So valuable? They all want to sell themselves...

"How could this happen?" Ebizo whispered in disbelief, staring blankly at the oasis that had turned into ruins.

Ninja tools, kunai, shuriken, katanas, and corpses littered the area...

Chiyo knelt on one knee, exhausted, sweat dripping down her face. Beside her, two puppets were cut in half.

The cuts were as clean and smooth as a calm water surface!

"Sister, what is this..." Ebizo asked uncertainly.

"White Fang did this!" Chiyo gritted out, a flicker of unwillingness in her eyes. She hadn't used her Secret Technique yet; the next time would be a fight to the death!

Chiyo and her group's appearance had disrupted Sakumo Hatake's plan. His battle seemed effortless, as he easily dealt with all the Jonin except Chiyo and Ebizo.

In reality, it was clear that Sakumo Hatake had fought with all his might, consuming a massive amount of chakra.

The subsequent activities had nothing to do with infiltration, assassination, or sabotage anymore.

Therefore, Sakumo Hatake decided to change the plan.

"Night is coming, we should leave," Sakumo Hatake said as he and Tōka rested under the shade of a sand dune. With the water source, Tōka had regained some energy.

Still, the soldier pills were just too awful...

"Where to next?" Tōka asked weakly, having wanted to nap a bit longer.

With Sakumo Hatake by his side, Tōka had slept soundly.

However, he felt he hadn't slept enough.

"The Sand Ninja have advanced their positions, pushing directly to the border of the Land of Rivers," Sakumo Hatake stated calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter like eating or drinking.

To Tōka, however, it sounded like a clap of thunder.

"W-what did you say?" Tōka's eyes widened, doubting his own ears.

Going to the Sand Ninja's military stronghold?

The one hidden deep within the yellow sands?

"You heard correctly. We're heading to the Sand Ninja military stronghold in the Land of Rivers," Sakumo Hatake glanced at Tōka and said.

"I'm just a Genin!" Tōka roared.

It was fine to tag along and gain experience, but this was practically walking into a death trap!

Tōka didn't even realize the nervousness in his tone.

It was true; a Genin facing the colossal Sunagakure was not normal if they weren't afraid.

Humans were human precisely because they felt fear.

"Ever since you put on that mask, you've been a member of Konoha's Anbu," Sakumo Hatake said seriously, with a hint of comfort in his voice. "Your strength has been recognized."

Tōka's expression remained grim, completely unmoved.

If he were stronger, even just a Jonin, he wouldn't mind following Sakumo Hatake to charge into the Sand Ninja stronghold.

But as he was now, Tōka was too weak! He would only be a burden to Sakumo Hatake.

"Never mind, let's leave here first." Sakumo Hatake knew he couldn't convince Tōka with a few words and decided to find another solution. Such a potential threat existing was very dangerous.

Within the Land of Rivers, the Sand Ninja's advance signaled their decision to fight to the end.

The desert was the Land of Wind's natural defense; even if Sunagakure was utterly defeated, they didn't need to worry about Konoha launching a full-scale invasion of the Land of Wind.

Firstly, they were unaccustomed to the climate, making effective offense difficult.

Even if they managed to conquer it one day, the desert offered little strategic value.

Because Sunagakure had established its military stronghold directly within the Land of Rivers, Konoha recalled all its scattered forces operating on the Land of Rivers battlefield.

The front line suddenly extended to the border of the Land of Fire...

Tōka and Sakumo Hatake disguised themselves slightly and decided to head to the underground exchange.

The underground exchange wasn't just for hiring assassins and posting bounties; it also dealt in buying and selling intelligence from various countries.

Tōka suspected Sakumo Hatake had a secret method to contact the Konoha main camp, though he wasn't sure of the specifics.

Besides, was it really okay for them to brazenly go to the underground exchange?

The Land of Rivers was a neutral small country, even leaning towards Konohagakure. Now, with the Sand Ninja army pressing down and stationed within its borders, they had essentially occupied the land.

"Why don't you go alone? I'll find a place to wait for you?" Tōka suggested.

"No need to worry, we've already disguised ourselves," Sakumo Hatake directly rejected Tōka's proposal.

Tōka wore a bitter expression. Taking off his Ninja Headband and his animal mask – was this considered a disguise?

It was just a change from "I'm Konoha's Anbu, come attack me!" to "I look easy to bully, come attack me!"!

The process was different, but the outcome was the same!

"Stop talking, we've got some rats following us!" Sakumo Hatake hissed in a low voice.

Hearing the sound, Tōka immediately perked up. His brow furrowed, and he immediately used Chakra Sensing Technique.

As expected!!

Not far behind him, three faint auras were constantly shifting positions.

Tōka's mind was completely messed up by Sakumo Hatake's previous remarks, making it difficult for him to concentrate. That's why he hadn't noticed the rats following them.

The two passed through the forest and entered a dark canyon.

"They're coming!" Sakumo Hatake used the Body Flicker Technique to leave his original spot. "I'll leave them to you."

"You got me, brat. I can't beat you, so I'll put up with it!" Tōka's face darkened, and he gave Sakumo Hatake the middle finger as he walked away!

However, anger aside, Tōka still turned around seriously, a faint killing intent emanating from him.

After several major battles, especially after his brief encounter with Ebizo, Tōka found that the aura of strong opponents was affecting him less and less.

During the Genin exam, the pressure from an Upper Ninja's killing intent had almost made him lose his will to fight.

Now, Tōka dared to fight even against an experienced Kage-level expert like Chiyo!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!

Seeing that Sakumo Hatake had "escaped" and only Tōka was left, the three black shadows immediately revealed their true forms and flashed into a triangle, surrounding Tōka.

"Are you rogue ninja?" Tōka glanced at the headbands on the three men's foreheads, which had a horizontal slash across them.

It wasn't the symbol of one of the five great nations. As for which small country it belonged to, Tōka didn't really recognize it.

Besides the common Ninja Headbands from the Land of Rain and the Land of the泷, Tōka remembered them, but he truly couldn't distinguish the others from the smaller nations.

"Wrong, we're bounty hunters!" A man with a scar running across his chest sneered, hooking his lips.

The way the three looked at Tōka was as if they were staring at a walking vault!

Tōka frowned slightly. I'm a straight guy, don't look at me with such disgusting eyes, okay?

"Big brother, why waste so much time talking to him? Let's take him down!"

"Yeah, a bounty of 100 million, and he's such an easy target. We're so lucky!"

The other two rogue ninja yelled greedily. Even Tōka couldn't help but be moved.

One hundred million?? When did he become so valuable?

"Are you telling the truth?" Tōka asked uncertainly.

"Hmph, could this be fake?"

"Whether you live or die, your head alone is worth 100 million!"

Tōka cursed inwardly and reached out to pat his thumping chest, almost unable to resist selling himself!

One hundred million ryo? He could lie down for the rest of his life, letting others do everything for him!

"Who posted the bounty?"

"How could such confidential information be leaked!"

The three looked at Tōka as if he were an idiot. If the underground exchange leaked the client's information, would they still be able to do business?

"Boss, enough nonsense, let's go!"

A short man with a large head and a short body clapped his hands together, causing the ground to shake.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The ground beneath Tōka's feet became soft, turning into a swamp in an instant, and his body began to sink.

"You're too impatient, second brother."

The man with the scar on his chest shook his head helplessly. While he said it, his hands moved just as quickly.

Swish swish swish, three Kunai with Explosive Tags tied to their tails were thrown directly at Tōka.

The last ninja, with a pockmarked face, sealed his hand signs and spat out a fireball.

"Your coordination is quite good, but unfortunately..." Tōka's voice came from near and far, as eerie and terrifying as a ghost.

The three attacks arrived in a torrent, directly drowning out Tōka's faint voice.

The fire blazed, and the explosions shook the heavens.

"He didn't get blown to pieces, did he?" the short ninja worried.

The other two showed similar expressions. If he became unrecognizable, it would be hard to claim the bounty.

As the smoke and dust cleared, the mangled forest was revealed.

"How is this possible!"

"Where is he?"

Everyone's breathing changed, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

The air seemed to be squeezed by an invisible hand, and with a crack, it shattered into pieces of crystal-clear glass.

A ripple of water spread through the surroundings, and it transformed back into the forest where they had first met.

The ground showed no signs of damage, and even the brat was standing safely in the distance.

"No good, it's Genjutsu!" the scar-faced ninja leading them shouted in alarm.

All three of them had fallen for the Genjutsu, and the terrifying part was they had no idea when they had been caught!

"I have a question for you!" Tōka's voice rang out.

Everyone's hearts tightened, a chill running down their spines.

"As rogue ninjas, you must have bounties, right? Are they worth anything?" Tōka asked meaningfully.

How much money could a ninja earn from missions? Moreover, the more money, the harder the mission, and the village would take a cut.

Wasn't it faster to hunt down bounty targets?

"If I tell you, you'll be scared to death!" the short ninja chuckled smugly, about to speak.

The scar-faced ninja roared and coldly reprimanded, "Idiot, shut up!"

After a brief silence, Tōka shook his head slightly.

Their Chakra reserves were comparable to a Chunin, and since the three of them weren't young, their combat power was very weak.

"Never mind, I doubt they're worth much." A light laugh drifted through the air, seeming both far and near.

Tōka's eyes turned cold, and killing intent spread out.

All-Killing Ash Bones: Bone Bullet Barrage!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

Three bone segments shot out, piercing the air and tearing through the bodies of the three ninjas.

"Well done." Sakumo Hatake leaped down, standing beside Tōka, and praised him without reservation.

Sakumo Hatake had witnessed Tōka's growth over these past few days.

Initially, Tōka had struggled greatly against Pakura, who was only a Chunin, classified as an elite Chunin due to her Scorch Release.

Later, he single-handedly defeated an Jonin. Although there was a type advantage, a win was a win.

Then, he dealt with a standard four-man squad, directly taking down two, heavily injuring one, and exhausting another's Chakra.

Finally, he even exchanged a couple of blows with Sunagakure's advisor, Ebizo.

"You've grown," Sakumo Hatake nodded.

Tōka's expression was blank, but inwardly he rolled his eyes repeatedly.

Wasn't he bound to grow when he was risking his life to gain experience?

"Let's go. It seems Sunagakure has put out a bounty on you," Sakumo Hatake turned around and walked at an unhurried pace.

One advantage of Tōka's fighting style was that there was no need to clean up the battlefield after the battle.

Pausing for a moment, Tōka followed.

"Where are we going?" Tōka asked instinctively.

"The underground exchange," Sakumo Hatake replied gravely.

Tōka stumbled, almost falling over.

The underground exchange? Had he heard that right? He had a bounty of one hundred million Ryo on his head!

Not one hundred, not a thousand, but one hundred million Ryo!

"You..." Tōka looked warily at Sakumo Hatake's back.

Unexpectedly, Sakumo Hatake's back seemed to have eyes. "Don't worry, I won't turn you in for money."

As a prominent clan of Konohagakure, the Hatake clan, though small in number, had considerable resources.

They might not compare to the Uchiha or Hyuga, but they were still very wealthy!

A mere hundred million Ryo was nothing in Sakumo Hatake's eyes!

Seemingly sensing the disdain in his tone, Tōka's small face flushed red, and he inwardly cursed: A rich second-generation who doesn't know the plight of the hungry!

In an underground exchange somewhere in the Land of Rivers, a man wearing a mask strolled in.

His eyes, red-rimmed with green irises, scanned the hall like the gaze of death, his icy stare piercing everyone's acupoints like silver needles.

Instantly, the bustling exchange hall fell silent.

It was as if time had stopped, and all sound had vanished completely.

"Oh, a rare visitor! Sir, please come this way." The receptionist immediately scurried out, bowing and leading the masked man further inside.

Only when their figures disappeared into the dark passage behind the wooden door did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief.

With a bang, the wooden door closed.

The terrifying aura vanished completely.

"Hey, hey, hey, isn't that guy...?"

"Shh! Do you want to die?!"

"Shut up! If you two want to die, go die somewhere else!"

"Uh..."

The bounty hunters in the hall quickly finished their transactions, grabbed what they wanted with confidence, and swiftly left the underground exchange.

It was as if a primordial beast was chasing them from behind!

The VIP room of the underground exchange.

"Sir, here are the latest bounty posters. Please take a look."

"Alright, you may go..." The masked man waved his hand, saying impatiently.

The young attendant respectfully withdrew, quietly closing the VIP room door.

Strength is the prerequisite for earning respect!

"Huh? A Genin brat is worth a hundred million ryo?" The masked man flipped to Tōka's bounty poster, his eyes lighting up. This was a big score!

Immediately, he made up his mind.

Let's do this! (To be continued)