Konoha Drunkard

Five-Tailed Fox had to get back quickly. After that, he wouldn't be allowed to leave where that bastard was. At least he wouldn't get beaten up inside someone's stomach, and even if he did, it wouldn't hurt him...

"It's all set. By the way, do you know any sealing techniques? Don't let him wake up, just let him sleep like this so it's easier." After the Five-Tails retracted, a young man who had fainted appeared. Shanks raised an eyebrow at the angle from which the approaching figure was.

"Aren't you from the Uzumaki clan? Sealing techniques are your specialty." Kakuzu asked after a moment of silence.

"...Well, I was too busy learning to fight from Hashirama Senju when I was young, so I missed out. Alright, hurry up, we still need to go find Onoki to haggle over the price," Shanks rambled on. Of course, he wouldn't tell Kakuzu that because of his ridiculously large arm, he could only learn to fight from Hashirama Senju, and he'd never seen anyone perform a sealing technique with one hand before, especially since there were so many hand seals involved...

“I don’t know this sealing technique either, but I have a better way.” After Kakuzu finished speaking, he took out a white bag from his ninja tool pouch and waved it in front of Shanks.

"What is this?" Shanks picked it up and looked at it curiously.

"This is a type of pollen that has become extinct. During the Warring States period, the Hagoromo clan used this to launch a sneak attack on the Senju clan, causing them heavy losses. If a person inhales this pollen, they will be paralyzed and fall into a coma. This kind of pollen has been extinct for decades. I only have this much in stock, otherwise I wouldn't be willing to use those billions." Kakuzu snatched it back like a treasure.

"Are you sure it'll work? This guy's a Jinchūriki." Shanks gave Kakuzu a thumbs up; this old relic really has a lot of stuff, all sorts of strange and unusual things.

434. This thing could even take down Hashirama Senju.

"Don't worry, this thing can even take down Hashirama Senju, let alone the Five-Tails Jinchuriki." Kakuzu patted his chest.

"That's amazing? He can even take down Hashirama Senju?" Shanks thought Kakuzu was exaggerating. If he were that good, there would be no point in fighting during the Warring States period; they could have just blown pollen.

"...I'm not exaggerating. Hashirama Senju was indeed defeated back then, and one of his brothers was killed by the Hagoromo clan at that time. Everyone knew about that back then," Kakuzu defended himself.

"He wasn't even using his powers when Hashirama's brother was killed." Shanks looked disdainfully at the pollen in Kakuzu's hand. He thought Kakuzu had some of that amazing stuff, so Madara could use it to test his skills after Madara's resurrection. All that bragging was useless; it could only defeat a young Hashirama.

"Enough with the talk, as long as it works." Kakuzu was too lazy to argue with him. He took a little pollen from the bag and sprinkled it into the Jinchuriki's nostrils. After the Jinchuriki inhaled so much pollen, Shanks wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway, as they would both be unconscious.

After dealing with the Jinchuriki, Kakuzu carried him and headed towards the Land of Earth with Shanks. Since they needed to wear down Onoki's patience, the two traveled slowly and stopped frequently, not rushing to negotiate with Onoki.

.......

"Why are you wearing this mask?" Two months later, when the two arrived at the border of the Land of Earth, Kakuzu asked Shanks, who was wearing a strange mask.

"Of course I don't want Onoki to know it's me. If he knew it was me, that guy definitely wouldn't pay a high price. I've already beaten him up a few times." Shanks shrugged. If you were to ask who hates him the most in the ninja world right now, Onoki would definitely be number one, even Obito would have to step aside.

"...Even if you wear a mask, people will still recognize you with that red hair." Kakuzu said speechlessly, pointing at Shanks' red hair.

"...Ahaha! Sorry, I got too excited thinking about having billions to retire with so soon." Shanks scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly, then used his transformation technique to appear in front of Kakuzu in Obito's form.

"...Very good, but your look is very familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before." Kakuzu looked at Shanks, who had transformed into Obito's appearance, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"So many characters in the ninja world have such classic looks, and you've lived for so many years, it's normal that you've seen them all. Don't worry about it. Go to Iwagakure and tell Onoki to come and negotiate with you. I reckon that red-nosed Onoki is definitely playing tricks again, secretly sending people to surround us. You negotiate with him openly, and I'll take care of his underlings secretly." Shanks didn't expect Kakuzu to have met Obito so early. He thought he wouldn't meet Obito until after he joined Akatsuki under the name Tobi.

"No problem." Having dealt with Onoki many times, he agreed with Shanks's opinion. Onoki was capable of hiring assassins to kill even the high-ranking officials of his own village. What else was he incapable of? Although their cooperation had been pleasant in the past, it was because the amount involved was relatively small, only tens of millions to a hundred million. This time, it was billions or even tens of billions. It wasn't that Shanks was unaware of the financial resources of the various villages in the ninja world; he had memorized the financial data of each village in the ninja world by heart.

In the ninja world, the village with the strongest financial resources is Sunagakure. Although their living environment is somewhat poor, they have a lot of gold dust. If we only consider gold, they are definitely number one in the ninja world. Konoha is only rich in fertile land and abundant resources, but in terms of wealth, it can only rank second.

The third village assigned to the region, Kirigakure, boasts excellent conditions and convenient sea routes. Although it has been closed off by Obito in recent years, smuggling has never decreased.

Fourth on the list is Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village). Their ninja tool research skills are comparable to those of the artists in the Land of Craftsmen. Plus, the Kumogakure ninja are all physically strong; they could become rich even if they went to farm...

Despite Onoki's extravagant spending, Iwagakure is actually the poorest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages when it comes to wealth. Although the village holds a unique position surrounded by natural defenses, this also restricts outside merchants. So, apart from a few jade traders who would travel to Iwagakure with great difficulty, they have practically nothing else. Moreover, it's all rocky, and even a small blade of grass can't grow. Their living conditions are comparable to Sunagakure. However, at least Sunagakure has gold dust that can be used as currency. Iwagakure's jade is basically just a bunch of pretty stones; it's expensive when someone needs it, and worthless when no one needs it.

Therefore, Kakuzu knew that Onoki was going to have to pay a heavy price this time, and if he were Onoki, he would also use some tricks.

"Kid, inform Onoki that I have a business deal to discuss with him. Tell him my name is Kakuzu."

After the two discussed it, Kakuzu went to the entrance of Iwagakure Village alone. After speaking to the "gatekeeper" of Iwagakure Village, he went to wait at the place where he used to trade with Onoki.

Meanwhile, Onoki was in the Tsuchikage's office, rubbing his sparse head with a headache. He had been gloating when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha a while back. Although only one insignificant "Red Sunset" had died, he was still happy that all of Konoha's buildings had been destroyed. After all, rebuilding the village would cost a lot of money. Konoha's current size cost more than it did to build the village in the first place. Back then, Hashirama Senju had to sell his Tailed Beasts to raise that much money. Although Konoha was very wealthy now, rebuilding the village still drained their coffers.

But his gloating didn't last long before he couldn't laugh anymore, because the Five-Tails Jinchuriki of their village had secretly slipped out of the village. Upon hearing this news, Onoki almost choked.

That's the Five-Tails! The most coveted tailed beast in their village. Back then, the First Hokage gritted his teeth and endured the heartache to buy it back from Konoha at a high price before Takigakure could. It's an important weapon of war! And now it's just slipped away without anyone noticing. How could he not be furious?

If they were captured by other villages, wouldn't all the money spent on buying the Five-Tails have been wasted? Moreover, the historical status of Iwagakure would be greatly reduced. Kumogakure and Kirigakure both have two tailed beasts, while Konoha only has one, but it's the Nine-Tails, the eldest of the tailed beasts. The previous ranking was Konoha, then Iwagakure or Kumogakure, and finally Kirigakure and Sunagakure.

If others knew that they had spent a fortune to buy the tailed beast and so many years to seal it away, only for it to escape in the end, what would outsiders think of Iwagakure? Their future rankings would likely become: Konoha, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, or Iwagakure.

Isn't this putting Iwagakure on the same level as Sunagakure? How can he possibly meet his two teachers, the First and Second Hokage, after he dies?

435. Communication among seasoned veterans

The Five-Tails escaped, so of course Onoki had to send people to capture it. He hurriedly dispatched elite Anbu members to the village to capture the Five-Tails, but the Anbu sent out the Shockwave team, and not a single one has returned. They're basically doomed. Three months ago, he almost had a heart attack when he heard the information the Anbu had uncovered: the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki had, of all people, gone to the Land of Fire! What was that bastard doing there? Didn't he know it was Konoha's territory? Putting aside everyone else, that bastard Shanks alone could beat the Nine-Tails to a pulp. Wasn't he just going to throw his life away?

Onoki was panicking. If the Five-Tails were captured by Konoha, the thought of that disgusting face of Shanks... Onoki couldn't bear to think about it. Finally, he thought of Kakuzu, with whom he had always had a good working relationship. Although Kakuzu had hunted down his son, Kakuzu's integrity remained. As long as the money was right, Kakuzu was reliable. So, Onoki had no choice but to reluctantly offer a bounty of 30 billion berries, hoping Kakuzu would be tempted by the money and help him take down the Tailed Beast before that bastard Shanks.

But he waited and waited, two months passed without a word, which worried him to death. Could it be that the price wasn't enough? Did Kakuzu not want to capture a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki for 3 billion? Onoki thought about it and it seemed to make sense. After all, although the Five-Tails Jinchuriki wasn't sealed perfectly, its strength was still formidable in the ninja world. If it went berserk, there were really few people in the ninja world who could defeat it. Kakuzu felt that the low price was normal, so Onoki raised the price to 5 billion. Looking at the list of bounties that the office had sent him, with so many zeros at the end, Onoki's heart was bleeding.

He'd pay up, even if it meant losing a fortune, just to get the Five-Tails Jinchuriki back. But even after he raised the bounty, so much time had passed, and there was still no news. Onoki was truly furious. That's why he hadn't brought his granddaughter to Tsuchikage-ro during this time, afraid of tarnishing his towering image in her eyes.

"Lord Tsuchikage! A man has come to the village entrance. He says he wants to discuss a business deal with you. Oh, and he says his name is Kakuzu." Just as Onoki was feeling troubled, the "gatekeeper" rushed in to report.

"Oh? I see. You may leave!" Onoki shuddered at the mention of Kakuzu's name, finally swayed by the offer. Although he didn't know why Kakuzu had come to him, he figured it was to negotiate a price. As a well-known businessman in the ninja world, he wouldn't trust anyone who didn't come to negotiate a price; everyone knew Kakuzu was a money-grubber.

Onoki composed himself. The biggest taboo in bargaining is not letting your opponent see through your thoughts, especially when facing this seasoned veteran who has been in the ninja world for many years. So Onoki spent a long time preparing in his office, then casually strolled out of the Tsuchikage's office to the place where he used to trade with Kakuzu.

........

"Lord Kakuzu, what business do you have to discuss with me?" Ōnoki said slowly as he arrived at the location and saw Kakuzu looking back at the cave wall, giving the impression that he wasn't in a hurry and that they could discuss things at their own pace.

"Hehe, Tsuchikage-sama has quite the composure. Your Five-Tails Jinchuriki has been on the run for almost half a year, and you don't seem worried at all." Kakuzu has been in the ninja world longer than Onoki, so how could he not see that this old man was just putting on an act?

"Ah, it's just a tailed beast. The strength of Iwagakure has never been built on tailed beasts." Onoki looked indifferent, as if one of their jinchūriki was dispensable in Iwagakure. In fact, if Iwagakure didn't have so few people to guard their home, he would have personally taken action to capture that disobedient little thing.

"I thought that since we've been working together for so long, we'd be old acquaintances and would be more honest. But since you're being so dishonest, let's wait until you're in a hurry to discuss business. Anyway, we can't find a Five-Tails Jinchuriki right now, so there's plenty of time." Kakuzu thought to himself, seeing that this guy was really getting into this act. When I was starting out, you were just a short, bald guy. Now you're trying to act tough with me.

"...5.5 billion, bring the Jinchuriki back for me." Seeing that Kakuzu really intended to leave, Onoki couldn't hold back any longer and immediately increased the amount by 500 million.

"...Lord Tsuchikage, I'll give you 5.5 billion, how about you capture a Jinchuriki for me that might go berserk at any moment? I, Kakuzu, have been in the ninja world for so many years, and my good reputation isn't because I'm stupid, but because I always believe in fair trade." Kakuzu looked at Onoki with disdain. If he hadn't partnered with Shanks, he would have taken the 5 billion too, but now that the two giants of the money-making world had teamed up to swindle 5.5 billion, he'd be laughed at, especially since he had a large family to support.

"Five billion eight billion, that's the most we can do." Onoki's eyes darted around, and he added another three billion.

"I didn't expect that the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, would lack such boldness. I imagine any of your high-ranking members are worth more than 5.8 billion. It seems the Tsuchikage doesn't value this enough. In that case, I'll take my leave." After saying this, Kakuzu turned and walked towards the cave entrance. He was extremely confident; only he could do this deal, and only he could succeed. After all, the Jinchuriki was already in his hands, and he could hand him over to Onoki whenever he wanted. Having the goods in hand meant he had nothing to fear.

"Wait, name your price!" Kakuzu was no longer flustered, but Onoki was in a panic. Who could blame him for not having any goods? If the Jinchuriki continued to cause trouble in the ninja world, Iwagakure would lose face big time. Currently, they were the only village that couldn't keep an eye on their own Jinchuriki, even worse than Sunagakure. Although Sunagakure's seal was a bit worn out, their Jinchuriki was still kept in the village and didn't go off to wander around. It wasn't easy for them to improve their historical status. Wouldn't that be like going back to square one?

"...Ten billion. You know the destructive power of the Five-Tails. Capturing it won't be easy. I can't handle it alone. I'll have to hire people to help. Just the sealing technique used by the Uzumaki clan in Konoha to temporarily seal the tailed beast already cost two hundred million." Kakuzu started rambling. Shanks doesn't have any sealing techniques at all. He only relies on his pollen, which has been extinct for decades. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been willing to spend this much money on this deal.

"100 billion? Why don't you just rob someone! Back then, our First Hokage and Hashirama Senju bought two of them for only 100 billion!" Onoki's little braid stuck up again. Kakuzu was treating him like a pig. If he really agreed to Kakuzu's request, his reputation as a cunning ninja would be for nothing.

426. Kakuzu, a giant in the financial world

"Lord Tsuchikage, that's not how you calculate it. Decades ago, a bowl of ramen only cost a dozen or so yen. Do you still see ramen costing a dozen yen a bowl now? The ninja world is experiencing severe inflation. Too much currency from various countries is chasing too few goods, and the ninja world's resources are dwindling, causing costs to rise dramatically and driving up general prices... Comparing purchasing power back then with now, 5 billion yen back then is exactly twice what it is now. Asking for 10 billion yen wouldn't be wrong." At this point, Kakuzu's years of economic knowledge finally paid off, leaving Onoki completely bewildered. He could understand the initial "a dozen or so yen for ramen," but the rest was like gibberish. However... he genuinely didn't know how much a bowl of ramen cost decades ago. He was a nobleman from the Land of Earth; he'd never eaten such lowly food.

Moreover, this Kakuzu isn't just a money-making tycoon; he's a financial giant! He's far more cultured than that bastard Shanks. Shanks only knows how to swindle people; he has no idea about such high-level knowledge.

"...10 billion is too much. Although there's inflation now, and many countries have too much currency, our Iwagakure village's wealth can't compare to those four villages because of our terrain. Our village's finances are always in the red. So...8 billion is our village's limit. You can do this business if you want, but if you can't, I'll have to take matters into my own hands, hiding the danger of our village being raided." Although Onoki didn't understand economics, he'd heard so many reports from his leader, Aoki Nozomi, over the years that he could take a few sentences and use them. Talking to intellectuals is exhausting.

"...Eight billion... Well, considering our years of cooperation, I'll give you a 20% discount. But you'll have to give me some time. The Five-Tails appeared in the Land of Claws last time and then disappeared again. You know how big the ninja world is; finding someone who's deliberately hiding is very difficult." They couldn't let Onoki know that the Jinchuriki was already in their hands. If Onoki found out, given his hot temper, he'd probably fight them. He was here to do business, not to fight. Who would turn down money? Besides, knowing Onoki's nature, there would be many more opportunities to cooperate with him in the future. They couldn't afford to offend a client.

"I hope you can do it soon. I'll prepare the money and wait for good news." Onoki also felt that Kakuzu was right. During this time, his Anbu had been searching for the whereabouts of the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, but there had been no news for so long. How could Kakuzu alone compare to his Anbu? Since the deal had been made, he could only wait. Losing money was better than his henchmen losing their lives.

But... when it comes to the transaction, maybe we won't even have to pay anything? They're really treating me like a pig...

Kakuzu didn't see Onoki's eyes darting around as he left, and Onoki didn't see the disdainful look Kakuzu gave him as he watched his retreating figure. These two cunning old foxes had survived in the ninja world for so many years for a reason; they were both full of tricks. However, Onoki didn't expect that Kakuzu wasn't fighting alone this time; there was another bastard he hated most who was also outmaneuvering him.

"So, how did it go? How much did you talk about?"

Shanks waited at the border for most of the day, and Kakuzu finally returned. Shanks asked impatiently.

“Onoki agreed to eight billion, but you’re right, that old fox has no good intentions. I’ve already got a few more tails after Iwagakure was built up before I even left,” Kakuzu said.

"Of course, ever since Tobirama Senju died, he's been the most cunning one in the ninja world. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi can't compare to him. It would be strange if he readily handed over eight billion. Let's stay here for a while and wear down his patience. I haven't been to Iwagakure for over ten years. You don't know how awful Onoki was when I came here. I saw that Iwagakure lacked entertainment, so I kindly tried to improve the lives of the villagers. That bastard actually kicked me out of their village. He's practically a dictator. The villagers of Iwagakure are really pitiful to have such a dictatorial Kage." Shanks looked heartbroken.

"...How did you manage to benefit those villagers?" Kakuzu asked curiously. He had heard the rumors that Onoki had banned Shanks from entering the country, but he didn't know the details. Now that the person in question was here, he could ask him.

"Back then, there was this incredibly popular Onoki series, but when I came to Iwagakure, I found that there wasn't a single copy. Moreover, Iwagakure lacked any entertainment facilities. Every villager spent their days eating, sleeping, and hammering stones, without a single smile on their face. I thought, 'The Onoki series is so popular, how come it wasn't sold in Iwagakure? Isn't that burying a classic?' So, I went to great lengths, even paying out of my own pocket, to bring this classic from the Land of Fire to Iwagakure, hoping to bring some spiritual comfort to those poor villagers. But Onoki thought I was trying to make money off their hard work, so he kicked me out of Iwagakure and forbade me from entering! Tell me, isn't Onoki going too far?!" Shanks continued spitting at Kakuzu, explaining the cause, process, and outcome of the events from his own perspective.

"...You're right, Onoki really...went a bit too far." What else could Kakuzu say? If he weren't his good brother, he would have slapped him long ago. The Onoki series was incredibly popular back in the day, and it was also his source of inspiration. But this bastard had guts to sell his albums on his own turf. The fact that he didn't fight back was probably because Onoki hadn't taken his meds that day.

"That's right, Kakuzu is truly my best friend. He's so sensible. Let's find a place to have a few more drinks," Shanks said with satisfaction.

.....

Afterwards, Shanks, disguised as Obito, wandered around the Land of Earth with Kakuzu, occasionally doing business, but only as Kakuzu's free henchman. Their teamwork was undeniably perfect; Kakuzu, the necromancer, deserved a tank like Shanks, capable of both offense and defense. The future immortal man could barely be considered a tank, but his physical skills were truly disappointing; he only knew the three scythe techniques. The reason he hadn't been killed for so many years was because his opponents didn't understand his abilities, and their firepower was always drawn to Kakuzu, the necromancer. Otherwise, the immortal man, lacking both brains and skills, would have been torn to pieces long ago.

437. I thought I was a superstar.

After spending more than two months in the Land of Earth, Shanks and Kakuzu felt that it was time to stop. Continuing to do so would be a waste of time, so they decided to collect their goods and go home. They were tired of the Land of Earth. As for the Jinchuriki, Kakuzu's pollen was indeed effective, and the Five-Tails was too afraid to move because of Shanks' presence. Every day, Kakuzu reluctantly sprinkled a little pollen on the Jinchuriki, and he didn't wake up for two months. He just stuffed soldier rations and eggs into his mouth every day to make sure he didn't starve to death.

Following the same procedure, Kakuzu instructed the gatekeeper of Iwagakure to inform Onoki that, due to the large amount involved, the transaction would be conducted at the border as a precaution. Upon receiving the notification from his henchman, Onoki immediately dispatched a large number of elite Anbu members to quietly surround the transaction site. He and Aoki Nozomi then carried sacks filled with money to the border.

"Lord Tsuchikage, the men we sent out to track Kakuzu haven't returned in the past two months, and we haven't heard of the Five-Tails appearing either. Could it be a trap?" Aoki Nozomi asked anxiously, carrying two sacks along the way. Logically speaking, a battle with a tailed beast should be an earth-shattering event, and such a massive scene couldn't possibly be kept secret from everyone in the ninja world. However, the ninja world has been peaceful for the past two months, and there has been no news of any fighting.

"...Don't worry about that. We've been cooperating with him for so many years, and Kakuzu's integrity is generally reliable. However, I'm really worried about the existence of someone in the ninja world who can capture tailed beasts. It would be best to eliminate him this time as well, to prevent the ninja world from being thrown into chaos by such people in the future," Onoki Masayoshi said earnestly.

"Lord Tsuchikage is wise, truly concerned for the safety of the ninja world." Aoki Nozomi said this aloud, but inwardly he was full of contempt. Wasn't it just because he couldn't bear to part with the 8 billion? Did he need to make it sound so nice? What a cheapskate! The Onoki family was the richest family in all of Iwagakure, but this time they hadn't contributed a single cent of the 8 billion. It was all thanks to the threats emanating from Onoki's gleaming white light that they, the higher-ranking families, had each reluctantly chipped in to scrape together the 8 billion. He had been swindled out of most of his fortune by Shanks during the peace negotiations years ago, and hadn't recovered in years. Now... He had to come up with over a billion yen. Aoki Nozomi was internally spitting blood. His family wasn't exactly a prestigious clan. It was only after Onoki helped him rise to power that his family began to be considered among the most prominent families in the Land of Earth. Now that his boss had spoken, he, as the underling, had to be the first to contribute money, even if it meant spitting blood. Although he and Onoki had a well-thought-out plan—that they would act immediately once they discovered that the Jinchuriki was in Kakuzu's hands, with nearly ten thousand elite Anbu members plus Onoki and himself, even the Third Raikage would be doomed—his eyelids had been twitching non-stop since this morning, and he felt uneasy.

"I knew this deal wouldn't go smoothly. That old sly Onoki is really cunning; he probably sent out all the Anbu. I'll go take care of them." The Iwagakure Anbu were detected by Shanks' Observation Haki when they were ten kilometers away from him. After Shanks finished speaking to Kakuzu, he disappeared.

Good heavens, while Onoki is cunning and domineering, his audacity far surpasses that of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Without even knowing Shanks' existence, he dared to send tens of thousands of elite Anbu to deal with Kakuzu. Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have done that. Given Hiruzen Sarutobi's personality, he would have simply sent his henchman, White Fang, with a small group of Anbu. More people mean more casualties, and that would inevitably affect his performance...

Those elite ANBU members were quite strong, operating in groups of three with various stealth methods. Without Shanks, Kakuzu would likely have been at a disadvantage. However, encountering Shanks' Observation Haki was disastrous; it was like a bright red dot on a map. Shanks used his Observation Haki to quietly flank from behind and then knock them unconscious with a single iron fist. Killing them was one thing; he was there to do business, not steal crystals. Besides, it wouldn't be appropriate for a max-level character like him to deal with these lowly minions—it would damage his reputation.

It took Shanks more than an hour to break through the encirclement formed by tens of thousands of ANBU. When he returned, he saw Onoki and his right-hand man Aoki carrying several sacks and chatting with Kakuzu.

"Lord Tsuchikage, I've finally fulfilled your request. Let's settle this with cash on delivery." Kakuzu's heart raced and his breathing became labored as he looked at the sacks in Onoki and Aoki's hands. Each sack was twice the size of a person. Although he didn't know why Onoki, that idiot, didn't use sealing scrolls to carry them instead, the visual impact was indeed greater than using sealing scrolls.

"I've brought all the money. Where's the person I asked for?" Onoki gestured for Aoki to put down the sack, opened one of the sacks, and let the banknotes inside slip out for Kakuzu to inspect.

"Lord Tsuchikage, please wait a moment. The Jinchuriki is with my companion. He's gone to take care of some things and will be back soon," Kakuzu said, his eyes fixed on the banknotes that Aoki Nozomi had shown.

Kakuzu's words startled Onoki and Aoki. This guy actually had companions? Wasn't he supposed to be a lone wolf? Anyone who could entrust their Jinchuriki to him with such confidence must be quite strong. At this moment, Onoki began to worry about whether the Anbu he had arranged were enough. During the negotiations, Kakuzu had mentioned wanting to find some companions to help, but Onoki had only taken it as an excuse to ask for more money. He hadn't expected that this guy would actually find companions to share the spoils with him. Kakuzu had always been a lone wolf for so many years; he had no idea who Kakuzu had any companions. Besides, were there any people in the outside world with the power to get someone like Kakuzu to seek cooperation?

"Haha, how could I keep Lord Tsuchikage waiting? I'm sorry, I ate too much last night because I was too excited and got a stomachache." Shanks appeared in front of the three wearing a mask exactly like Obito's, with an unconscious Jinchuriki on his shoulder.

Onoki and Aoki both turned their gazes to Shanks, trying to guess who this person was. Shanks's attire was extremely rare in the ninja world, and wearing a strange mask that only revealed one eye was even rarer. However, they had racked their brains trying to think of everyone, but they really couldn't figure out who this person was.

"Who are you? To be able to cooperate with such a renowned person as Kazuya, you must not be an unknown figure," Onoki probed.

"What?! The Tsuchikage hasn't heard of me? Looks like my fight with Shanks from Konoha back in the Land of Water was a waste. I thought I was a superstar if I could go toe-to-toe with Shanks." Shanks stared in astonishment at Onoki's shameless boasting.

438. It's more elegant to just pay.

"!! Oh? I didn't expect you to be that mysterious person from back then." Onoki and Aoki were shocked. They didn't expect Kakuzu's companion to have such a powerful background. They still vividly remembered the disastrous battle in the Land of Water. That mysterious person had caused them a lot of arguments. They never expected that it would be this guy with the strange mask in front of them.

"Haha, you can call me Shimura Hanzo. Don't you think my name sounds a lot like Shimura Danzo from Konoha? Actually, we're half-brothers! But in terms of strength, I'm more like the biological son, while Danzo was like a freebie that came with a phone plan." Shanks once again gave Danzo's father a free advertisement.