Chapter 300

300. Chapter 297: Gathering at the Exchange, Encirclement of Kakuzu

"Ah! Did you do that on purpose or by accident!"

Senju Itama, who was squatting in front of Uchiha Gin watching the show, was instantly sprayed all over. She turned her head resentfully and questioned him with wide eyes.

"It was accidentally on purpose."

Wiping the stains from his mouth, Uchiha Gin casually brushed it off, then threw the handkerchief he had used to wipe his mouth onto Senju Itama's head.

"Ouch, just wipe it off yourself~"

The essence of a scumbag was revealed without a doubt.

"Mm..."

An annoyed Senju Itama pulled down the handkerchief draped over her head, preparing to throw a tantrum, but discovered the strawberry pattern embroidered on it. She then guiltily glanced at the two girls who were fully focused on watching the show and quietly kept it for herself.

"Heh, enough nonsense, surrender!"

In the battlefield below, the Kiheitai leader was stunned for a moment upon hearing Mu's recruitment. After reacting, he sneered, and the long sword in his hand thrust out fiercely.

"Bang!"

Not expecting the opponent to not even consider it, Mu, who was waiting for an answer, hastily raised his sword to block. The huge force of the collision made his arm go numb.

The leader, seeing a wide-open flaw, then thrust his long sword toward Mu's vitals at an extremely tricky angle. The sharp sword aura made Mu, who was wide open, feel a shock, and he felt the aura of death overflowing.

Got him!

The leader's scarlet eyes under the mask burst with brilliance. Just before making his move, he had quietly released a genjutsu exclusive to the Sharingan.

He didn't expect that he, with the strength of an elite captain, would actually take down the famous Mu of the Rock Village. When he returned to the Land of Waves, he could brag about it properly.

Just at this moment of extreme crisis, a water bullet shot over at a speed invisible to the naked eye. Carrying huge force, it smashed directly onto the leader's long sword.

"Clang!"

While making a crisp sound, it also forcibly diverted the move. The sharp blade grazed Mu's armpit. There was no expected gushing of blood, only a few bandages were cut.

Mu, covered in cold sweat, immediately jumped away. Looking down at the tattered bandages on his ribs, he frowned in confusion. He seemed to have been restrained for an instant by some inexplicable cold force just now.

"Aren't you enemies? Why did you make a move to save him?"

The leader, with an unhappy expression, turned around and looked at Hozuki Gengetsu, who had his right hand in the shape of a pistol, and asked with a frown.

"Oioioi, that guy's life can only be taken by me. How can I let you cats and dogs get there first."

Lowering his hand, Hozuki Gengetsu, who had saved his old enemy's life, flirtatiously stroked his little mustache, but his eyes held a thick look of vigilance.

"I originally wanted to deal with you in a while. Since you're so anxious, don't blame us for being impolite."

Although the leader's tone was very tough, his actions were very rational. He saw him wave his hand, and the waiting Kiheitai immediately formed a perimeter, surrounding Mu and Hozuki Gengetsu.

The Kiheitai stared at the two with hostility, and the cold force emitted from their bodies could be clearly felt even from ten meters away.

"Such rich Yin Release force, Gin, what is their background?"

Uchiha Hikari, standing beside Uchiha Gin, looked at these mysterious Kiheitai with some surprise. Such pure Yin Release force, even in the Uchiha clan, was extremely rare. How could it not pique the young girl's interest?

"I just got here, I don't know either~"

Uchiha Gin, who knew the true identity of the Kiheitai, didn't want to expose them too early, so he started acting cute and playing dumb.

"They call themselves the Kiheitai. I haven't heard of this organization before?"

Uchiha Hikari, also somewhat curious, searched for information in her mind for a long time but didn't find any records about the Kiheitai.

However, since they could become the security team of the capital of the Land of Waterfalls, they must be a newly emerged official organization!

"Ah? Are we still fighting or not?"

Senju Itama, who didn't care about these side details, had already wiped her wet little head clean. At this moment, she was staring tightly at the situation below. Seeing that both sides were holding their ground, she couldn't help but curl her lips.

"Eighty percent chance they won't fight~"

Uchiha Gin looked up at the mist that had begun to permeate the surroundings at some point. This was definitely not a natural phenomenon, but came from Hozuki Gengetsu's hand.

"This mist..."

"Heehee, see you later~ Bandage Man, victory will always belong to our Hidden Mist!"

The Kiheitai leader obviously also discovered the clues, but it was too late. Hozuki Gengetsu, who was in the mist, gave a weird laugh, and after finishing his declaration, he plunged into the thick mist and disappeared. Even if the leader used the Sharingan, he couldn't find his tracks.

"Unnecessary."

Mu, seeing his nemesis retreat, also had thoughts of retreating. He saw him slowly take a few steps back. Under the surprised eyes of everyone, his body actually started to disappear from his feet. In just a few breaths, his whole person was swallowed by the void, leaving not a trace, as if he had never been there.

"Even his aura disappeared, is it space ninjutsu?"

Uchiha Hikari, watching intently, tried to find the secret of Mu's disappearance, but no matter what method she used to perceive, she couldn't find any clues, as if he had evaporated from the world.

Watching Mu disappear from the spot, the confused crowd speculated about Mu's strange methods.

"Envious, envious~"

Only Uchiha Gin, whose perception was different from ordinary people, discovered the secret of Mu's disappearance. According to the extremely obscure aura, this bandage man was still in place, just that he had entered a stealth state.

Dustless Bewildering Cover?

It was simply a divine technique for peeping. Compared to Gekko Hayate's half-baked Transparent Escape, it didn't know how much higher it was~

"Damn it, search for me!"

The Kiheitai leader, seeing the opportunity to show off vanish in a flash, was so angry his eyes turned even redder. After a loud roar, he ordered his subordinates.

"Yes!"

The Kiheitai members who received the order immediately scattered and launched a carpet search of the area.

"No show to watch, let's go~"

The farce ended. Uchiha Gin stood up, clapped his hands, and turned to leave the viewing platform with the three girls. And there were more than just their group watching the show at the scene.

In another hidden corner, Shamon, who had just been chatting happily with Uchiha Gin, was staring with mung-bean eyes at the Kiheitai searching for Hozuki Gengetsu and the other. His brow was furrowed into a 'chuan' shape.

Before he came to the Land of Waterfalls, he had never heard of the existence of such a team. They could actually force back Hozuki Gengetsu and the other, whose strength was not inferior to his own. It was necessary to investigate them properly.

"Big Brother, the aura on those guys makes it a bit uncomfortable. It almost made me go berserk just now."

Ginkaku, who walked out of the dark alley at the street corner, looked at the Kiheitai not far away with a locked brow. The bulging veins on his forehead twitched slightly, and the violent look in his eyes flashed by.

"Interesting. You guys go and check out the background of these people. I originally thought this trip wouldn't have any fun, but I didn't expect an unexpected surprise."

Kinkaku looked at the Kiheitai with great interest. Always warlike, he really wanted to compete with this mysterious unit, so he ordered his subordinate, Hei Laoda.

For the next few days, Uchiha Gin took the three girls to carefully search for information about the Seven-Tails' whereabouts, but they gained nothing.

So they stayed temporarily in the most luxurious hotel in the Land of Waterfalls, setting out separately every day to look for clues.

Today, the three girls went out early. Uchiha Gin stayed in the hotel comfortably. His main purpose was not to find the Seven-Tails, so he didn't put in much effort, waiting quietly for the girls' good news.

"Mr. Gin, there have been no records of sightings of giant insects recently. Could the Seven-Tails have flown away from the Land of Waterfalls?"

Uchiha Hikari, who had been searching for information for a day, had a trace of fatigue on her small face. She had turned the entire capital of the Land of Waterfalls upside down, and had basically explored all the places of all kinds, but still had no news of the Seven-Tails.

"Thank you for your hard work, Little Hikari~"

Looking at the travel-worn Uchiha Hikari, Uchiha Gin reached out to rub her dog head, but the girl dodged, leaving his large hand awkwardly suspended in mid-air.

"Mr. Gin, I'm not a child anymore."

Uchiha Hikari's cold face carried a look of resentment, but there was a hidden shyness in her eyes. The aftereffects of the Great Watatsumi hadn't passed yet, and she didn't dare to have any physical contact with Uchiha Gin now, fearing she wouldn't be able to help but moan out loud.

"Sorry, sorry~"

Withdrawing his large hand, Uchiha Gin scratched his head awkwardly. This disciple of his had truly grown up and knew how to avoid suspicion.

"Where are Hikari-senpai and the others?"

"They should be back soon."

Creak~

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Uchiha Hikari, with a cold expression, pushed the door and entered. Seeing Uchiha Hikari who had returned before her, she nodded in greeting, then sat down beside Uchiha Gin, looking somewhat impatient.

"Hikari, any discoveries?"

"Same as yesterday."

An annoyed Uchiha Hikari bent down, untied her small sandals, and threw them to the side. Her slightly swollen, crystal-clear jade toes stretched slightly. Uchiha Gin beside her subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

It seems the young girl walked a lot today~

"But this also indirectly confirms that ninjas from other villages haven't discovered the Seven-Tails' tracks either."

Massaging her silkworm-like toes, Uchiha Hikari said thoughtfully.

"If they had discovered the Seven-Tails, a great battle would inevitably have occurred, and it would be impossible for there to be no news at all."

"Stop thinking about it, it's time to eat~"

The young girl's analysis was reasonable and well-founded. Uchiha Gin naturally agreed with both hands, but now it was mealtime, and eating was the most important mission at the moment.

"Not waiting for Itama?"

"Not waiting. My stomach is growling with hunger. Just leave her some leftovers when the time comes."

That brat must have gone out to play and forgotten the time. Let her go hungry properly!

"Bang!!!"

Just as Uchiha Gin finished speaking, the door that had just been pushed open was hit by a huge force. Senju Itama's hurried figure burst in.

"You brat! You pay the hotel for this door yourself!"

Looking at the teetering door, Uchiha Gin held his forehead with a headache and said helplessly.

"Hmph! I heard your words just now clearly in the hallway. You hateful curly-haired baboon, it's a good thing I discovered important information!"

Senju Itama crossed her arms and stared angrily at Uchiha Gin. He actually dared to let her, the Senju young lady, eat leftovers? You've rebelled!

"Huh? You discovered information?"

Uchiha Gin, who hadn't intended to continue paying attention to Senju Itama, paused upon hearing the word 'information'. He turned his head and asked in a very suspicious tone.

"Heh heh~"

Seeing everyone's eyes fixed on her, Senju Itama proudly raised her little head and started playing hard to get.

That's it, she's acting up again~

"Itama, tell us quickly, the mission is important."

Seeing Senju Itama's appearance, Uchiha Hikari urged her. She also really wanted to know what information she had discovered.

"Hmm~"

Senju Itama didn't answer, but instead looked at Uchiha Gin triumphantly, her big eyes full of hints.

"Alright, I'm afraid of you. Order whatever you want to eat later!"

"Yay!"

Happily jumping three feet high, Senju Itama, having received the promise, slowly told her discovery of the day.

It turned out that today, Senju Itama had inadvertently met several bounty hunters. From their casual conversation, she heard the name 'Kakuzu'. Having read the details of this mission, she immediately became alert, followed these bounty hunters to a remote place, and after knocking them down one by one with a punch, she interrogated them.

"You mean, there is a new bounty hunter named Kakuzu?"

After listening to Senju Itama's narrative, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow. He thought that since he had helped Kakuzu become a Tailed Beast vessel, he wouldn't follow the old path of a bounty hunter. He didn't expect the other party to choose this career path in the end, which was truly sigh-inducing.

"That's right, that guy said this Kakuzu is extremely strong. In just one week, he completed many high-difficulty missions. And according to the appearance characteristics they described, it should be that rogue ninja Kakuzu mentioned in the mission."

Senju Itama nodded and told her discovery of the day truthfully.

"Hmm, you brat is actually quite useful sometimes~"

Nodding, Uchiha Gin subconsciously reached out to rub Senju Itama's dog head. The Little Hikari he had just lost had to be made up for by this brat.

"Hehe~"

Perhaps used to this interaction, Senju Itama not only didn't resist but looked very much like she was enjoying it, which made Uchiha Hikari beside her inevitably feel a few traces of sourness in her heart.

Looking at her best friend who had turned into a mini version, a flash of hesitation crossed her eyes. It seemed this track was quite popular; should she try it too?

Senju Itama: Danger!

"Gin, since the rogue ninja's whereabouts have been discovered, shouldn't we..."

Seeing that the mission had made progress, Uchiha Hikari regained her spirit, quickly put her shoes back on, and then asked for Uchiha Gin's opinion. She thought they should act quickly and take down that rogue ninja before other ninja villages, thereby forcing out the whereabouts of the Seven-Tails.

"That's right! It's time to eat~"

"..."

At the same time Uchiha Gin and the others discovered the information about Kakuzu, Mu, with a gloomy expression, looked at the trembling Waterfall ninja in front of him, the bandages on his forehead furrowing as he said.

"You said you discovered the tracks of the rogue ninja from your village?"

"Yes, Lord Mu. Today, during our search, we inadvertently obtained information from the Exchange. That guy Kakuzu is not only alive but has also become a bounty hunter."

Regarding the information about Kakuzu, he had bought it from the black market Exchange with his own private money. Since Kakuzu was still a new bounty hunter, his information was not difficult to obtain.

"Are you people looking for the Seven-Tails, or are you looking for us to help you catch that rogue ninja?"

Mu first lowered his head to think for a moment, then sneered and raised his head. He always felt that this Waterfall ninja's purpose was impure.

"Lord Mu, please don't... misunderstand. Kakuzu was the last person to come into contact with the divine beast. If we catch him, we can definitely ask for the whereabouts of the divine beast."

Overwhelmed by Mu's terrifying aura, this Waterfall ninja's speech was a bit shaky.

He did contain a bit of selfishness, because the situation in the Waterfall Village was not yet settled, and everyone was still fighting for the position of leader. If he could return triumphantly with the rogue ninja Kakuzu at this time, he would inevitably be able to legitimately become the new leader of the Waterfall Village.

"Hmph~ immediately gather the men and set out to capture Kakuzu!"

Mu was not a salted fish like Uchiha Gin. The moment he confirmed the information about Kakuzu, he didn't even eat, and quickly gathered his subordinates to set out.

"Lord Gengetsu, the brothers just discovered the tracks of the Rock Village. They gathered a large number of people and left the city."

At the hiding place of the Hidden Mist Village, Hozuki Gengetsu, who was enjoying dinner, heard his subordinate's hurried voice. His eyes narrowed, and he immediately waved his hand.

"Set out!"

The black market Exchange of the Land of Waterfalls was established in a small town with a not-so-large population not far from the capital.

A figure wrapped in a black robe walked slowly on the bleak street, dragging a corpse that had already lost its life behind him. Before long, he came to the most remote public toilet in the town. After looking around, he flashed inside.

Smelling the unique stench of the toilet, Kakuzu didn't care. He pushed open the secret door next to the urinal and walked in.

Inside the secret door was a spacious hall. A slightly chubby middle-aged man was calculating something at the counter. Seeing the black-robed man walking slowly, a professional smile appeared on his face.

"Eh? It's Lord Kakuzu, here to collect the bounty again?"

"Mm."

Kakuzu under the black robe raised his head, his black pupils glowing with a faint green light that hadn't been there before. He threw the corpse emitting a faint stench behind him onto the counter and took out a bounty order from his bosom and threw it over.

"Please wait a moment~"

The staff of the Exchange were all professionally trained. Facing all kinds of corpses every day, they had long been immune to this kind of corpse stench, so he put on gloves and began to examine the corpse in front of him.

After a while, the middle-aged staff member who had felt the corpse all over nodded and said.

"Confirmed correct, it's the person. Lord Kakuzu still wants cash?"

"Cash!"

After a while, the middle-aged staff member brought out a bag from the inner room. Kakuzu took it and opened it on the spot. It was filled with currency common in the Ninja World. But having received the bounty, he didn't choose to leave; instead, he took out the currency and began to count it carefully.

"Lord Kakuzu, can't there be a little more trust between people? Our Exchange has always been fair and honest, and will never embezzle your bounty."

The middle-aged staff member looked at Kakuzu, who was counting the money bill by bill, with black lines on his face. He said quite helplessly. It could be seen that this was not the first time he had encountered this situation.

"This is the joy of making money. Compared to spending money, I prefer counting money."

Kakuzu, who was counting the money, had a much more relaxed expression than his previous tense state.

And the middle-aged staff member looked at the spirited Kakuzu, just shook his head slightly, and didn't continue to dissuade him.

"Phew~ the amount is correct. Are there any high-bounty orders recently? Give me one."

After counting it several times, Kakuzu put the bag into his storage scroll, then raised his head and looked at the middle-aged staff member, asking.

"There are, but Lord Kakuzu, compared to the bounty, you should be careful when walking at night recently~"

Upholding the principle of not wanting to lose an excellent bounty hunter, the middle-aged staff member who was calculating accounts looked at Kakuzu and said a nonsensical, inexplicable sentence.

"What do you mean by that?"

Kakuzu's brow furrowed. He could tell there was more to the middle-aged man's words, so he pursued the question.

"Information fee~"

The middle-aged man didn't answer directly, but instead showed a mercenary smile and made a money gesture toward Kakuzu.

"Hmph~ nonsense!"

Even if the Sage of Six Paths came today, don't even think about squeezing a copper coin out of Kakuzu. After a cold snort, he left the Exchange without looking back.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what a pity."

Since Kakuzu wasn't willing to pay this information fee, the middle-aged man didn't say anything more, just looked at his departing back and shook his head quite regretfully.

With a heavy heart, Kakuzu's footsteps were rapid. From the middle-aged staff member's few words, he could infer that someone was looking for him and already knew his whereabouts.

As for the other party's purpose, it should be the Divine Beast.

Just as he stepped out of the public toilet, Kakuzu keenly sensed a strangeness. Just before entering the Exchange, there were still people in the shop not far away. At this moment, it wasn't yet time to close the door and see off guests, but the shop had closed early.

Just at this time, a drizzling rain began to fall under the gray sky. In the damp air, there was a faint hint of murderous intent.

"Clang~"

Kakuzu felt that this place was not suitable for staying long. Just as he took a step, he saw a kunai shoot from somewhere. He agilely retreated to dodge, and the sharp kunai stuck directly where he had been standing before.

Looking at the refined steel kunai made of high-quality materials, Kakuzu frowned slightly. Based on his many years of experience in refurbishing kunai, this kunai definitely didn't come from a small ninja village. The identity of the person who came was definitely not simple.

Since the other party had already made a move to test him, it meant the perimeter had been set. Kakuzu, not knowing the depth of the other party, looked around and lowered his body slightly, taking a defensive posture.

"Rogue ninja Kakuzu! Surrender immediately!"

Only hearing a violent shout, several figures wearing Waterfall ninja headbands flashed out from the forest. Leading them was the elite jonin who had hunted him down before. At this moment, he was crossing his arms, his face full of arrogance.

"It's actually you traitors, still not giving up?"

Kakuzu looked at the people who came with some surprise. He didn't expect that the people looking for him were his former colleagues, but then his heart sank. There were definitely more than just these people coming to catch him; there must be others hiding nearby.

After all, this bunch of poor people would definitely not be willing to buy kunai made of refined steel. In the past, when they were digging for second-hand kunai from him, they would even haggle over the price.

"Enough nonsense, attack!"

The elite jonin Waterfall ninja waved his hand, and the several Waterfall ninja lackeys behind him pulled out kunai and long swords, rushing toward Kakuzu.

"Hmph!"

Kakuzu, whose strength was no longer what it used to be, didn't even bother to lift his eyelids in the face of the few people coming aggressively. He quickly formed seals with both hands.

Rainy days and Water Style go better together~

"Water Style: Water Curtain Wall."

He saw Kakuzu spray a torrent from his mouth, sweeping toward the Waterfall ninjas flying forward at high speed.

These Waterfall ninjas had uneven strength. Suddenly attacked in mid-air, they immediately showed expressions of horror. Just one encounter, and they were washed into the sky by this water flow, then smashed heavily onto the ground and fell into a coma.

Kakuzu, who had instantly killed the crowd of Waterfall ninjas, let his cold gaze fall on the only standing Waterfall ninja leader, his tone carrying a chilling coldness.

"The end of the traitors has arrived." (End of chapter)