019 Underground Bounty Exchange

"The Bounty exchange! It's a Bounty exchange!" The bandit said in a panic, fearing that if he took too long to answer, Simu would hurt him. 

"A Bounty exchange? That sounds unusual." Simu stroked his chin, his eyes filled with a dangerous intensity.

"Yes, it's the Bounty exchange," the bandit quickly replied. 

"It's about ten kilometers that way, underground. We send all the children we capture to that market in exchange for money." 

Simu adjusted his sunglasses slightly.

"That's quite a profitable business. It sounds like they're making a lot of money," 

Simu said, lifting the bandit with his toes. "If that's the case, would you kindly accompany me for a walk?" 

He picked up the bandit with one hand and kicked the other bandit toward Kushina. 

"Kushina, please kill him." 

"I?" 

Kushina was momentarily taken aback.

She thought Simu would do it himself, so she was surprised when he ask her to kill the bandit

She looked at Minato for help.

The latter took out a handful of kunai and handed it to Kushina.

"Go ahead, you can do it" 

Minato patted her on the shoulder.

Obviously, he agrees with Simu's idea.

The main goal of this mission was to let their team see blood and experience killing an enemy firsthand. 

Simu had already taken down a large group on his own, so did Minato, leaving only Kushina. 

She swallowed hard and accepted the kunai from Minato.

Kushina clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly as she swung the kunai at the twisted bandit in front of her. 

"Stabbed."

The sharp blade easily pierced through his fragile skin. Bright red blood gushed from his throat, splattering her face. 

The air was filled with a terrible mix of burning, blood, and excrement.

Kushina gripped the blood-stained kunai tightly, watching as the corpse at her feet grew colder by the moment. 

A sudden wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. 

She clenched her teeth, using sheer willpower to suppress the discomfort.

"Huu..." 

Kushina looked at the blood on her kunai and then glanced at the children sheltered by the coat of justice. 

Her eyes slowly filled with determination, as if something in her mind had shattered. 

At that moment, she felt transformed.

She was no longer the redhead who faced discrimination at ninja school, dreaming of becoming Hokage. 

Instead, she had become a real ninja, forged in blood and fire. 

Simu nodded slightly, acknowledging that for a girl who had never seen blood before, being able to do this is pretty good.

Minato sensed Simu's intentions and quickly tried to persuade him. 

"Simu, we don't know enough about the bounty exchange. Shouldn't we gather more information before we act?" 

He was aware that many mercenaries operated in the black market, with Kakuzu being a well-known figure who would later join the Akatsuki organization.

Kakuzu was the man who had fought against the First Hokage and lived to tell the tale. 

"If we wait to gather information, those children might be gone," 

Simu said casually, waving his hand. 

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." 

In an instant, he grabbed the bandit and transformed into a flash of light, rushing into the forest. 

With a few quick movements, he vanished from Minato and the others' sight.

All that remained were the bandit's panicked screams. 

"Simu..." Minato's arm froze in mid-air. 

Jiraiya, who had been lurking in the shadows, frowned and stepped forward. 

"What a mess," 

Although Simu is strong, the mercenaries in the Bounty Exchange are ruthless and skilled ninja, some even with Jōnin-level strength. 

If Simu encounters them, it could be dangerous. 

"You take these children back to the village, and I'll go after that kid"

"Okay." 

Minato wanted to join Jiraiya to support Simu, but he decided to stay behind to protect Kushina, who might be in danger alone. 

Simu was running quickly, and the bandit he carried was suffering. Not everyone has Simu's incredible strength to endure such a fast pace.

When Simu finally put the bandit down, he collapsed on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably. 

"Where is the exchange?" Simu asked coldly. 

The bandit, terrified, quickly swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and pointed to a large dry tree nearby, and said:

"Right under that tree hole," the bandit replied, looking up with hope. 

"Can you let me go, please?" 

What met his gaze was a blinding light.

"There's no need for mercy with scum like this," 

Simu told himself. He shoved his hands in his pockets and gazed at the hole in the dead tree. 

"It's well hidden, and I can sense something dangerous inside."

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TO BE CONTINUED

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