Land of Lightning – a coastal port city.
Beneath a gloomy sky, Kakuzu strode slowly through the bustling streets, clad in his black cloak. An aura of hostility radiated from him, keeping everyone at a wary distance.
His cold, cyan eyes swept across the passersby like those of a merchant appraising goods—silently evaluating each person's worth.
Sensing the oppressive presence around him, ordinary people instinctively stepped aside, none daring to meet his gaze.
Eventually, Kakuzu arrived at a public restroom on the outskirts of the city. After cautiously glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he entered.
Following a specific sequence of knocks on one of the stall doors, a hidden doorway silently appeared in the corner, revealing a dim staircase leading downward.
This was far from his first visit. Without hesitation, Kakuzu descended the steps.
At the bottom, the space suddenly opened into a wide underground hall.
Two young receptionists standing behind the counter immediately put on professional smiles when they saw a guest arrive.
"Welcome."
"I'm here to exchange a bounty," Kakuzu said in a hoarse, gloomy voice.
"Certainly. Please wait a moment."
One of the girls bowed politely before hurrying off to summon the manager of this bounty exchange.
Soon, a bald man with a scar across his forehead appeared, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile.
"So it's Lord Kakuzu! I've long heard of your great reputation."
"Hmph."
Kakuzu snorted dismissively, uninterested in flattery.
"Enough chatter. I'm here to exchange this bounty."
He took a storage scroll from his pocket and unfurled it.
With a puff of smoke, the corpse of a Konoha ninja wearing a Leaf headband appeared on the floor.
"Let me take a look."
The bald man expertly flipped through the bounty register, cross-checking the data before nodding.
After locating the ninja in Konoha's records, he spoke.
"A special jōnin of the Sarutobi clan… bounty value: eight million ryo."
He rattled off the man's details, then crouched down to examine the body carefully.
This was standard procedure—ensuring no one tried to cheat with transformation techniques or genjutsu.
Of course, a veteran bounty hunter like Kakuzu wouldn't resort to such tricks, but rules were rules.
"Confirmed. Everything checks out, Lord Kakuzu."
The bald man clapped his hands, and two attendants brought over a heavy suitcase.
Kakuzu took it, placed it on the counter, and opened it.
He began flipping through the stacks of bills with practiced fingers, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Clearly, Kakuzu was in a good mood. As he counted, he even hummed to himself now and then.
Meanwhile, the bald manager had his staff store the corpse inside a nearby vault before patiently waiting for Kakuzu to finish.
Having worked at the exchange for years, he had heard of this notorious money-loving bounty hunter—but this was his first time doing business with him personally.
Tap, tap, tap…
While waiting, footsteps echoed from the staircase.
"Looks like more business today," the bald man muttered, looking up.
Kakuzu paused his counting and turned his sharp gaze toward the sound.
Down the stairs walked a mysterious figure wearing a white three-eyed fox mask, draped in a long robe. His presence felt strangely enigmatic.
"Tch. Pretentious fool," Kakuzu muttered under his breath.
Still, he couldn't help taking interest. Many wanted criminals hid behind masks or disguises—so people like this were always worth keeping an eye on.
"Welcome, honored guest. This is the Third Bounty Exchange of the Land of Lightning. Are you here to post a bounty or—"
The bald manager stepped forward politely.
Uzumaki Menma's gaze briefly lingered on Kakuzu.
Even though Kakuzu wore loose clothing and a face covering, his cyan eyes and obsession with counting money were unmistakable trademarks.
"See how much this one is worth."
Menma pulled out a storage scroll and formed hand seals.
Poof!
With a cloud of smoke, the corpse of the Cloud Village envoy appeared on the floor.
"Twelve million ryo," Kakuzu immediately said, recognizing the value at a glance.
"Oh? As expected of Lord Kakuzu's sharp eye."
The bald man quickly flipped to the twelve-million-ryo section of the bounty register and found a match.
"This is… the Cloud Village special envoy, Kainu!"
His eyes widened in shock.
Not long ago, Konoha had claimed that a mysterious ninja murdered the Cloud envoy within their village and dumped the body at the Hyūga compound to provoke war.
Ever since, the two nations had been engaged in a fierce war of words.
Cloud Village, naturally, refused to believe Konoha's explanation and demanded the killer be handed over.
After all, they knew exactly what they had tried to do.
Yet Konoha stubbornly insisted a mysterious third party was responsible.
The bald manager slowly looked up at the masked man before him, feeling a chill run down his spine.
To kill someone inside Konoha—the strongest of the Five Great Villages—and escape unscathed…
How powerful must this man be?
Kakuzu, meanwhile, continued counting money while studying the masked stranger.
If this man ever ended up on a bounty list, how much would he be worth?
"May I ask how to address you, sir?" the bald man asked cautiously after confirming the corpse.
Menma paused to think.
From now on, he would often operate using this mask and attire. A codename was necessary.
"You may call me… Shura."
Thus, Menma casually chose a title.
"Understood, Lord Shura. Here is our exchange's bounty catalogue for this quarter. Please feel free to browse at your convenience."
The bald man respectfully handed over a booklet.
Menma accepted it, thinking that since he was already heading to Kumogakure to "deliver some local specialties," he might as well eliminate a few Cloud ninjas along the way for extra cash.
"My lord, here is your reward."
Two receptionists brought over a large, heavy suitcase and bowed deeply.
"Mm."
Menma picked up the case without even opening it and turned to leave.
Bounty exchanges had existed for ages—he trusted they wouldn't dare cheat him.
"Hey, hey—aren't you going to count the money?"
Watching the masked man walk away without even checking the contents, Kakuzu couldn't help but speak up.
For a gold-obsessed professional like him, this was practically sacrilege.
Not counting your payment? Not even opening the box?
Menma glanced back slightly. Under the dim light, his white fox mask gleamed faintly.
"You seem quite interested in my money. How about we step outside and test it? If you win, you can take the entire amount."
He nodded toward the exit.
In the ninja world, bounty exchanges were considered neutral "safe zones." Killing inside them would earn immediate blacklisting.
"Just what I was thinking."
Kakuzu grinned, setting aside the unfinished stack of bills and closing his suitcase.
Carrying it, he followed the mysterious man toward the stairs.
One after another, the two left the exchange.
A tense, dangerous atmosphere filled the air behind them.
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