At the northern border of the Land of Fire, a shadow flickered through the trees.
Kakuzu's black cloak billowed like a specter under the moonlight as he silently infiltrated a merchant caravan's campsite under the cover of darkness.
The caravan's guards, which are a mix of Rogue Ninja and Samurai, were gathered around a campfire, polishing their weapons, completely unaware that death had already descended upon them.
Kakuzu's Earth Grudge threads slithered through the night, five dark tendrils precisely wrapping around the throats of the three nearest Rogue Ninja.
Most of these Rogue Ninja were only at Genin-level, and the Samurai were even worse… While they are competent enough against bandits and civilians, against an Elite Jonin like Kakuzu, they might as well have been vegetables waiting to be chopped.
"Enemy attack…!" The desperate warning was cut short as blood splattered across the tent canvas.
The entire camp erupted into chaos. Guards were slaughtered before they could even catch a glimpse of their assailant.
"Damn it! Who's there?!" The leader of merchant group stumbled out of his tent, his face twisting in horror as he took in the sight of his burning goods.
As for the dead and injured Rogue Ninjas, Samurai and caravan members, including the captain of the Rogue Ninja, who was pierced by an earth spear, they meant nothing to him.
But those goods were worth a fortune!
Whoosh-
A kunai embedded itself into the ground right between his feet, pinning down the [Sakamoto Trading Company] flag and nearly taking off his toes.
"You have three days to leave the Land of Fire." Kakuzu Kakuzu's cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, his raspy voice sending a chill down the leader of merchant group's spine.
"Y-You bastard! I have a trade permit granted by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!" The leader of merchant group shrieked.
"Then I'll just have to kill you." Kakuzu took out a kunai and slowly walked towards the leader of merchant group.
The cold steel reflected the flames around them, his green eyes gleaming with murderous intent. The entire camp was ablaze, limbs and corpses scattered everywhere, the agonized screams of the wounded filling the air.
The leader of merchant group's legs finally gave out. He collapsed into a puddle of his own urine, wailing, "I-I'll leave! Spare me, please…!"
"Hmph." With a disdainful snort, Kakuzu vanished instantly.
The leader of merchant group sat in the blood-soaked dirt, staring blankly at his burning goods, feeling as though the sky itself had fallen.
…
Land of Fire, the capital.
Inside the Gato Company's headquarters, crystal chandeliers illuminated the account books with perfect clarity.
When Kakuzu barged in through the window, Gato was hunched over his desk, squinting through his tiny glasses as he calculated a particularly large sum.
"Hey hey hey! Can you stop coming through the window every time?! This is the seventh time you've broken it!" Gato looked up, his bespectacled face full of complaints as he saw Kakuzu, covered in dust from his journey.
Before he could finish speaking, a heavy scroll landed on top of the account book on the desk.
"The Sakamoto merchant group has been dealt with."
After hearing Kakuzu's mission report, Gato quickly picked up the scroll and muttered, "You didn't kill him, right?"
Though the head of the rival merchant group was just an ordinary person, in this chaotic world, any major merchant operating across nations had noble backing… or even connections with certain Ninja Clans.
So Kado had only intended to drive them out and burn their goods, thereby increasing the value of his own merchandise.
No noble lives were lost, so the repercussions wouldn't be too severe.
Of course, if things escalated to a life-or-death struggle, Gato wouldn't hesitate to order a full massacre, or even wiping out the entire rival merchant group!
A man who could become a global tycoon in such turbulent times was no saint.
"Same as always. After the warning, he agreed to leave the Land of Fire, so I spared his life." Kakuzu sat down on the sofa across from him, leaning back comfortably.
"Money." His green eyes then fixed on Gato.
"Don't worry, you'll get your share!" After verifying the commercial secrets scroll seized from their competitor, the Sakamoto Trading Company, Gato pulled out a box from under the desk and personally handed it to Kakuzu.
Since joining the organization and serving under that person, the two had become partners.
Gato primarily operated within the Land of Fire, establishing companies in major cities and expanding trade into surrounding smaller nations and the Land of Lightning to amass wealth.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu not only protected Gato's safety but also handled his competitors.
Though Kakuzu's fees were high, he always completed his missions flawlessly… whether it was burning down a rival company, slaughtering a merchant convoy, or hijacking their ships.
In short, Gato found Kakuzu extremely cost-effective, far superior to those boastful Rogue Ninja and Samurai!
"Hmph." Kakuzu opened the money box, pulled out a stack of bills, and began counting meticulously.
His happiest moments were when he was counting money.
Kado was used to his partner's habits. Though he was greedy himself, even exploiting Rogue Ninja and Samurai, he would never dare treat Kakuzu the same way.
He had personally witnessed when Kakuzu boarded his ship for the first time, he was insulted by some of the Rogue Ninja and Samurai he hired, but then Kakuzu slaughtered over a dozen of them in mere seconds!
Gato returned to his desk and began strategizing his next commercial assault on the Land of Rice.
The Sakamoto Trading Group had the backing of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice. This strike would deal a heavy blow to them, allowing Gato's company to penetrate the Land of Rice and seize Sakamoto's clients and territory.
As the two busied themselves, a gentle breeze drifted through the window.
Kakuzu, who was still counting money, suddenly tensed. His gaze snapped toward the window, where a figure that sent shivers down his spine was now casually perched.
When Kakuzu's fingers froze mid-count, it drew Gato's attention. Following Kakuzu's line of sight, he also saw the figure sitting on the windowsill.
"My lord! You've arrived!" Gato immediately set down what he was holding, his chubby face instantly plastered with a fawning smile.
Menma, wearing a white three-eyed fox mask, hopped down from the window.
"Sir!" Kakuzu also put down the money and stood up.
After all, the boss had come to inspect their work.
"How is the relocation of the Iburi Clan going?" Menma walked past Gato and sat directly in his luxurious leather office chair.
Meanwhile, Gato scurried around like an eager secretary, reporting recent developments.
"As per your instructions, the supplies have been delivered to the designated location. Here are this month's company accounts."
Menma didn't take the ledger.
Instead, he calmly asked Kado and Kakuzu: "What do you know about the nations in the western part of the continent?"
"The Land of Demons, the Land of Snow, the Land of Bears, and the Land of Shadows."
These were the backup options Menma had prepared.
"My lord, among these nations, only the Land of Snow and the Land of Bears have Ninjas." Gato, having traveled extensively across nations, had some knowledge of the western countries.
"I've only heard that the Land of Snow had a rebellion a few years ago. Now, it seems a man named Kazahana Doto is acting as the king there. They have their own Yukigakure's Ninja."
"The Land of Demons is ruled by a Miko. They don't have a Ninja Village. As for the Land of Shadows, they don't have a Ninja Village either. Their specialty would be grain… yes, the Land of Shadows and the Land of Bears share a fertile plain, producing abundant crops."
"The Land of Bears has a Ninja Village named Hoshigakure, along with the natural barrier known as Devil's Ravine..."
Gato shared everything he knew.
Menma then turned to Kakuzu and asked, "How much do you know about Hoshigakure in the Land of Bears?"
"Hoshigakure?" Kakuzu's green eyes narrowed in thought behind his mask.
Having wandered the Ninja World for decades, he had indeed been to the Land of Bears and even clashed with Ninja from Hoshigakure.
"Their village is just like Takigakure, with its own secrets. The Mysterious Peacock Method they used... Hmph, it's nothing more than a clown's trick."
Clearly, Kakuzu held Hoshigakure in contempt.