When Kin returned to Hidden Grass Village once more, all he saw was a scorched ruin.
"Wait, I didn't tell you to burn the whole place down."
Kin stared blankly at the wreckage before him. He had ordered the annihilation of Hidden Grass's forces, not the complete destruction of the village itself.
They still needed this place as a base for future operations. Given the nature of their work, they'd inevitably draw the ire of major villages, and having a ready-made stronghold would've been ideal.
Now, only ashes remained. They'd have to rebuild from scratch.
"They were too strong. I had no choice."
Kakuzu sat atop a charred lump—whether it was a person or debris was unclear. He hadn't intended this outcome, but facing so many opponents at once, holding back wasn't an option. If he'd fought conservatively, they might've overwhelmed him through sheer numbers.
To ensure victory, he'd gone all out.
Kin eyed Kakuzu suspiciously. He suspected the man had done this deliberately, but he had no proof.
Kakuzu could tell from Kin's expression that he wasn't convinced, so he quickly changed the subject.
"There's a strange box buried underground over there. If you're interested, dig it out yourself. I've been working all night."
He pointed toward the half-standing remains of the prison—a testament to its sturdiness, having survived two of his jutsu.
"A box, huh?"
Kin glanced in the direction Kakuzu indicated. He already had a good idea what it was.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss.
First, Muu, and now this box. Could this place have been the future Ghost Lantern City?
Looks like that future would never come to pass. Even Muu's fate was unknown—likely dead in some forgotten corner.
"How tragic."
Kin's face twisted into an exaggerated look of pity, making Kakuzu roll his eyes.
The annihilation order had come from Kin himself. What was there to sympathize with?
Unless it was the ghosts of the dead.
"Fine."
Though unsatisfied with the outcome, it was acceptable. The Land of Grass supposedly had another abandoned Hidden Grass Village somewhere. If the opportunity arose, he'd check it out later.
Kin formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Concealment Technique!"
He pressed his hands to the ground, and the earth churned, swallowing the ruins whole—except for the half-standing prison.
Then, he formed another set of seals.
"Wood Release: Pillar House Technique!!"
Wooden houses sprouted from the earth, swiftly forming a village indistinguishable from the original Hidden Grass.
"Wood Release sure is convenient."
Kakuzu marveled, though his gaze held a trace of suspicion.
Was this guy some kind of Uchiha-Senju hybrid?
If not for the age discrepancy, he'd have suspected Kin was the lovechild of Hashirama Senju and an Uchiha—or Madara Uchiha and a Senju.
Sharingan and Wood Release? Kakuzu couldn't think of any other way both kekkei genkai could manifest in one person.
"Aren't you here to make money?"
Kin clapped his hands and turned to Kakuzu.
"What's the plan?"
At the mention of money, Kakuzu perked up. Profit was the whole reason he'd teamed up with Kin.
"You can relocate your mercenary force here and contact the Bounty Exchange. Sell jutsu to rogue ninjas."
"Price them in four tiers: D, C, B, and A—10 million, 30 million, 50 million, and 100 million ryo respectively."
Kin laid out the pricing structure. This would also be the standard for selling to other villages. Too expensive, and no one would buy; too cheap, and he'd earn nothing.
He needed this revenue to fund his expanding ninja army.
Kakuzu frowned.
"At those prices, rogue ninjas can't afford them."
Why did he think they were called rogue ninjas in the first place? Kakuzu mentally scoffed.
It's because they were broke and wandering.
"They're not the target audience."
Kin looked at Kakuzu as if he were an idiot.
"There's always a few wealthy ones among them. Just one or two successful deals will catch the attention of major villages. They're the real customers."
Rogue ninjas varied in strength—some could barely handle civilians, while others might reach Jōnin level, though none matched Kakuzu. Many were likely missing-nin.
With a little effort, they could scrape together the funds.
Kakuzu scratched his head. As a ninja, how was he supposed to know this stuff? All he needed to care about were mission objectives and payouts.
"By the way, how do you plan to sell them?"
Kin suddenly turned the question back on Kakuzu.
"You want me to take charge here?"
Kakuzu blinked in surprise.
"You handle the money, so naturally, you'll handle earning it. Unless it's a deal with one of the Five Great Villages, you're in charge."
Kin hadn't recruited them to babysit. He delegated tasks and then enjoyed his life, stepping in only when absolutely necessary.
Kakuzu thought for a moment, then said, "Go door-to-door and ask if they want to buy."
Kin sighed deeply. He should've known better than to expect too much.
For someone so obsessed with money, Kakuzu had no idea how to actually earn it. No wonder he stuck to bounties—at least that required no thinking.
"You have zero business sense. I'll write you some books on commerce in a few days."
What else could Kin do? He'd have to teach him from scratch.
"First, find a few civilians as representatives. Have them negotiate deals. Once an agreement's reached, you step in to deliver the jutsu and collect payment."
"That simple?"
Kakuzu sounded skeptical.
Of course, it wasn't that simple.
A sly grin spread across Kin's face.
"Yep. That simple."
Doing business in this martial world was never straightforward. Once Kakuzu learned a few harsh lessons, he'd figure it out.
"Wrapping things up here."
Hidden Grass was now a name without a village, and the Land of Grass's Daimyo was under his control. The country was effectively his.
"You're confined to quarters!! Reflect on your actions!!"
Kin hadn't forgotten Kakuzu's negligence in training the mercenary force.
"I'll have Hanzo bring your mercenaries here."
He'd let Hanzo oversee things for a while, write a few commerce books for Kakuzu, and leave him to develop the operation slowly.
"Fine." Kakuzu responded flatly.
House arrest?
Just a month. No big deal.
Using the Flying Thunder God, Kin returned to the Land of Rain, where Hanzo awaited him.
"How's the one I sent back?"
Kin inquired about Shirataki's condition—she'd be a vital medical-nin for the Land of Rain.
"Quiet. Eats when fed, sleeps on schedule. No crying, no fussing, and she hasn't left the room."
Kin nodded. This wasn't Hidden Grass; no one would abuse her here.
Turning to Hanzo, who stood silently as if waiting for something, Kin studied him with amusement before finally speaking.
"We've wiped out Hidden Grass Village."
Hanzo's expression went blank.
An entire hidden village…
Gone.
(End of Chapter)