Kakkō received a response from the Tsuchikage and swiftly gathered nearly 120 million ryo from the residence before heading outside. His actions did not go unnoticed, drawing the attention of many, including Iwagakure's Jinchūriki, Rōshi.
"Kakkō, what are you doing with that much money?"
"Oh, Rōshi. I'm making a deal with a bounty hunter who brought information and the body of Kumo's Toroi."
Rōshi was momentarily stunned. A bounty hunter? His expression darkened with displeasure.
"We're ninja, and we're at war. How can we justify dealing with bounty hunters? How much did you take?"
"Several tens of millions of ryo? What was Ōnoki thinking? Buying enemy corpses—this is outrageous!"
Kakkō turned pale at Rōshi's words.
"Rōshi, you're out of line. Our job is to follow the Tsuchikage's orders."
"How dare you speak ill of the Tsuchikage behind his back! Who do you think you are?"
Kakkō, a close associate of Ōnoki and a Jōnin commander in the war, clenched his fists. If not for Rōshi's status as a Jinchūriki, he would have already acted.
Rōshi had long harbored dissatisfaction with Ōnoki. Until now, he had turned a blind eye, but this—speaking against the Tsuchikage in front of him—was intolerable to Kakkō.
"Hmph! You don't like it when I criticize you, yet you refuse to act honorably?" Rōshi scoffed. "We, Iwa ninja, should have pride! We have no business with bounty hunters, and we certainly shouldn't be buying enemy corpses!"
Their argument quickly drew the attention of the surrounding ninja.
Shibito Azuma and Mahiru, both part of the command structure, stepped in to defuse the situation.
"Come on, Kakkō, why are you even arguing with him? You know how Rōshi is," Shibito said.
"And Rōshi, even if you have an issue with the Tsuchikage, saying it openly in the garrison isn't the way," he added coldly. "Once the war is over, I'll report this to the Tsuchikage."
It was clear that Shibito, too, was displeased with Rōshi, but in the middle of a war, there was little he could do. For now, he just needed to keep things under control.
"Enough, Kakkō. Go handle your business," he said. "Rōshi, Mahiru and I will stay here."
Kakkō exhaled sharply, regaining his composure. With the money box in hand, he left the camp.
Outside, Kazuyama was growing impatient.
"So slow—how annoying." He smirked. "Why don't you guys keep me company?"
His chilling voice instantly put the nearby Iwa ninja on guard.
"Hmph, Mr. Kakuzu, don't even joke like that," Kakkō said as he approached, his already foul mood worsening.
"The thing I hate most is waiting," Kakuzu said flatly. "Time is precious, you know."
"Time is money. If you waste my time, you're wasting money."
With that, he raised the price on the spot.
"This corpse—60 million ryo. Take it or leave it."
A sudden 10 million ryo increase.
Kakkō clenched his jaw in frustration but quickly swallowed his anger. Considering Kakuzu's reputation—and the fact that even Lord Tsuchikage had approved the deal—he knew better than to argue.
After all, Kakuzu was a man who truly valued money above all else.
"Fine, here are 60 million ryo. Bring me the corpse."
Seeing Kakkō's decisiveness, Kazuyama simply laughed. He tossed Toroi's corpse over, then took the money box and immediately began counting.
The blatant act stunned everyone present—even Kakkō was dumbfounded. Is this motherfucker seriously counting the money in front of me?
"What? This is my principle— not a penny less, not a penny more."
"Give me ten minutes, it's only 60 million."
With that, Kazuyama skillfully began counting the money, while Kakkō carefully examined Toroi's body. The wounds were clean—stabbed to death with a sharp object, the kill was instant. As he studied the injuries, he couldn't help but glance at Kazuyama, who was still counting.
His respect for Kakuzu rose a few more points.
But why is the corpse so clean? There aren't any weapons left on him.
Just as he was puzzling over this, Kazuyama spoke up.
"I took the ninja tools and money. They're my spoils of war."
"Don't even think about it."
Kakkō was speechless. How much could that little bit of gear even be worth?
Ten minutes passed, and Kazuyama finally closed the money box with a satisfied click.
"Do you want the information?" he asked. "Don't worry, it's not expensive. For 30 million ryo, I'll tell you something about Kumogakure." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦•𝘯𝘦𝘵
Kakkō, who had nearly dozed off from the money counting, perked up at the mention of intel.
"What's it about? Information is tricky. You say it's worth 30 million, but how do I know if it actually is?"
Kazuyama simply laughed.
"Hahahaha! You dare question me, Kakuzu? You're the first."
"If you weren't my trading partner, I'd kill you right now, hmph!"
"The price is 30 million. Pay up if you want to hear it, or the deal is over."
Slipping the money box over his shoulder, Kazuyama's expression was full of disdain.
Kakkō frowned but remembered Lord Tsuchikage's instructions—pay if appropriate.
Forget it. Kakuzu is a well-known bounty hunter, and it's not worth making an enemy over a piece of information.
"Here, this is 30 million. I hope your information is actually useful."
"Otherwise, the wrath of Iwagakure is something you can't afford."
But Kazuyama couldn't care less. This was a one-time deal.
"The supply route from Kumo to the Land of Rice Fields has been cut off. Right now, Kumo's forces in the Land of Rice Fields have no supplies, and their numbers aren't what they used to be."
Kakkō's eyes widened in shock, quickly turning to excitement.
"Are you sure about this?"
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
Kazuyama, still counting his money, smirked and gestured toward Toroi.
"Because I destroyed their supply convoy. Their leader is right there—the one you just bought. The rest? Buried by me."
"Don't even think about the supplies, though. I already sold them. I wasn't about to haul all that cargo to the Land of Grass."
p@treon com / PinkSnake