Kakuzu ultimately did not give Haruto Saito an answer.
Everything about the situation felt too surreal. He had come to kill Haruto Saito, yet now, Haruto was offering to set him free and even pay him a hefty salary. If the situation were reversed, Kakuzu knew he would never do such a thing. How could he trust someone who had just tried to kill him?
It was precisely this unusual generosity that made Kakuzu suspect an ulterior motive. That was why he didn't accept the offer immediately. Moreover, after analyzing the situation, he realized that he held some form of value to Haruto. Even if he refused, he wouldn't be executed—he would simply be imprisoned.
And he was right.
Haruto had no intention of letting Kakuzu die. He would keep him locked up if necessary.
There was no rush to gain his acceptance.
Haruto wouldn't be able to leave Konoha anytime soon. His plans to establish a shinobi village of his own would take at least another half a year before they could even begin. Furthermore, even if Kakuzu agreed immediately, Haruto wouldn't trust him. Not until he could be certain that Kakuzu no longer harbored malicious intent.
For now, Kakuzu remained in captivity.
Before leaving the ANBU base, Haruto instructed the medical-nin to treat Kakuzu's wounds and ordered that he be given proper meals—three times a day. The prisoner was to be taken care of.
*******
Word of the failed assassination attempt by five of the black market's top-ranked assassins spread like wildfire across the shinobi world within mere days.
The entire world was shaken—not because the attempt had failed, but because it was now known that Haruto Saito had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, a jutsu originally created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Though the Flying Thunder God Technique was just a single jutsu, independent of chakra reserves, spiritual energy, combat techniques, or reaction speed, it was a skill that provided an unparalleled strategic advantage.
Because of this, the consensus was clear: Haruto Saito's strength had increased exponentially. As someone already feared for his assassination skills, he was now being widely recognized as Konoha's greatest assassin.
A mysterious benefactor even placed a new bounty on Haruto's head: 20 million ryō.
With this, the total bounty on Haruto within the black market had reached 100 million ryō.
While the record wasn't entirely unprecedented, it was the highest bounty placed on any individual since the end of the First Great Ninja War.
More people wanted Haruto dead than ever before.
But fewer were willing to take action.
Many shinobi entertained the thought, but they also knew that their chances of success were close to zero. For someone who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, an assassination attempt inside Konoha was nearly impossible.
At this point, the only viable means of assassination would be indirect methods, such as poisoning.
For now, fewer shinobi dared to act.
But this was only temporary.
Many of the most powerful S-rank assassins in the black market had already accepted the mission. However, they were holding back, biding their time, gathering intelligence. They were waiting for the day when Haruto Saito would leave Konoha for a mission.
Time passed quickly.
Another month went by.
Haruto's daily life remained consistent, revolving around three main activities: eating and sleeping, training—at least eight hours a day—and handling official duties. He also made a habit of visiting Kakuzu for casual conversations.
January 31, Year 33 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar—afternoon.
In the Ministry of Commerce's headquarters, within the Minister's office.
The grand office, over 200 square meters in size, was sparsely furnished. The office desk, positioned by the window, was the most prominent feature in the room.
Haruto sat at his desk, reviewing documents.
This particular document was a request for commercial district approval. The applicant's name? Haruto Saito himself. That's right—he was approving his own request. As the Minister of Commerce, he had every right to do so. He intended to designate eight specific districts as special commercial zones, allowing businesses there to receive tax benefits.
He was, after all, a man who knew how to use power to his advantage.
BANG!
The office door was forcefully thrown open.
Koharu Utatane stormed in, her face livid. She walked straight to the desk and slammed a document down. "Haruto Saito, did you approve this?"
"Uh…" Haruto glanced up, taken aback by her hostility. "What is this?" He reviewed numerous documents daily and couldn't immediately recall what she was referring to.
"Don't play dumb with me! You approved yourself a monthly salary of 2.1 million ryō—more than the Hokage himself! What exactly do you think you're doing? This is embezzlement!"
Haruto's eyelid twitched. He picked up the document and skimmed through it.
Indeed, he had signed off on it.
It was actually a payroll document confirming the monthly wages of the Ministry of Commerce staff. What made it unusual was the excessively high bonuses—everyone in the department was receiving more than triple their base salaries.
"Lady Koharu, have you forgotten?" Haruto asked calmly. "Remember the agreement from three months ago? We discussed the benefits of the Commerce Ministry, and you approved it, didn't you?"
Haruto stood and gestured for emphasis. "This is the first month of the tax reform. The revenue collected this January compared to the previous year has increased by 6.8 times! Our benefits are tied to performance. Where's the problem?"
Koharu looked flustered. She had no immediate retort.
"Do you think taxes are too high? Or do you believe my colleagues at the Ministry of Commerce don't deserve high wages despite their hard work?" Haruto pressed.
"Stop twisting my words!" Koharu snapped, slamming her hand on the desk. "I'm telling you, no department in Konoha has ever had such excessive salaries! Your monthly income is higher than the Hokage's! This isn't about your accomplishments—no matter how much you've done, the village cannot allow such absurd benefits!"
"I am the Minister. I decide," Haruto responded with a shrug.
"I will report this to Lord Hokage!" Koharu declared.
"By all means." Haruto gestured toward the door, unconcerned.
Fuming, Koharu stormed out.
Haruto knew she would complain to the Hokage.
But he wasn't worried.
He had deeper reasons for setting such high salaries in the Commerce Ministry. If it came to a debate, Koharu would not win.
Whoosh!
Just as Koharu left, a figure suddenly appeared in the corner of the office.
White Fang.
"Captain," Haruto greeted immediately.
"Lord Hokage needs to see you. It's urgent," White Fang said swiftly.
Haruto raised an eyebrow. It couldn't have been Koharu's complaint—she hadn't even left the building yet.
Was it a mission?