd looked at each other, their initial shock gradually replaced by a more primal emotion.

greedy.

"Hey......"

A trembling voice rang out, "Kakuzu...is he really dead?"

"I think so? His heart was pierced through."

"And his bounty..."

"That brat is gone, and the body is now ownerless!"

These words instantly ignited a flame in everyone's hearts.

That's tens of millions of taels of silver, an astronomical price that could make someone rise to the top in one step!

The deathly silence was shattered in an instant. Everyone's breathing became heavy, and their eyes gleamed with greed as they stared intently at the corpse on the ground.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snag a bargain!

"its mine!"

The first one who couldn't hold back roared out from the crowd and stretched out a trembling hand toward the motionless corpse.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the red cloud and black robe...

A sudden change has occurred!

"Sizzle—!!!"

Countless pitch-black tentacles, like stitches, burst forth from Kakuzu's body without warning!

Like a venomous snake with life, it pierced through the man's body in an instant.

"Ugh..."

The final, mournful cry abruptly ceased.

Under the horrified gaze of everyone, the dark tentacles churned inside the man's chest before being abruptly pulled out.

They forcibly ripped out a heart that was still beating violently.

"What a bunch of ignorant ants." A hoarse voice slowly rose from the pool of blood.

Kakuzu, who should have died, stood up again. He completely ignored the hideous blood hole in his chest and slowly pressed the still-bleeding heart back into his body.

Visibly, those pitch-black tentacles, like sewing needles, stitched the new heart together with his own meridians.

And the fatal wound on his chest was healing rapidly under this strange power.

"..."

Everyone stared in stunned silence at this hellish scene, their bodies trembling like leaves.

Kakuzu stretched his body, which had fully recovered, before slowly raising his head. A chilling killing intent flickered in his eyes, and...

A heavy sense of lingering fear filled the air.

He recalled what had just happened on the steps.

So fast...

He could clearly sense the killing intent that kid had unleashed before he made his move.

But his body couldn't keep up with the reaction at all. If it weren't for the Earthly Grief, he would have really died just now.

Just who is this kid?

.........

Stepping out of the stuffy underground space, the crisp, cool air outside invigorated Sasuke.

At the exit of the alley, a tall figure was leaning against the opposite wall.

He was also dressed in a black trench coat embroidered with ominous red clouds, his gray hair was combed back, a strange silver necklace hung around his neck, and a huge three-bladed blood-red scythe leaned against his back.

There was a bloodthirsty, playful glint in those purplish-red eyes.

He is another member of Xiao.

Yoruichi, perched on Sasuke's shoulder, narrowed her cat-like eyes slightly.

Inside the alley, the two stood silently facing each other, several meters apart.

The man looked Sasuke up and down with great interest, the corners of his mouth widening into a grin.

But Sasuke ignored him and walked straight toward him.

That composure and indifference caused the gray-haired man's smile to falter slightly, before it transformed into a morbid excitement.

"interesting......"

Hidan licked his lips, looking at the boy who brushed past him, and murmured softly.

"What a fine offering! The evil god will surely be pleased."

............

Sasuke's figure rose and fell a few times, leaving the small town.

"Hey, kid." Yoruichi's voice came from his shoulder.

She turned her head to look directly at Sasuke, her eyes filled with inquiry. "You should be able to sense it, right? That guy isn't really dead."

"Yes, I know," Sasuke replied crisply.

"Then why did you let him go?"

Yoruichi frowned. "With your speed and strength, a few more blows and he'll be dead."

Sasuke did not answer Yoruichi's question immediately.

Of course he knew that the horn hadn't died.

The information Orochimaru gave him detailed the strangeness of the forbidden technique "Earth Grudge Fear" and the secret of Kakuzu having five hearts.

That last strike was just a test.

To test the strength of the Akatsuki members.

In retrospect, the outcome is fairly clear.

Although Kakuzu's abilities were also quite bizarre, his actual strength was far inferior to Itachi Uchiha.

Not all members of Akatsuki are monsters.

"What, you don't want to talk about it?" Yoru raised an eyebrow at his silence. "Or do you have some special considerations?"

"...the establishment of a new order may require their help."

Sasuke finally spoke, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the wind, "If it's no use, just kill him again."

Yoruichi stared at him blankly, but then she remembered something else.

"Speaking of which, those guys were way too weak, weren't they?"

Her voice was full of disdain, "They all look fierce, but their strength is just so-so."

"At that level, let alone the first-year students of the Shinigami Academy, they probably couldn't even beat those people in Rukongai."

“This is the norm in this world,” Sasuke replied calmly. “People like me are the odd ones out.”