Chapter 41

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Chapter 41 Kakuzu: I Drove Uchiha Madara Into A Panic

Uchiha Madara said, "Hashirama, have you ever fought against this kind of thing? Did you win or lose against each other?"

What a joke! Such comments are not only an insult to Hashirama but to him as well!

Senju Hashirama wondered, "Who is he? I don't remember him..."

Kakuzu remained silent.

Hidan exclaimed, "Brother Kakuzu, you had a fight with the First Hokage, didn't you? Tell them about it; it'll scare them to death!"

Kakuzu replied sternly, "Hidan, shut up!"

Hidan persisted, "Didn't you say so? Though you failed to assassinate the First Hokage, he had no choice but to let you go!"

Senju Hashirama asked, "Did this really happen?"

Senju Tobirama added, "You're Kakuzu from Takigakure, right? I remember now. Your village issued a mission to assassinate my elder brother, but you lost to a shuriken and were driven away by my brother's burst of chakra."

Senju Hashirama realized, "Tobirama, after hearing what you said, I think there was such an incident!"

Uchiha Madara questioned, "Is that what you call a war with a clear winner and loser?"

Kakuzu remained silent, frustrated.

The live broadcast room was buzzing:

"Do you want my money? Make a suggestion, but you'd better protect your own money now."

Sasuke had a smile on his face underneath his mask.

"He brought out a Shadow Clone, what money is he carrying!"

"He just learned a new Fire Style jutsu from Mr. Kakashi, and now he's going to test its power."

Kakuzu frowned, puzzled by these comments.

Sasuke stretched out his palm and blew gently in Kakuzu's direction, sending a small flame towards him.

"What is this?!" someone exclaimed.

Kakuzu's face changed drastically.

"This looks like the Fire Style jutsu I know best, but it's so much more!"

Recalling what Sasuke said earlier, Kakuzu scrambled for his cash box, trying to retreat, but it was too late.

Boom! The small flame exploded into a terrifying sea of flames, engulfing Kakuzu and his cash box.

After a moment, a figure emerged from the flames, clutching a charred cash box.

Behind Kakuzu, a mask split open.

However, Kakuzu wasn't concerned about losing a life. Holding only the handle of the cash box, he felt his heart ache.

Orochimaru observed, "Sasuke's Fire Style is getting stronger. Such powerful ninjutsu doesn't even need a seal, and it's so effortless to release."

Terumi Mei questioned, "What's with that Kakuzu? Isn't he dead? The cash box is burned, yet he acts like everything is normal!"

Ohnoki explained, "Kakuzu from Takigakure is a traitor. They say he stole a Forbidden Technique from the village and defected."

Senju Tobirama joked, "Ha, now Kakuzu can boast about this in the future: 'I once made Uchiha Madara flee in embarrassment!'"

Uchiha Madara retorted, "Crazy!"

Kakuzu cursed, "God damn Uchiha Sasuke, I'll kill you sooner or later! He burned the bounty I just got!"

Uchiha Sasuke thought to himself, bewildered, "That's from another world. What does it have to do with me in this one?"

Sasuke's body retained memories sent back by the Shadow Clone.

He sighed inwardly. The underground black market had offered no information. What should he do next?

"Well, don't worry, let's sort out my thoughts," Sasuke murmured to himself, frowning as he began to think.

The Uchiha extermination was a significant event, even from the scope of the ninja world. If the underground black market had no news, then the only individuals who would be aware of the pertinent details had to be the involved parties and Konoha's top officials.

Considering Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke ruled him out. As for Konoha's senior executives, Sasuke wasn't strong enough to confront them yet.

"Perhaps, I could try a more indirect approach. A ninja with a certain status in Konoha should have some information that I don't," Sasuke reasoned, his eyes flickering with thought.

The person who came to mind was Kakashi.

Kakashi was the disciple of the Fourth Hokage, a hero of the Third Ninja World War, and the number one Jonin in Konoha. It was clear that Kakashi had close ties to Konoha's leadership.

"The question now is, can I trust Mr. Kakashi with this matter?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

This was crucial. Though he had observed Kakashi for quite a while and understood that he was dependable, what Sasuke sought was sensitive information on the Uchiha genocide. If, just if, Kakashi were to relay their conversation to the Third Hokage, Sasuke's situation would become perilous. He couldn't let the village know he was searching for the truth behind the genocide.

"That's to say, I can't directly contact Kakashi. I need an intermediary to protect myself," Sasuke concluded as he rapidly formulated his plan.

Hatake Kakashi asked, "Would you actually seek me out?"

Seeing Double Sasuke's appraisal of him, Kakashi felt a bit relieved. He had gained the other's trust to a degree, but he also knew it was natural that Sasuke wouldn't fully trust him regarding the genocide.

Uchiha Sasuke exclaimed, "Kakashi! Do you know anything?!"

Everyone in the chat room was curious.

Could Kakashi, the leading figure of Konoha's new generation, hold any information?

Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart clenched. Did Kakashi know the secret of the Uchiha genocide? No, it was impossible; he had never discussed it with him!

Kakashi responded, "Although I would like to answer you, I genuinely don't know anything."

Sasuke from another world had misunderstood. Kakashi didn't have any leads.

Orochimaru pondered, "Sasuke isn't going to ask directly, so what is his plan?"

A direct question might get an answer from Kakashi, given Sasuke's status as his student. But with an extra layer in between, how could Kakashi reveal the truth?

Everyone grew curious about the actions of the alternate world Sasuke.