That Man

Restaurant.

When Shiraha pushed open the door to enter the room, Oshima Shuichi, Chiho, and Hideto had already arrived.

"Why are you here so early? There's still an hour until the agreed time!" Shiraha was taken aback.

"Since you're treating us, we definitely have to arrive early!"

The Hideto said with a smile.

"It's like you're saying that every time we eat out, I'm the one who pays."

Shiraha complained as he took off his shoes.

"This time is different. It's a rare reunion of Team 12. There may not be many more opportunities like this in the future. Aren't you going to leave with your Clan Head soon?" Hideto teased, but a hint of sadness could be felt in his eyes.

"You're already feeling sentimental before you've even had a sip?" Shiraha shook his head and chuckled, then walked over to Oshima Shuichi's side and said, "Teacher Shuichi, you seem to be recovering very well."

"Thanks to your help, otherwise I might have had to work in the Logistics Department until retirement. I'd like to toast you!"

Oshima Shuichi raised his glass, marveling at how quickly time had passed. He had never imagined that Shiraha, who had seemed the most ordinary member of the team back then, would achieve such success.

Fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. No one could have imagined that Sakumo would commit suicide, just as no one could have imagined that Shiraha and Kushina, the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, would leave Konoha to rebuild the Uzumaki Clan.

If he hadn't lost his arm, he would likely have participated in the classified mission that Sakumo carried out.

Perhaps he will also face the choice of whether the mission or his companions are more important.

However, Oshima Shuichi might have made the same choice as Sakumo from the very beginning.

"I definitely have to drink this one." Shiraha said with a smile. Seeing that Chiho gave up the seat next to him, he nodded slightly, knelt down, and drank a cup with Oshima Shuichi.

"So many years have passed, everyone has changed, but nothing has changed, that's great!" Oshima Shuichi couldn't help but sigh, then shook his head and said, "Sigh, when you get old, you tend to talk a lot when you drink, don't mind me."

"Teacher Shuichi is joking. You're only in your forties, which is the prime of your life as a ninja!"

Shiraha said with a smile.

Oshima Shuichi clenched his right fist, then released it. "This hand has been broken for over ten years. It's been so long since I've held a sword, and I'm still not used to it. It feels like a dream. Once I regain my former strength, it won't last more than a few years before my strength declines rapidly, and I still won't be able to compare to you guys."

"Even though Teacher Shuichi hasn't held a knife for over a decade, he's still far more skilled than me!" Hideto raised his glass. If it weren't for Oshima Shuichi taking a knife for him back then, the grass on his grave would probably be as tall as a person by now.

"You little rascal, everyone knows you were letting me win just now. Don't I know my own skill level?" Oshima Shuichi clinked glasses with Hideto and sighed, "I don't have that drive I used to have anymore. What happened with Sakumo was too disheartening."

As he spoke, Oshima Shuichi drank several cups of wine by himself.

Shiraha pressed down on his arm and said with a smile, "Today is supposed to be a reunion of the original Team 12, so why does it feel so sentimental? If Teacher Shuichi feels uncomfortable staying in Konoha, he can come to our Uzumaki Clan!"

Oshima Shuichi's pupils contracted, and he looked up at Shiraha, his expression showing some interest. Then he shook his head and said:

"After all, I grew up in Konoha and owe my current status to the village's nurturing. I can't accept this."

Shiraha waved his hand. "Teacher Shuichi misunderstood. What I meant was that if you're in a bad mood, you can come and stay with the Uzumaki Clan for a while. For example, we can entrust you with a long-term protection mission. I believe that given the friendly relationship between Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan, you would definitely accept such a mission."

"I understand," Oshima Shuichi moment upon hearing this, then said, "I understand."

"You are the same. If you want to come, you can come to the Uzumaki Clan anytime."

Shiraha looked at Chiho and Hideto.

"Okay!" Chiho nodded.

Hideto opened his mouth as if to agree, but said, "I'll pass. As a member of the Branch Family, I have to obey the orders of the Main Family. Even if you entrust a mission to the village, I can't go anywhere if the Main Family doesn't agree. This is my fate as Branch Family ninja."

As one of the top Jōnin in the Hyuga Branch Family, Hideto usually serves as the bodyguard of the young clan leader, Hyuga Hiashi, or protects other members of the Main Family.

Since becoming Jōnin, he has actually been the one who goes on the fewest missions.

"Our friendship is in this wine, drink!" The Hideto raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Shiraha didn't clink glasses with the Hideto. Instead, he held the wine glass between his fingers, twirling it gently in his hand, and said calmly, "What if there are no more Caged Bird Seal?"

Click!

With a forceful squeeze, the Hideto crushed the wine glass in his hand, his eyes fixed on Shiraha.

There was a fire in his eyes.

No longer with the air of someone who had already accepted the appointment.

"Can Teacher Shuichi and I continue listening to what follows?" Chiho tilted her head and glanced at Shiraha, then told a lame joke in a serious tone.

"Of course." Shiraha smiled and continued, "Even S-Rank Sealing Jutsu like the Reaper Death Seal, which causes the soul to be swallowed by the Shinigami after use, has a way to break it."

The Caged Bird Seal Sealing Jutsu shouldn't be harder to break than the Reaper Death Seal, right?

The Uzumaki Clan is the most skilled in Sealing Jutsu in the Shinobi World. I believe that the ancestors of the Hyuga clan who developed the Caged Bird Seal were probably no more skilled in Sealing Jutsu than the Uzumaki Clan.

There is no such thing as a perfect technique in this world. Any technique created by humans will always have a way to be countered.

The Hideto gave Shiraha a deep look. "Do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm just making an assumption. I hope the Hyuga clan won't cause me any trouble because of this?"

Shiraha had an indifferent expression on his face.

"Of course, even if they cause me trouble, I'm not afraid. Besides, everyone here is on my side, so I can say whatever I want."

"The Caged Bird Seal is said to be an unbreakable seal; only death can free the victim from Caged Bird Seal control." The Hideto remained silent for a long time, then said in a low, somber voice, "However... I want to test it with my life and see if the Caged Bird Seal is truly that powerful!"

Shiraha smiled and raised his glass.

"You are welcome to come to me anytime."

Land of Rice Fields.

Kakuzu and carrying a briefcase, emerged from a branch of the Underground Exchange Market.

It would be hard for anyone to imagine that the Underground Exchange Market branch was located under a public toilet.

After leaving the branch, Kakuzu took out his notebook and crossed out a name.

Next, he circled several ninjas with bounties of over 5 million taels.

Kakuzu then put away his notebook and took out a small abacus, about the size of a palm, to calculate the bounties he had recently acquired. Looking at the string of zeros on his passbook, he nodded in satisfaction, preparing to deposit the 5.5 million taels in his briefcase into the bank in the Fire Capital.

The banks in the Shinobi World are jointly guaranteed by the Great Nations, and the currency circulates uniformly. Anyone can withdraw money as long as they have a passbook and a seal.

Small countries like the Land of Rice Fields do not have banks within their borders.

After all, protecting the bank requires ninjas to be stationed there, an expense that small countries cannot afford.

As for the banks of the Great Nations, even without many ninja guards, no one would dare to rob them, because no one would dare to offend Great Nations at the same time.

Being wanted by a single major ninja village is not a problem, but being wanted by Great Nations would mean certain death.

The high bounty will attract Bounty Hunter Ninja who will try every means to kill the wanted person.

Even Kage Level ninjas need to rest sometimes; they still need to eat and sleep.

No one can withstand harassment and sneak attacks forever.

"Um?"

Kakuzu was walking and calculating with an abacus when he suddenly stopped and looked up at the front.

In the middle of the road stood a tall man, his body shrouded in a black robe, and wearing a spiral-patterned wooden mask on his head.

Kakuzu frowned slightly. Although he was mainly focused on the accounts, he hadn't noticed someone getting close, which meant the newcomer was no ordinary person.

"Hello, Pixiu, nice to meet you. You can call me Kodama. My code name in the organization is ' Divine Tree '."

A gentle voice rang out, and the Wood Spirit Avatar walked towards Kakuzu.

"Halt!" Kakuzu looked at the approaching Wood Spirit Avatar and took a half-step back warily. "Who sent you?"

"Of course it's the Dragon King! Who else could it be?"

The Wood Spirit Avatar's incarnation maintained its gentle and profound tone.

"What did the leader send you here for?" Kakuzu asked in a deep voice, already believing the words of the Wood Spirit Avatar. After all, the organization's affairs were still secret, known only to a very few people. The fact that the code name matched meant that Shiraha had sent someone.

However, Kakuzu found the voice of the Wood Spirit Avatar very uncomfortable, as it brought back some unpleasant memories.

"From today onwards, I will be your partner, and I will act alongside you."

The Wood Spirit Avatar chuckled softly.

This was Shiraha's perverse sense of humor. He had the Wood Spirit Avatar combine its Chakra with that of the Kurama, then obtain some information about the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and imitate the First's voice to see how Kakuzu react.

Of course, since the goal is to imitate the First, the Wood Spirit Avatar will use this voice from now on.

"Partners?" Kakuzu frowned. "I don't need partners. Increasing the number of people will only reduce the efficiency of making money. I will eliminate anyone who gets in my way at any time, even if we belong to the same organization, I will not show any mercy!"

"Don't worry, I won't hold you back. I'll follow your commands in any operation, and I'll only act on the ' Dragon King's' orders when necessary."

The Wood Spirit Avatar spoke calmly, its words filled with powerful confidence.

With that, the Wood Spirit Avatar walked towards Kakuzu.

Kakuzu took another half step back.

"What's wrong?" the Wood Spirit Avatar asked, puzzled.

Kakuzu: "Your voice is making me very uncomfortable!"

"You look a lot like the First Hokage, don't you?" the Wood Spirit Avatar teased. "That's what the ' Dragon King ' said too."

Kakuzu: "You only sound like that man. Come with me to the Fire Capital first, then we'll earn bounties together. If you dare to hold us back, I'll be the first to kill you!"

"OK."