"Throw these slave traders out!"
With Umino Yoru's approval, the Konoha Hundred-Man Unit had no qualms about expelling the merchants who'd tried to snatch their future wives. If not for strict military discipline, some love-struck shinobi might've even resorted to… permanent solutions.
Compared to the slave traders' rough treatment, the black-market brokers from the Bounty Exchange fared much better.
To avoid future complications, Yoru delegated the loot-sale operations to Inuzuka Rō, assisted by minor clan members of the Hundred-Man Unit. All proceeds—after rewarding contributions—were dedicated to resettling refugees from the Land of Rivers.
To cement his image as selfless and humanitarian, Yoru even donated his entire official share of the spoils. Inspired, his men followed suit, pooling a substantial relief fund.
The donations were meticulously managed by Uchiha Shun under multi-layer oversight, with every expense documented. Funds were allocated to:
Wedding gifts for unit members and support for their new in-laws. Startup loans for skilled refugees relocating to Konoha. Food and essentials for the displaced.
To boost funds further, Yoru even sold shinobi corpses to the brokers. Though the valuable ones had been sacrificed to the immortal sea creature, common ninja dry-mummies (drained by Kubikiribōchō) still fetched tens of millions combined.
Enter: The Future Tycoon
Amid the cleanup, one bankrupt merchant caused a scene to grab Yoru's attention—a short, desperate man named Kakuzu.
"You're… Gato?" Yoru blinked. This was the future shipping magnate?
"Y-Yes, sir!" Gato groveled.
"Heard you gambled your fortune on maritime trade and lost everything," Yoru mused.
"The seas are high-risk, high-reward, sir! With just one ship, I could repay you within—"
"With what collateral?" Yoru scoffed.
Panicked, Gato blurted: "Sir, your fleet could monopolize Wave Country's trade! Control their food, textiles—everything!"
"Write me a proposal. Impress me, and you'll be rewarded."*
Gato wiped his brow. This was his chance to rebound—and Yoru's to secure a cunning (if unscrupulous) business brain.
The Real Threat Arrives
As Yoru pondered founding a trade company, an alert flashed—one of his shadow clones had been silently assassinated.
"Shit. Did we attract Kakuzu?!"
The legendary bounty hunter emerged, holding a 30-million-ryō bounty poster:
"White Blood Demon. Target confirmed."
Yoru didn't hesitate. Nine armored puppets (five wielding legendary swords) deployed instantly. Might Dai activated Sixth Gate. Yoru fused with Samehada, maxing his combat stats.
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed. "Hmph. Appreciating asset. I'll harvest you after your bounty inflates." He turned to leave.
"Wait!" Yoru called out.
From Foes to Partners
After "friendly" negotiations, Kakuzu made his demand:
"I want 20% equity."
"You greedy bastard!" Yoru feigned outrage. "The ships, capital, and management are mine. For just security and accounting, 20% is—"
"My financial oversight alone is worth it. Not a single ryo will go missing."
Yoru sighed dramatically. "Fine. 20%."
Internally, he cheered. An S-class enforcer AND accountant? Steal!
Kakuzu bowed. "You won't regret this, boss."
As he mentally calculated future billions from monopolized trade, a revelation struck:
"Bounties are pocket change compared to commerce."