Yellow Sponge

"Yasakani no Magatama..."

Yellow Sponge lazily called out the name of his technique. There was nowhere to dodge the densely falling light bullets, and every Shadow Ninja was hit with pinpoint accuracy.

After a series of explosions kicked up clouds of dust, the Shadowkhan had vanished without a trace. Yellow Sponge leisurely picked up the Dragon Talisman from the ground, then gave the two of them a concerned, high-pitched laugh before striking a childish, cool pose and asking, "Are you okay?"

"Uh... I'm fine... Lord Sponge..."

Because SpongeBob SquarePants had fused with the Glint-Glint Fruit, SpongeBob SquarePants was the primary personality. So naturally, he retained SpongeBob SquarePants' original personality...

But sometimes, during battle, his whole demeanor would change, and he'd take on Kizaru's personality instead...

"I'm the chef at the Krusty Krab in Bikini Bottom, and I also moonlight as one of the Three Admirals of Bikini Bottom. Just call me Yellow Sponge!"

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

As he introduced himself, Yellow Sponge nearly pressed himself against the two of them. His six eyelashes fluttered rapidly with excitement, as if he were hoping they'd say his name.

"Um... Lord Yellow Sponge... I found that Talisman first..."

"Kenichi!"

Kenichi had thought Yellow Sponge seemed so easygoing that he might be able to get the Dragon Talisman back and claim the bounty. But just as he opened his mouth, Misaki cut him off.

"He's our benefactor. How can you ask him for something? Besides, you only happened to find the Talisman by chance!"

"But... after what I did today, there's no way we'll be allowed back to Kusagakure. Without the Talisman, we can't even leave the village."

"Okay! Then we'll figure something else out! How can we trouble Lord Yellow Sponge?!"

Misaki had a reason for saying this: she wanted to placate Yellow Sponge. After all, who could say whether someone who seemed so kind was hiding another side? The Grass Ninja were like that. Every time they left a wound on her, they'd thank her, but in the end, they still treated her as nothing more than a tool.

After seeing the power Yellow Sponge had just displayed, what if they upset him and he riddled them with hundreds of holes in a rain of lasers?

"Lord Yellow Sponge, please don't mind what Kenichi said. He was just... joking! That's right, joking..."

"You have a point... You found the Talisman first, so I should give it back to you... But Marshal of Crab Kingdom told me to do everything I could to help Uncle find the Talismans..."

Yellow Sponge put a hand to his chin, raised his eyes, and struck a thoughtful pose. The two of them could only think, This powerful man really is exactly what he seems...

"I've got it! Marshal of Crab Kingdom said there's nothing in the world that money can't solve, and nothing money can't buy! How about I pay you for the Talisman?!"

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

Yellow Sponge held out a large handful of fine, glittering gems. They were clearly worth a fortune. Kenichi was just about to say, "We could trade for those...!"

But before he could finish, Yellow Sponge interrupted him. "I've got it! Give me a moment!"

With that, Yellow Sponge's body turned into a flash of light. In less than a second, he vanished over the horizon. A few moments later, he returned, carrying several briefcases full of Ninja World banknotes.

"I exchanged those gems for your currency. I hope it's enough?"

"More than enough! Of course it is!"

Kenichi was only an ordinary Chunin. Although Misaki was officially employed at the Kusagakure hospital, she had hardly ever received a paycheck... Neither of them had ever seen so much money. Their eyes lit up, and their eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.

Land of Earth.

Tsuchikage Office, Iwagakure.

Although he hadn't obtained the Sheep Talisman and Roshi was missing, Ōnoki had still managed to acquire a Talisman through some means (namely, the protection of the "God of Luck").

"Rabbit..."

The moment he obtained the Rabbit Talisman, Ōnoki was overcome with curiosity. What kind of treasure was worth the Daimyo of the Land of Fire offering a bounty of one hundred million?

The instant he grasped the Rabbit Talisman, he understood! At last, he understood everything! The despicable Daimyo of the Land of Fire claimed the Talismans were family heirlooms, but in reality, they were powerful "ninja tools" yet to be discovered by the Ninja World. The Land of Fire was gathering the Talismans to boost its "military strength" and exploit the other nations of the Ninja World even more ruthlessly!

The Rabbit Talisman's power coursed through his fingertips. Ōnoki could feel his speed increase astonishingly. It wasn't just his speed—his reflexes and every other attribute tied to speed had improved as well.

As the saying went, "Speed is power." The boost from the Rabbit Talisman was terrifying in battles where "a single instant is all it takes to decide the victor."

So Ōnoki waved his hand and cursed, "What kind of garbage is this Daimyo of the Land of Fire?! He thinks a mere hundred million ryo can buy a Talisman? He can get lost!"

At the same time, Shendu sensed that the Rat Talisman, the most important one to him, had appeared. He immediately summoned the Shadowkhan and Enshi Shu.

"Master Shendu?"

Enshi Shu was confused. Shendu hadn't seemed to care when the previous Talismans were taken by others, so why was he in such a rush this time? He'd even made it clear that this Talisman had to be obtained.

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

"The Rat Talisman represents the divine power to turn stillness into motion. It can break my seal directly and bring me back into the world!"

"Though I wouldn't be at full strength, I'd still be powerful enough to reclaim the remaining eleven Talismans..."

"So this time... I hope you'll put in twice the effort. Send your men and the Shadowkhan out again! Even if it means going to war with the entire world, don't hold back!"

"As expected of Master Shendu! You have the courage to go to war with the entire world!"

Poor Enshi Shu was completely taken in by Shendu. He gazed at him in admiration, already imagining how future generations would sing his praises after he united the Ninja World.

Konoha seemed to have completely ignored his warning... They hadn't punished Orochimaru for "treason," only placed him under house arrest. And they still hadn't sent their Talisman to the capital.

"That old bastard, Sarutobi Hiruzen...!" Enshi Shu never would have guessed that Sarutobi Hiruzen had kept the Talisman by claiming that "many buildings in Konoha are in disrepair, and large stocks of ninja tools have been damaged. We need to borrow the Daimyo's family heirloom to repair them. Once the repairs are complete, we will personally visit to offer our thanks and return the heirloom with both hands."

Worse, Konoha had posted notices to its residents, saying that anyone with something broken at home or a family member who was sick could apply to the village—and to the great Daimyo—for "the right to use the family heirloom."

Wasn't that putting him on a moral pedestal?

If he completely ignored the people of Konoha and their needs, dismissing their gratitude as he forced them to hand over the Talisman, wouldn't he be telling them, "I don't want to help my own people at all"?

Wouldn't his dream of becoming a "wise and capable ruler" be shattered before it even got started?!

"Forget it... I'd better follow Master Shendu's orders for now and find the Rat Talisman..."