Sunlight streamed down the Konoha commercial street after the rain had cleared.
Senju Kenya sat sprawled out under a roadside parasol, legs crossed, completely lacking any decorum.
He was holding a steaming hot blue-and-white porcelain bowl, and was slurping down a huge beef meatball.
The flip-flops swayed back and forth on my toes, it was so comfortable.
"Boss, this is a top-secret black market bounty poster that we just intercepted from the Land of Fire's underground intelligence network."
Kato Yosuke quickly stepped forward and bent down.
With a solemn expression, he presented a wanted poster, printed with special blood ink on kraft paper, to the table with both hands.
Kenya casually put down the large bowl and picked up a napkin to wipe the chili oil from his mouth.
His gaze casually fell on the wanted poster.
"Yo ho."
Kenya raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but chuckle.
"The portrait is quite realistic; the floral shorts and the white jade pipe are exactly as depicted."
Kenya pointed to his own abdomen in the portrait, nitpicking with a look of disgust:
"The artists on the black market are just too skilled. How come they drew my eight-pack abs as a big belly?"
"This severely damages my noble image, thumbs down!"
Kato Yosuke next to him, twitched his lips and whispered a reminder:
"Boss, the important thing isn't the portrait, it's the reward amount!"
Following the direction of Yosuke's finger.
At the very bottom of the bounty poster, bold, blood-red lettering clearly stated:
[Target: Senju Kenya. Bounty: 500 million ryo in cash! An additional 200 million ryo will be added if a complete body and a sample of active Wood Release techniques are brought back! Total: 700 million ryo!]
[Note: This is a fight to the death; any underground organization can accept any job offered!]
A full seven hundred million taels!
This bounty has broken the all-time record for the highest reward in the entire Shinobi World's black market!
"Seven hundred million...!"
Kenya pinched his chin, repeatedly rubbing the number in his mouth. Far from being annoyed, his eyes instead gleamed with a strange, smug smile, as if he were looking at a nouveau riche.
"That old dog Danzo really did have a Danzo before he died; even the fleeing old nobles have poured all their savings into it."
"My head is actually worth this much on the black market?"
"Thump thump thump!"
A rapid clatter of wooden clogs suddenly came from the street corner.
Wearing the Hokage's Hokage, Tsunade, accompanied by the solemn-looking Shikaku Nara, hurriedly pushed through the crowd to reach the parasol.
" Kenya! You still have the nerve to eat oden here?!"
Tsunade stepped forward, her beautiful eyes filled with anxiety and anger:
"The black market assassination order, worth a staggering 700 million taels of silver, has completely set off an explosion throughout the entire Shinobi World!"
"Right now, all the desperate outlaws and missing-nin in the entire Shinobi World, along with those mercenary groups that are only after money, are all rushing towards the Land of Fire like madmen!"
Tsunade heavily on the wooden table at the food stall, making the bowls and plates rattle.
Even the Akatsuki, the terrifying organization that makes its living by taking on shady jobs and whose members are all S-rank missing-nin, has been alerted!
Standing to the side, Shikaku Nara quickly unfolded an encrypted map, his tone extremely solemn:
"Based on urgent intelligence just received by the Anbu and the Yamanaka Clan."
"At least three elite assassination squads, renowned Shinobi World, have crossed the border of the Land of Rivers!"
"Among them... is the Akatsuki's ' Immortal Duo,' Kakuzu and Hidan!"
Shikaku analyzed the situation and suggested in a deep voice:
" Lord Kenya, we must immediately activate Konoha's Level One combat readiness response!"
"Seal off all underground passages and the outer perimeter of the village, and mobilize the Konoha Military Police Force to patrol day and night!"
"Establish a deep defensive perimeter around the village to counter assassination attempts!"
Everyone felt that, faced with this overwhelming killing intent and the exorbitant bounty,
Even someone as powerful as the Senju the Great should have mobilized the entire village's defenses and been on high alert.
However.
Listening to Tsunade's roar, and to Shikaku's impeccable defensive setup.
Senju Kenya sat in the chair, slowly taking out a white jade pipe from his pocket and putting it in his mouth.
"Plop, plop."
Light the tobacco and exhale a smooth, heart-shaped smoke ring.
Kenya looked at Tsunade and Shikaku with his head tilted, as if they were two idiots.
" Shikaku, you just said... this bounty was posted by the Underground Exchange itself?"
Shikaku was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously. "Yes, the Underground Exchange is the largest intermediary in the black market, with an extremely high reputation..."
"Then let me ask you something."
Kenya flicked the bamboo skewer in his hand, a terrifying, bandit-like glint suddenly flashing in his eyes:
"According to the rules of Underground Exchange, this kind of super-large order of up to 700 million is..."
"Are the employers who provide the funds required to lock up the full amount of cash as a deposit in the underground vault of their Bounty Station beforehand?!"
Upon hearing this,
Kato Yosuke had been looking anxious, suddenly jolted!
As a top-notch business guild steward, Yosuke's business acumen was instantly ignited!
"That's right, boss!"
Yosuke his thigh hard, pushed up his glasses, and his breathing became rapid.
"To ensure their credibility in making payments, Underground Exchange require that extremely large rewards be backed by actual cash deposits!"
"Furthermore, to counter the assassins' cash withdrawals across the entire Shinobi World, the Bounty Station the Land of Fire maintains a year-round reserve of at least several billion ryo in illicit cash flow!!"
Billions of taels!
Cash flow!
Upon hearing these words, Senju Kenya grinned widely and burst into wild laughter!
Hahahaha!
The maniacal laughter shook the roof tiles of the entire commercial street, making them rattle!
Kenya casually used the bamboo skewer in his hand as a throwing knife, and with a flick of his wrist, it pierced through a metal trash can ten meters away!
"Seven hundred million for my head?!"
Kenya suddenly stood up, his towering figure blotting out the sky, exuding an overwhelming domineering aura.
"These filthy Nezumi from the gutter, have they been kicked in the head by a donkey?!"
"Do you really think I'm just a sitting duck waiting to be attacked?!"
Kenya cracked his wrists, producing a series of popping metallic sounds, his eyes filled with a cruel glint, like a wolf in the wilderness eyeing a fat sheep.
"They want to make money off my head?"
"Okay!"
"I'll personally deliver the goods to their doorstep, and while I'm at it, I'll smash their centuries- Bounty Station gold vault, top and bottom, and empty it completely!"
The roles of hunter and prey were brutally overturned in that instant!
Tsunade froze on the spot. "..."
Shikaku completely dumbfounded. "..."
Kenya put one hand in his pocket, exhaled a puff of smoke, and his eyes were filled with the excitement of a bandit robber.
Kenya: This Bounty Station is pretty rich.