After the terrifying display earlier, the bald-headed president of the Tsuchimikado Group no longer dared to comment on Yagura's appearance.
He quickly composed himself, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and, along with his secretary, entered his office.
The moment he sat down, his chubby face twisted into a fawning smile. He pressed his hands together and bowed slightly toward Yagura.
"Esteemed ninja, I sincerely apologize. I was blind to your greatness earlier and offended you."
If only he had behaved like this from the start.
It seemed that before a client could be satisfied, they first had to be reassured of the quality of service.
Looking at the man's face was unpleasant enough that Yagura lost his appetite for the fruit juice in his hand. He set it down and replied, "It's fine. In fact, I'd rather everyone be like you—someone who wouldn't immediately assume I'm a ninja at first glance."
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right!" At this point, whatever the ninja said was law.
Yagura averted his gaze and looked at the secretary, who at least appeared more presentable.
"Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to business. You're the one who issued the request, correct? Mr. Secretary?"
"That's right."
Nodding, the secretary took over, as handling the finer details was part of his job.
"The mission we request of you is to eliminate a squad that has taken control of one of our corporation's largest mining sites. Due to their presence, our operations have been completely halted."
The Tsuchimikado president clenched his fists, his face red with fury.
"Those damned bandit scum! Because of them, I'm bleeding money every second! They deserve to die!"
"I understand." Yagura leaned back slightly, spreading his hands with a smirk. "Frankly, the situation is a disaster—not just for your mining sites, but for the ports and warehouses as well. It's not only your company that's been blocked off, am I right?"
The secretary was momentarily taken aback but quickly realized that Yagura must have gathered intel on his way here. After all, coming in from the coastline, he would have passed through various territories and seen the affected areas firsthand.
"You're absolutely right."
"So, let me ask you—are you sure you only want me to handle just this one mining site?"
Having assessed the strength of the Craft Ninja, Yagura felt he could do more. "Why not issue a few more requests? I can clear the entire area for you."
Since that old bastard, the Third Mizukage, didn't want him meddling in village affairs, Yagura figured he might as well stay a little longer and make some extra money.
If the opportunity was there, why not take it? Killing time while making a fortune—what's not to like?
Of course, from what he had observed, these mining corporations were the aggressors, while the Craft Ninja Village and its craftsmen were the victims.
By conventional shonen logic, he should be siding with the underdogs, not working for their oppressors.
But in the end, he was just here to complete the mission he was paid for.
As a Kirigakure ninja hired by the Tsuchimikado Group, his only concern was executing the contract with efficiency and precision—resolving their problems by eliminating the ones causing them trouble.
Everything else was an internal matter of the Land of Crafts.
Not that he didn't have his own thoughts about it.
"Well…" The secretary exchanged glances with the president, clearly hesitant.
Though multiple corporations had jointly issued this commission, internally, they had only contracted Kirigakure to handle this one major mining site.
Other locations were being handled separately.
Yagura read the secretary's expression like an open book. "So there's a problem?"
He leaned back into the couch, tapping his fingers against his head as he pondered.
"Not enough money?"
No, that wasn't the issue. Delaying the resolution would cost them far more than just paying for extra missions.
"You don't want to entrust all the locations to me—to Kirigakure."
As the secretary's expression grew more unstable, Yagura felt he was closing in on the truth. He clapped his hands.
"Ah, I see. You've also hired other villages."
The secretary lowered his head.
Bingo.
Now that he had uncovered the situation, negotiations became much simpler.
Yagura chuckled. "Think carefully about this. I'm already here. Who are you waiting for? Konoha? Sunagakure? Iwagakure? Kumogakure? None of them can match my speed."
"Those villages are preparing for war."
He sighed, feigning regret. "Kirigakure joined in late, so I still have time to spare."
That was the key point.
For these corporations, time was money.
The faster they resumed production, the faster they could make up for lost profits and ship out their goods.
And as luck would have it, Kirigakure was the first to respond, and Yagura was the first to arrive.
There was no need to hesitate—seizing the opportunity meant millions in profit.
Yagura's blunt appeal to their bottom line struck a deep chord with both men.
The Tsuchimikado president turned his head, sending a strong signal with his eyes.
The secretary hesitated for a moment but quickly reconsidered. Logically, it wasn't a bad idea.
"Esteemed ninja, it's not that we doubt your strength," the secretary said cautiously, carefully choosing his words to avoid offending the small but formidable shinobi.
"Artisans Ninja Village may not be one of the Five Great Hidden Villages, but its forces are not weak. Beyond those stationed in the village, there are over ten jōnin, each leading squads that are now occupying our key facilities."
He paused, observing Yagura's expression before continuing. "You may be able to handle a single jōnin-led squad, but facing ten or more squads simultaneously would be extremely difficult, wouldn't you agree?"
...
Not at all.
Yagura scoffed inwardly. The so-called "Artisans Ninja" were a joke—genin who barely measured up to wandering samurai, and chūnin who were about on par with Kirigakure's genin.
Their jōnin? At best, they might match a Kirigakure chūnin.
Still, ninja techniques varied, and there was always a chance of unexpected difficulties.
And no matter how strong he was, taking on an entire village solo wasn't exactly practical.
Unless he used his final trump card.
"Fair enough."
For now, he acknowledged the secretary's reasoning. "How about this—I'll complete the job I was hired for first. If you need me elsewhere, just say the word and name a price."
The secretary found this proposal reasonable. It allowed for flexibility while ensuring they maximized the benefit of having a powerful Kirigakure ninja on hand.
The more Yagura accomplished, the more he earned. The faster they reclaimed their assets, the quicker they regained control over their industry.
A win-win.
"Agreed."
Eyes gleaming, the Tsuchimikado president made the decision before the secretary could interject.
"Pleasure doing business."
Yagura stretched and stood up. "Alright, enough talk. Lead the way. Time to get to work."
The president and secretary followed him out of the office.
"Keep your mouth shut," the president warned in a hushed tone. "Don't let the others know Kirigakure is here. We take care of our own territory first."
The secretary nodded. "Understood, sir."
They whispered as they slowed their pace.
Yagura, of course, heard every word.
He chuckled indifferently.
It didn't matter to him who paid for the job.
The Artisans Ninja were going to die either way.
As he stepped into the sunlight, his expression darkened.
Slipping on his Kirigakure Anbu mask, he concealed his thoughts.
Of course, he cared.
With emotions surging like a rising tide, he had finally reached the point of release.
"Please board the carriage. I'll take you to the mining site."
Standing at the entrance, Yagura glanced at the carriage and shook his head. His voice, muffled by the mask, was chillingly low.
"No need."
He tossed a map to the secretary. "Mark your sites. I'll handle it alone."
The secretary, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, immediately complied.
"Understood!!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo