Chapter 85

Chapter 85

In a town in the western part of the Land of Fire.

Kakuzu carried a corpse on his back as he stepped into a public restroom. He stopped in front of a wall, touched it, then gave it a strong push, revealing a hidden door.

This was a bounty exchange office, commonly known as the black market.

"Right this way," said a bald man with a scarred face in a low voice.

He led the way inside, and Kakuzu followed him. The bald man opened a cabinet resembling a coffin and said, "Place it here."

Then, he picked up a file listing various bounties and flipped through it.

"Kozuki Momonosuke, right? You've done another big one, Mr. Kakuzu."

After confirming the identity, the bald man went to the back to get the money, returning with a suitcase that he handed to Kakuzu.

As expected, Kakuzu started counting the money, bill by bill.

"Any big bounties recently?" Kakuzu asked while counting, the scent of money giving him a sense of satisfaction.

"Most of the big ones have been taken care of by you, Mr. Kakuzu. But recently, there's a large bounty that I'm not sure if you'd dare to accept."

"Who?"

"Sakumo Hatake, 50 million ryo, and his students also have significant bounties."

"Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Third Hokage, 10 million ryo, and Uchiha Haneda, with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, 8 million."

Kakuzu listened to the bounties, weighing whether or not to take the job. Although he had Kage-level strength, going after someone like Sakumo Hatake on his own could be reckless.

At that moment, the bald man whispered:

"The ninja who killed the Third Kazekage is also targeting Sakumo Hatake, Mr. Kakuzu."

"Where is he?"

"In the Land of Wind, heading toward the Land of Rain."

Kakuzu was inwardly shocked. No wonder Sunagakure had been so active recently.

But what did any of this have to do with him? Kakuzu only cared about money, and he loved money above all else.

"A man strong enough to kill the strongest Kazekage is worthy of working with me. I'll take the bounty."

Two Kage-level fighters versus Sakumo Hatake—advantage, Kakuzu!

Kakuzu was confident he could bring Sakumo down in the Land of Rain. As for Haneda and Asuma, those two brats would simply add to the bounty collection.

...

Two and a half days later, Haneda's Team 9 arrived in the Land of Rain.

Unlike the Land of Waves, which was surrounded by the ocean, the Land of Rain was a country where it rained constantly, earning it the nickname "the Weeping Country."

The very name conveyed the oppressive life of its inhabitants. Ever since Hanzo the Salamander had sparked war during the Second Great Ninja War, the Land of Rain had been filled with orphans and crime. Gradually, the country had fallen into perpetual civil war.

Hanzo was now under constant protection, guarded 24/7, and frequently faced assassination attempts, as shown by his heightened security.

Stepping through the muddy streets filled with dirty rainwater, Yūhi Kurenai couldn't help but ask:

"Sakumo-sensei, how much further to the mission site? If we keep getting soaked like this, we're all going to catch a cold."

"Not much longer. According to ANBU intelligence, Hanzo is meeting Chiyo near Amanoki Town, which isn't far," Sakumo replied.

"Hang in there, Kurenai," Asuma encouraged.

To be honest, traveling in such a gloomy environment weighed on Asuma as well, but seeing that Haneda's expression remained neutral, Asuma steeled himself.

"Haneda-bro! What are you thinking about?" Asuma asked with a smile.

Haneda glanced at Asuma but didn't answer immediately. He was thinking about the Akatsuki, but couldn't reveal that information yet.

However, not replying at all seemed a bit rude, so he casually said:

"I'm just wondering when this country, which constantly cries, will stop shedding tears."

In other words, he was contemplating the Akatsuki's future.

"As expected of Haneda-bro, always thinking on a national level. You've got the mind of a future Kage!" Asuma said.

Hearing this familiar praise, Haneda turned his head and asked:

"Did your father say that?"

"No way! I've always thought that myself!"

Haneda studied Asuma for a moment, then silently shook his head.

While he did prefer to think from a higher perspective, that didn't mean he was willing to make the sacrifices a Kage would.

Suddenly, Haneda glanced at a tree in the distance, sensing something watching them. But when he looked directly, there was nothing there.

"Let's keep moving. The Land of Rain is full of all sorts of people, and if we get overheard, we might blow our cover."

...

Before long, the four of them arrived at Amanoki Town, their destination.

Unlike the towns in the Land of Fire, this place had a clear technological atmosphere. Steel beams and pipes were scattered throughout the town, and the tall buildings gave Haneda a sense of industrialization.

The town's drainage system worked well; there weren't any large puddles of water on the streets despite the constant rain.

"Let's find a place to stay. If there's time, we can relax at a hot spring," Sakumo said with a smile.

They had traveled for nearly three days straight, and with a little time before the mission began, it was best to rest while they could. The coming days wouldn't be easy.

Amanoki Town had few inns, and those it did have were located on the outskirts of town.

Sakumo found a relatively ordinary, slightly worn-down house for them to stay in temporarily.

Once they had settled in, Sakumo said:

"Not many outsiders come here. To avoid drawing attention, we should stay out of crowded areas."

"Kurenai, Asuma, freshen up, then get some rest."

"Haneda, come with me."

As soon as Sakumo finished speaking, Asuma couldn't help but ask:

"Sakumo-sensei, where are you and Haneda going? Can't I come too?"

"No," Sakumo shook his head. "I'm taking Haneda to the black market. It's not wise to bring too many people."

"You and Kurenai look too inexperienced. Anyone with experience would spot you immediately."

"Huh? Sakumo-sensei, I'm pretty good at makeup and transformation jutsu. Can't you bring me along?"

"Your eyes can't hide your lack of experience. Stay with Kurenai," Sakumo refused once again.

He handed Haneda a mask, then jumped out of the window.

Haneda could guess that Sakumo was heading to gather intelligence. After putting on the mask, he followed.

At the edge of town, there was a slum area close to the inn they were staying at. That was where the black market was located.

Entering the black market, there were about ten people inside. Most of them had swords at their waists; they were either wandering samurai or rogue ninjas, many of whom were missing-nin.

Sakumo led Haneda inside.

"One report on recent events in the Land of Rain," Sakumo rasped.

"Are you from out of town?"

The bald man behind the counter gave Sakumo a once-over. But as soon as his eyes reached Sakumo's, sweat broke out on his forehead.

"What would you like to know, sir?"

"Any major news from the Land of Rain," Sakumo said.

"The leader of Amegakure, Hanzo, is set to meet with Chiyo, an elder of Sunagakure. Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, is also expected to arrive, and Lord Orochimaru is leading a ninja force stationed at the border of the Land of Rain..."

"These are the hottest topics right now, sir."

The bald man handed Sakumo a price list. At the top was an item for 500,000 ryo, followed by 300,000 and 200,000.

***

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