Before a jungle after the waterfall, a large, steep rock wall stood.
The next moment, a gap opened in the middle of the rock wall, two figures flashed out, and then the gap slowly closed.
"Phew, finally out."
Ren looked at the secret passage closing behind him, saying with a sigh of relief. He then turned to look at Kakuzu.
"Let's hurry and leave, Mr. Kakuzu."
"Hmm."
Kakuzu did not refuse; after all, they were not truly safe yet. Now, they just needed to run as far away from Taki Ninja Village as possible.
The two plunged into the jungle before them. During this time, Ren also created four or five Shadow Clones to head in other directions.
He wanted to confuse the enemy's vision; as long as he ran out of the Land of Waterfall, he would be safe.
Taki Ninja would only search within the Land of Waterfall; they wouldn't enter other countries to look.
They wouldn't dare spread news that a Tailed Beast had been stolen. If the surrounding great nations found out, even if they could retrieve the Tailed Beast, it wouldn't belong to Taki Ninja Village anymore.
The two hurried on, finally exiting the Land of Waterfall before dusk and returning to the Land of Fire, which borders the Land of Waterfall. Only then could they be considered truly safe.
"Wait, Senior Kakuzu!"
In a forest, Ren called out to Kakuzu, who was hurrying ahead. Under Kakuzu's puzzled gaze, Ren took out a scroll from his person.
"Please wait a moment!"
Ren nodded to him, then placed the scroll on the ground and unrolled it. In the very center was a "Seal" character wrapped in black runes.
"Release!"
Ren formed hand seals, then placed his left hand over the "Seal" character, letting out a soft cry.
The next moment, a cloud of white mist burst forth. When the smoke dissipated, a black box appeared on the sealing scroll before them.
"This is ten million, and then..."
Ren took out five banknotes from his person and placed them on the box, then sincerely handed the box to Kakuzu.
Ren had already paid one-third of the deposit, so he only needed to pay another fifteen million.
"Twenty-two million, not a single cent less."
A look of surprise appeared on Kakuzu's face. He looked at the box before him, thought for a moment, and then chose to accept the commission, asking in a deep voice.
"Then our employment relationship is officially over, right?"
"That's right."
Ren nodded, then smiled and gestured towards the box.
"Mr. Kakuzu should count it to avoid any problems."
"Hmm."
Kakuzu did not refuse, because for him, only when it came to money could he not afford to be careless.
For him, money was the most trustworthy thing.
After a quarter of an hour, Kakuzu put down the banknotes in his hand and closed the lid, his gaze turning to Ren, who was silently watching him count the money.
"How is it, Mr. Kakuzu?"
Ren saw that Kakuzu had closed the box and chuckled softly.
"The money is fine, then I'll be going."
Kakuzu picked up the box with his left hand, then turned around, preparing to leave.
"Wait, Mr. Kakuzu, can I contact you again for future cooperation?"
Kakuzu paused, but the next moment, he continued walking forward without looking back, his low voice carrying from afar.
"Alright, you can contact me through the bounty office."
"Alright, then I'll see you next time."
Ren cheerfully bid him farewell. In his opinion, a money-first individual like Kakuzu was the most reliable and powerful aid he could find at the moment.
As long as there was money, there was nothing he wouldn't do; if there was, it meant the price you offered wasn't high enough.
"Alright, finally safe."
Only after Kakuzu had completely left his Perception range did Ren take the Seven-Tails sealing container from his back, a smile playing on his lips.
It was finally time for the harvest.
"Hey, Isobu, at such a close distance, can you make contact with this guy inside?"
Ren asked Isobu within him. What if, after he released this guy, it suddenly went berserk and attacked him? That would be a truly unjust death.
"Yes, wait."
Isobu's voice came from within. Feeling no hostility in its tone, Ren knew that his efforts hadn't been in vain this time.
"Then you communicate first."
After Ren finished speaking, he opened his eyes, took out a map from his pocket, and began to determine his current location.
"Hmm, looks like this place is suitable..."
Ren put away the map, leaped into the air in the clearing, and landed on a tree trunk, then began to move swiftly. By this time, the sky had already darkened.
A crescent moon hung high in the sky, its cold Gekko shining down. A cold wind blew, making Ren, who was still walking alone through the forest, shiver.
"Alright, you can let him out."
Just then, Isobu's voice came from within. Ren's expression shifted upon hearing it. He looked left and right for a moment, then stopped, leaping onto a large clearing surrounded by jungle.
This was the largest and most secluded forest within the Land of Fire. Whether in times of peace or war, this place was rarely visited, let alone in the middle of the night like now.
"Then here it is..."
Ren muttered to himself as he opened his package, took out the sealing container covered in sealing tags, and placed it on the clearing.
Let's begin!
Ren's expression became focused. He stretched out both hands to open the lid of the container, then began to peel off the sealing tags one by one.
This time, he only needed to release the target; there was no need for the elaborate process of sealing a Jinchuriki.
In just a few breaths, Ren had removed all the sealing tags and tucked them into his pocket. They could still be used, after all; no need to waste them.
As the sealing tags were cleared, a huge, concealed Chakra emanated from the container.
Ren's gaze narrowed. The container before him began to tremble continuously, then tiny cracks spread across it, rapidly extending over the entire body of the vessel.
"What a shame for a sealing container."
Ren looked at the jar, which was on the verge of breaking, a hint of regret in his eyes. A jar capable of sealing a Tailed Beast was certainly no ordinary item. Although he already had one, who would complain about having too many good things?
Just as Ren's mind wandered, the jar suddenly shattered, and a massive mass of Chakra abruptly appeared in the clearing, then began to rapidly condense, revealing its form.
"Goodness, is this the Seven-Tails...?"
Looking at the behemoth before him, Ren's eyes lit up, and he murmured softly.
The Seven-Tails resembled a giant beetle, its upper body like a knight's helmet, with a large single horn on its head. Its lower body had six yellow, transparent wings and a tail, which gently flapped in the clearing.
"Human!"
Ren was startled, but quickly reacted, extending his palm and waving it in the air.
"Yo, hello there."
Ren grinned, his voice soft.
"Seven-Tails."