Chapter 72: Chapter 72. Do You Have 600 Million?
Chapter 72. Do You Have 600 Million?
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So this is the legendary [Talk no Jutsu] Brother Yuto keeps mentioning?
Nagato finally understood why he was warned to be cautious of it—why he was told to avoid unnecessary banter and instead attack swiftly when confronting an enemy.
This was why!
Nagato's eyes twitched, and his lips tightened as he watched Hanzo, the once-dignified "Demi-God of the Ninja World," reduced to... this.
Was this the power of words? To trap your enemy in an endless cycle of nonsense?
Terrifying.
It made him reconsider his approach entirely. From now on, any talkative enemy would be met with a quick, decisive slap.
Meanwhile, Yuto was silently exasperated.
The plan had been simple: talk first, and if negotiations broke down, launch a surprise attack. If that failed, use the sea of explosive tags to ensure victory.
But things had gone slightly off course.
The tags were discovered.
If the fight escalated, it would end in mutual destruction, possibly dragging the entire Land of Rain into another Ninja World War.
Yuto suspected even Hanzo understood this. That was probably why they were now locked in this bizarre war of words.
A stack of explosive tags sat on the table, resembling a poker game. It was as if Yuto was bluffing—pretending to go all-in, only to reveal he still had more cards to play.
Yuto laughed, his voice booming, "Hanzo, you're the only decent fighter on your side. My forces? Countless! My explosive tags? Limitless! What can you possibly do against me?"
He grabbed Konan, who had been silently observing, and said, "Come on, Konan! Fly for us! Show him what we're capable of!"
Konan rolled her eyes.
Even as a young girl, this whole situation seemed absurd to her.
What is this? Are we fighting or putting on a circus act?
She recalled Brother Yuto's earlier comment about the Uchiha clan being prone to mental problems.
Was this one of those moments?
Her heart raced as she hesitated.
"Fly, Konan!" Yuto urged again. "Don't be scared! Tonight, we're eating salamander for dinner!"
"Who's scared?" Konan muttered, reluctantly activating her Paper Release. Wings of white paper unfolded behind her as she lifted into the air.
"See that?" Yuto exclaimed. "When the time comes, we'll fly into the sky and blow you to pieces!"
He laughed as he turned back to Hanzo, whose expression was hidden behind his mask. Still, the tension in his eyes spoke volumes.
"Demi-God of the Ninja World? Ha! What will you use? Water Release? Poison? You think you stand a chance?"
Hanzo snorted coldly. "You underestimate me, boy. You underestimate the strength of Amegakure and me, Hanzo of the Salamander."
His salamander let out a deafening cry, amplifying his presence. "One charge from my salamander, a Water Release technique, and my poison—there's no way you'd survive! Surrender now!"
Yuto smirked. "Hilarious. With all these explosive tags around, let's see how you plan to charge."
"You first!" Hanzo retorted.
"No, you first!" Yuto shot back.
Before the argument could escalate further, Nagato floated into the air, his face a mix of irritation and exasperation.
"If you're going to fight, then fight already!"
The air grew heavy as Nagato's Rinnegan glowed ominously.
Hanzo's expression shifted as he stared into those unsettling eyes. "The Rinnegan..."
Yuto, however, wasn't pleased. He glanced at Nagato and muttered, "Nagato, you're getting ahead of yourself."
Interrupting his moment to show off? Unacceptable.
"Remember Yuto's Theories! In moments like this, you don't talk—you attack! Silence your opponent before they even realize what's happening. I just taught you this last week, and you've already forgotten? Ten repetitions of the theory when we get back!"
Nagato rolled his eyes and chose to ignore him.
Hanzo, on the other hand, felt his temples throb as he listened to Yuto's nonsense.
"Unbelievable," he thought, his face darkening. "To think I've been arguing with someone this shameless!"
"Hmph! A group of rogue and wandering ninjas forming a so-called organization, full of underhanded tricks and deceit. Do you really see hope with this?"
Hanzo's words hung in the air, causing even Kyusuke to lower his head in embarrassment.
In truth, the Akatsuki wasn't always like this.
Really.
This was just... an exception.
Yahiko stepped forward with a resigned expression, addressing Hanzo seriously, "Sorry, Hanzo-sama, we truly only wanted to have a discussion with you."
"With explosive tags?" Hanzo retorted.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than—
Smack!
Yuto pulled out another stack of explosive tags, placing them on the table with an air of nonchalance. "Can we talk now? If not, I've got more."
Hanzo fell silent.
For a moment… he felt a strange glimmer of hope for the Land of Rain.
It wasn't just the sheer volume of explosive tags—there was something about Yuto's shamelessness that hinted at resilience. Perhaps under their leadership, the Land of Rain wouldn't fare so badly after all.
Hanzo even felt that Brother Danzo is no longer popular!
Look at this Akatsuki ninja in front of him.
Young! Energetic! And… Shameless!
Hanzo sighed, "Do you have 600 million?"
"???"
What did he mean?
What 600 million?
Is he going to sell Amegakure for 600 million to them?
Yuto and others exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of Hanzo's sudden shift in tone.
Hanzo, however, continued speaking, his words tinged with self-deprecation. "Amegakure survives on assassination. In truth, the more chaotic the ninja world, the better our business, and the safer the village becomes. Peace… without the protection of a major nation or giving up assassination altogether, will only plunge the Land of Rain into deeper turmoil."
Recently… the 600 million on the Bounty List.
Yes, he admits that he lied!
To be honest, he, Hanzo of the Salamander, is a mean person!
He just covets Brother Danzo's body!
"So, tell me—how do you plan to face the many nations, the relentless rain, and the countless rogues, wandering ninjas, and refugees within the Land of Rain? What will you do?"
The room grew silent.
Yuto looked around, confused by the sudden gravity of the conversation. After a moment, he strode over to Hanzo, picking up a handful of explosive tags as he walked.
"Brother Yuto!"
Everyone watched in alarm as Yuto casually slung an arm over Hanzo's shoulder and pointed proudly at a building not far away.
It was an unfinished, yet luxurious structure—something Yuto had funded recently.
He is rich!
And he is only going to get richer.
"You see that house?"
"???"
"It's mi— Bah! It's yours! I am giving it to you!"
"???"
"Now, can we talk?"
"…"
Is this guy really a psycho?
Hanzo stared at him, utterly baffled. "Are you mocking me?"
Before Yuto could respond, Yahiko stepped forward with a calm smile. "Hanzo-sama, I don't know what's troubling you, but…" He paused, meeting Hanzo's gaze earnestly. "Peace will come. We will succeed—please believe in us, Hanzo-sama!"
He bowed deeply, his confidence and optimism radiating through his gesture.
For a moment, Hanzo hesitated. His gaze softened as he looked at the group before him.
They were exceptional children.
He remembered hearing about them before, yet at the time, he dismissed them as fundamentally different from himself.
His eyes scanned the young faces, lingering on the unfinished mansion in the rain. After a long pause, he sighed deeply. "Very well… let us talk, then."
He knew that continuing to fight would only lead to more tragedy.
Perhaps, in that moment, he understood something… even if just a little.
Yuto, however, glanced disdainfully at the aging ninja before him. He then turned his gaze to the overjoyed Yahiko and sighed inwardly.
"Now that's real [Talk no Jutsu]."
...
Meanwhile, in a hidden cave elsewhere—
"Uchiha Yuto… a businessman?"
"Yes, Madara-sama. But his strength is not to be underestimated. Shall we eliminate him?"
"Hiding his strength? Good, this is a good bond! Heavy bonds will cause people to fall into darkness!" a leisurely voice said. "Let someone test his ability."