Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Kawakaze didn't even look up. He had grown accustomed to the intensity of his work, his days packed beyond belief.
"Lord Kawakaze."
The person entering was Hayato Yamanaka. Generally, his visits didn't bode well.
"What is it? Speak."
Kawakaze scratched his head; Hayato's presence always had a way of souring his mood. It wasn't that he disliked Hayato personally—rather, it was the trouble he often brought with him.
"I have reliable information that the owner of the Underground Bounty Station has accepted your reward."
Hayato could barely hold back a laugh as he delivered the news. When he first heard it, he thought his subordinate must have made a mistake.
Kawakaze was no ordinary person; he was the new God of Shinobi. Who would be bold—or foolish—enough to take on such a challenge?
"What?"
Shōta was shocked. Which brave—or reckless—warrior had dared to accept the bounty?
"Interesting," Kawakaze said with a smile instead of getting angry.
"Do you think someone should be assigned to protect you?" Hayato asked tentatively, fulfilling his duty. He knew, however, that it wouldn't make much of a difference. If someone capable of killing Kawakaze arrived, who in Konoha could stop them?
"No need. You don't need to worry about it." Kawakaze waved the suggestion off. "I've been feeling pretty down lately, so it would be nice to have some fun."
He rejected the idea without hesitation. Meeting this so-called "brave warrior" intrigued him.
"May I ask, how much is Lord Kawakaze worth?" Shōta asked, his curiosity piqued. What kind of sum would drive someone to risk their life?
"What do you mean, how much I'm worth?" Kawakaze corrected him sharply. "You mean to ask, how much is my bounty?" He wasn't some object to be appraised.
"If I remember correctly, it's 350 million ryo," Hayato replied with a specific figure, hoping it wouldn't be embarrassingly low.
"Not bad," Kawakaze remarked, remembering that Asuma's bounty in the original work was 35 million ryo. Being valued at ten times that amount was, at least, somewhat acceptable.
"Is it really that high?" Shōta's eyes lit up as he looked at Kawakaze with an unsettling intensity.
"What are you looking at?" Kawakaze glared back fiercely. "You think you can trade me in for money with those two measly skills of yours?"
This brat's gaze is so rude.
"Not at all."
"I was just checking to see if you're covered in gold."
Shōta grinned. Even if he were lent two extra guts, he wouldn't dare think such a thing.
"That's not gold, that's diamonds," Hayato chimed in, joining in the fun at Kawakaze's expense.
"Cut it out, you two—stop making fun of me," Kawakaze warned, his gaze sweeping over the pair. "Watch it, or I'll make things difficult for both of you."
"You're too generous a lord to hold a grudge against us," Shōta replied with a fearless grin.
"Exactly! Someone as generous as you wouldn't give us a hard time," Hayato added with a cheeky smirk.
"Damn it, you can't even handle a little pressure. Get out of here!" Kawakaze said, laughing despite himself. Both men were sharp and quick-witted.
"Yes, sir."
Hayato gave an exaggerated bow before slowly turning and walking away.
"Lord Kawakaze, I think we should step up security in the village," Shōta suggested earnestly. "It would be bad if civilians were hurt."
Shōta had taken Hayato's earlier words seriously. If someone dared to accept a bounty on Kawakaze's life, they had to be formidable. A ninja of that caliber causing trouble in the village was no small matter.
"Well, you go handle this," Kawakaze replied with a nod. The thought of civilian casualties caused by his presence left him uneasy.
"Then I'll go explain first," Shōta said as he stepped out the door, momentarily setting aside his current tasks.
"What a hothead," Kawakaze remarked with a shake of his head, laughing as he watched Shōta's hurried departure.
Less than half an hour later, the news had spread throughout Konoha. Everyone knew about a person who valued money over his life and was coming to kill Kawakaze.
The incident quickly became the talk of the village, a favorite topic of conversation for the villagers after dinner. If someone hadn't heard the news, it was as if they didn't care about the vital matters of the village.
"Did you hear? There's a man who doesn't care about death and is coming to Konoha to kill Lord Kawakaze."
In a barbecue restaurant, a Jōnin was chatting with his companion.
"I heard about it."
"That guy's poking a hornet's nest," the companion said with a shrug, taking a big bite of barbecue.
"Who says it's not true? I don't think Lord Kawakaze needs to do anything."
"He's got some skills to want to infiltrated Konoha," the Jōnin added confidently, trusting in the village's defenses.
"That's not exactly true."
"Didn't a Taki Ninja infiltrate years ago?"
His companion disagreed, pointing out that any ninja bold enough to take on such a monumental task wouldn't struggle to get into Konoha. From another perspective, it felt like an insult to Lord Kawakaze. How could someone that weak even dare to challenge Konoha?
"You mean the one who threw a shuriken at Lord First's Wood Clone from 800 li away?"
The incident had caused a massive uproar at the time. Although they were young then, they still remembered it vividly.
"Yes, that's right, it was the Taki Ninja," his companion confirmed, nodding repeatedly. He didn't recall the ninja's name, only that he was from Takigakure.
Because of stories like these, it seemed Lord Kawakaze and Lady Hokage even negotiated the return of Takigakure's Tailed Beast.
"That's just a joke!" the Jōnin exclaimed.
"If Lord First hadn't bothered to pursue it, would that guy even be alive?"
The Jōnin couldn't help but laugh. Tears nearly came to his eyes. Eight hundred li away, throwing a shuriken at a Wood Clone, then fleeing immediately—it was so absurd it felt like something out of a game.
"Lord First was kind-hearted, but Lord Kawakaze is hard to predict."
"That warrior will have to fend for himself."
The two men spoke casually, without the slightest concern, as though they were merely chatting. The amusing topic even made them drink faster, enjoying the conversation as they laughed.
...
"I'll be going first."
Outside the window, the sun had already set. Kawakaze finished his work and said goodbye to Shōta.
"Well, be careful on your way home."
Shōta found it amusing, realizing Kawakaze didn't need to walk to his home. What danger could he possibly encounter?
"Haha, who do you think you're underestimating?" Kawakaze chuckled, snapping his fingers before vanishing into thin air.
He reappeared in the dojo at home, where Tsunade was walking around with her pregnant belly prominently visible. She no longer went to the gambling house and, at most, went shopping with Nayuki.
"Oh, look who's back—350 million ryo!" Tsunade said with an exaggerated wave as she spotted Kawakaze.
Nayuki, standing next to her, burst out laughing. Neither of them had gone out that day; this news came from idle gossip among the servants.
"What do you think? Your husband's pretty valuable, isn't he?" Kawakaze teased with a smile as he walked over.
"Haha, be careful when you go to bed tonight. I might trade you for money., 350 million ryo is enough for me to get my money back."
With Kawakaze's support, Tsunade's smile grew even more radiant.
"Save it. It's just a matter of losing for a few more days," Kawakaze said, waving his hand with a feigned gloomy expression. If Tsunade actually won, he feared his life would be cut short!
"How can you say that!?" Tsunade protested, patting him a few times in mock dissatisfaction. No matter how bad her luck was, she should at least be able to win two games with 350 million ryō.
"I think Kawakaze is right," Nayuki added seriously.
"Sister-in-law~!" Tsunade scolded, her tone sweet and enchanting.
"Haha~," Kawakaze laughed heartily from the side.