"Right—thirty million. Dead or alive."
The fat man stared straight at him.
"That kid is called Uchiha Azuma. Eighteen years old. Said to have awakened the Sharingan."
A pause.
"…Do you know him?"
---
Silence.
---
The fat man watched him for a few seconds—then suddenly laughed.
"Kid, your eyes are black. But the Sharingan can be hidden, right?"
He tapped the counter lightly.
"I noticed the moment you walked in. You were constantly observing your surroundings. That kind of awareness… doesn't belong to an ordinary person."
---
Azuma was quiet for a moment.
Then he chuckled softly.
"Smart people don't live long."
---
The fat man waved dismissively.
"Relax. I don't do bad business."
"You bring information, I pay. We're even."
"As for who you are—I don't care."
---
He leaned forward slightly.
"But there's one thing you should know."
"Konoha has already sent a pursuit team. They'll be here soon."
"The Land of Rice Fields is a gathering place for rogue ninja. They'll definitely search this area."
---
Azuma stood.
"Thanks."
---
He turned and walked toward the door.
Just as he reached it—
"Kid."
The fat man called out.
---
Azuma paused.
---
"I like you," the man said, lowering his voice. "So I'll give you something for free."
"Thirty miles east—there's an abandoned shinobi hideout. Used to belong to Amegakure."
"It's been deserted for years. Hidden. Has a water source. You can lie low there for a while."
---
Azuma glanced back.
"Why help me?"
---
The fat man shrugged.
"I don't like Konoha."
"They act righteous—but behind the scenes, they're dirtier than anyone."
He grinned.
"The Uchiha 'rebellion'? Who are they fooling?"
"A village that kills its own children… what good could it be?"
---
Azuma was silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"…Thanks."
---
He left.
---
The fat man watched him disappear down the stairs and muttered to himself:
"Thirty million… don't die too quickly, kid."
"I still want to see Konoha embarrass itself."
---
Azuma didn't stop after leaving the tavern.
He exited the town immediately—
But instead of heading east—
He went north.
---
The information had come too easily.
Too conveniently.
---
Why would a bounty merchant help a stranger?
Unless—
He wanted him to go east.
---
Azuma smirked.
He'd seen this kind of setup countless times in his previous life.
---
He traveled ten miles north.
Then circled east in a wide arc.
---
By dusk—
He reached the abandoned hideout.
---
Half the structure had collapsed.
But a few rooms remained usable.
---
Azuma didn't enter immediately.
He observed the surroundings for a full hour.
Only after confirming there was no ambush—
Did he slip inside.
---
He chose the innermost room.
Ate two soldier pills.
Closed his eyes.
---
Three days of exhaustion crashed over him.
He fell asleep instantly.
---
Even in sleep—
His hand gripped a kunai.
---
The next morning—
He woke to faint footsteps.
---
His eyes snapped open.
Sharingan activated.
Body pressed silently against the wall.
---
More than one person.
At least five.
Moving carefully.
Searching.
---
Through a crack—
He looked outside.
---
Five men.
No headbands.
Weapons at their waists.
---
Bounty hunters.
---
Their leader—a bald man with a scar—spoke in a low voice:
"Search carefully. The kid's nearby."
"Thirty million… enough to last us ten years."
---
"Boss, is the intel solid?"
"It came from the Bounty Exchange. It's reliable."
"That fat guy may be greedy—but his information's never wrong."
---
Azuma's gaze turned cold.
---
So that's how it was.
---
Not betrayal.
A transaction.
---
Sell information to him—
Then sell him to others.
Profit both ways.
---
Clever.
---
Ding!
[Mission Triggered: Eliminate the Bounty Hunters]
[Objective: Kill all targets]
[Reward: Chakra +20% + Taijutsu: Thousand Years of Death (Enhanced)]
[Hint: Your first step into the underworld begins here]
---
Azuma deactivated his Sharingan.
His eyes returned to normal.
---
Then—
He opened the door.
And stepped out.
---
All five men turned instantly.
The moment they saw him—
Their eyes lit up.
---
"That's him!"
"Thirty million!"
---
The bald man grinned and gestured.
The four others spread out—
Encircling him.
---
"Kid," the leader said casually, "don't resist."
"We only need you alive. Missing limbs doesn't matter."
"Cooperate, and it'll hurt less."
---
Azuma looked at him—
Then laughed.
---
"Who told you I was here?"
---
"The bounty broker. Why?"
---
"…Nothing."
Azuma nodded.
"Just confirming who needs to die."
---
The bald man froze—
Then burst into laughter.
"Are you insane? You're just a brat—five against one—"
---
Before he finished—
Azuma disappeared.
---
His smile froze.
---
The next second—
Four screams rang out at once.
---
He turned—
And saw hell.
---
Azuma stood among his men.
Kunai dripping blood.
---
Three bodies already down.
The fourth—
Clutching his throat—
Blood pouring between his fingers—
Before collapsing.
---
One second.
Four kills.
---
"Mon… monster…"
---
The bald man's legs gave out.
He turned and ran.
---
Three steps.
---
Then stopped.
---
He looked down.
---
A kunai had pierced through his back—
Protruding from his chest.
---
He tried to speak—
Only blood came out.
---
A cold voice whispered behind him:
"Thirty million?"
"Is my life only worth that much?"
---
The kunai was pulled free.
---
He fell.
---
[Killed Bounty Hunters ×5]
[Mission Complete: Chakra +20% + Taijutsu acquired]
[Total Kills: 20]
[Title Unlocked: First Glimpse of Talent]
[Effect: Low-level rogue ninja feel instinctive fear toward you]
---
Silence.
---
Azuma stood among the corpses.
---
Five hunters.
Weak.
The strongest—barely Chunin level.
---
Effortless.
---
But the real target—
Wasn't them.
---
He turned.
Looked toward the town.
---
"Double-dealing, huh…"
"You've got guts."
---
He left immediately.
---
An hour later—
He stood at the tavern again.
---
Entered.
Walked past the bar.
Down the stairs.
---
The iron door opened.
---
The fat man looked up—
And froze.
---
"You… how—"
---
Azuma stepped forward.
"I killed them."
---
The man's face drained of color.
"I—I didn't mean—just business—I—please—"
---
Azuma said nothing.
---
He placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
---
"Do you know why I came back?"
---
The man shook violently.
---
"Because you said something."
---
Azuma's gaze was steady.
---
"You said… you don't like Konoha."
---
The man froze.
---
Azuma removed his hand.
---
"That saved your life."
---
He turned to leave.
Paused at the door.
---
"If you sell my information again…"
"…it won't be me who comes back."
---
Then he left.
---
The fat man collapsed into his chair, drenched in sweat.
---
"This kid…"
"…what the hell is he…?"
---
Outside—
Azuma looked up at the sky.
---
The sun shone brightly.
---
He touched the money in his pocket.
420,000 ryo.
Enough—for now.
---
But money wasn't what he needed.
---
Power.
Influence.
Information.
---
The means—
To make Konoha pay.
---
"System."
---
Ding!
[Side Quest Triggered: Find Uchiha Survivors]
[Description: A few clan members escaped and are scattered across the world]
[Reward: Increased ocular power + random Ninjutsu per survivor found]
---
Azuma nodded.
---
"The underworld…"
---
"Then I'll start there."