Chapter 351
Kakuzu ultimately did not give Haruto Saito an answer.
Everything about the situation felt too surreal. He had come to kill Haruto Saito, yet now, Haruto was offering to set him free and even pay him a hefty salary. If the situation were reversed, Kakuzu knew he would never do such a thing. How could he trust someone who had just tried to kill him?
It was precisely this unusual generosity that made Kakuzu suspect an ulterior motive. That was why he didn't accept the offer immediately. Moreover, after analyzing the situation, he realized that he held some form of value to Haruto. Even if he refused, he wouldn't be executed—he would simply be imprisoned.
And he was right.
Haruto had no intention of letting Kakuzu die. He would keep him locked up if necessary.
There was no rush to gain his acceptance.
Haruto wouldn't be able to leave Konoha anytime soon. His plans to establish a shinobi village of his own would take at least another half a year before they could even begin. Furthermore, even if Kakuzu agreed immediately, Haruto wouldn't trust him. Not until he could be certain that Kakuzu no longer harbored malicious intent.
For now, Kakuzu remained in captivity.
Before leaving the ANBU base, Haruto instructed the medical-nin to treat Kakuzu's wounds and ordered that he be given proper meals—three times a day. The prisoner was to be taken care of.
*******
Word of the failed assassination attempt by five of the black market's top-ranked assassins spread like wildfire across the shinobi world within mere days.