Terado was dead!
In truth, he had known for over a year that he would die around this time.
Back in the battle on a rainy night in the Land of Rain, Terado had first been ambushed and gravely wounded. Later, he forcefully activated a forbidden technique, burning his own life force. This left him with only a little over a year to live when he was captured.
In the past few months, as his time grew near, Terado had even known the exact date and time of his death.
He had long been mentally prepared and passed away peacefully.
Compared to most, he had only lived half a lifetime, but those years had been nothing short of extraordinary. He was the greatest assassin of the Rain Ninja, and perhaps... the greatest assassin in the entire ninja world, though he had lost the chance to prove it.
Thus, he had placed his final hopes and wishes upon Haruto Saito.
In the dimly lit prison cell, Terado sat cross-legged, his eyes now permanently closed, his life completely extinguished.
"Thank you, Lord Terado!" Haruto bowed deeply to Terado before standing up. "I won't let you down..." His relationship with Terado had been both mentor and friend, and he was deeply grateful to him.
Terado's death marked the end of an era—a legend of assassination.
But Haruto believed he could create a new legend.
That night, Haruto buried Terado in a secluded forest in the mountains behind Konoha, knowing that Terado had unfinished business. Perhaps, if he ever mastered the Reanimation Jutsu in the future, he could bring Terado back...
***
Konoha Year 34, January 14th.
Morning.
Inside the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen, are you really going to let that kid Haruto go to the Land of Whirlpools? Are you really going to let him waste money? Dozens of billions of ryo! If he handed that money to Konoha, we could win the war in a short time! And yet you let him squander it?" Danzo was furious.
He had only learned today what Haruto's mission in the Land of Whirlpools was.
Before, he had simply thought it was another assignment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had kept the details quiet, fearing leaks. If word got out about Haruto's mission, elite ninja from all over the world would flock to ambush him in the Land of Whirlpools.
"The money is his, isn't it?" Hiruzen glanced at Danzo.
"That's true, but he is a Konoha ninja!" Danzo retorted. "If he truly wants to contribute to Konoha, shouldn't we guide him? If he invested that money into our war efforts, Konoha could fund a village in the Land of Whirlpools ourselves! That would be far better! Right now, there are countless people who want him dead, and you know it! The moment he steps out of Konoha, he'll be walking into death! If his location is exposed, even Hanzo himself might come after him!"
Danzo wasn't exaggerating.
Haruto was ridiculously wealthy.
He had the highest bounty in the underground world, and he was also the richest individual in the entire ninja world. Whoever killed him would become instantly wealthy. If someone captured him alive, they could force him to hand over his fortune and become the next great financial power.
Of course, Danzo didn't care about Haruto's life. He cared about the money.
"Do you know how much Haruto sacrificed just to get my support for this mission?" Hiruzen asked Danzo.
Danzo fell silent. Of course, he knew. Haruto had given up a lot.
"If I were to go back on my word now..." Hiruzen trailed off.
If he reversed his decision now, Haruto—who had a fiery temper—would surely raise hell.
Besides, Hiruzen himself could not subdue Haruto in an instant without prior preparation. The boy had mastered the Flying Thunder God technique—he could leave whenever he wanted.
"But have you considered this..." Danzo's voice turned low and hoarse. "Haruto possesses a space-time storage ability. He carries all his money with him. If he dies, that money disappears forever. And if he is captured... If his enemies force him, or if they use genjutsu to manipulate him into handing over the money... Whoever gets his fortune will gain an unstoppable advantage in this war."
Hiruzen's brow twitched.
That was indeed a serious problem.
"If Kirigakure captures Haruto and gains tens of billions of ryo, do you think they would stay out of the war? Not only would they enter the conflict, but they would also quickly seize the Land of Whirlpools. They could simply drown it in money!" Danzo added.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples.
A headache.
"But he has the Flying Thunder God technique. He won't be captured so easily," Hiruzen muttered.
"What if the Mizukage personally goes after him?" Danzo asked.
Hiruzen fell silent.
"What if Hanzo himself moves against him?"
Again, Hiruzen remained silent.
Danzo wasn't speculating—he was describing a very real possibility. Haruto's wealth made him a massive target.
The Mizukage was terrifying, but Hanzo was even more so. He wasn't called the "Demi-God" for nothing.
And Hanzo had no moral limits. He would do anything.
"What's your proposal?" Hiruzen finally asked after a long pause.
"Either he doesn't leave Konoha... or he leaves, but the money stays behind. He can retrieve funds as needed. Or... we send people to accompany him!" Danzo listed three options.
"Who would go with him?" Hiruzen asked immediately.
The first two options were out—Haruto wouldn't stay, and he certainly wouldn't leave his money behind.
"The Foundation!" Danzo suggested. "I can send my best men. They will protect him with their lives. If they encounter an unbeatable enemy, even if all of my men perish, they will ensure he returns to Konoha alive."
Danzo was making himself sound utterly selfless, as though he was sacrificing his own people for Haruto's safety.
But Hiruzen wasn't sure what Danzo's true intentions were.
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly appeared in front of the Hokage's desk—it was Haruto!
Today, Haruto was fully geared up, ready for battle.
"Sensei!"
"Ah, here, take a look at this..." Hiruzen pulled a scroll from his drawer and pushed it toward Haruto.
It was an S-rank war mission, assigning Haruto to the Land of Whirlpools to resist Kirigakure's infiltration. There was no mention of building a new village—Konoha couldn't issue such an order, as that would require financial backing, and Konoha simply didn't have the funds.
After reading the mission scroll, Haruto looked up at Hiruzen.
"When do you plan to leave?" Hiruzen asked.
"This afternoon," Haruto replied. "I still have a few things to arrange."
"Understood," Hiruzen nodded, then hesitated before saying, "Danzo and I were just discussing your journey. We think we should reconsider the plan..."
"Hmm?" Haruto frowned, glancing at Danzo, who was radiating malicious intent. "I thought we already settled everything?"
"It's about your safety!" Hiruzen quickly explained, summarizing their concerns before adding, "So, I propose sending some of the Foundation's ninja with you. What do you think?"
Haruto's eyebrow twitched. He shot a glance at Danzo.
This guy...
Was definitely up to something!
*********************************************************************************************************Hey everyone! 🚀 Want to read ahead and unlock up to 100 early-access chapters? 📖 Plus, enjoy even more exclusive novels! Join my Patreon now and dive into the adventure! 👉
patreon.com/Rawink00
Hurry Up..!!!! Join Now !