Chapter 81 – The Slug Princess Gets Checkmated by a Merchant
"Itachi-san…"
Of everyone present, only Kisame felt a twinge of sadness.
They had come to Konoha just to gather a little intel. Instead they got spotted the second they stepped inside, turned into fish on the chopping block, and now his partner was gone.
Kisame didn't even know how to feel anymore.
Then Tsunade spoke up.
"Mr. Aike, can you hand Hoshigaki Kisame over to us? We need whatever intel he has."
From the moment she arrived, she and Jiraiya had noticed the matching red-cloud cloaks.
Clearly an organization. Possibly made entirely of S-rank missing-nin.
Given that two of them had just infiltrated Konoha, she had to assume the village was a target.
Kisame's knowledge was critical.
"Sure, I can trade him," Aike replied cheerfully. "But everything has a price."
"Trade?"
Tsunade scratched her head.
The word "trade" instantly made her think of money—she'd already gambled all of hers away.
Konoha's treasury was also bleeding out from reconstruction.
No spare cash.
Her headache returned full force.
"Chips don't have to be money. That's the cheapest kind," Aike helpfully pointed out.
Then he launched into the classic merchant introduction.
"A merchant?!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya stared at each other.
You, with that strength, are telling us you're a merchant??
"Of course, I rarely deal in this kind of 'cargo'," Aike said, gesturing lazily at Kisame.
'Cargo?'
Kisame bristled.
Me? Former Seven Swordsman? Tailless Tailed Beast? Akatsuki member? Cargo??
The humiliation was real.
Then Aike glanced over.
All indignation vanished instantly.
…Fine. Cargo it is.
Strength speaks louder than pride.
Tsunade got the message loud and clear.
She cut to the chase.
"Name your price for him."
"You can't afford it."
Tsunade's vein popped. She felt toyed with.
Right as she was about to blow up, Aike continued like he'd timed it perfectly.
"Life is paid with life—or with something even more valuable."
"Kisame's around Kage-level, so the price is another Kage-level life."
He looked Tsunade up and down, lips curling.
"You, for example."
Nami, Carina, Kaya, and Izumi all facepalmed in unison.
Here we go.
On the other side—
Crack!
The sound of knuckles cracking.
Tsunade was livid.
"Are you dreaming?!"
She spat the words through clenched teeth.
Moments ago she had actually thought he made sense.
As a medic, no one understood the value of life better than her.
"Life for life" had earned him a few respect points.
Then he aimed those words at her.
Respect points instantly hit rock bottom.
Scumbag!
That was her new evaluation of Aike.
"Relax, you have a second option," Aike said with a cheeky grin.
"What?"
Tsunade's face was stone.
She swore if he kept messing with her, she was walking away.
"I already know everything you want to know."
"Number of members, goals, plans—I have it all."
Now Tsunade was listening.
"Price?"
"Information for information."
He finally showed his hand.
"I want the location of the Shikkotsu Forest."
"Shikkotsu Forest?"
Tsunade blinked.
She had prepared herself to trade forbidden jutsu scrolls.
Instead he wanted the slug sage land?
"Of course, Myoboku Mountain works too."
Jiraiya shot up.
"Tsunade, calm down!"
"We can gather intel ourselves. Once the village stabilizes, I'll personally hunt this organization down. We don't have to make the trade!"
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