Yellow Sponge

"Yasakani no Magatama..."

Yellow Sponge called out his technique name with a lazy drawl. The dense barrage of light projectiles left no room for evasion, striking every single Shadow Ninja with pinpoint accuracy.

After a series of explosions kicked up clouds of dust, the Shadowkhan had vanished without a trace. Yellow Sponge slowly picked up the Dragon Talisman from the ground, flashed a look of concern followed by his signature high-pitched laughter, and then asked the two with a touch of childish posturing: "Are you okay?"

"Uh... we're fine... Master Sponge..."

Because the fusion between SpongeBob SquarePants and the Glint-Glint Fruit used SpongeBob SquarePants as the base, he naturally retained SpongeBob SquarePants' original personality.

However, during combat, his art style would sometimes collapse, shifting into the personality of Kizaru.

"I'm a chef from the Krusty Krab in Bikini Bottom, and I work part-time as one of the Three Admirals of Bikini Bottom. Just call me Yellow Sponge!"

"Of course, in private, you can just call me 'SpongeBob SquarePants'!"

While introducing himself, Yellow Sponge leaned in almost until he was touching them, his six eyelashes fluttering rapidly in excitement as if he were looking forward to them saying his name.

"Um... Master Yellow Sponge... I found that talisman first..."

"Kenichi!"

Kenichi had thought that since Yellow Sponge was so easy to talk to, he might be able to get the Dragon Talisman back and exchange it for the bounty. But no sooner had he opened his mouth than Misaki interrupted him.

"He's our benefactor, how could you ask him for things? Besides, the talisman was just something you happened to pick up!"

"But... after what I did today, there's no way we can go back to Kusagakure. Without the talisman, we won't even be able to leave the village."

"Alright! We'll think of another way! How can we trouble Master Yellow Sponge?!"

Misaki had a reason for saying this: she wanted to appease Yellow Sponge. After all, who could say if someone who looked so kind might be hiding a second face? Those Kusagakure ninja were the same—they would thank you every time they left a wound on you, but in the end, didn't they just treat you like a tool?

Given the power Yellow Sponge had just displayed, what if he got annoyed and poked a few hundred holes in them with his laser rain?

"Master Yellow Sponge, please don't mind what Kenichi said, he's just... joking! Yes! Joking..."

"You have a point... You did find the talisman first, so it really should be returned to you... But the Marshal of Crab Kingdom ordered me to fully cooperate with Uncle in searching for the talismans..."

Seeing Yellow Sponge place a hand on his chin and look upward with a thoughtful expression, the two couldn't help but think, This powerhouse really is the same inside and out...

"I've got it! The Marshal of Crab Kingdom once said that there is nothing in this world that money can't solve, and nothing that money can't buy! How about I buy the talisman from you with money?!"

"Wait... I don't seem to have your currency, only some deep-sea pearls and diamonds that aren't of much use..."

Yellow Sponge held out a handful of high-quality, sparkling gems that looked incredibly valuable. Kenichi was just about to say, "Using these to trade is fine too...!"

But before he could finish, Yellow Sponge interrupted him: "Got it! Wait for me a moment!"

With that, Yellow Sponge's body turned into light, vanishing beyond the horizon in less than a second, only to return a few moments later. This time, he was carrying several suitcases stuffed with Ninja World banknotes.

"I exchanged those gems for your currency. I don't know if it's enough?"

"Enough, enough, enough! Of course it's enough!"

Kenichi was just an ordinary Chunin, and although Misaki nominally worked at the Kusagakure hospital, she had barely received a paycheck... Where had they ever seen so much money? Their eyes lit up instantly, and their pupils nearly popped out of their sockets.

Land of Earth.

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage Office.

Although he hadn't obtained the Sheep Talisman and Roshi's whereabouts remained unknown, Ōnoki had managed to obtain a talisman through certain means (referring to the "God of Luck" shining upon him).

"Rabbit..."

The moment he obtained the Rabbit Talisman, Ōnoki fell into deep curiosity. What kind of treasure could be worth a 100 million ryo bounty from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire?

The instant he gripped the Rabbit Talisman, he understood! He finally understood everything! The wicked Daimyo of the Land of Fire claimed the talismans were their family heirlooms, but in reality, they were powerful "ninja tools" undiscovered by the Ninja World. The Land of Fire was only collecting them to boost their "military strength" so they could exploit the other nations of the Ninja World even more ruthlessly!

The power of the Rabbit Talisman surged through his fingertips, and Ōnoki felt his speed increase astonishingly. It wasn't just speed; all stats linked to speed, including reaction time, had been boosted.

There is a saying: "Speed is power." The bonus provided by the Rabbit Talisman was terrifying for battles where "ninjas often decide the outcome in a single instant."

And so, Ōnoki waved his hand and cursed, "What kind of bullshit Daimyo of the Land of Fire is that?! You want to trade a talisman for a mere 100 million ryo? Get lost!"

Meanwhile, Shendu also sensed the emergence of the Rat Talisman, which was the most important one to him. He immediately summoned the Shadowkhan and Enshi Shu.

"Lord Shendu?"

Enshi Shu was somewhat confused. It seemed like Shendu hadn't cared much about how the previous talismans were taken by others, so why was he in such a rush this time? He had even made it clear that this talisman must be obtained.

"You don't understand... child..."

"The Rat Talisman represents the divine power to bring the static to life. It can directly break my seal and allow me to return to the world!"

"Although I won't be in my complete form, it will be enough to reclaim the remaining eleven talismans..."

"So this time... I hope you will redouble your efforts. Have your subordinates and the Shadowkhan mobilize once again! Even if it means going to war with the entire world, we must not hesitate!"

"As expected of Lord Shendu! To have the resolve to go to war with the entire world!"

Poor Enshi Shu was completely hoodwinked by Shendu, still wearing a look of adoration while fantasizing about how future generations would sing of his achievements once he unified the Ninja World.

As for Konoha, they seemed to be turning a blind eye to his pressure... They hadn't punished Orochimaru for his "treason," merely imprisoning him, and they hadn't obediently sent their talisman to the capital either.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, that old bastard...!" Enshi Shu couldn't fathom that Sarutobi Hiruzen had withheld the talisman under the excuse that "most of Konoha's buildings are in disrepair and a large stockpile of ninja tools is damaged, so we must borrow the Daimyo's family heirloom to repair them; once repairs are complete, we will personally visit to express our gratitude and return the heirloom with both hands."

Furthermore, they had posted a notice to the residents of Konoha, stating that "anyone with broken items at home or anyone suffering from an illness" could apply to the village and the great Daimyo for "the right to use the family heirloom."

Wasn't this putting him on the spot by using "morality" as a shield?

If he completely ignored the needs of the people of Konoha and forced them to return the talisman despite their gratitude, wouldn't he be telling them that "he didn't want to help his own subjects at all?"

Wouldn't his dream of being a "wise ruler" be shattered just as it was getting started?!

"Forget it... I'd better follow Lord Shendu's instructions and find the Rat Talisman first..."