"Chizan, what are you trying to do?"
"Do what? Hmph, that old geezer chased me all the way here. If I don't make him rack up a few hundred million in debt, how could I live with myself?"
Gekko Chizan let out a displeased snort and took the lead walking toward the town.
...
The Land of Lightning was filled with tall mountains, and the town ahead was located on the outskirts of Kumogakure's territory, backed by a large mountain. It looked rather prosperous.
Even though the frontlines were ablaze with war, the interior of the Land of Lightning remained peaceful.
Upon entering the town, Gekko Chizan didn't pause for a second and headed straight for the moneylender's.
"Yo, aren't these the noble shinobi from Kumogakure?"
"Looks like things are going well on the frontlines."
The moneylender was a slightly plump middle-aged man. When he saw they were shinobi from Kumogakure, he immediately plastered on a friendly smile.
The war had spread across the entire ninja world, and even civilians like him kept a close eye on how things were going.
"No way Iwagakure and Konoha can withstand our advance."
"Boss, we came here today because we have a matter to deal with."
Gekko Chizan imitated A's tone, his voice loud and forceful, his presence commanding, making the boss nod repeatedly.
"I'm a jōnin from Kumogakure and the son of the Raikage. The frontlines are in urgent need of funds, so Raikage-sama has instructed me to temporarily borrow some money from nearby towns. I hope you'll cooperate."
The boss froze instantly. They were just here to ask for money directly?
"You don't trust me?"
"No, no, not at all. You're all shinobi of our Land of Lightning—how could I not trust you?"
"Then how much money can you put up?"
Gekko Chizan crossed his arms and smiled.
With A's face and physique, he looked exactly like a bandit leader.
The clones behind him all followed his example, looking like a group of thugs.
"Sir, you must be joking. If it's Raikage-sama's request, of course I'll support it."
"But I'm just a small moneylender—I don't have much cash on hand."
The boss was still skeptical. After all, this was his first time experiencing someone demanding money in person.
"Hmph, we're fighting tooth and nail on the frontlines. Isn't that for the prosperity of our Land of Lightning?"
"Bring me pen and paper. I'll write you an IOU. Once the frontlines stabilize, I'll personally return the money!"
"Let me tell you, the Konoha garrison in the Land of Hot Water has already been wiped out by us. We're only asking for money to stabilize the situation there. Raikage-sama wants to personally support the Land of Hot Water to strengthen our ties. Otherwise, if it were up to me, their wealth would already be ours!"
"This is basically a sure-profit deal. Once the Land of Hot Water stabilizes, their wealth will become reserves for our Land of Lightning. Are you really worried I won't repay you?"
Gekko Chizan's nonsense flowed smoothly. But it was precisely this kind of grand nonsense that made the boss's eyes shine with gold.
The Land of Hot Water was a great place, home to the best hot springs on the continent. The annual revenue had to be hauled by wagons.
"Hey! What are you saying, sir? For the prosperity of our Land of Lightning, even my tiny moneylender business must contribute."
"Here—this is an IOU for 50 million ryō. Sign it, and I'll bring the money immediately!"
Gekko Chizan took it without even reading and wrote down in big bold characters: Kumogakure, Son of the Raikage, A.
"Is that enough? If not, take a photo too. You can come find me for the money later."
He spoke with disdain, but in the boss's ears, it was music.
"If you're willing to cooperate, that's best."
"Go ahead and take the picture. We Kumogakure shinobi conduct ourselves openly and with honor—what, are we afraid of you?"
Chizan's mimicry of A's attitude and expressions wasn't 100% perfect, but it was close—at least 99%.
Other than not being the real person, there wasn't a single flaw.
Click! The camera shutter snapped, the photo was taken, and the money box was delivered—whoa, it was heavy. No surprise—it was 50 million ryō.
"By the way, boss, do you have a map of the surrounding area? I left in a hurry and forgot to bring one."
"I still have to check out some other towns."
The boss quickly nodded and had someone bring over a map of the Land of Lightning.
Maps were standard in every town for convenience.
With the money box in one hand and the map in the other, Gekko Chizan led his clones away in high spirits.
The boss stayed behind, smiling as he stared at the IOU and photo, feeling overjoyed.
...
The moment Gekko Chizan got the money, the system's prompt sounded.
[Ding! The host tricked Raikage-sama's son A into taking on a debt of 50 million ryō. Requirement met. Bonus: +10 chakra.]
With the money in hand and a reward to boot, Gekko Chizan felt like he was about to take off from happiness.
"Chizan, what do you need so much money for?"
"Didn't we already have tens of millions at home?"
Chōmei couldn't understand what Gekko Chizan was doing.
The latter let out a cold laugh and began to explain.
"Chōmei, whose money do you think I'm holding?"
"The Land of Lightning's, of course."
"Exactly. Stuff the enemy's wealth in your own pocket and leave them drowning in debt—how genius is that?"
As he spoke, Gekko Chizan checked his account.
According to the system, his current funds were: 146 million.
Still more than 300 million away from 500 million, but at this pace, he'd get there fast!
...
Just then, more system prompts appeared.
[Ding! Host caused the Eight-Tails jinchūriki Killer B to go berserk, severely damaging Kumogakure forces and wreaking havoc in the Land of Hot Water. Bonus: +5 chakra.]
[Ding! Due to the Eight-Tails' rampage, countless Kumogakure jōnin were killed or injured. Elite jōnin Dodai lost an arm and suffered severe emotional trauma. Bonus: +5 chakra.]
Wow, double the joy.
These rewards made Gekko Chizan's mind wander. It seemed the Eight-Tails rampage had already ended.
And the damage far exceeded expectations.
But Dodai losing an arm? That was unexpected. And why would losing an arm cause severe emotional trauma??
He dismissed his clones, and in a puff of smoke, began poring over the Land of Lightning map.
Soon, he locked onto another town just 30 kilometers away.
...
Meanwhile, behind him, chaos was still unfolding.
At Kumogakure's station in the Land of Hot Water, after a night of fierce battle...
The Eight-Tails incident had finally been resolved.
But Kumogakure's losses were devastating.
Killer B was still unconscious, surrounded by guards afraid he might rampage again.
A wasn't in great shape either—his body covered in wounds, his injuries still seeping blood.
One of his eyes was swollen shut, and his right arm was broken.
"Damn it, B, you bastard—why did you go berserk?!"
"Even the Seal couldn't suppress the Eight-Tails properly?!"
"Dodai, how are you doing?"
A asked with difficulty, looking toward his comrade—Dodai looked even more miserable.
His right arm was completely gone, dripping with blood. His abdomen was also bleeding. Three medical-nin were frantically trying to treat him.
"I'm fine. Just lost an arm. No big deal."
"But when I get the chance, I'm gonna have a talk with B—why the hell did the Eight-Tails bite me...?"
Dodai trembled as he spoke. Apparently, his right arm had been bitten off by the Eight-Tails...