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*****
Land of Lightning, a certain coastal port city.
Under a leaden sky, a figure clad in black robes paced slowly through the bustling streets. Kakuzu radiated an aura that practically screamed "keep away." His green pupils swept coldly over the surrounding pedestrians, as if he were appraising their market value. His presence was so sinister that passersby reflexively avoided him, not daring to make eye contact.
Kakuzu arrived at a restroom on the outskirts of the city. After glancing around to ensure he wasn't followed, he stepped inside. After knocking on a stall door in a specific sequence, a hidden door manifested in the corner of the restroom, revealing a dark passage leading to parts unknown.
This was far from Kakuzu's first visit. He navigated the stairs with practiced ease. The space below opened up into a reception area. Two young women behind the counter immediately offered professional smiles upon seeing a guest: "Welcome."
"I'm here to collect a bounty," Kakuzu's voice was raspy and laced with gloom.
"Certainly, please wait a moment." One of the girls bowed and immediately left to fetch the manager of this Bounty Station.
A short while later, a bald man with a scar on his forehead emerged, his face plastered with a fawning smile. "Ah, Lord Kakuzu! I have heard of your great name for a long time."
"Hmph." Kakuzu gave a cold snort, remaining indifferent to the flattery.
"Cut the small talk. I want to exchange the bounty for this man today." Kakuzu pulled a storage scroll from his pocket and unfurled it. The corpse of a ninja wearing a Konoha forehead protector appeared on the floor.
"Let me see." The bald man skillfully flipped through a bounty ledger, cross-referencing the data before nodding. After searching through the Konoha ninja records for a moment, he found the match.
"A Special Jonin of the Sarutobi clan... Bounty amount: eight million ryo." The bald man recited the target's intel and then knelt to perform a physical inspection. This was to ensure no one was using Transformation Jutsu or Genjutsu to scam them. While a bounty hunter of Kakuzu's caliber was above such petty tricks, rules were rules.
"Verified, Lord Kakuzu." The bald man stood up and clapped his hands. Two attendants walked over carrying a briefcase.
Kakuzu took the briefcase, set it on the counter, and opened it. He picked up the stacks of bills, his fingertips fluttering through them with lightning speed, a slight upward curve touching the corner of his mouth. Kakuzu seemed to be in an excellent mood; as he counted the money, he would occasionally let out a soft hum of satisfaction.
The bald man ordered his subordinates to open a storage locker in the wall and deposit the body. He then waited patiently for Kakuzu to finish his count. Having worked at the Bounty Station for years, he had heard of this powerful "bounty hunter" who enjoyed counting his money on the spot, but this was his first time doing business with Kakuzu personally.
*Ttap, ttap, ttap—*
As he waited for Kakuzu to finish, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
"Looks like there's more business today," the bald man noted, looking up.
Kakuzu also paused his counting, his green pupils shifting toward the source of the sound. A mysterious figure wearing a white three-eyed fox mask descended the stairs, his long robes swaying slightly, radiating a cryptic and eerie aura.
"Tch, playing God and ghost," Kakuzu mocked under his breath, though he had already developed an interest in this newcomer. Many high-bounty ninja wore masks or veils to hide their identities, so Kakuzu tended to pay close attention to such types.
"Welcome, guest. This is the Land of Lightning's Third Bounty Station. Are you here to post a bounty or...?" The bald man went to greet him.
Menma Uzumaki's gaze lingered briefly on Kakuzu. Although Kakuzu wore loose robes and a face veil, those green pupils and the obsession with counting money were highly distinctive traits in the shinobi world.
"See how much this person is worth." Menma pulled out a storage scroll and wove hand signs.
As the smoke cleared, the corpse of the Cloud envoy appeared on the floor.
"Twelve million." Kakuzu couldn't help but chime in, recognizing the man's value at a glance.
"Oh~ Lord Kakuzu truly has a sharp eye." The bald man took out the Hidden Cloud bounty ledger and looked through the twelve-million-ryo tier. Sure enough, he found it.
"This is... the Cloud envoy, Kaina!" The bald man's eyes widened suddenly.
Not long ago, Konoha had claimed that Kaina, the leader of the Cloud delegation, had been murdered by a mysterious ninja and dumped in the Hyuga compound in an attempt to spark a war between the two nations. Since then, the two sides had been locked in a war of words; the Hidden Cloud didn't believe Konoha's story for a second, demanding they hand over the killer. After all, they knew better than anyone what they had actually been up to. But Konoha remained steadfast, insisting a mysterious ninja was the culprit.
The bald man looked up at the masked figure before him, feeling a wave of trepidation. How powerful must a ninja be to commit a murder in Konohagakure—the strongest of the Five Great Nations—and escape undetected?
Kakuzu continued counting his money while appraising the masked stranger, mentally calculating: *If he has a bounty on his head, I wonder what he's worth?*
"Sir, may I ask how I should address you?" the bald man asked in a low voice after verifying the body and ordering his staff to fetch the cash.
The question made Menma pause for a moment. Since he would likely be using this mask and outfit for his future activities in the shinobi world, a codename was essential.
"You can call me **Shura**." Menma chose a name at random.
"Very well, Lord Shura. This is our Bounty Station's ledger for this quarter. If you are interested, you are welcome to visit anytime." The bald man respectfully handed over a bounty book.
Menma took the ledger, thinking that since he was heading to the Hidden Cloud anyway to deliver some "local specialties," he might as well kill a few Cloud ninja to exchange for cash.
"Sir, here is your bounty." Two young women placed a heavy briefcase on the floor and bowed deeply.
"Mhm." Menma picked up the heavy case and turned to leave without counting the money. The Bounty Stations had existed for an untold amount of time; Menma trusted they wouldn't risk their reputation to cheat him.
"Hey, aren't you going to count it?" Kakuzu couldn't help but speak up as he saw the man walk away without even glancing at the cash. As a "Golden Employee," his obsessive-compulsive tendencies were triggered. *He won't even count it? He won't even open the case to look?*
Menma turned his head slightly, the white three-eyed fox mask reflecting a faint shimmer in the dim light.
"You seem very interested in my money. Want to step outside and try your luck? If you win, you can take all of it." Menma gestured toward the exit with a tilt of his head.
According to the rules of the shinobi world, Bounty Stations were "safe zones." Killing someone inside would result in being blacklisted and hunted by the Bounty Station network.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Kakuzu grinned, putting down the remaining uncounted cash and closing his own briefcase. He followed the mysterious man out of the station, his hand gripping his own money-filled case.
The two left the station one after the other, the air between them thick with the scent of an impending clash.
(End of Chapter)