Investigating, or Slacking Off

April of Konoha 48.

It has been almost three months since Operation Kannabi Bridge.

It has been about two months since Konoha and Iwagakure began peace talks.

Since their last encounter with Madara Uchiha, they have seemingly vanished without a trace.

Even though Taiichi had many Shadow Clone searching outside, they couldn't find any trace of them.

That's right, this is Taiichi's latest mission.

He was finally free from having to serve as Hiruzen Sarutobi's bodyguard all day long, standing in the corner of the office for hours on end.

His latest mission is to gather intelligence on Madara Uchiha and his subordinate forces.

Unfortunately, Ban hid himself too well, or perhaps he really did stop his activities altogether.

Even in the Land of Water and the Land of Rain, the two places where he was most likely to appear, there was no trace of their activity.

Time flies, and it's already April. Judging from the life force he sensed when fighting Madara before, Madara should have truly returned to the Pure Land by now.

In other words, those who come out to take action in the future will most likely be Madara Uchiha, using Obito Uchiha intimidate people.

I wonder what Obito will become. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be as heartless as he was in the original story.

Considering the fact that Uchiha, Taiichi himself was somewhat unsure.

For now, all we can do is take it one step at a time and wait until we face Obito again.

Of course, during these past few months, Taiichi didn't just obediently track down Madara Uchiha.

Even Jiraiya knew how to slack off during work hours. While investigating the Akatsuki, he was writing books and gathering materials, leading a very enjoyable life.

As Jiraiya's qualified successor, and with so many Shadow Clones at his disposal, Taiichi naturally wouldn't be content to stay put.

The Land of Earth.

This has been Taiichi's main activity location recently, since Madara Uchiha's former base was here, and who knows if there are any other arrangements he made here.

Taiichi, using the alias Ryunosuke, wanders through a dilapidated little town.

If you want to say that he's different now, you can only say that even if Nonō were standing right in front of him, he would ignore her.

Standing at 1.9 meters tall, he was considered very tall even among ninjas, and with his impressive muscles, he looked like a ferocious human beast.

He was carrying a mangled corpse, with blood gushing from a fist-sized hole in the center of the corpse's chest.

As he walked, a constant dripping sound followed, yet no one dared to approach and stop him.

The reason is simple: it's just too terrifying to look at.

At this moment, Taiichi was standing in front of a dilapidated brick public toilet, frowning and looking disgusted.

The putrid stench and the pungent smell of ammonia mixed together to create a highly aggressive odor that stubbornly penetrated the nostrils even from a distance of more than ten steps.

"Damn it! It's this godforsaken place again!"

He muttered a curse under his breath, his rough voice filled with undisguised disgust.

He took a deep breath, but it was clearly a mistake; the smell almost made him faint.

"Cough cough! Damn it! Was the guy at the Exchange Shop who came up with this lousy idea brain-dead? He had to put the entrance in a latrine!"

Although it wasn't his first time here, the intoxicating aroma still made him unable to get used to it.

Without further hesitation, he endured the stench and strode inside.

It was midday, and a few ordinary people were relieving themselves in the restroom. When they saw a burly man carrying a blood-dripping corpse and exuding a chilling aura walk in, they were terrified!

"Ah!"

"Murder!"

Exclamations and screams erupted instantly.

The people who were "doing business" didn't even have time to pull up their pants before they scrambled out of the room;

The people in front of the urinals were terrified, splattering urine everywhere and leaving messy streaks on the floor and walls.

In just a few seconds, the previously crowded toilet was instantly emptied, leaving Taiichi and the lingering smoke in the air.

An even more disgusting mixture of feces, urine, farts, and sweat.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Taiichi became even more irritated as he watched those fleeing figures.

He waved his hand vigorously in front of his nose, trying to dispel the nauseating smell, his brows furrowed in a frown.

He walked to the innermost, rusty-looking sink and rhythmically pressed his fingers on a few specific spots of grime.

A slight grinding sound rang out, and the seemingly solid tiled wall behind the sink silently slid open, revealing a much cleaner and tidier passageway.

Taiichi cursed again.

Perhaps expressing his dissatisfaction with the fact that the entrance to this "clean" passage still required passing through a toilet, he then carried the corpse inside without hesitation.

The passage was short and soon led to a relatively spacious underground space.

The lighting was dim, with a faint oil lamp burning on the wall, and the air was filled with the smells of dust, preservatives, and paper.

This restroom is a whole level better than the one above, but it's still oppressive.

Sometimes he wondered if the real owner of the Exchange Shop didn't want to spend more money but still wanted people to feel that the environment was nice, which was why they put the entrance inside the public restroom.

Compared to public restrooms, this place seems relatively upscale.

Taiichi shook his head, trying to banish these random thoughts, and refocused his attention on the hall.

Behind several long tables sat several simply dressed, sharp-looking clerks, processing documents or cleaning weapons.

In a corner, a few ninjas sat sparsely, waiting for a trade or to accept a mission. They were all silent and wary.

When Taiichi's imposing figure appeared at the entrance of the passage, casually carrying a blood-soaked corpse on his shoulder, the entire base seemed to be put on pause.

The clerks, who had been busy with their heads down, stood up almost reflexively.

The ninjas in the corner tensed up instantly, their hands, which had been resting on the table, quietly sliding towards the hidden weapon hilts, their eyes filled with apprehension and a hint of fear.

Ryunosuke!

It's no wonder the people here are so terrified; his record is simply too glorious.

With 22 tasks completed in three months, averaging one every four days, this set a new record for the fastest completion of the Exchange Shop since its inception.

More importantly, there's his volatile temper and his tendency to lash out at people.

It has long been a nightmare known to everyone in this area.

Looking at this group of trembling fellows, Taiichi sighed, "Evil people always have their own evil people to deal with them."

Thinking back to when he first became Bounty Ninja under the alias Ryunosuke, he realized that the situation was quite similar to his current state.

Time flew back to when he had just completed his first bounty mission and was bringing the corpse to hand over the mission.

He glanced around with disgust, making no attempt to hide his contempt for his colleagues who lurked in the shadows, like Tuju eyeing their prey.

He walked straight to the bar and casually tossed the blood-dripping sack onto the ground.

Thump!

The dull thud made the thin bartender tremble as he wiped the glasses behind the bar.

"Task completed, Serial Number Ding-Chou 234."

Taiichi's tone was harsh, devoid of any politeness, as if he were issuing a command.

The bartender, trembling, pulled out a greasy booklet, checked it quickly, nodded rapidly, and pointed to the tavern's kitchen. "Inside—go in, the usual."

Taiichi bent down, picked up the sack, and turned to walk towards the back kitchen passage.

His movements carried a rugged sense of power, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Just as he was about to step through the curtained doorway to the kitchen, a sarcastic voice rang out from the shadows in the corner. "Oh ho, so we have a newcomer? Here to bring warmth to everyone today? Tsk tsk, this smell is really strong."

The speaker was a guy leaning against the corner of the wall, wearing a Headband of a Mist Village Rogue Ninja from Kirigakure at an angle.

His eyes were sinister, and a malicious sneer played at the corners of his mouth.

Sitting beside him were two equally menacing accomplices, all three exuding an aura of bloodlust and Chakra, clearly seasoned veterans.

The remaining gazes in the hall immediately became interested, and an atmosphere of watching a good show spread.

Newcomers, especially those who seem to possess only brute strength, are often "taken care of" by veterans in the world of ninjas.

Everyone knows the rules of the Exchange Shop: they only recognize corpses, not people. Whoever hands over the corpse to the counter gets the reward.

The process was full of "unexpected events" and "surprises".

Taiichi stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.

His broad back looked like an iron tower in the dim light.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was his heavy breathing.

"What? Have you lost your tongue? Or are you scared by my reputation?"

The rogue Rogue Ninja from the Mist Village sneered, stood up, cracked his knuckles, deliberately making a "crack" sound as he approached Taiichi step by step.

"I heard you only took on this task two days ago?"

Pretty capable, kid?

Let us guys take a look. Is what you've got in that bag the real thing, or just some random scarecrow?

If it's counterfeit and they're trying to deceive the Exchange Shop, that would break the rules—"

He walked to within five steps of Taiichi, his eyes greedily fixed on the blood-dripping sack, one hand already stealthily reaching for the Kunai at his waist.

His two companions also stood up in unison, subtly forming a pincer movement.

In their eyes, although the newcomer was bigger, he hadn't said a word when provoked, clearly a coward who was all bark and no bite.

This is a good opportunity to "teach him a lesson" and, incidentally, steal the bounty he worked so hard for.

They've done this kind of thing countless times.

Just as the rogue Rogue Ninja from Mist Village was about to touch the Kunai handle, preparing to launch a sneak attack or forcibly seize it, a sudden change occurred!

One second it seemed like a sluggish and clumsy giant back, the next it burst forth with a breathtakingly terrifying speed!

That kind of speed, calling it Body Flicker is more like teleportation!

It was as if a muffled thunderclap had exploded on the spot!

Taiichi didn't turn around, nor did he even make any fancy fighting stance.

He merely tilted his right shoulder back very slightly, and then, without warning, his muscular, veiny right arm, like a ballista that had been compressed to its limit and suddenly launched, slammed backward with a piercing shriek that tore through the air!

The movements were extremely fast, extremely concise, and extremely brutal!

His self-proclaimed weapon pointed directly at the chest of the Mist Village Rogue Ninja from Kirigakure behind him!

Pfft!

A sickeningly loud thud, as if flesh and bone had been pierced through in an instant, replaced all the expected clang of metal on metal or explosions of Ninjutsu.

Time seemed to stand still.

The air in the tavern froze completely. The mockery, ridicule, and anticipation on the faces of all the onlookers instantly vanished, replaced by boundless horror and disbelief.

The expression on the face of the Mist Village Rogue Ninja from Kirigakure, who had been smugly sneering and preparing to strike just a moment before, froze completely.

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the huge, gruesome bloody hole in his chest.

Taiichi's elbow had already been withdrawn, leaving only an empty hole. Through the hole, one could even see the White Zetsu face of his companion behind him.

He didn't even see how the other person made their move; the excruciating pain and icy cold instantly consumed all his consciousness.

Crimson blood gushed out like a floodgate bursting.

"Well----"

The Mist Village Rogue Ninja from Kirigakure let out a whistling sound, and the light in his eyes quickly dimmed and went out.

Clatter

The Kunai in his hand fell limply to the ground.

Taiichi slowly turned around. His face, which was full of hostility, was completely calm, showing only a kind of "relief" (pretended) that was finally released after being suppressed.

He first glanced at the corpse on the ground that he had killed with a single punch, then swept his gaze over his two accomplices who stood frozen in place as if petrified.

The two men trembled violently as they met Taiichi's emotionless eyes, which seemed to be looking at lifeless objects. A chill ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

They didn't even dare to draw their weapons, their breathing almost stopped, fearing that the slightest movement would provoke a thunderous strike from that god of death.

Taiichi's gaze finally settled on the fresh corpse on the ground.

"Tsk, troublesome."

He muttered something in extreme displeasure, his voice still hoarse and low, yet it carried clearly to everyone's ears.

He bent down, grabbed the ankle of the Mist Village Rogue Ninja corpse from Kirigakure with one hand, dragged it up like a dead dog, and then slammed it, along with the sack that originally contained the target's corpse, onto the greasy, dirty wooden counter!

Bang!

The loud noise made the cheap wine glasses on the counter jump.

The entire counter groaned and shook a few times, instantly becoming soaked in thick blood and filth.

"This guy,"

Taiichi pointed at the corpse of the Mist Village Rogue Ninja from Kirigakure that he had personally killed, his voice suddenly rising, filled with suppressed rage and catharsis.

"He's definitely got a bounty too! I'll cash it all in for him!"

Damn it, I've been holding back for so long! I kept grumbling the whole way.

If I wasn't afraid you wouldn't take the bait, I would have punched you to your great-grandmother long ago. Who the hell has the audacity to make such a racket!

He cursed and swore as he slammed his finger on the counter, spitting almost onto the face of the terrified bartender.

His vulgar, vicious curses, like his earth-shattering elbow strike, slammed into the hearts of every witness.

Entrapment!

Everyone suddenly realized what was happening, and a chill ran down their spines.

This newcomer, who looks like a hot-tempered brute, is anything but a submissive rookie!

From the moment he entered, his silence in the face of provocation was a sign that he was holding back his anger, waiting for his prey to strike!

He was waiting for some clueless idiot to walk right into his trap, so he could legitimately vent his rage and maybe even make some extra money!

That fresh corpse was the best proof!

Ryunosuke is not someone to be trifled with; he's a ferocious beast in human skin, and he holds grudges extremely!

The bartender, pale with fright, trembled so much he could barely hold the register, nodding repeatedly, "Yes—yes, yes! Lord Ryunosuke! I'll register you right away! And this too—I'll process it together!"

Taiichi snorted heavily, seemingly satisfied with the bartender's reaction, but the annoyance still lingered between his brows.

He no longer looked at the two other Kirigakure Mist Village Rogue Ninja like quails on the ground, or at the silent crowd around him.

He waved his hand dismissively, like shooing away a fly. "Hurry up! Stop dawdling! I don't have time to waste here!"

He took the blood-stained bounty package, weighed it in his hand, and stuffed it into a similarly worn but exceptionally sturdy Ninja Tool Pouch at his waist.

Throughout the process, the overwhelming aura of rage and the stench of blood emanating from him caused those around him to instinctively take a few steps back, clearing a wide path for him.

As Ryunosuke's figure, like a mobile fortress, disappeared at the tavern entrance, whispers of relief and relief finally filled the deathly silence.

"A madman—this guy is absolutely insane!"

"Just one hit—just one hit—that's the leader of the three Poison Scorpion brothers!"

"Ryunosuke —I've memorized that name. I'll avoid him from now on!"

Taiichi could still hear the echoes of the commotion behind him from that time. It was after that incident that Ryunosuke's reputation spread throughout the Bounty Ninja.

Ignoring the fearful gazes of the crowd, he went straight to the counter and slammed the corpse in his hand onto the counter like trash.

"Serial Number Ren-Yin 361", Delivery! Bounty, hurry! I'm really busy!