Bounty

In the eastern part of the Land of Fire, somewhere in the Mountain Country.

The person in charge of the underground bounty operation slowly removed a mission sheet from the bulletin board.

The treasures, stuffed into wooden chests, reflected an alluring luster in the dim candlelight.

He swallowed hard, but still closed the lid of the box and sealed it.

After tidying up, he neatly placed the task sheet that had just been removed onto the wooden box.

"Aren't we going to leave it hanging?" a companion asked.

"No need. It was that person who took on the task," the person in charge said in a low voice.

"Judging by the time, he'll probably be back soon. We'd better prepare the reward as soon as possible, lest we displease him."

Upon hearing the name "that person," a hint of worry flashed across his companion's eyes.

"After all, they're Konoha ninjas... Are they really alright?"

Ever since this task list was posted, his eyelids have been twitching nonstop, and he always felt that something bad was going to happen.

As one of the heads of the underground bounty office in the eastern part of the Land of Fire, he dealt with rogue ninjas every day and hadn't had this uneasy feeling for a long time.

"Hey, what are you afraid of?" the person in charge waved his hand.

"Only the living are Konoha ninja. Once they're targeted by that person, they're doomed. Do you think they can crawl out of their coffins and cause us trouble?"

His companion thought about it and agreed that it made sense.

After all, there has never been a bounty that Kakuzu couldn't complete.

I guess I've been too tired these past few days.

He rubbed his temples.

"Then you stay here and keep watch. I need to cool off; I'm really exhausted."

If it weren't for the huge bounty and the extremely sensitive nature of the target, he would have already slipped away to have some fun in the entertainment district.

"Okay, you go first, I'll be there shortly."

The two men exchanged a glance, revealing knowing, lewd smiles, and then made a hand gesture before going their separate ways.

The person in charge who stayed behind placed the wooden crate and task sheet on the table in front of him and sat down with a cheerful smile.

Once this task is settled, the commission he receives will be enough to buy a decent property in the city.

Then, my elderly mother will be able to live in a house that no longer leaks air.

Think about his peers in the village, who among them is doing as well as him?

Soon, soft snoring filled the room.

The man leaned against the wall and fell into a deep sleep.

...

Some tasks can be made public and assigned to ninjas from regular ninja villages;

Some, however, are too shameful to admit and can only end up in underground bounty hunter agencies. These two supply chains support most of the ninja world's freelance fighting force.

Despite being called underground, this place is anything but hidden.

This bounty hunting site in the eastern part of the Land of Fire is located deep within the most bustling "Le Street" of the Land of Mountains.

The merchants and travelers all knew exactly what kind of place this was, but no one felt anything was wrong with it.

After all, no one knows when they might need it.

For example, hiring someone to kill the father so that he can monopolize a certain concubine;

Or perhaps, they hire someone to get rid of their son so they can take over their daughter-in-law...

There have always been many such requests.

The rogue ninjas were happy to accept.

During missions, one can often find some fun to do along the way.

Around the bounty office, several shops with curtains sell supplies and special items to serve the ninjas who come and go, gradually forming a small market.

As a major taxpayer in the local area of ​​Shandu Kingdom, this place is even frequently patrolled by warriors who take the opportunity to clean up any troublemakers.

...

At this moment, Yang Xiang had already stepped into Le Street.

The shop owners at the entrance noticed the Konoha headbands on the group's foreheads and quickly closed and locked their shops.

"Hey, Yangxiang, I'm going to find some fun. Jiraiya, wanna come along?" Tsunade suddenly spoke up.

She had just caught a glimpse of a casino sign and couldn't resist the urge to grab it.

Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

He wanted to follow Yang Xiang and see what the young man would do next.

Tsunade pulled Nawaki away despite his resistance.

Those who remained included Yang Xiang, Jiraiya, and a few members of the Uzumaki clan.

...

The man inside the bounty office had a dream.

In his dream, he moved into a mansion in the city, hired servants, and married Xiao Mei, the girl his colleague loved most on Le Street.

The leader of the bounty operation knelt down and begged him to take over as the boss.

He waved the task sheet triumphantly and shouted:

"One head—five hundred taels!"

Snapped!

A human head crashed down in front of him.

A clear, cold voice rang out:

"How much is this one worth?"

He stared intently...

"This one... thirty-five million taels!"

It's not that he can actually remember all the bounty amounts.

But it was this face that he had just seen a few days ago.

Kakuzu, the rebellious ninja of Takigakure.

At that moment, those eerie glowing eyes were staring straight at him.

The man woke up with a scream.

Where did this mansion and beautiful wife come from... it was all just a dream!

thump.

A human head rolled onto the table in front of him, hitting a wooden crate and coming to a stop.

A fluorescent pupil was staring directly at him.

"ah--!"

The man collapsed to the ground, and it took him a long time to get up. Trembling, he confirmed that it was indeed Kakuzu's head.

Only then did he notice the people standing in front of the table.

Konoha's... ninja?

"Is this the bounty hunting ground?" Yang Xiang asked.

"Konoha ninjas... what are you doing here? There haven't been any suitable assignments for you these past few days." The man tried to remain calm.

"I'm not here to accept commissions."

The man felt a pang of panic, but when he caught a glimpse of Yang Xiang's intact Konoha headband, his courage returned somewhat.

"I only accept and post quests here. All other individuals, please leave."

"Then let me see what your mission is."

The man breathed a sigh of relief; as expected, he was a Konoha ninja who followed the rules.

He waved his hand impatiently: "I said no, and that's final. If you want to take on a mission, go back and wait for further notice."

Yang Xiang remained motionless, simply watching him quietly.

That gaze sent chills down the man's spine.

He hurriedly pulled out a stack of task sheets and shoved them into Yang Xiang's hand: "That's all! I'm not lying to you!"

Yang Xiang took it and looked through it with his eyes down.

He drugged and drugged the female teacher.

Secretly filming evidence of infidelity.

Recruiting male juicers.

……

"There really isn't anything suitable for me."

Yang Xiang nodded and reached out to pick up the task sheet that was placed separately on the wooden box.

"Hey! You can't look at that!"

The man at the bounty booth jumped up to try and snatch it, but Yang Xiang pressed him back into his chair with a single palm strike.

The paper clearly stated:

Four Konoha ninjas departed from Uzushio Village, passing through Mount Yuhe. Their fates were uncertain.

"And this," Yang Xiang's voice remained calm, "is it also one of your tasks?"

it hurts!

Yang Xiang's hand held the man's head firmly.

Hearing the question, he struggled violently, shouting, "Let me go! Someone posts a quest, someone accepts a quest. That's the rule of the bounty agency! Don't you know what you're doing, you bastard!"

"Hey! Konoha ninja! Do you want me to report you to the Hokage?! Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?!"

Yang Xiang released his grip with slight surprise.

He never expected that this person would have the audacity to threaten him.

Who gave him the courage?

Doesn't he know I know ninjutsu?

"Hmph! Those despicable Konoha ninjas, daring to cause trouble at the bounty hunting grounds! Don't they know where they are!"

The man rubbed his aching head and shouted:

"Guards! Throw them out!"

From the shadows, several figures wielding swords emerged and slowly surrounded them.

These were the shop owners who had hurriedly closed their doors outside just moments before.

Seeing the Konoha members surrounded, the man's face broke into a smug smile.

How many dirty jobs has the bounty agency handled for big shots over the years?

How could a few mere Konoha ninjas provoke them?

In the end, won't we still have to obediently submit to his blackmail?