Chapter 206 : Bounty List!

As the deacon stared into Takeshi's scarlet eyes and confronted his fierce expression, an involuntary gulp escaped him. Nevertheless, he maintained a steady gaze at Takeshi.

"..."

"Um?"

"Hello... about the evidence of you eliminating the target?"

The deacon forced a stiff smile, bravely posing the question.

Ordinarily, when bounty ninjas take down targets, don't they all "raise their heads" in pride? Why is this guy seemingly oblivious to that?

"Oh? That thing? Accidentally let my Summoning beast consume it."

That swift escape warrior was a valuable resource; his life held more significance than the bounty itself. If it were just any ordinary merchandise, Takeshi wouldn't consider handing over the body with the bloodline limit!

Takeshi nonchalantly spoke, paying no mind, and then his tone turned icy, "Why? Can't you trust me?"

A formidable pressure bore down on the hapless deacon. Armed only with the strength of a Chunin, he struggled against the mental coercion surpassing even the shadow level. Beads of sweat, akin to beans, dripped down.

"...cough, no, of course, I wouldn't dare doubt you. However, following the rules, without evidence of the target's demise, you'd only receive half the bounty. Given the current chaos outside, proving it becomes a challenge..."

But as the deacon uttered this, he caught sight of Takeshi's indifferent demeanor and was taken aback. He quickly continued, "...Of course, considering your strength and status, I'm willing to offer an advance payment!"

"Um."

Takeshi responded casually, and the deacon scurried to assist him, as if granted clemency.

"Damn, this arrogant guy, a Uchiha traitor still acting so brazenly. He'll meet his end soon...!"

The deacon cursed under his breath, then promptly brought forth the money and documents, adopting a fawning expression, "Sir, you may count them; they're all here!"

"Um."

Takeshi took the money pouch nonchalantly, pocketing it without a glance. Money was of no concern to him; with Hiruko's backing, he had no shortage of funds.

Takeshi merely desired to portray the role of Uchiha Dragon as an arrogant individual to sow confusion among the public. As for playing the part of Uchiha? As long as he pretended to have an arrogant nature, and maintained an air of superiority, even without the Sharingan, some might believe it...

Playing the character of Uchiha Dragon, Takeshi portrayed him as a member of the Uchiha clan who left due to dissatisfaction during Konoha's establishment, embodying a rebellious spirit. Besides the mask, he opted not to wear the Konoha forehead protector with the slash symbolizing rebellion.

"Hmm... there's been an increase in orders lately."

Takeshi examined a lengthy bounty list with keen interest, searching for his next prey.

The information about targets in the black market was far less detailed than that of Konoha. At times, it was vague, and occasionally misleading. Some newcomers met an early demise due to their ignorance.

For instance, the samurai named Hiro, whom Takeshi had dispatched, was listed with the strength of a Jonin. The reward document stated that he once clashed with a Jonin in the Land of Rain, holding his ground and retreating competently, leading to the conclusion.

Upon witnessing such an outcome once more, Takeshi could only chuckle wryly. Ninjas hailing from places like the Land of Rain were primarily assassins. How could their true capabilities match those of regular ninjas from the five major countries? 

Moreover, the samurai possessed Swift Release, granting him a chance to confront a Chunin within a short span. The one responsible for his demise was rumored to belong to an organization in the Land of Rain.

Nevertheless, this wasn't all negative. According to a survivor of a specific bounty mission, they intercepted a shipment and effortlessly eliminated the guards from a certain country, invited by the employer. 

Just as a few individuals believed the situation was under control, a child clad in a lower-grade ninja outfit suddenly dashed away, and upper-level ninjas descended from the sky. It was truly terrifying.

After further investigation, it appeared that the genin in that location were exceptional. Typically, those lacking enough talent to advance sought alternative means to promotion, resulting in genin who were either scoundrels or prodigies. From then on, the surviving individual regarded that place as a formidable adversary—something to be cautious of.

Takeshi sighed and resumed his quest for pertinent information.

As for what constituted valuable information and why Takeshi went after that warrior, it was the outcome of Takeshi's meticulous examination and thoughtful analysis of the situation. The information revealed no warrior with a little-known Bloodline Limit as described by the employer.

Market information about the mission target was more trustworthy than not, serving as a reference, while some clues unveiled the target's "specialty."

Half of the target information bore the employer's comments, and aside from the proxy power's mission notes, many employer remarks were nonsensical. The other half originated from the black market's intelligence network, which was fairly reliable. Some friendly comments from fellow bounty ninjas also existed, their authenticity contingent on the individuals' characters.

It might be incredulous, but beyond the samurai's remarks, some black market "peers" acquainted with him also commented: "This is a man of the same mold," "Agile hands and feet," "Master of single-handed combat for × × years," "Swift," "Fleet as the wind," and the like.

Naturally, Takeshi opted for him as the best available target, marking the capture of the first wild Bloodline Limit ninja by Takeshi.

Capturing those **** ninjas in the Great Ninja Village wasn't impossible, but the risk was too high. The Five Great Powers occasionally hired potent mercenary ninja organizations to aid in battles, not only being convenient but also reducing casualties in their own villages.

However, earning the funds of a large country wasn't a straightforward task, and due to their strength, they might easily turn hostile. Bloodline Limit ninjas were well-guarded by various clan. Even if not as stringent as the Hyuga, they treated their corpses with great care. A lone wanderer like Takeshi had no chance for the time being.

"Well... I've undertaken numerous missions to eliminate ordinary ninjas and even jonin, yet I haven't come across any information about ninjas with special abilities..."

Takeshi shook his head. Just as he was contemplating purchasing some information, he stumbled upon something that surprised him.

"To claim the bounty on the Kaguya clan, is a complete corpse necessary?"

Takeshi furrowed his brows; it was truly uncommon for a bounty to demand a complete corpse.

He then perused some bounties recently brought by the deacon.

"If you seek a bounty on the Senju Clan, is a living specimen preferable?"

Takeshi stared at the increasingly serious bounty lists in front of him. Bounties were not an uncommon occurrence in the ninja world, ranging from individuals to Kages, and even tailed beasts. It was a practice reminiscent of the Warring States Period.

However, what caught Takeshi's attention were the unique characteristics of the bounties he found intriguing. The Uchiha clan corpses were demanded in their entirety, and the Hyuga clan ninjas needed to be captured alive. The lack of specificity about the individuals and the reasonable rewards piqued his interest.

"Oh, my lord, these are long-term tasks that have been open for many years," the deacon explained casually as he observed Takeshi's contemplation.

"I don't know who issued these tasks. Normal bounties only require kills. These ones are quite demanding," the deacon added, shaking his head. "The higher-ups instructed us not to retract these tasks, but hardly anyone has taken them, and no one has come to claim the rewards either. After all, dealing with those formidable ninjas isn't child's play. I took advantage of the chaos in the ninja world to bring them to the forefront..."

Takeshi remained calm. He inquired, "Do you know when these tasks were posted?"

The deacon hesitated before responding, "Well... it's not convenient to disclose, but honestly, it's been quite a long time..."

Takeshi fell into silence. The person behind these tasks seemed to have a particular interest in these bloodlines, especially the Hyuga clan members, perhaps out of fear that a caged bird might turn destructive.

Initially, Takeshi had assumed that these tasks, exchanging corpses for money from black market came a long time ago. They should be tsks originated from Orochimaru, Amachi, Hiruko, or even "scientists" like Tanuki Shigaraki, as per the original book. 

Although Kakuto was a member of the Akatsuki organization, it seemed that the organization itself wasn't overly concerned with these corpses. Of course, it was possible that Kakuto himself was unaware.

The publishers of these tasks raised suspicion. The origin and motives behind these tasks, posted long ago, remained unknown. Takeshi wondered about the angle from which they approached, questioning who issued these tasks and what drove them.

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