Naruto: Starting with Tsunade

Chapter 114 More Money Required

On their way to the mission location, Momonosuke and his entourage hired several carriages to carry a large amount of luggage, which slowed their journey. Aokiji and the others could have kept up even on foot.

Walking down the street, Jiraiya, who only knew the superficial aspects of the hostage profession, said with envy, "I really envy the hostage profession. You can earn money just by talking to pretty girls."

"If you really understood this profession, you probably wouldn't think that way."

Aokiji knew a little about what kind of person the Cowherd was, based on hearsay.

If this is the case even in a society with a relatively sound legal system, then in this world where even the rule of law is imperfect, the minimum acceptable standard for a male prostitute would only be lower than in his previous life.

The male prostitute always presents himself to the public as someone who is inspirational and self-disciplined.

However, people tend to show off what they lack most.

You talk to him about feelings, but he tricks you into going into prostitution and taking out high-interest loans. He may appear glamorous on the outside, but in reality, he's been profiting off countless people's suffering.

This isn't prejudice, but rather the hostility even among the locals in the birthplace of male escorts, which shows what kind of person he is.

If it weren't for the fact that Orochimaru was on his first mission as a Jonin, Aokiji wouldn't have bothered with such a lowly task; he'd be lucky if Orochimaru didn't rob a male escort.

When he had the chance, he would secretly rob those male prostitutes with bad reputations, giving some of his ill-gotten gains to the poor and using the rest to enrich himself.

Possessing a powerful weapon naturally breeds a murderous intent; this is roughly the meaning of Aokiji's state of mind.

Ninjas possess transformation techniques, allowing them to have perfect alibis after robbing money.

I really don't understand why those ninjas don't do this job. Aokiji thought that the transformation technique wasn't a difficult ninjutsu.

Who will be the unlucky one to be featured in his repost?

Aokiji was secretly pleased with himself, his lips curving into a wide, uncontrollable smile.

Jiraiya retorted, "Your smile is so cunning."

"Nonsense, that was clearly a friendly smile on my face."

As the two were arguing, an explosion suddenly rang out without warning, and rocks near the canyon collapsed with a deafening roar, hurtling from both sides.

Aokiji and Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals, each building a wall—one of ice and one of earth—to defend against the falling rocks from both sides.

No sooner had one wave subsided than another arose, with attacks mixed with kunai and shuriken coming from all directions.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals, creating a gust of wind centered on himself that blew away all the attacks.

When horses are frightened by danger, they seem to unleash amazing energy, channeling it into their limbs, and gallop away.

The people they were escorting were still inside the carriage. Just as Aokiji and the others were about to give chase, several dark figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked their way.

"I can't let you pass."

A female ninja wearing a headband spoke in a relaxed tone.

"I'll go after them."

Jiraiya volunteered and forcibly carved a path through the enemy lines, like a wild horse that could not be stopped.

"That was so impulsive."

As Aokiji was speaking, the person had already disappeared.

The enemy was neither strong nor weak, and it would not be easy for Aokiji and his companions to take them down in one go.

After a brief exchange, the enemy wisely withdrew, which was, of course, related to the fact that they seemed to have already completed their mission.

Jiraiya returned to Aokiji's side, expressing his frustration at the fact that the person he was escorting had been kidnapped.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Kin'emon immediately expressed his strong dissatisfaction with Aokiji and the others' poor performance in the mission: "What are you Konoha ninjas doing? You just stood by and watched them kidnap people."

Orochimaru was about to explain when Aokiji stepped forward and retorted, "Don't get me wrong. The fault this time isn't ours, but rather that you concealed the difficulty of the mission. Judging from the scale of the enemy's deployment, it far exceeds the difficulty of a B-rank mission."

Just kidding, it's a B-level mission, why would he risk his life?

No matter how much money or how much power you offer, if you're trying to fleece me, don't even think about it.

Kin'emon was somewhat embarrassed when his words were spoken to his face.

Aokiji smiled coldly: "This host named Momonosuke must be someone special, otherwise why would he have deployed such a large-scale ambush? Judging from their well-trained skills, they are clearly not ordinary bandits."

Kin'emon's expression turned somber, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

Tsunade asked, "Who exactly is he?"

Kin'emon hesitated for a moment before saying, "He is actually a prince."

Jiraiya thought it was a joke: "You're really joking. His 'prince' title is just a nickname."

Kin'emon, not joking, said, "I'm serious."

After hearing what he said, Aokiji had a better idea of ​​what was going on.

Thinking of Momonosuke, and then connecting it to the identity of a prince in distress.

It's probably some kind of melodramatic tale about saving the country.

Just as Aokiji had imagined, Kin'emon started playing the victim, rambling on and on.

The gist of the story is that Wano Country was once a peace-loving nation, but this peace was short-lived. One day, a certain man usurped everything, and the accomplice was none other than the Uchiha clan.

This happened before Konoha was founded.

When he mentioned this, he glanced at someone in particular.

Aokiji stared blankly into thought.

So the Uchiha clan really did kill his entire family.

But this is something the Uchiha did, what does it have to do with me, Aokiji?

Besides, he didn't leave behind a single seed, just eked out a living in this world, and even became a male prostitute—he's living a pretty good life.

Aokiji patted the person's shoulder in a comforting gesture: "Please accept my condolences."

"Hey, after you've heard my story, shouldn't you immediately go and rescue Lord Momonosuke? We're still within your mission scope right now."

It would have been better if this hadn't been mentioned, but once it was, Aokiji finally realized what was going on.

Normally, someone important like a prince would start at level A, but these people are doing something else, disguising their identities.

In this way, the difficulty of this task is only B-level on the surface, and naturally, the reward is B-level.

Good grief, they're exploiting loopholes!

"Please, this is your country's private matter. If it's not handled properly, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue. Besides, who knows how much of what you're saying is true?"

Aokiji refused without hesitation, glancing sideways at Orochimaru with a questioning look in his eyes: "Captain Orochimaru, what are your thoughts?"

His own refusal is not enough; ultimately, the decision rests with Orochimaru.

Orochimaru is the nominal captain, and Aokiji is his subordinate. They have a good relationship and there is no distinction between superior and subordinate, but neither can overstep their authority.

Orochimaru lowered his eyes and remained silent, pondering the matter seriously.

As Aokiji said, whether to give up or continue the mission requires careful consideration.

Among Momonosuke's followers was a man named Kurozumi, who was adept at reading people. He realized that Aokiji held considerable influence within the group, so he immediately knelt before Aokiji, begging him for a favor: "Please, please save Lord Momonosuke! I've watched Lord Momonosuke grow up since he was a child. Although he was born into an imperial family, he lost his parents at a young age and was forced to live in exile in a foreign land, living in constant fear. He's very pitiful."

Aokiji looked at the kneeling, honest man and said speechlessly, "I think you've lost your mind. You, a servant, don't feel sorry for yourself, but you feel sorry for your master who lives a life of luxury?"

He remembered that Momonosuke was a fairly famous male host, but his income was pitiful.

Tsunade couldn't bear to watch any longer and tried to persuade Aokiji, saying that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and was a kind-hearted woman.

Aokiji also had his reasons, and his attitude was firm: "You go if you want, I'm not going. Who knows how much of what they say is true or false? Although those ninjas aren't very strong, even a tiger can't fight off a bunch of monkeys."

Kin'emon said in a deep voice, "If that's what you're worried about, there's no need to worry. To be honest, in order to one day overthrow Dokai's tyranny, we have been continuously sending the money we've earned into the country. Through this money, we have already gathered a group of ambitious people. As long as we return to the country, we will surely receive a hundred responses when we raise our arms and call for help."

Aokiji maintained his attitude, his face filled with disdain: "Ha, they're nothing but a rabble. It's no use having more of these people."

Tsunade was somewhat displeased with Aokiji's cold-blooded attitude: "Hey, Aokiji, you're going a bit too far."

Aokiji raised his hand: "Tsunade, you've misunderstood me."

"Misunderstand?"

"A dangerous mission like this is too difficult for the four of us to handle with our limited resources. So..."

"so?"

Aokiji stared intently at Kin'emon, his voice low and menacing: "More money is needed!"

(End of this chapter)