Underground Money Exchange in Tanzaku Town

"What did you say?"

Kisame Hoshigaki suddenly stood up and snatched the scroll from the clone's hand.

After quickly reading the information inside, he was completely stunned.

"How could this be? It shouldn't be like this!"

"The swordsmith Biwa Juzo, the lightning blade Raiga Kurosuki, and Suikazan Fuguki himself with Samehada. Those three were the pride of our village. The first two have already defected, so what high-end combat power does the village have left? Mei Terumi? Her bloodline development isn't mature yet. Ao? He has one Byakugan, but he can't fight."

Kisame Hoshigaki paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, muttering about Kirigakure's predicament.

If this continued, he felt Kirigakure would eventually fall.

Powerful elite Jonin were the strength that supported the village's deterrence against the Five Great Nations.

After the Third Great Ninja War, four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were killed by Might Duy, and two of the remaining three had now defected, along with the Fourth Mizukage who was being controlled by a mysterious person.

He felt that the current Kirigakure was like a broken ship sailing in a storm, and with the slightest carelessness, it could sink and perish.

"No, this can't go on. I have to find out the reason for their defection."

Kisame Hoshigaki lost his appetite. He put away the scroll and asked the clone, "And the support team you mentioned, where are they?"

"The intelligence I received is that they will arrive at the Tanzaku Town outpost tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM. You'll need to coordinate with them yourself."

The clone said, then threw out two wanted posters. "Also, both of you are now registered at the Underground Money Exchange. It's best to be careful when you go out recently."

Kisame Hoshigaki took the wanted posters and looked, seeing their photos clearly displayed on them.

Bounty: Kisame Hoshigaki, 70 million Ryo.

Bounty: Kazama Kaguya, 35 million Ryo.

Kazama Kaguya took his own poster.

On the poster was a sickly-looking young man, just as he was before his defection.

"35 million Ryo? That's the value of an Asuma. It seems the one who issued the bounty is most likely Danzo, whom I scammed."

Besides Danzo, Kazama Kaguya couldn't think of anyone else who would be so fixated on him.

As for Kisame Hoshigaki, below his bounty, the name of the person who issued it was clearly written: Uchiha Clan.

The two looked at each other, seeing indifference in each other's eyes.

Kisame Hoshigaki dispelled the clone and, before leaving after packing his things, said, "I need to go to Tanzaku Town. You'll have to complete the training missions for these two days yourself."

Kazama Kaguya had already been thinking of visiting a big city, so he quickly said, "My daily supplies are running low, and the weighted training stones are very inconvenient. I need to buy some training equipment."

Training with two 250kg bluestone slabs strapped to him all day felt like a loss of his dignity.

He planned to buy training gear specifically for Taijutsu ninja.

Just like the kind used by Rock Lee in the original work, it was small in size but incredibly heavy, and could be tied to the limbs for long-term Taijutsu training.

Kisame Hoshigaki had no reason to refuse.

Soon, the two disappeared from the borderland.

Tanzaku Town.

This was a famous prosperous area in the Land of Fire, attracting a large number of civilians, merchants, and ninja from various villages.

It had everything from Kabuki theaters, taverns, casinos, to hot springs.

In secret, it was where major ninja villages set up outposts in the Land of Fire, and bounty organizations like the Underground Money Exchange were established.

Before his transmigration, Kazama Kaguya often wondered who had established the Underground Money Exchange, which dared to place bounties on even the Kage of various villages.

Now, he knew the person behind it from Kisame Hoshigaki.

"The Underground Money Exchange is a platform jointly established by the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations. Besides bounties, it also involves a complex intelligence network and the exchange of rare resources."

The two did not linger on the street and headed straight for the Underground Money Exchange.

Kisame Hoshigaki needed to understand the reasons for the defection of the two sword-wielding ninja, while Kazama Kaguya needed to purchase Taijutsu training equipment from there.

"As we go in, do we need to use Transformation Jutsu?"

It was Kazama Kaguya's first time in such a place. Even though he was already wearing a cloak, he was still reluctant to expose his identity.

Kisame Hoshigaki glanced at him. "Transformation Jutsu is just a low-level E-rank ninjutsu. Do you think people who frequent the Money Exchange wouldn't see through it? Besides, you want to hunt the ninja who put a bounty on me? I don't think the Money Exchange has hunters of that caliber."

After saying that, he walked in directly with his true body.

"So arrogant? Is it because the Akatsuki Organization is still operating in the shadows?" Kazama Kaguya was stunned for a moment, then followed him in without transforming.

Before long, the two came out after completing their respective business.

Kisame Hoshigaki now had to go to Kirigakure's secret outpost to meet the support team sent by Suikazan Fuguki, so he naturally wouldn't take Kazama Kaguya with him.

Kazama Kaguya now had weighted equipment strapped to him, and was walking with a staggered gait as he adapted to the rhythm, while inwardly complaining about the Underground Money Exchange.

"This underground black market is such a rip-off. They charged me 5 million for a set of weighted equipment, and wouldn't even haggle."

His money had been donated to the orphanage before, and the money he paid was only scraped together after temporarily selling some of the Kaguya Clan's stored ninjutsu scrolls.

The ninjutsu he sold were all things he had already learned from Kisame Hoshigaki.

Among them were several rare Water Release ninjutsu scrolls that he didn't sell, intending to keep them for himself.

These included rare Kirigakure Water Release techniques such as "Water Release: Cutting Rain Technique," "Water Release: Black Rain Technique," and "Water Release: Shielded Hat."

However, to be fair, these weighted training tools manufactured by the Konoha Fuinjutsu Squad were genuinely effective.

The small leg bands were equipped with arrays that could alter gravity.

By inputting the corresponding chakra, the weight could be freely adjusted, suitable for training needs ranging from genin to jonin.

Currently, Kazama Kaguya was attempting to add more chakra, but his body couldn't adapt immediately, making his gait somewhat strange.

"Tanzaku Town... I remember Tsunade gambled here after leaving Konoha."

Kazama Kaguya planned to try his luck at the casino, hoping to find Tsunade.

He had evolved Blood Release and urgently needed knowledge of medical ninjutsu.

He passed by the food street and casually bought some supplies for wilderness survival. However, while paying, he sensed someone secretly watching him from the shadows.

"Hmm? I've been so low-key, who's still after me?"

"Byakugan, activate."

The world instantly turned into a black and white three-dimensional space.

Kazama Kaguya also saw the ninja hiding in the shadows, watching him.

It was a middle-aged ninja clad in a black robe, without a forehead protector to identify himself. His chakra level exceeded that of a jonin, suggesting his strength wouldn't be weak.

"No forehead protector? Not from one of the five great ninja villages? Then he must be a bounty ninja?"

Kazama Kaguya couldn't quite determine the man's identity for a moment.

His current appearance was completely different from the bounty posters. There was no reason for him to be targeted just after visiting the Underground Money Exchange.

After thinking for a moment and finding no cause, Kazama Kaguya temporarily ignored him.

Tanzaku Town was full of civilians, and he wasn't a madman who needed to go on a killing spree in such a place.

After finishing his shopping, his body had fully adapted to the weighted training gear.

Without waiting for Kisame Hoshigaki, he left Tanzaku Town and quickly flew towards the distant mountains.

The man, upon seeing Kazama Kaguya fly, widened his eyes in an instant, his face filled with excitement.

He created a clone and said, "Quickly go inform Kakuzu."

He himself then rapidly pursued Kazama Kaguya.

He muttered excitedly, "Heh heh, I knew anyone who could come with Kisame Hoshigaki wouldn't be simple. The 70 million ryo Kisame Hoshigaki is troublesome enough, but this brat can actually fly. His corpse will definitely fetch a good price at the money exchange."