32. Prey Offering Themselves

Zoro beats up the 5 idiots and hangs them upside down on a tree. Then he asks who they are.

"We are mercenary ninjas. Usually we take mercenary jobs, but we decided to hunt wanted nins after the war ends because their number increased a lot."

"These wanted nins usually come to black markets to buy or sell stuff. So we waited there and hunted them after they left the town because they are protected in the town. We've succeeded a few times, but then we mistook you for one of the wanted nins."

Zoro has just heard something important. The black market is protecting the wanted nins when they are inside the town. But once they leave, then their life and death are none of the black market's concern.

'Hmm, so some bounty hunters are aiming the wanted nins that come to the black market, huh? It's a good strategy, but they need to stay there most of the time. I want to visit places, so I don't want to stay in one place for too long.'

Still, it might be a good idea to visit black markets more often because then he will be able to find missing nins more easily.

Just then, he suddenly senses 2 people coming. They are stronger than these 5 idiots and he can sense their bloodlust even from afar.

The 2 are very fast and arrive in a short time. The 5 idiots look terrified when they see the 2 women who have very similar faces.

"N-no way!"

"The Goblin Twin!"

Zoro doesn't know who those 2 are, but it seems they are famous.

"Goblin? Who are they?"

"T-they are wanted nins from Iwagakure who are wanted for human trafficking."

"So they sell human organs?"

"N-no. They-."

"HAHAHA!"

The twins suddenly laugh sinisterly.

"Human organs? Hahaha! They don't sell much, kid. It's better to sell living humans."

"Especially ninjas. Our clients prefer living ninjas for their experiments. So don't worry, we won't kill you. HAHAHA!"

"I see, you guys sell people for experimental subjects, huh?"

Zoro nods while cutting the ropes that tie the 5 idiots.

"Hey, are they wanted?"

"Eh? Y-yes. I-I think Iwagakure placed a pretty high bounty on them."

"Alright, that's all I need to know."

Zoro withdraws all his swords to fight them. He tells the 5 idiots to leave because they will just get in his way.

"No one is leaving this place without our permission."

The twin dash to attack the 5 idiots. But suddenly a pair of slash attacks fly toward them, forcing them to block with their kunais.

"No one is attacking without my permission."

Zoro smirks while looking at the twins that become wary of him now. Those flying slash attacks actually pushed them back quite far and even broke their kunais.

"Who are you?"

"Your death."

"Hmph! You sure have a big mouth. Let's get him and chase those 5, little bro."

"Yes, big bro."

The twin makes a different set of hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Pythons' Coils!"

"Earth Release: Bedrock Coffin!"

A pair of pythons made of mud come out of the ground beneath Zoro and coil around his legs to stop him from moving. They bind him very tightly to crush his legs, but unable to do so.

As the mud pythons bind him, multiple rocks come out of the ground around Zoro. Then they move toward him with strong forces, burying him and trying to crush his body.

The twin grins, but then their eyes widen as their jutsus suddenly get cut into pieces. Zoro comes out of the rubble unscathed and walks slowly toward them.

"I thought you guys would be some challenges because you feel stronger than those 5 idiots. But you are just as disappointing."

"Damn! We tried to capture you alive, so we reduced our power, but it seems you want to die instead."

"Is that so? Then you should've gone for the kill from the beginning. Trying to capture me alive is already a big mistake."

Zoro lowers his stance and crosses his arms, pointing the swords in his hands straight to the sky.

"I always want to try using this in a real battle."

Zoro's swords suddenly seem to be twisting as if they are snakes. A faint phantom of a cloaked demon also appears above Zoro.

"Enbima Yonezu Oni Giri!" (Charm Demon Sleepless Night Ogre Cutter)

Zoro dashes forward at a very high speed and appears behind the twin almost instantly. Big cut wounds appear on the twin's bodies and blood sprays out of the wounds.

He passed between them and slashed both of them at the same time. His attack was also too fast for the twin. They couldn't even react and defend themselves.

But they are really strong. Even with big and deep wounds, they are still able to stand. Continuing to fight is another matter though.

Zoro quickly charges at them and stabs their hearts while they make some hand seals. They cough some blood before Zoro pulls his sword. Blood comes out from the stab wounds and they fall forward.

Their eyes are filled with disbelief and resentment as the light in their eyes dim. It doesn't take long for the twin to lose their lives because their hearts have been damaged.

"You should've aimed for their necks. It would end the fight immediately."

Torao comes out of Zoro's shadow and gives him advice.

"I thought the cut would be deeper. But it seems their bodies are quite sturdy. I need to increase my power as well. There will be more people with even sturdier bodies than them."

"And people who can react to your attacks."

"Right."

Zoro then checks his Bingo Books to find out about these 2. They are labeled as A-Rank missing nins, so their bounties are high. Each of them is priced at 1.2 million ryo.

"Hmm, they say that these 2 are quite high-level jonins. But their high prices aren't because of their strength. It's because of their crime records."

The twin has been capturing shinobis from different villages during the war to be sold as experiment subjects for unknown clients.

So those villages were pressuring Iwagakure to punish those 2. That's why Iwagakure placed high bounties on their heads.

Well, the reasons aren't important for Zoro. The rewards are more important for a bounty hunter like him.

He checks their belongings before storing their corpses in a scroll.

"Woah, they are quite rich."

Unlike his previous targets, these 2 have quite a lot of good items. They have quite a lot of money, good ninja weapons, a lot of supplies, and even 3 jutsu scrolls.

"Hmm, I don't know if these jutsu scrolls are good or not."

"Same here. Let's just keep them for now and decide what to do with them after we get more information."

They store the loot in Torao's storage jutsu instead of another scroll because it's safer. Then they leave to continue their way to get the bounty rewards.

Iwagakure is closer because they are still in the Land of Earth, so they will go there first then head to Kumogakure. Of course, Zoro will just sit on Torao's back after the cat transforms into the size of a tiger to avoid getting lost.

"Maybe we can finally enter Iwa now."

"Hopefully. But I don't understand why these 2 are still in the Land of Earth despite being wanted by their village."

"Who knows? Maybe someone was protecting them. We can ask Iwagakure later if you are very curious."

"That's not important, but sure."

They move quickly and reach Iwagakure the next day. Torao was fast, but he couldn't run forever. He needed to rest, so they camped for a night before continuing the next day.

When they arrive at Iwagakure, they are stopped by the guards. They need to be checked because not anyone is allowed to enter the village, especially outsiders.

"So you are a citizen of the Land of Iron? What's your purpose of coming here? Are you sent by your country?"

"Ah, no, I'm here to claim bounty rewards of 2 missing nins issued by Iwagakure."

"Eh?"

The guards are surprised because they never expect such an answer.

"W-which missing nins?"

"These 2."

Zoro opens one of his Bingo Books and shows the wanted twin's pictures.

"C-can we confirm it?"

"Are you in charge of bounty rewards?"

"Eh? No."

"Then I can't show it to you. I've been fooled by guards before, so I won't repeat that mistake again."

Well, it was a lie. It was actually his acquaintance's experience. That guy showed the wanted criminal's corpse to a guard, but then the guard took all the rewards instead after stealing the corpse and threatened the guy.

Zoro only says that to show that he has experience in bounty hunting so they won't underestimate him.

Luckily, it works and the guards call the division in charge of this thing. Soon, a scary looking man comes. Zoro follows him into the village. He finally can visit a hidden village.

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Chapter 52. Valley Battle

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