Making Akatsuki Take the Blame Again

Shopkeeper didn't understand.

The boy offered no explanation. He headed for the door, leaving him with one instruction:

"Just tell me... whoever takes that job."

The boy stopped in the doorway and looked back.

"Starting today, there are three things you need to remember."

Shopkeeper hurried over.

"First, dig out every bounty ledger from previous years and keep them safe. Every entry. Who put a bounty on whom, who took each job, how much each client paid as a deposit—I want all of it."

"Yes."

"Second, from now on, secretly record the appearance, accent, and habitual gestures of everyone who comes to post a bounty, whether they're anonymous or not."

Shopkeeper paused. "Even the anonymous ones?"

"Especially the anonymous ones," the boy said.

"Yes."

"Third." The boy's voice turned cold. "Report every bounty related to Konoha and every bounty related to the Uchiha to me immediately."

Shopkeeper nodded frantically.

The boy took something from inside his clothes and tossed it over.

Shopkeeper caught it and looked down. It was a palm-sized black token engraved with the image of a fan.

The Uchiha Clan's crest.

"Keep it."

"I'll also leave a cat here in the shop."

"A cat?"

"A ninja cat," the boy said. "If anything comes up, have the cat relay the message."

Shopkeeper clutched the token, feeling as though it burned his palm.

When he looked up, the boy was already at the door.

Moonlight streamed in from outside, stretching the boy's shadow long across the floor.

Shopkeeper stood where he was, staring at the snow-white bounty notice pinned at the very top of the board as it fluttered gently in the breeze. The cold sweat on his back had already soaked through his undershirt.

He had a vague feeling...

That he had just sold himself to someone even