Walking Gold Coins

A few days later.

In a gloomy underground cavern somewhere in Konoha.

"Those three still haven't returned?" Danzo, his body wrapped in bandages, sat on a stone bench in the center. His face was dark as he looked at the Root Shinobi below him. "It takes this long to deal with a mere merchant? Useless trash! Root has no need for trash like you!"

His original plan had been to recruit that fellow into the Root Organization. Although Uchiha Fuyou had some talent, he had squandered so many years. So what if he was talented?

He could no longer become a powerful ninja.

So Danzo had intended to make him a merchant for the Root Organization, providing funds for Root's operations.

To build such a vast business empire in such a short time proved that the man's business acumen was exceptional.

If Root could make use of him, then the funds given to Hiruzen and wasted on pointless things... such as that elderly activity group, could instead be used by Root to do far more to protect Konoha!

And that fellow... was simply too wasteful!

He had not spent his money where it should have been spent at all!

Danzo raised his head and stared at the Root Shinobi kneeling on one knee below him, all of them bowing their heads and not daring to meet his gaze. He said flatly, "Did they leave any message behind?"

"No, Lord Danzo!" one of the Root Shinobi said respectfully. "We lost contact with all three of them on the first day after they left. Combined with the traces left at the edge of the forest outside Konoha, I suspect that the three of them may have... perished."

With that, he lowered his head again.

Danzo frowned slightly, his expression terrifyingly grim. "Do you know who did it?"

"The scene was too chaotic. There were traces of Earth Release, Water Release, Fire Release, and a large number of Explosive Tags." The ninja paused before adding, "It is unknown for now!"

"Useless trash!" Danzo snorted coldly, but his face grew even more solemn afterward.

He had sent ninja to follow Uchiha Fuyou in order to keep it from Hiruzen and recruit that fellow under his command.

And those three ninja had disappeared because they had been following Uchiha Fuyou!

Could the two be connected somehow?

But still.

He was just a merchant.

After graduating from the Ninja Academy, he had never carried out a mission, never learned ninjutsu, and never been taught by a jonin... Was it possible?

And if anything happened, Root Shinobi operating outside the village would act under the name of the Hokage's direct forces—the Anbu. Would a mere merchant really dare lay hands on Konoha's Anbu?

No amount of money could protect him then!

Danzo pondered for a moment. "Do you know where that fellow went?"

"According to his registration, he was arranging matters concerning milk tea shops and other businesses within the Land of Fire, while also inspecting potential new industries."

"Within the Land of Fire..."

Just how many branches had that fellow opened by now?

Danzo frowned again, tapping the floor as he thought for a while. Then he muttered, "It seems this old man will have to act personally after all! Find out where he is, then..."

Before he could finish.

A Root Shinobi suddenly rushed in, panic written all over his face. "Report! Lord Danzo!"

"Hmph!" Danzo snorted, looking displeasedly at the panicked ninja. "What happened?"

"A bounty notice for Lord Danzo has appeared on the black market!"

"???" Danzo froze. He had not shown himself for a long time and had stayed in the village all this while. Who was offering a bounty on him?

Of course, he did not care.

Which famous ninja did not have a bounty on his head?

It was no big deal!

"Do you know who placed it?"

"It may have been Kirigakure, or perhaps Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, the Land of Rain..."

"???" Had his Root Shinobi become this useless at gathering intelligence?

They still could not determine where the bounty had come from?

Before Danzo, his face darkening, could rebuke him, the ninja continued, "Black markets in various places and countries have all issued bounty notices. One million ryo, 10 million ryo, 30 million ryo, 50 million ryo..."

The numbers kept climbing higher and higher, making Danzo's eyelids twitch.

Had this old man done anything so outrageous lately?

"The total is 350 million Ryo." The ninja lowered his head even further, nearly burying it in the ground. "It ranks first among all bounty notices! And it may still be increasing..."

"..." Danzo's mouth twitched. That price was already on par with a Tailed Beast. Even Lord Hashirama had never had such a high bounty back then!

What grudge could possibly justify this?

Besides, he had been busy handling the war and village affairs lately. He had not even gone to so many places!

"Mm, I understand. Arrange for someone to investigate whoever placed the bounty. And... you may all leave."

"Yes!"

The ninja all acknowledged the order.

But just as his words fell, another ninja spoke up. "I will immediately arrange for Lord Danzo to personally go out and investigate Uchiha Fuyou."

As soon as he said that.

"Mm!" Danzo nodded faintly, tapping the armrest a few times as if deep in thought. "Find him, then bring him here! There are still many matters in Konoha that require my attention! I cannot leave Konoha for the time being!"

With that, he stood up.

"You are all dismissed now!"

Expressionless, he walked outside.

Who exactly had placed that bounty?

Of course it was me!

But I wasn't telling. I was just having fun!

One Asuma had been enough to make Kakuzu take a gamble and directly attack the Third Hokage's son. What about ten Asumas? A hundred Asumas?

Danzo had actually dared send Root Shinobi after him and even wanted to seize his property. Wasn't he afraid Tu'er would get furious, strike without mercy, and wipe out his entire clan?

So there was nothing more to say.

If money could solve it, then it was not a problem!

It was time to let the ninja witness the terror of money power.

Thus, Uchiha Fuyou decided to secretly place a bounty on Shimura Danzō, and... raise it a little every so often.

Little by little, slowly increasing it.

He would turn Danzo into walking gold coins and see whether he would still dare sneak out of the village whenever he pleased.

The moment he showed himself... people would probably stare at him with shining eyes.

One job, and they would never have to worry about food or clothing again. They could live a life of wealth.

Maybe the ninja in the village would start feeling their hands itch whenever they saw his head.

If the village ran short of funds, he could even offer up his own head and make a tremendous contribution to the village!

If he had not spent so much money these past few days and worried about a break in his accumulated funds, he would have raised it straight to one billion.

Danzo should pray that the Third Ninja World War did not become too intense. Otherwise, when the time came to restore Konoha's economy, someone might truly make him demonstrate the real Will of Fire!

After taking detours and circling around for many days to blur his trail, he had finally secretly left the Land of Fire today and arrived in the Land of Rain, which bordered several countries.

Land of Rain.

A country where it rained all year round.

Looking at the hazy drizzle before him, Uchiha Fuyou, now dressed in a merchant's cloak and attire, stretched lazily. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly. "I've finally arrived, huh?"