NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Bickering
The new chapter is now available!
Additionally, the latest Patreon early-access chapters have been updated to Chapter 90.
Thank you all for enjoying this work!
patreon.com/DarkGolds
———————————————————————————————————
A stream of water appeared out of nowhere, instantly forming into shape.
In front of him, a massive and ferocious water dragon materialized, charging at him with immense force.
Not far away, Amagawa, his hands forming seals, looked on with a twisted sense of satisfaction, his eyes filled with the joy of vengeance.
Under normal circumstances, this battle, though brief, would have prompted Amagawa, as a spy—especially a cautious undercover agent—to leave immediately rather than linger to watch Rinjin.
But at this moment, Amagawa couldn't care less.
He just wanted to see it—see Rinjin torn apart by the water dragon, dyeing it crimson; see him struggling helplessly in the water, unable to escape his fate.
"Die, you cursed brat! I'll shred you to pieces!"
Amagawa roared through gritted teeth, his blood-red eyes glinting with a cruel and savage smile.
As the water dragon hurtled towards Rinjin, Hiruzen Sarutobi, hidden in the shadows, couldn't sit still any longer.
Rinjin couldn't die—this guy was too valuable!
With that thought, Hiruzen began forming seals at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
"Earth Release: Earth…"
Suddenly, Hiruzen froze, his half-formed technique coming to an abrupt halt.
He—he saw Rinjin… smiling?
In the next moment, Rinjin's lighthearted voice rang out.
"Now that I've seen your ninjutsu, let's try some taijutsu!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
A deafening boom echoed, and Hiruzen felt the ground beneath him tremble violently. In that instant, his pupils shrank to pinpoints.
He saw Rinjin slightly bend his knees, assuming a sprinting stance. The next second, the ground beneath him cracked into a three-meter-wide semicircular crater, and Rinjin's figure vanished.
In an instant, the oncoming water dragon exploded into a spray of water, scattering in all directions.
The next second, Amagawa, hiding in the shadows, had his head blown apart, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere like blooming flowers.
Witnessing this scene, Hiruzen felt his scalp tingle.
This guy—he's practically a humanoid beast.
Is this really how a ninja fights?
Even the samurai of the Land of Iron aren't this brutally straightforward!
Unconsciously, he thought back to his recent clash with the Second Raikage.
Rinjin's fighting style was eerily similar to the Raikage's—simple, brutal, and imbued with an indescribable sense of violent beauty.
Snapping back to reality, Hiruzen's furrowed brow scanned his surroundings quickly. Finally, he spotted Rinjin behind Amagawa's slowly collapsing corpse.
In his hand, black iron particles writhed and coiled, encasing his fist.
Beneath his feet, pale brain matter mixed with blood was scattered everywhere—on the green leaves, the tree trunks, the ground—densely distributed, like fallen peach blossoms after a stormy night.
"The wind hastens the peach blossoms, scattering them in sorrow, dotting the rain with crimson."
A faint sigh dissipated into the wind.
The ANBU hidden in the forest all wore expressions as if they'd seen a ghost, exchanging uneasy glances.
Among them, the one wearing a dog-head mask, nicknamed Tsuchinu, felt a chill down his spine. Reaching back to touch his cloak, he found it soaked in cold sweat.
I… I didn't offend this monster, did I? I… I shouldn't have, right?
But… does monitoring him while he poops count as offending him?
Oh god~ What kind of monster has Lord Hiruzen assigned me to watch? I'm scared to death.
At this moment, Tsuchinu, who had been tasked with surveillance, felt as though the entire world was conspiring against him.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi, oblivious to Tsuchinu's complaints, pulled out a scroll, spread it on a tree branch, and began updating Rinjin's profile.
**Name**: Rinjin Sakuhō
**Affiliation**: Amegakure spy
**Intelligence**: S (Exceptional strategic planning and battlefield judgment)
**Chakra Reserves**: Comparable to an average Chūnin
**Kekkei Genkai**: *Magnet Release*
**Preferred Weapons**: Senbon
**Ninjutsu**: B (Chūnin-level)
**Taijutsu**: A+ (Elite Jōnin, extremely dangerous, avoid close combat)
**Genjutsu**: Unknown
**Overall Rating**: B+
**Assessment**: While his ninjutsu is average, his battlefield acumen is unparalleled, and his strength, speed, and explosive power are extraordinary.
**Role**: Advisor, strategist, close-combat bodyguard. Overlaps slightly with the roles of the Akimichi and Nara clans.
After updating Rinjin's information, Hiruzen quickly rolled up the scroll, tucked it into his robe, and leapt down from his hiding spot.
In the distance, Rinjin stood with his arms hanging loosely, gazing expressionlessly at the cold moon. The breeze rustled the leaves around him.
Hiruzen slowly approached Rinjin, a hint of admiration in his heart.
What a composed young man. Even after defeating a formidable enemy, he remains calm and unshaken.
"Well done, Rinjin-kun."
As the words left his mouth, Rinjin gave an awkward smile and collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon, whining loudly.
"Uncle, why are you so slow? My neck's sore from holding that pose for so long."
Hearing this, the sliver of admiration in Hiruzen's heart evaporated like smoke, and he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
Damn it, the atmosphere! The atmosphere! Give me back my admiration!
At that moment, Hiruzen felt like he'd been blind.
The moment this guy opens his mouth, any sense of awe or inspiration vanishes, leaving only absurdity.
Oh god~ How did the Jashin Cult and Amegakure manage to raise such an irreverent weirdo? Complaining about a sore neck? I've been crouching in a tree all night and haven't even complained about my legs going numb!
Rolling his eyes, Hiruzen walked past Rinjin with a look of exasperation and squatted beside Amagawa's corpse.
Seeing this, Rinjin immediately scurried over like a monkey, rubbing his hands together eagerly, his excitement palpable.
Looting time! Buddha, Jade Emperor, please bless me!
I'm not greedy—I don't want Frostmourne or Ashbringer. Just give me some extra cash!
Unaware that Rinjin was already daydreaming about plundering treasures, Hiruzen reached out toward Amagawa's corpse.
"Wait!"
Rinjin's sudden outburst startled Hiruzen.
"Uncle Hiruzen, shouldn't you… burn some incense first?" Rinjin asked sheepishly.
Hearing Rinjin's nonsensical remark, Hiruzen let out a heavy snort and rolled his eyes.
Ignoring Rinjin, he continued reaching for the corpse.
"Wait!" The same startled voice rang out again.
"What now?!" Hiruzen asked irritably.
"Well, shouldn't you wash your hands first? I mean, what if you're unlucky?"
"Get lost!"
Hiruzen kicked Rinjin away and, with a dark expression, resumed looting the corpse.
Soon, a pile of miscellaneous items appeared before him.
Loose change, scrolls, a ninja tool pouch, kunai, explosive tags…
At this point, Rinjin, wearing a sly grin, squatted beside Hiruzen again.
"Uncle, how about this? You keep the body, gear, and intel, and I take the money. Deal?"
Hiruzen didn't respond. Instead, he picked out a scroll from the pile and carefully unrolled it on the ground.
After examining it for a while, Hiruzen took out a brush and ink, tracing the lines on the scroll.
Soon, a complex and intricate pattern appeared on the ground.
Hiruzen extended his right hand, smearing a bit of blood from Amagawa's body onto his thumb.
"Seal, release!"
With a puff of white smoke, the scroll's contents were revealed.
When the smoke cleared, Rinjin instinctively looked at the scroll's location.
A heap of various items was neatly arranged there.
Bundles of explosive tags, stacks of shuriken and kunai strung together with wire. Rinjin even spotted several half-human-sized Fūma Shuriken.
Oh god~ These are genuine contraband!
Forget the devastating Fūma Shuriken—just the explosive tags alone could cause massive destruction.
And in the center of this arsenal lay a black briefcase.
From a distance, Rinjin could already smell the scent of money.
Even though his heart itched with desire, Rinjin remained rooted to the spot, not daring to move.
He could joke around with Hiruzen and even tease Danzō in front of the Second Hokage, but now was not the time for any rash actions.
Even though he had killed Amagawa, the spoils of war weren't entirely his.
After all, who could say for sure whether Hanzō of the Salamander had hidden any critical information in seemingly inconspicuous items to pass on to Rinjin?
Hiruzen couldn't take that risk, and Rinjin didn't want to give Konoha's higher-ups any reason to doubt him.
Seeing Rinjin's longing gaze but his disciplined restraint, Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief.
This guy might be a joker in trivial matters, but when it comes to the bigger picture, he's sharper than anyone.
Hiruzen didn't want to sour their relationship over spoils of war.
In his mind, Rinjin Sakuhō was already a future resident of Konohagakure.
Stowing away the ninja tools and explosive tags, Hiruzen picked up the briefcase and walked over to Rinjin.
With a soft click, the black briefcase opened.
The next second, a colorful array of bills greeted their eyes.
"Holy crap! Money!" Rinjin's grin stretched wide, drool practically dripping from his mouth.
"Quick, Uncle Hiruzen, count how much there is!" Rinjin's eyes sparkled as he urged Hiruzen to count the money.
Seeing Rinjin still squatting obediently, Hiruzen's admiration for him grew even stronger.
This kid really makes things easy for me. If all ANBU were as perceptive as Rinjin, I wouldn't just have one son!
I'd be relaxing at home with Biwako, making more children!
I've decided. When I get back, I'll talk to Biwako about having another child. Let's call him Sarutobi Rinjin!
Seeing Hiruzen's silly grin, Rinjin grew impatient.
This monkey—I'm holding back my excitement and trembling hands, waiting for you to count the money, and you're zoning out on me?!
"Uncle Hiruzen! Uncle Hiruzen! It's late—hurry up and finish so you can go home to your wife!"
At these words, Hiruzen's face darkened, and he mentally stomped the name Sarutobi Rinjin into the ground.
If I had a kid like this, I'd lose at least ten years of my life!
With a straight face and a roll of his eyes, Hiruzen began counting the stacks of bills carefully.
Before Hiruzen could finish, Rinjin, with his keen sense for money, had already estimated the total.
It looked like a lot, but the bills were mostly of smaller denominations, amounting to around 170,000 to 180,000 ryō.
"Poor, so poor!" Rinjin said with a look of disdain.
"Forget it, Uncle! It's 200,000 ryō total!
Here's the deal: with these four corpses, plus the ninja tools, let's call it 600,000 ryō."
"What? 600,000 ryō? Why don't you go rob someone?!" Hiruzen exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"Do you think I don't want to?" Rinjin muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a sly smile.
"Uncle, 600,000 ryō isn't that much.
Think about it! Without me, could you have captured these four spies? No!
And don't think I don't know. Even though they're dead, you can still extract intel from their heads.
And these explosive tags and shuriken? They're top-notch goods! Aren't we at war up north? These are hot commodities!
So, see? 600,000 ryō is really not that much!"
Hiruzen crossed his arms over his chest, his young face pulling into a long frown, clearly unmoved.
"No deal. 300,000 ryō tops."
"What?!" Rinjin's voice stretched long, his head shaking as if it might fall off.
"No way, no way. At least 550,000!"
"350,000!"
"Come on, Uncle! 500,000! I'm not even making a profit here!"
"Nope! I came all this way with the ANBU to protect you. 400,000, final offer!"
Hearing this, Rinjin rolled his eyes dramatically.
"You didn't have to remind me! Watching the show from the trees all night—I didn't even charge you for tickets! 480,000, take it or leave it!"
"Watching isn't easy! Uncle's legs are numb from crouching!" Hiruzen retorted, his neck stiff with defiance.
Not far away, Tsuchinu, who was inspecting the corpses, stared at his superior squatting on the ground, bickering like a child with a brat, and felt like his world was crumbling.
Is this really the same calm, reliable, and serious Lord Hiruzen I know?
He could pass for a fishmonger haggling in the village square.
Clearly, Tsuchinu wasn't the only one thinking this.
The ANBU scattered around on guard duty, their faces hidden behind animal masks, all wore similarly incredulous expressions.
In the end, Rinjin couldn't out-haggle the utterly shameless Hiruzen Sarutobi and settled for a price of 430,000 ryō.
Thinking about the nearly 200,000 ryō he'd lost because of Hiruzen, Rinjin's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Meanwhile, the victorious Hiruzen looked smugly at Rinjin.
"Kid, instead of wasting time haggling with me, why don't you think about how to deal with Hanzō of the Salamander?"
Hearing this, Rinjin shot him a glance and snorted coldly.
"That's none of your concern. I'll just pretend I don't know anything and carry on as usual."
With that, he stood up, patted the dust off his pants, and headed back to the village.
Watching Rinjin leave, Hiruzen hummed a cheerful tune, glancing around as his ANBU diligently went about their tasks.
Seeing that there was nothing left for him to do, Hiruzen squatted back down in front of the black briefcase and happily resumed counting the money.
After one round of counting, Hiruzen's expression stiffened. He quickly counted again.
"What the hell?! Where did 200,000 ryō come from?! It's only 170,000 ryō! Damn it, that brat conned me again!"
Having just finished retrieving his clothes and weights, Rinjin heard Hiruzen's anguished cry behind him. He couldn't help but grin, a joyful smile spreading across his face.
"Time to skedaddle!"