Kakkō received a reply from his Tsuchikage and quickly gathered close to a hundred million ryō from the outpost before heading outside.
His actions immediately drew a lot of attention.
Among them was Iwagakure's Jinchūriki—Rōshi.
"Kakkō, what are you doing with so much money?"
"Oh, Rōshi, I'm going to meet a bounty hunter for a deal. He brought information... and the corpse of Kumogakure's Troy."
Rōshi was momentarily stunned. A bounty hunter?
He frowned deeply, his tone filled with disapproval.
"We're shinobi, and we're at war. How can we be doing deals with bounty hunters? How much are you taking with you?"
"Tens of millions? What is Ōnoki thinking?"
"Buying enemy corpses? This is outrageous!"
Hearing this, Kakkō's face immediately darkened.
"Rōshi, that's enough. Tsuchikage-sama's decisions are not for us to question—we just follow orders."
"Slandering Tsuchikage-sama behind his back—who do you think you are?"
Kakkō was Tsuchikage Ōnoki's close confidant, a jōnin of Iwagakure, and one of the commanders in this war.
If not for Rōshi's identity as a Jinchūriki, he would've already taken action.
Rōshi's dissatisfaction with Ōnoki wasn't new. Kakkō had always turned a blind eye, but for him to criticize the Tsuchikage right to his face—how could he tolerate that?
"Hmph! So we're not even allowed to speak the truth now?"
"As Iwagakure shinobi, we should be self-reliant! We shouldn't be consorting with bounty hunters, let alone buying the corpses of enemy ninja!"
...
The argument immediately drew the attention of nearby shinobi.
Tōshirō and Mohiru, also commanders, quickly stepped in to separate the two.
"Enough, Kakkō, don't argue with him. You know what Rōshi's temper is like."
"Rōshi, seriously—if you have a problem with Tsuchikage-sama, this isn't the place. Once the war ends, I'll report your behavior."
Tōshirō's voice was icy. It was clear he wasn't happy with Rōshi either, but given the wartime situation, he had no choice.
He could only pull Kakkō back.
"Alright, Kakkō, go take care of your business."
"Rōshi is our responsibility now."
Hearing this, Kakkō reined in his temper, grabbed the money chest, and headed out of the outpost.
...
Outside the camp, Gekko Chizan was already growing impatient.
"So damn slow, I'm getting annoyed."
"Why don't you guys keep me company for a bit?"
His voice was icy, immediately putting all the Iwagakure shinobi on high alert.
"Hmph, jokes like that… Kakuzu-sama, please spare us."
Kakkō's voice rang out as he arrived. Already in a foul mood, Chizan's words only worsened it.
"Hmph! The thing I hate most is waiting. Don't you know how valuable time is?"
"Time is money. Waste my time, and you're wasting my money."
"So this corpse—it's 60 million ryō. Take it or leave it."
He raised the price right on the spot—by ten million.
Kakkō was furious, but remembering the man's reputation, he suppressed it.
Even Tsuchikage-sama knew of the man's background and approved the deal. Kakkō had also heard bits of intel on Kakuzu.
The man truly loved money more than life itself.
"Fine. Here's 60 million ryō. Hand over the corpse."
Seeing Kakkō's decisive move, Gekko Chizan grinned.
He casually tossed Troy's corpse over, then took the money chest and started counting with a cheerful expression.
This stunned everyone on the scene.
Even Kakkō was dumbfounded—was he seriously counting the money right there?
"What? That's just my principle. Not a single coin short, not a coin extra."
"Give me ten minutes—it's only 60 million."
With that, Gekko Chizan began counting the money with practiced ease.
Kakkō, meanwhile, carefully examined Troy's corpse. No problems with the body or the wounds.
Killed by a sharp weapon… and in a single blow...
Seeing the wound, Kakkō couldn't help but glance at Gekko Chizan counting nearby.
His respect for Kakuzu rose a few notches.
But why was the body so clean? No ninja tools or weapons?
Just as he was wondering, Gekko Chizan spoke up.
"I took all his ninja tools and money. They're my spoils of war."
"Don't even think about it."
Kakkō was speechless. What a money-grubber—even a few ninja tools weren't spared?
Ten minutes flew by. Gekko Chizan finished counting and closed the chest with satisfaction.
"Want intel?"
"Relax, it's cheap—30 million ryō, and I'll give you a piece of information about Kumogakure."
Kakkō was nearly falling asleep waiting. He thought, Finally done counting.
But upon hearing the mention of Kumogakure intel, he perked up immediately.
"What kind of intel? You say it's worth 30 million—how do I know if it actually is?"
Faced with the doubt, Gekko Chizan simply laughed.
"Hahahaha! You're the first to question me, Kakuzu."
"If you weren't my business partner, I'd kill you right now. Hmph!"
"Thirty million. You want it, pay up. If not, deal's over."
He hoisted the money chest onto his shoulder, full of disdain.
Kakkō frowned at his attitude, but then recalled Tsuchikage-sama's words: If it seems worthwhile—pay.
Forget it. Kakuzu was a famous bounty hunter. Offending him over one intel wasn't worth it.
"Fine. Here's 30 million. I hope your intel is actually useful."
"Otherwise, the wrath of Iwagakure isn't something you can handle."
Money in hand—Gekko Chizan didn't care about Iwagakure's wrath. This business was one-and-done anyway.
"Kumogakure's supply line to the Land of Fields has been cut."
"Now the Kumogakure forces in the Land of Fields have no supplies, and their numbers have dropped sharply."
"Is that worth 30 million?"
Gekko Chizan counted the money as he spoke.
Kakkō's eyes widened at the news, filled with joy.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"How can I be sure this intel is real?"
Gekko Chizan chuckled and looked at Troy's corpse.
"Because I'm the one who wiped out their supply convoy. Their leader is the one you just bought."
"The rest are buried somewhere."
"You tell me—is it real?"
"As for the supplies—forget it. I already sold them. I wasn't about to carry all that into the Land of Grass."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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