Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

Qingwu, who had already used his transformation technique on the way, slammed the wooden box onto the gambling table, attracting everyone's attention. Then, he put his hands on his hips and laughed, "Kids, did you miss your father!"

The gamblers' eyes lit up when they saw him, and they didn't care about the implied advantage in his words.

"A fat sheep!"

"The fat sheep has arrived!"

"Oh my, I've missed you so much."

"If you do not abandon me, I am willing to become your godfather!"

Oops, wrong channel.

This is exactly the effect Qingwu wanted; as long as Tsunade is in Tanabata Street, she will definitely be attracted.

However, even after he left the gambling den in the middle of the night and lost more than 500,000 taels of silver, he still did not see the person he desired appear.

...the next day

Qingwu continued to swagger through the city carrying his large suitcase.

However, he did not go to the gambling den during the day. Instead, he left the city and came to the entrance of a hidden underground gold exchange.

He endured the stench and, after many twists and turns, finally knocked on the door of the gold exchange.

This time, the person in charge of receiving guests was different. Qingwu was slightly taken aback but didn't pay much attention. He directly spent money to inquire about Tsunade's information.

Unfortunately, the result disappointed him.

Although Tsunade is a celebrity and her information was collected by the Gold Exchange, like the information about Kirigakure, the only news was that she appeared in the southern part of the Land of Water a few days ago.

Fortunately, this "outdated" intelligence didn't cost much.

Picking up the large box, Qingwu turned to leave. He planned to go to the gambling den again tonight to inquire, and if there were no results, he would go to the capital next.

But his path was blocked.

A figure appeared at the entrance of the gold exchange, staring intently at the large box in his hand with tiny, beady eyes.

This was a tall man, his imposing figure shrouded in a red and black robe, and the greed in his eyes was almost overflowing.

He seemed to be surrounded by ominous and dark chakra, which intertwined with the dim and damp atmosphere of the Exchange Center, creating a sense of oppressive unease.

Those tiny, green-bean-like eyes never blinked, their gaze never leaving the box in Qingwu's hands.

"How could this be..."

Qingwu felt a chill run down her spine, and sweat instantly beaded on her forehead.

The Akatsuki organization has not yet appeared in the ninja world, and their iconic red cloud and black robes are not well-known, but he still recognized the tall man at a glance.

Kakuzu!!

Kakuzu, the rogue ninja from Takigakure who possesses the secret technique of Earth Grudge Fear!

A true Kage-level powerhouse!!

He never imagined that he would run into this guy when he just came to the exchange to ask for some information.

Qingwu felt a constant alarm bell ringing in his heart, and dared not relax for even a moment.

He knew very well who Kakuzu was. If they weren't inside the exchange, this guy would probably have already made a move as soon as he saw the money box.

"You brat~!"

Kakuzu spoke up, "A new bounty hunter? I've never seen you before."

His voice was very deep, like a wheel rolling over gravel, yet it was incredibly oppressive.

His small, beady eyes remained fixed on the wooden box in Qingwu's hands. "Looks like you've had quite a haul. I acknowledge your abilities. How about we team up for something big?"

"..." Qingwu was just thinking about how to answer.

At this moment, the staff member who had just received Qingwu came out from inside.

Perhaps due to the rules of the gold exchange, Kakuzu's imposing figure finally left the doorway.

Qingwu saw that Kakuzu, who was leaving from the shadows, was carrying a corpse on his shoulder.

The staff's attitude did not become more respectful; they simply greeted him familiarly before starting to "inspect the goods," their movements practiced yet indifferent.

Kakuzu's gaze was fixed on the large box, and he said impatiently, "Hurry up, don't dawdle, I have important business to attend to."

The staff member looked up at Kakuzu, then at Seigo, and said, "Lord Kakuzu, you know the rules of the gold exchange."

Kakuzu snorted coldly, "I am simply following the rules and inviting partners."

The staff member gestured towards the door and said to Qingwu, "Aren't you leaving yet?"

Qingwu suppressed her nervousness and nodded nonchalantly to Du Jiao, "I need to go find the teacher and we can work together again when we have the chance."

As he moved outwards, Qingwu kept his eyes fixed on Kakuzu, not daring to let his guard down, fearing that this dangerous person might suddenly make a move.

Kakuzu's small, beady eyes revealed no emotion as he coldly watched Qingwu leave.

The staff member glanced at him and said indifferently, "Lord Kakuzu, let's inspect the goods first. If we waste time, the bounty will be less."

"I told you to hurry up!" Kakuzu wanted to follow, but he was reluctant to give up the bounty he had already received, and his tone was full of conflict.

Upon hearing this, the staff not only did not speed up, but deliberately slowed down the "inspection" process:

"Oh dear, the heart has been ripped out again. Tsk tsk, the face is also shriveled from excessive blood loss, and the features are blurred, making it hard to recognize."

"Damn it, I always have to dig out my heart, are you deliberately stalling for time?" Kakuzu is no fool.

The staff member remained dignified and fearless, saying, "Sir, if you want to receive the bounty in the long term, you must remember the rules of the gold exchange."

"hateful--!!"

"..."

The sewage flowed slowly down the ditch, making a sticky sound.

Qingwu hurried through the narrow sewers, the deep, angry roar of Kakuzu still echoing in her ears, her heart still taut.

He had fought against Kage-level powerhouses before, but Kakuzu was different.

This old monster, who has lived for decades, has rich combat experience, and... it also possesses the Earth Grudge Fear Secret Technique with five lives.

If a conflict were to occur inside, he wasn't confident he could escape unscathed.

Of course, once he left the confined environment, he had the confidence to move freely – the Silver Pegasus's flying ability allowed him to come and go as he pleased.

……

Chapter 149 Kakuzu, who exactly have you messed with? (Seeking first-time subscription support)

As soon as Qingwu left the sewers, he immediately ran wildly towards the clearing in the woods outside the city.

He would not linger on Tanabata Street any longer.

Being targeted by everyone is always a big problem.

Moreover, the right thing to do is to go to the capital to find Tsunade as soon as possible.

Yeah, it's not that I'm afraid of him!

……

Just as they arrived in the forest, before the Silver Pegasus could even be summoned, a cold, sinister figure suddenly darted out from behind a tree.

Qingwu paused for a moment, realizing it wasn't Kakuzu.

However, this person was also dressed in a red cloud-patterned black robe, with a thin figure and a ferocious mask on his face, revealing a pair of sinister eyes.

"Want to leave? Kakuzu is such a nuisance. Do you expect me to work for him?"

The masked man sneered, then changed the subject: "Fine, we're comrades after all, let's help him this time."

As he spoke, wind-style chakra surged from his fingertips. "Hand over your box, and maybe I can spare your corpse."

Upon hearing this, Qingwu understood immediately. It was likely that Kakuzu had already sent a message to his teammates and laid an ambush.

It's possible the message was sent while they were still outside the exchange, that greedy guy!

but……

Do you really think I'm someone you can easily get along with?

Without the slightest hesitation, Qingwu chose to strike first, and to avoid being caught in a pincer attack after being delayed, he unleashed his "ultimate move"!

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Boom—!! Boom—!!

Five withered wooden guardians, each over ten meters tall, descended.

"What?!" The masked man's expression changed.

He never imagined that a mere "passerby" could summon such terrifying, enormous psychic creatures, and there was more than one of them.

"Click, click, click—"

Countless roots suddenly rose from the ground, seemingly forming a cage.

"Damn it, you're overestimating yourself!"

The masked man opened his mouth, and a dense barrage of wind blades shot out from his head, slicing the roots to pieces.

Judging from the strength of his chakra, he is at least a Jonin-level ninja from a major ninja village.

However, the sheer number of roots caused his Wind Release technique to quickly become ineffective.

The massive roots intertwined, forming a huge cage that completely blocked all the masked man's escape routes.

Qingwu's eyes were icy as he leaped closer, conjuring a [Magic Arrow] at his fingertips, and mercilessly shot it toward the masked man's head.

Meanwhile, roots continued to extend from inside the cage, seemingly trying to "drown" the masked man.

"Damn it, Kakuzu, who have you messed with?!"

The masked man let out a furious roar of resentment, and with all his might, he blocked the [Magic Arrow] with a wall of wind.

But his defeat was only a matter of time, and it would be a defeat in which he would be utterly powerless to resist...