"Tell me what else you want."
Kawakaze could sense that Kakuzu still had something he was hesitant to say.
"The Konoha leadership cannot attack me again," Kakuzu finally admitted what was on his mind.
"Okay, I promise," Kawakaze replied with a clean and decisive answer, leaving Kakuzu momentarily stunned.
"I'll head back to take care of official business in a bit. You haven't caused much trouble for Konoha anyway, so letting you go is no big deal. But, well..." Kawakaze's tone shifted, and Kakuzu immediately became more attentive.
"Just say it," Kakuzu urged, his eyes full of expectation—a look that greatly pleased Kawakaze.
"You can't mention this money to anyone else, understand?" Kawakaze said in a low voice, finishing with a sly wink.
"I understand, I understand," Kakuzu responded quickly, finally lowering his guard. He realized that as long as Kawakaze wanted to keep this money under wraps, he wouldn't dare reclaim it. If it became public, the money would be classified as public funds, leaving Kawakaze without a single coin to his name.
"I'm relieved, then. I can explain to my wife when I go back," Kawakaze said with a warm smile. Only he himself knew the darkness behind that expression.
He never intended to keep the money for himself, and Tsunade wouldn't stoop to pocketing it either. Nine hundred million ryō was a significant sum, but it wasn't life-changing for them.
"Heh, Lady Hokage is really a person of character," Kakuzu mused aloud, his tone free of suspicion. He had heard rumors about Konoha's Hokage being addicted to gambling—a person with a fondness for money. In Kakuzu's mind, Kawakaze and Tsunade were cut from the same cloth, both inherently untrustworthy.
"Alright, let's not waste any more time talking," Kawakaze said as he stood, ready to leave. "I'll go find someone to treat you. Just make sure you handle the rest."
"I know, I know," Kakuzu replied, a grin spreading across his face.
Though distressed about the money, Kakuzu felt fortunate to have secured his life in the process.
"Okay, just wait a moment." Kawakaze pulled the door open and stepped out, a growing smile he couldn't suppress spreading across his face.
"Lord Kawakaze, have you finished questioning him?" one of the original Anbu asked. They had stayed nearby, ready to respond to Kawakaze's call at any moment.
"Almost. Just keep an eye on things from outside. I'll be right back," Kawakaze replied before disappearing with a smile, leaving the group behind.
"Big Brother, I'm back." Kawakaze plopped down on the sofa with a loud thud.
"So soon?" Sakumo asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. He had known for some time what Kawakaze had to take care of.
"Don't you know who I am?" Kawakaze said smugly, his tone dripping with arrogance that practically begged for a reprimand.
"Okay, just tell me what's up." Sakumo's sharp gaze made it clear that he wasn't in the mood for games. If they weren't brothers, Kawakaze would have immediately sensed something was amiss.
"Call the Medical-nin. And Minato too," Kawakaze said without hesitation, going straight to the point.
Not long after, Minato and a Medical-nin arrived at Sakumo's office.
"You'll come with me in a moment," Kawakaze instructed, pointing at the Medical-nin.
"Yes, Lord Kawakaze," the Medical-nin replied respectfully.
"Minato, come here," Kawakaze beckoned. Minato approached slowly, and Kawakaze leaned in to whisper something into his ear.
"Did you get it?" Kawakaze asked after he finished.
"Got it, Sensei. I'll go take care of it right away," Minato replied, though his expression under the mask twitched slightly. Sensei is really shameless!
"Let's move," Kawakaze said, twisting his neck with a satisfied grin, clearly pleased with what he considered a brilliant plan.
The Medical-nin followed him out the door, while Minato and Sakumo exchanged brief goodbyes before departing as well.
...
"Treat him," Kawakaze said, pointing to Kakuzu as he led the Medical-nin to Interrogation Room 3.
"Yes," the Medical-nin replied, a bit confused but following the order without question.
"Thank you," Kakuzu said politely this time, sitting quietly without his usual ferocity.
"Hm," the Medical-nin responded softly, not saying much more. Green Chakra glowed in his hands as he began healing Kakuzu's injuries.
After about a quarter of an hour, the Medical-nin, now sweating profusely, completed the treatment.
"Lord Kawakaze, he has recovered," the Medical-nin reported, having poured all his effort into the healing.
"You've worked hard. You may go now; your efforts will be rewarded in the future," Kawakaze said.
At this, Kakuzu's mouth curved slightly. In his mind, he pictured Kawakaze bribing the Medical-nin, which somehow made him feel even more reassured.
"I don't deserve it," the Medical-nin replied humbly before withdrawing. He was already grateful for the chance to assist Kawakaze and wouldn't dare expect a reward.
"What do you say—half of it first?" Kawakaze asked as he sat down in front of Kakuzu again.
"No problem," Kakuzu agreed without hesitation.
"You don't really have it on you, do you?" Kawakaze asked, almost pitying the thought if Kakuzu did. A body search beforehand would have sufficed.
"No, how could I carry that much?" Kakuzu replied, dispelling Kawakaze's doubts.
"I have it deposited in the banks of several major countries. The passwords are the key, not the person," Kakuzu explained. "I'll give you a few passwords first, and you can let me go once you confirm them."
Kakuzu wasn't even trying to deceive Kawakaze, but he still feared his honesty might be doubted.
"Alright. If you're easy to talk to, I'll be easy to talk to as well," Kawakaze said. "Once you confirm the passwords and there's no issue, I'll personally ensure you're sent straight out of the village." He spoke as though he were a man of his word.
"Do you have a pen and paper?" Kakuzu asked, glancing around the room but finding nothing on the table.
"It's just a few sets of passwords. How could I not remember them?" Kawakaze said dismissively with a smile.
"That one is really a bit hard to remember," Kakuzu countered, knowing how complex his own passwords were.
"It's fine. Just say it," Kawakaze said, exuding inexplicable confidence in his memory.
"Okay." Kakuzu leaned closer and began speaking the passwords. Kawakaze listened intently, showing no reaction.
After Kakuzu finished, he looked at Kawakaze, his eyes full of inquiry.
"Someone, get paper and a pen," Kawakaze finally said, scratching his head. This password was far too complicated to memorize.
"I understand. I made it too complicated," Kakuzu admitted, silently cursing him but taking the blame outwardly.
"It's still more convenient to write it down," Kawakaze muttered, his face turning slightly red. Internally, he berated himself for overestimating his abilities. In the real world, overconfidence could lead to embarrassment.
An Anbu member quickly brought paper and a pen. Kakuzu accepted them, then glanced at Kawakaze, silently asking if the Anbu should step aside to keep their dealings private.
"Don't worry, we're on the same side," Kawakaze said, leaving the Anbu member puzzled. When did Kawakaze become aligned with a prisoner? Nevertheless, the Anbu stayed silent and stood to the side.
"That's fine then," Kakuzu said, and with no further hesitation, he neatly wrote down a few sets of passwords on the paper.
"There's a total of 500 million ryō in there," Kakuzu said as he handed over the paper and pen to Kawakaze with a flourish. "A little more than half, but it doesn't matter."