Searching for Someone at the Bounty Office

After learning of Sunagakure's defeat, Kumogakure, having gained little advantage, also chose to withdraw its troops, but its stance remained firm:

That means not signing a peace treaty with Konoha, and both sides maintaining a state of war, only with a much lower intensity of fighting.

This time, Ōnoki didn't dare to take advantage of the situation. After all, everyone still remembered the Third Raikage's fighting power. Although he managed to kill this physically strong Kage by sheer manpower, the damage he caused to Iwagakure was real.

The last thing was that Amegakure) fell into internal strife.

Amegakure Shinobi World and a notorious poisoner known as the "Demigod of the Ninja World," announced that the Akatsuki Organization within Hanzo was accepting aid from outside the village in an attempt to split Amegakure, and formally declared war on them.

The surrounding villages all turned their attention to this country that had single-handedly started the Second Shinobi World War.

Underground casinos also began placing bets, betting on whether Hanzo or the Akatsuki Organization would win in the end.

A woman named Tsunade, who wished to remain anonymous, also got involved and bet on Hanzo to win.

However, none of this had anything to do with Kazashiro, who had just said goodbye to the Katsuyu that was biting its handkerchief and spraying acid.

With Pakura by his side, Kazashiro arrived at a place called Renchuan Town within the Land of Fire.

Do you know Bounty Office?

Walking down the street, looking at Pakura who was already wearing the Konoha Forehead Protector he had given her, Kazashiro asked her a question.

"Bounty Office? I know, they have them in all Five Great Nations."

Pakura answered without hesitation.

"Do you know where the Bounty Office in the Land of Fire?"

Kazashiro's question made Pakura feel that her intelligence had been insulted.

She had wanted to say this while they were in Shikkotsu Forest: this so-called White Death God looked rather silly, though he was kind of cute, but was it really a good thing?

How am I supposed to answer a question from a local like me, asking if I, an outsider, know about the local situation?

Pakura remained silent, only looking at Kazashiro with pity.

This kid has traded all his intelligence for good looks.

Feeling a little uneasy under Pakura's gaze, Kazashiro realized something and coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment. "Ahem, I was just... I was just gathering intelligence, seeing if Sunagakure was secretly investigating our Land of Fire."

Pakura had even more black lines on his forehead.

Yes, I admit that the Sunagakure leadership is a bunch of brainless idiots, but instead of investigating your military equipment, they're investigating Bounty Office that exist in every country? Even the most incompetent idiot wouldn't do something like that.

"Just tell me what you want to do."

Pakura still prefers a straightforward way of communicating.

"I'm looking for someone. With him, my plans can get off to a smooth start. No, I'm still missing someone—I'm missing an unfortunate nobleman."

It's easy to find out about the nobles' affairs, Bounty Office...

I can only rely on my father completely.

Taking a scroll out of his pocket, Kazashiro followed the index to find his current area.

"What is this?" Pakura asked curiously, looking at the densely packed characters on the scroll.

"My dad gave this to me, it's kind of an emergency contact list. Let me see, Renchuan Town, found it, Root General Store, what a terrible name!"

After criticizing the namer's skill, Kazashiro led Pakura to the small shop following the directions.

The shop was deserted; apart from the cluttered goods, only a young owner was idly leaning on the counter.

However, when he noticed Pakura's figure at the door, he immediately raised his head alertly.

"Don't worry, they're one of us."

Leading Pakura into the store, Kazashiro gestured for her not to be nervous.

"Code name J?"

However, the shop owner was still a little worried, so he asked using a code.

"Everything is normal, nothing's wrong." Knowing that the other party was worried that he was being coerced by Pakura, Kazashiro was both amused and exasperated. Not to brag, but with his current strength, Pakura couldn't possibly coerce him.

"What are your orders, Young Master Kazashiro?" Knowing that Kazashiro had come at his own will, the shop owner strode forward, closed the shop door, and led Kazashiro to a secret room at the back of the house, kneeling down to await his instructions.

These people were all informants for the Root organization, essentially Root members, since everyone knew that the Root organization only had sixteen officially appointed personnel.

"Do you have any information on a rogue Takigakure from Takigakure named Kakuzu? I want to know his whereabouts."

That's right, the person Kazashiro is looking for is Kakuzu.

That's the Akatsuki Organization's finance minister, their economic steward. With him around, Kazashiro can just sit back and count his money, and casually buy hundreds of millions of Exploding Tag to watch the other party suffer a heart attack.

Please wait a moment.

The eyeliner worked quickly, and soon Kazashiro received the information he wanted.

However, Kazashiro was quite disappointed upon receiving the message.

Because it only records Kakuzu's life story, and does not mention his whereabouts.

Indeed, in the eyes of ordinary people, this guy is Waterfall Village ninja from Hashirama. Who would have thought that he would survive to this day thanks to Earth Grudge Fear?

However, Kazashiro naturally knew where to find the other party.

Where is the nearest gold exchange?

Whether it was a coincidence or not, Kazashiro really wanted to complain after seeing the enormous toilet in front of him.

Is the restroom just a standard disguise for all Bounty Office?

Or did I just happen to arrive at the place where Asuma will die in the future?

Pah! If Asuma knew this, he'd probably spit out a mouthful of Ash Pile Burning and burn himself to death.

Are you coming or not?

Kazashiro turned to look at Pakura, whose face showed disgust.

Let's go.

Pakura pinched his nose, comforting himself that it was just repaying a debt of gratitude, and walked in front.

Entering the men's restroom, stepping over a row of stalls, you arrive at a urinal and press a tile; the entire wall begins to move under the action of a mechanism.

A menacing-looking middle-aged man sat quietly in a simple folding chair. Hearing the clicking of a mechanism, he didn't look up, only staring intently at the newspaper in his hands. "Issuing a bounty or accepting the reward?"

"Looking for someone."

Kazashiro's answer surprised the man.

Looking up, I saw the Forehead Protector hanging around Kazashiro's neck.

"Konoha ninja? Sorry, I don't Bounty Office— " The man refused without even thinking.

He was just another fool trying to find out the whereabouts of the rogue ninja from the Bounty Office. In all his years in the business, the man had seen many such people, and none of them had ever succeeded.

You should know that behind the Bounty Office are powerful figures that even ninjas can't afford to mess with.

The fireball from the Scorch Release burned the table to dust, and Kazashiro's Senbon precisely pierced the scroll the man was about to open.

"You--"

The man's face instantly turned ugly as the Summoning Scroll was destroyed.

His greatest reliance was this scroll in his hand; without it, the man could not call upon the protector of the Bounty Office.