"You're that Shark Man!"
The bound Naruto stared at Kisame Hoshigaki for a long time before finally exclaiming as if remembering something.
"Tch!"
Kisame Hoshigaki looked at these brats with an ugly expression, his gaze lingering on Naruto and Sasuke for a moment longer, and muttered to himself: What bad luck!
Why are these brats here? Is something else going to happen? This is so troublesome!
The mere thought of the green-clothed watermelon head from last time sent a discomfort through Kisame's groin. He would definitely find an opportunity to get revenge for that kick!
"You seem to know them?"
Kakuzu glanced at Kisame Hoshigaki, his unspoken question being: Are they worth anything?
"No."
Kisame Hoshigaki didn't want to cause trouble. They were here to make money, not to get into a mess.
He felt uneasy being around these brats, as if some misfortune was about to befall him.
Kakuzu snorted coldly and then turned his attention to the bruised and swollen Shimura Yasutora.
"How much do you think you're worth?"
The look of shock hadn't faded from Shimura Yasutora's face. Who were these two guys?
They had taken down all his bodyguards in an instant. Shimura Yasutora, clutching his lower abdomen, shuffled forward with difficulty and said, "I, I am from the Shimura clan! Don't do anything rash!"
"Hmph?"
Kakuzu's green eyes flashed with cold light. Just as he was about to teach the brat a lesson, Kisame Hoshigaki said, "Someone's coming. Let's leave first."
"Then what about these brats? Kill them all?"
"Uh... Let's take them with us."
Kisame Hoshigaki didn't want to enter Itachi Uchiha's Tsukuyomi space again. If he killed Sasuke, Itachi would surely go berserk.
"Hmph. Useless guys are meaningless."
Kakuzu extended countless black threads from his hand, instantly finishing off the twelve bodyguards lying on the ground, then grabbed the terrified Shimura Yasutora and disappeared into the shadows.
Kisame Hoshigaki turned back to the brats and said, "See? If you don't behave, your fate will be grim. Follow us!"
Naruto and the others nodded stiffly. These guys dared to kill people so brazenly in Konoha. Things seemed to be escalating again!
Sasuke's heart was filled with deep regret. What had gotten into him to come and join the fun?
Now, they were going to be kidnapped again.
Shikamaru's face was grim. He could already foresee the outcome. Even if they were rescued safely, his parents would beat him soundly.
It seemed his mindset wasn't stable enough. Next time he encountered such trouble, he should just ignore it.
Sigh, what a pain!
...
A short while later, a letter and a blood-stained piece of clothing were delivered to the Shimura clan.
"Yasutora has been kidnapped! The kidnapper is demanding a ransom of fifty million! Isn't this extortion?"
The elder of the Shimura clan clutched the letter tightly, his expression contorted with rage. How dare they provoke the Shimura clan? They must be tired of living.
"Elder, what should we do? Should we inform Lord Danzo about this?"
"Notify him. After all, Yasutora is his grandson." The Shimura elder muttered to himself: Even if he were his own grandson, he wouldn't be worth fifty million!
Does this kidnapper even know how to kidnap people? If you kidnapped Danzo, it might be worth this much. Demanding fifty million for a brat is pure fantasy.
They, the Shimura clan, were old hands at this. He could tell at a glance that these were rookies with no professional foundation!
"Should we pay the ransom?"
"The other party didn't say they would kill him, which means they really want this money. Therefore, there are many points we can exploit."
The Shimura elder pondered for a moment and said, "Go to the treasury and get one million ryo. I will personally negotiate with them!"
He was confident he could bring fifty million down to one million!
As the Shimura ninja went down, a shadow on the rooftop twitched and followed them without making a sound.
In a cave outside Konoha village, Shimura Yasutora collapsed on the ground in despair, his mind replaying Kakuzu's words before he left.
"If that thing below of yours isn't treated soon, it'll be completely ruined!"
Upon hearing this, Shimura Yasutora was struck by lightning. He cried and begged to be released so he could get treatment.
Blood can spill, heads can roll, but that thing cannot be ruined!
With just a single sentence, Shimura Yasutora revealed the Shimura clan's defenses and deployment. After understanding it, Kakuzu immediately infiltrated the Shimura clan.
Extortion, kidnapping, and demanding ransom? Those were child's play.
Kakuzu only dealt in big scores! He wanted all the money! And Shimura Yasutora was merely a bargaining chip.
"Who is it! Who attacked me so viciously!"
Shimura Yasutora, his eyes bloodshot, roared furiously at Naruto and the others, focusing on Shikamaru, who was the most suspicious.
"It really wasn't me!"
Shikamaru felt wronged. He had only kicked six times and punched five times, and all of them were aimed at Shimura Yasutora's face. He hadn't touched that area at all.
Besides, who would hit someone in that area while beating them up? Wouldn't it dirty their hands?
"I believe you!"
Kiba Inuzuka, standing behind Shikamaru, said loudly without blushing or skipping a beat, declaring his stance.
"We believe you too!"
"You culprits have nothing to believe! When I get better, I will definitely get revenge!"
Shimura Yasutora kept crawling towards Shikamaru, his eyes fixed on Shikamaru's crotch. He wanted to treat others as they treated him.
Kisame Hoshigaki leaned against the cave entrance, watching this scene with amusement, thinking of his own childhood.
If Mist Village had been like Konoha, perhaps he wouldn't have defected. Perhaps he would still be an elite Jonin in the village. Perhaps he would already have his own children, lively and... well, forget the 'perhaps'.
The thought of these brats causing so much trouble made Kisame's head ache for their parents. His current situation was pretty good. He had found his sense of purpose. Although everyone in the organization were ruthless individuals, it was undoubtedly better than killing comrades in Mist Village.
As Kisame was lost in his thoughts, in the distant jungle, several figures lay motionless in the grass.
"Confirm it's Kisame Hoshigaki?"
"It's the target, but there seems to be a group of brats with him."
"This is troublesome. Has Kisame Hoshigaki changed his ways and is now moonlighting as a babysitter?" Mei Terumi muttered softly, earning a glare from Pakura.
"Regardless, this is a good opportunity. The target is alone. I suggest we attack immediately!"
"Agreed!"
"Seconded!"
"Then I'll go protect those brats."
Suigetsu Hozuki felt he couldn't participate in this kind of battle and it would be more suitable for him to watch from the sidelines.
"Then it's decided."
"Attack!"