Bab 292: Chapter 292: Orochimaru’s Shame!
As soon as he stepped into the cave, Orochimaru formed a seal to lift the barrier in front of them. Once the barrier was removed, countless red dots lit up on Reiki's panel, interspersed with some black spots.
"Reiki, remember that debt you promised to repay for that man?" Orochimaru sighed helplessly. "I'm out of funds."
Kakuzu's efficiency was high, and with various forces targeting Konoha's shinobi, Kakuzu had been relentless. Orochimaru had expended so much money that he was now strapped for cash. The payment Reiki promised Kakuzu was higher than standard bounty rates. Plus, Orochimaru's research demanded substantial resources—rare materials and specialized equipment didn't come cheap.
"Uh... I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama. How many ninjas are there here?" Reiki asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. He hadn't accounted for this situation when he asked Orochimaru for an advance.
"I spent 4.7 million in total. Just pay me back 4 million, and I'll use the remaining 700,000 to buy their bodies," Orochimaru stated calmly. He wasn't skimming; he genuinely lacked the funds.
"Alright. I don't have that much cash on me, but how about high-grade potions at wholesale prices?" Reiki offered. "The rate I provide to the Sanada Chamber of Commerce: entry-level potions are 3 yen, intermediate-level ones are 10 yen, and high-grade potions go up to 100 million yen each. I'll give you 200 bottles of high-grade potion and 2 million yen in cash. Does that work?" Reiki laid out the potions and boxes of money.
"No problem. These can be liquidated quickly," Orochimaru said, his eyes glinting with excitement as he took the potions. High-grade potions were both rare and expensive, highly sought after by powerful shinobi who were not financially constrained. Even elite jonin like Hatake Sakumo valued their efficacy. Orochimaru knew these potions would sell swiftly, as the hidden villages were eager to get their hands on them.
Reiki began treating the ninjas. Each injured shinobi was a source of significant experience points for him, especially because they were newcomers and seriously wounded. He worked tirelessly until dawn. As the first rays of sunlight broke, the treated ninjas looked at Reiki in bewilderment. Reiki was known as Konoha's medical ninja and a disciple of Tsunade, yet here he was treating the very ones who had targeted him.
After finishing, Reiki stood to the side, appearing thoughtful.
"Is something wrong?" Orochimaru asked as he approached, noticing Reiki's furrowed brow. "Did the treatment not go well, or are there some special injuries?"
"It's a pity," Reiki said, sounding disappointed.
"Pity?" Orochimaru echoed, puzzled. He glanced at the treated ninjas and wondered what was so unfortunate.
"If I had more time, I'd ask you, Orochimaru-sama, to attack them in various ways, including poisoning, so I could treat them repeatedly. But there isn't enough time. I need to rejoin Uncle Sakumo and the others to set off," Reiki said with a sigh, vanishing into the shadows.
Orochimaru stood there, bewildered. Compared to Reiki, he felt almost tame. The worst he might do was kill, but Reiki seemed prepared to make these ninjas wish for death with his cycle of treatment and suffering. The thought made Orochimaru's scalp tingle.
Forget it, he thought. It would be better to take these ninjas as prisoners for now. With that, Orochimaru summoned a giant snake—not Manda, but another—who swallowed the group of ninjas whole and slithered away.
...
"Hmm?" Hatake Sakumo stirred and opened his eyes.
"Uncle Sakumo, there was a strong chakra fluctuation earlier. Should we check it out? And why didn't Reiki send any warning?" Nozuki asked, eyes narrowed with concern.
"No need. The chakra signature has vanished," Sakumo replied. "The target doesn't appear to be us. Let's prepare to move out."
Reiki emerged from the brush. "Right, our mission lies elsewhere," he said.
"Exactly," Sakumo agreed. "Our job is not to engage in unnecessary battles. Let's keep moving."
The four set out swiftly.
An hour later...
"This must have been their resting spot last night," a deep voice announced. "The signs are fresh. They left about an hour ago. If their destination is the Kingdom of Demons, they'll pass through the Land of Grass."
"Pursue them!" commanded the voice, and over a dozen figures set off toward the Land of Grass.
Meanwhile, as Nozuki ran alongside Hatake Sakumo, a frown creased his forehead. He picked up his pace to catch up with Sakumo.
"Uncle Sakumo, we're being followed," Nozuki reported seriously.
"How many?" Sakumo inquired.
"Seventeen," Nozuki answered. "And their chakra signatures suggest they're at jonin level."
"Seventeen jonin-level shinobi?" Sakumo's expression tightened. "This is no small matter. It can't be just hired mercenaries."
"Shall we stop and prepare?" Nozuki asked.
"Yes," Sakumo agreed. "If they choose to pursue us, they'll learn there's a price for their ambition."
With that, Sakumo leapt into a clearing, and the other three joined him in readiness.
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