Time passed quickly. It had already been more than a week since Hayato last reported his information.
The ninja patrolling inside the village didn't spot any suspicious individuals, nor did they discover any broken barriers.
Many people believed the assassin sent to kill Lord Kawaki had already given up upon realizing the difficulty of the task.
Even Kawaki himself paid it no mind. With time passing, he might even forget the whole thing entirely.
Konoha Village remained unchanged by this news.
"Boss, one order of raw beef liver and one monkfish liver."
A tall man wearing a mask and with green pupils sat down at the sushi restaurant.
It was already past dining hours, and the place was nearly empty, with only a few scattered customers.
"Coming right up, please wait a moment."
The shopkeeper wasn't surprised by the customer's choice—everyone has their own preferences; as long as he sells it, it doesn't matter what people order.
The tall man glanced around. He didn't see any ninja wearing Konoha forehead protectors inside the restaurant.
He relaxed slightly—it had taken him quite some time to sneak into Konoha unnoticed.
Looks like, for now, things are safe.
Thankfully, he had infiltration experience from years ago; otherwise, this wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
"You don't look like you're from around here."
Just then, the shopkeeper arrived carrying a tray and started chatting with the tall man.
This was only possible because business was slow—if he were busy, he wouldn't have time for small talk.
"Sharp eyes. I came to Konoha to check if there's any business opportunity."
The tall man showed no nervousness at all, remaining extremely calm.
But his green eyes never left the shopkeeper, watching intently.
If the shopkeeper made any abnormal move, he would strike without hesitation in an instant.
He had come here for a deal worth three hundred and fifty million ryō, and he absolutely could not afford to fail here.
He had already been humiliated once in Konoha during his youth—that was an unforgivable stain on his honor.
Though he always outwardly boasted about it proudly, who could truly understand what it cost him?
This time, he absolutely cannot lose face again—he must rise back up where he fell before.
If it hadn't been for needing to replace a heart shattered during that earlier incident, he would've returned to Konoha much earlier.
Decades had passed, and now he wielded the powerful secret technique [Earth Grudge Fear], and his strength was incomparable to what it once was.
He would never make such foolish mistakes again.
He vowed—never again!!!
"Well then, you've come to the right place."
"Our Konoha is full of opportunities."
The shopkeeper spoke with genuine pride, his smile clearly heartfelt.
After the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha received the largest war reparations.
With strong high-end combat power and a harmonious internal environment, Konoha stood now as the strongest among the Five Great Ninja Villages in every aspect of combat power!!
"Then I'll count on your good words."
"Having produced two [Gods of the Ninja World], Konoha does seem more prosperous than other villages."
The tall man kept nodding at the shopkeeper's words, feeding the man's pride.
"That's for sure! Lord Kawaki even dined here before."
The shopkeeper couldn't resist a bit of showing off—everyone in the village knows Lord Kawaki rarely eats out.
Any restaurant he dined at was considered a mark of excellence in the village.
Pity it was being told to an outsider—it meant nothing.
"Is that so?"
"
"Lord Kawaki must have quite the entourage whenever he travels."
The tall man pretended to be curious, hoping to discreetly learn more about Lord Kawaki's security details.
"Now you're joking, sir," the shopkeeper replied.
"Lord Kawaki doesn't need any ceremony—everyone in Konoha already knows him."
"Even when someone tried to assassinate him not long ago, there wasn't a single visible guard."
The shopkeeper gave the tall man a slightly disdainful look.
Typical outsider—not even aware of such a basic fact.
"So it is. I thought big shots always had people following them around."
The tall man chuckled awkwardly while secretly feeling pleased inside.
He didn't mind the information slipping out at all—it was exactly what he'd anticipated.
If Konoha's Intelligence Division couldn't even keep track of such things, they might as well shut their doors.
Kawaki Hatake, you'll soon pay the price for your arrogance.
"That's not the same. Kawaki isn't one for show."
"Besides, there's no need. That assassin hasn't dared show up for days now."
"He must've been scared witless and wouldn't dare return."
The shopkeeper laughed out loud as he spoke.
He probably wouldn't dare say these things if he knew who was sitting right in front of him.
Still not satisfied, the shopkeeper added a few more lines.
"Back then, some fool once tried to kill the First Hokage too—ended up running away defeated."
"I heard he couldn't even touch the First's robe. So ridiculous."
Upon hearing this, the tall man's eye twitched involuntarily.
He wanted nothing more than to unleash a jutsu and send this loose-tongued shopkeeper straight to hell.
They say never to insult someone by bringing up their failures—this bastard was pouring salt right into the wound!
"That person really overestimated themselves."
The tall man suppressed his anger—he couldn't afford to act rashly and ruin everything.
Back then, he was young and reckless—yes, naive—and he acknowledged it.
But it was all the fault of those despicable politicians from Taki Village anyway.
At that thought, his eyes turned fierce.
"Boss."
Just then, another customer entered the shop and called out.
"Be right there."
The shopkeeper responded loudly, preparing to leave.
He truly needed to thank whoever just came in; otherwise, his life would've been on the line continuing that conversation.
"Can't argue with that."
"You eat slowly. I'll go take care of this first."
This time, the shopkeeper avoided saying anything provoking.
"Sure, I'll enjoy tasting your cooking."
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Although the tall man had a very unpleasant conversation with the shopkeeper, he still forced himself to remain polite and friendly.
"Then please take your time, feel free to call me if you need anything."
The shopkeeper quickly left after speaking, afraid the new customer might grow impatient.
"Yeah, go ahead."
The tall man watched the shopkeeper leave, let out a few deep breaths, then picked up his chopsticks.
Two servings—nothing extravagant—but he devoured them quickly.
In the meantime, the shopkeeper didn't return to chat, which was fortunate for both parties.
After finishing his meal, he lingered a moment before finally rising to settle the bill and leave.
"Come again!"
The shopkeeper enthusiastically shouted behind him.
Without turning his head back, he raised his arm and waved.
This run-down place—there was no way he'd come back here next time.
Walking along the streets of Konoha, the tall man roamed aimlessly.
He glanced at the Hokage Rock, lingering long on Hashirama's carved visage.
Passing by the Hokage Building, he glanced from a distance but didn't dare linger.
...
After quite a while, he finally chose a seemingly run-down inn.
The place looked shabby, yet the shopkeeper exuded arrogance—with an air that screamed, "Stay or not—it doesn't matter to me."
The tall man actually found this convenient; at least no one would pay attention to his actions.
Before completing his mission, he decided to settle here temporarily.
Entering the simple room, he lay on the bed and gently tapped his own temples.
Killing Kawaki Hatake in Konoha still required careful planning.
It was impossible to kill him in public.
Even if he could overpower Kawaki, he couldn't take on so many Konoha ninja at once.
His immediate goal was to lure Kawaki out.
Thinking about this, the tall man developed a clear plan.
He would stir up some commotion, drawing Kawaki out.
Then with absolute strength, he'd bring back Kawaki's head to claim the three hundred and fifty million ryō bounty.
At the thought, a smile crept onto his face.
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