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In Naruto, the bounties for certain ninjas in the underground market were revealed.
For example, the bounty for Chiriku of the "Twelve Guardian Ninja" was 30 million ryo, while Sarutobi Asuma's was 35 million ryo.
The fact that Igawa Bu, the deputy head of Kirigakure's Anbu, even had a bounty was surprising enough—but to have it set at a staggering 30 million ryo, on par with Chiriku, was even more unexpected.
Now, Midorima had added another 20 million ryo to the bounty, instantly raising Igawa's price to an absurd 50 million ryo.
No sane person would fail to covet such a reward.
For Midorima, this meant that if he managed to kill Igawa, not only could he repay the Iwasaki family, but he'd also have plenty left over for himself.
However, Midorima's reason for placing the bounty in the underground world wasn't actually to have Igawa killed—after all, Igawa could simply hide in Kirigakure. As long as the Third and Fourth Mizukage were by his side, no one could touch him.
Midorima's real intention was to avoid taking the blame.
Collaborating with outsiders to frame the Third and Fourth Mizukage was too heavy a burden to bear—one that Midorima had absolutely no interest in shouldering.
"Make sure to include the reason for increasing the bounty," Midorima said.
"Of course." The broker, codenamed "Fox," nodded repeatedly. "For an S-rank bounty like this, we'll give it special attention."
"Best to highlight the reason in bold font." Midorima wasn't afraid of stirring the pot.
Fox didn't understand why, but since the client insisted, adding the reason in bold was no trouble at all.
---
When the short-statured crewman reported to Iwasaki Kazuichi that he had lost track of Midorima, he was visibly distressed. However, Kazuichi didn't reprimand him, simply telling him to rest before turning to enter the old man's room.
Since the old man still needed time to recuperate, they had booked a high-end hotel near the port after disembarking, waiting for updates from the crew.
"Well?" The old man didn't look up from the documents he was reviewing.
"Heh, Father, you were right—he couldn't keep up with Yoshida at all. How did you know?" Kazuichi chuckled.
"Hmph… Did you think he was just some ordinary doctor? He's a medical ninja! Using ninjutsu requires chakra. The fact that he cured me proves his skills are exceptional. With that much chakra, how could some random person tail him so easily?" The old man smirked coldly.
"Then why did you even send someone after him?" Kazuichi was growing more confused by his father's actions.
"Had to take the chance. A merchant who doesn't try will never succeed."
"So we just let this go?" Kazuichi pressed.
"We wait."
"Wait?"
"I sent out two men. Only one has returned so far." The old man finally looked up, eyeing his incompetent son with displeasure.
How could someone his age still act so childish?
Kazuichi, however, sneered inwardly. If the first crewman failed, what could the second possibly accomplish?
By evening, the second crewman finally returned. His first words upon seeing Kazuichi were: "Found him." He then handed over two large envelopes.
"Found him?" Kazuichi was suspicious. Did the old man predict this too?
He passed the envelopes to his father.
"So that's how it is…" The old man's expression shifted as he read the contents of the first envelope.
"What is it?" Kazuichi asked, puzzled.
"That kid's name is most likely Asachi Midorima. He's accused of colluding with outsiders to ambush the Third and Fourth Mizukage. Right now, the entire Kirigakure is after him—a bounty of 10 million ryo, classified as an S-rank criminal due to the severity of his crimes." The old man set aside the first document and pulled out the second.
"Huh? Then we've been helping a criminal?" Kazuichi rubbed his temples.
"A merchant shouldn't concern themselves with right or wrong—only profit. Besides, what does Kirigakure's internal strife have to do with the Land of Fire?" The old man's eyes widened as he read the second document. After a moment, he burst into laughter. "Interesting… This Asachi Midorima kid is full of surprises. No wonder he borrowed 20 million ryo from me—this is why."
"What is it?" Kazuichi was still lost.
"Do you know what this is?" The old man tapped the paper in his hand.
Kazuichi shook his head.
"Another bounty—this one's for Igawa Bu, deputy head of Kirigakure's Anbu. At noon today, an additional 20 million ryo was added to his existing bounty, bringing it up to a whopping 50 million ryo. The reason for the increase? The exact same accusations as Midorima's, but with the roles reversed—now Igawa is the traitor." The old man tossed the bounty notice onto the table.
Kazuichi quickly picked it up, comparing it carefully with the first one.
The wording of the two bounties was similar, but Midorima's was far more detailed—even mentioning the possibility that the two Mizukage were under genjutsu.
Now, all Kirigakure had to do was verify whether the Mizukage were truly under genjutsu to determine the truth.
"Father… then who do you think is telling the truth?"
"I don't know. Determining the truth is Kirigakure's job. But I can guarantee one thing—Kirigakure is about to get even more chaotic." The old man's eyes narrowed. "Prepare funds and supplies. Chances are, Kirigakure will soon need our… assistance."
"Understood."
"Oh, and one more thing—contact Lady Tsunade. If she's available, invite her here. That kid said he completely removed the toxins from my body, but I'm not convinced. A youngster can't compare to an experienced medical ninja."
"Yes…" Kazuichi felt a headache coming on.
Tsunade wasn't someone you could just summon at will.
Sometimes, she'd accept an invitation without hesitation. Other times, she'd ignore you completely.
What a pain.
---
In a certain gambling den, a woman with golden twin-tails clutched a pair of dice, her eyes alight with excitement. The crowd around her buzzed with energy, watching her like she was a plump sheep ready for slaughter.
As soon as the dice were covered, nearly everyone bet against her.
When the cup was lifted, the woman let out a wail at the result, while the others swiftly divided the money on the table.
"Wait! I've got more—let's go big this time!" She pulled out a case from under the table and slammed it down, stopping those who were about to leave.
"Lady Tsunade…" A short-haired girl in black squeezed through the crowd and whispered to the gambler, "The Iwasaki family has requested your presence."
"Not interested!" Tsunade didn't even think before refusing. She shoved the money case toward the girl. "Here, exchange all of this for chips."
The black-haired girl covered her face, speechless.
*****
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