After distributing the potions, the seven-member team departed from the village, heading toward Loulan.
In the shadows, whispers spread.
"A major group left Konoha this time."
"The head of the Akimichi family, Akimichi Choza. [3.1 billion ryo]."
"The strongest insect user of the Aburame clan, Aburame Shibi. [3 billion ryo]."
"Namikaze Minato, being groomed by the Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and a likely candidate for the next Hokage. [4.2 billion ryo]."
"Hatake Sakumo's son, the genius genin, Kakashi Hatake. [900 million ryo]."
"Uchiha clan's prodigy, Uchiha Obito, with the double-magatama Sharingan. [900 million ryo]."
"Nohara Rin. [600 million ryo]."
"And Konoha's medical prodigy, disciple of Tsunade Senju, Reiki. [2.6 billion ryo]."
"Get ready. This team is on a mission in the Land of Wind."
At the bounty exchange office, the names and details of the group were posted. Kakuzu, lurking in the shadows, smirked with greed. He had no plans to target this formidable group directly but intended to follow and benefit from the aftermath.
"This Reiki guy... isn't he just a chuunin?" One curious ninja questioned. "Why does he have such a high bounty, especially for a medical ninja?"
"He's not just a simple medic. Didn't you notice? It says *capture alive*," another ninja pointed out, reviewing the file with a knowing nod. The specifics weren't entirely clear, but if the rumors about Reiki's capabilities were true, then the bounty was justified—perhaps even too low. The recent popularity of special potions in the ninja world had turned heads.
"Capture alive?" The first ninja's eyes widened as he compared the live and dead bounties. "The price of death is only 1 billion. Quite a gap."
Just then, a tall figure stepped forward, lifting the bounty sheet with Reiki's details.
"How much for information on him?" the hooded and masked figure asked, voice low and commanding.
"1 billion ryo," the staff member replied flatly.
"One, please," the figure said, handing over a large sum of money and taking the intel before vanishing into the night. The exchange left the surrounding ninjas puzzled. When did information become so valuable?
"I'll take one too," another tall ninja followed suit and departed.
Outside, the first figure examined Reiki's dossier:
[Name: Reiki, 9 years old]
[Identity: Konoha Medical Ninja, Chuunin]
[Strength: Medical Ninjutsu (S-rank), Combat Strength (A-rank)]
[Specialties: Master of advanced healing techniques, specialized puppetry, stealth expertise, expert in medicinal preparation]
A grin spread across the ninja's face. "This kid is fascinating... but this bounty is clearly manipulated. Someone wants him dead. But why would anyone want to kill such a prodigy?" With a soft chuckle, the ninja melted back into the darkness.
Meanwhile, the team moved steadily through the dense forest.
"There's someone approaching us," Aburame Shibi said to Minato, his voice low and serious. "The chakra is strange. It's the same person but with different signatures. It could be... Kakuzu."
"Kakuzu?" Minato's brow furrowed. "Didn't we deal with him last time?"
"Hold," Minato ordered, deciding to wait. He had faced Kakuzu before; the bounty hunter was dangerous but had also been known to pick off attacking ninjas instead of facing their team directly. This meeting felt different.
Within minutes, Kakuzu stepped into view. "You noticed me already? As expected from Konoha's Yellow Flash. I'm not here to fight, just to pass on some intel."
He handed a collection of bounty slips to Minato, who took them with a puzzled look.
"We know about these bounties," Minato said, glancing at them briefly. It was common for high-profile shinobi to have bounties on their heads.
"Read it thoroughly, Namikaze," Kakuzu said, his eyes shifting briefly to Reiki. "This time, it's special."
Minato dug deeper, finding Reiki's bounty. "2.6 billion ryo?"
"Looks like the ninja world is starting to understand the impact of Reiki's potion-making abilities," Minato muttered, scanning the details.
Kakuzu's voice broke through Minato's thoughts. "The bounty exchange is prioritizing the sale of Reiki's information. I purchased one myself, so expect a wave of bounty hunters coming after you. I'm just here to see if there's anything worth harvesting."
Minato's expression grew serious. The stakes of this mission were higher than he'd anticipated.
Reiki looked at Minato with a confident smile. "It's alright, Brother Minato. We'll manage. Besides, with someone as powerful as Kakuzu looking on, I'm not worried."
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed with a hint of amusement. The boy's courage was intriguing, and despite the dangers, the tension in the air shifted subtly as they prepared for what lay ahead.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 570 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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