Konoha Drunkard

Shisui, who was still feeling grief and anger when he saw his captain, who had taken such good care of him, being swallowed by the Five-Tails, was now experiencing the death of two of his teammates who had tried to save him.

Suddenly, the pent-up emotions inside him burst forth, successfully transforming Shisui into Kaleidoscope and summoning the Hulk.

Shisui, having summoned the Hulk, clashed fiercely with the Five-Tails. The battle was so intense that it seemed to shake the heavens and earth, and even the seas would dry up and the rocks would crumble. In the end, because he was unfamiliar with the newly awakened Mangekyou Sharingan and was already exhausted, he managed to summon the Hulk and fight the Five-Tails. How could Shisui possibly win?

In the end, the novice Hulk was pierced by the Five-Tails' giant horn, and Shisui was also seriously injured. With his last breath, he made a last-ditch effort to use his newly developed Body Flicker Technique to disappear from the Five-Tails' sight.

Before Shisui could even see where he had escaped to, he was already unconscious from chakra depletion. He remained unconscious for several days and nights. When he woke up, he found himself lying in a pink-themed room.

431. He has drinking buddies wherever he goes.

Shisui stared at the pink-themed room, and the lingering fragrance on the bed, his mind going blank. He quickly rolled out of bed and, relieved to find that he was still wearing his original Uchiha uniform except for his vest, breathed a sigh of relief. If he had been taken for his first time out of nowhere, he would have been devastated.

"Master Ninja, you're awake?" At that moment, a young girl walked in carrying a bowl of medicine.

"Miss, did you save me? How long have I been unconscious? Where am I?" Zhishui asked hurriedly, the pink theme of the whole room was really giving him a headache.

"My father and I found you on our way back. We brought you back because you were unconscious. You've been unconscious for almost twenty days. The doctor said you're severely overworked. This is the Land of Waves. By the way, are you a Konoha ninja? How did you end up unconscious in the forest? If my father and I hadn't passed by, you would have been in danger. There are many wild animals in that area." The girl asked curiously. Although the Land of Waves was a small country without a ninja village, because it was located at the mouth of the sea, ninjas from various countries often passed through here. She had certainly seen Shisui's ninja headband before.

“Yes, my companions and I encountered some trouble when we came out. They all sacrificed themselves. I was just lucky to escape,” Shisui explained.

"Then you must have encountered some really powerful enemies, right? My father said that Konoha is the number one village in the ninja world, and Konoha ninjas are very powerful. There's the White Fang of Konoha, Shanks, the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, and the Yellow Flash, they're all powerful ninjas." The girl knew the Konoha's double-flowered red staff like the back of her hand, her mouth chattering away.

"You know a lot about Konoha," Shisui said with a smile. He found this girl very interesting and she wasn't shy at all, talking non-stop in front of him, a complete stranger.

“My father told me all this. He said he drank with your red-haired lord when he was young!” the girl said.

"........."

Zhi Shui gazed at the sky in silence. He was indeed the infamous old drunkard; he had drinking buddies everywhere he went.

"What's wrong? Tell me about Konoha. I've never been to Konoha before. Isn't Konoha beautiful...?" The girl started talking non-stop again, and Shisui didn't find it tedious at all. He started introducing Konoha to her and found it very comfortable to chat with her. He hadn't felt so relaxed in a long time.

As time went by, Shisui chatted with the girl every day, sometimes for an entire day without getting annoyed, completely forgetting that his godmother from Konoha, Koharu Utatane, was about to dismantle the Anbu.

..........

After receiving Haruko's orders, Shanks slept in until he naturally woke up the next day. After getting up, washing up, and having breakfast, he finally left home and strolled leisurely toward the village entrance. He realized that he was truly destined to be a workaholic. The world war was over, and he was preparing to retire, but he was still busy every day. He had just gone to Kirigakure to bring back his best friend's daughter, and now he had to go find Uchiha Kagami's grandson. The debts of gratitude were really troublesome!

"Lord Shanks has left the village again. Aren't you envious? When will I be able to travel around the world like him, hiding from the world?" A young gatekeeper at the village entrance said enviously, watching Shanks's departing figure.

"Then you'll have to endure for several more decades! I heard from the older generation that Shanks was forbidden from leaving the village by the Third Hokage. He endured for several decades and became so strong that he could do whatever he wanted." Another, more rational "gatekeeper" told the secret in a low voice.

"Really! I've never heard of Lord Shanks being forbidden from leaving the village?" The gossipy old man who had previously envied Shanks was now intrigued.

"It's said that when Lord Shanks was young, he wreaked havoc on other ninja villages. I heard that Iwagakure and Sunagakure were thrown into chaos by him. In the end, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure even issued a ban on Lord Shanks entering the Land of Earth. Finally, the Third Hokage had no choice but to forbid him from leaving the village. For the next few years, Lord Shanks didn't leave the village. Now that the Fourth Hokage is in power, and Lord Shanks was the Fourth Hokage's former teacher, of course he can leave the village at will," the chubby "gatekeeper" said smugly.

"It's a pity that the ninja academy's teacher positions are already full. Otherwise, you could apply to become a teacher. Maybe one day you'll teach a Hokage, and you can be as dashing as Lord Shanks." The "doorman" of the pants was giving his companion a suggestion.

"Come on, these days you have to wait in line to apply to be a teacher at a school! My cousin applied five years ago, and he's already dead on the battlefield and still hasn't gotten his turn. Last week when I went to the Hokage Building to see the captain, I deliberately glanced at the list, and there were hundreds of people ahead of my cousin's name!" said the "doorman" who had previously envied Shanks.

........

If Shanks knew that a "gatekeeper" envied him so much, I wonder if he would make that "gatekeeper" kneel on durians. Why would he want to come out? It would be so much better to stay in the village every day, basking in the sun and drinking. Only someone with their brains caught in a door would want to leave the village!

For example, it's been a month since the Five-Tails fought Shisui and the others. Nobody knows where the Five-Tails went. How is he supposed to find it? When Shanks arrived at the site of their battle, all he saw was a mess. There wasn't a single clue. The ninja world is so big. It's not easy to find someone. He was able to find Minazuki Kawaka before because of the help of the fat guy Suigetsu Hozuki. Also, the Land of Water was closed off at the time. As long as someone managed to sneak out, there would be some clues.

But the Land of Fire doesn't care about such formalities. They come and go as they please. That's the confidence of the number one nation!

The reputation of Konoha's White Fang, the head of the Anbu, was earned through sheer skill; countless people have repented at the hands of his short sword.

"Lord Shanks!" Just as Shanks was wondering what was going on, an ANBU member appeared in front of him with a husky.

"Hey, young man from the Inuzuka clan's ANBU, are you also here to find Shisui? Do you have any leads?" Shanks asked the Inuzuka clan's ANBU member.

"...I also found some traces in another place. Judging from the traces, the Five-Tails was chasing Shisui at the time. However, when I followed the traces, they disappeared halfway through. It's possible that the Five-Tails Jinchuriki woke up. But I still couldn't find Shisui's scent." The Inuzuka clan's ANBU shook their heads.

"Is that so! Alright, I'll just wander around by myself. You go ahead and get busy." Shanks waved to the Anbu, took out a bottle of liquor, and strolled leisurely while taking a sip, not in a hurry at all.

432. It's worth much more than you.

After hearing the Anbu's analysis, Shanks knew Shisui was in the bag. The Inuzuka clan's husky, though a bit dim-witted, was still quite shrewd. Since they hadn't smelled Shisui's scent, the Five-Tails had probably been fooled by Shisui's genjutsu. Given Shisui's talent, if he hadn't awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan even after his comrades died, Shanks would start to doubt whether Uchiha Kagami was really his grandfather... This could spark another round of discussion about the chaotic world of martial arts.

Shisui's historical status in the ninja world rose somewhat after awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan. At least the Five-Tails was a piece of cake for him. Even Obito could trap the Nine-Tails in genjutsu; if Shisui couldn't even handle the Five-Tails, what kind of ninja would he be? He might as well sell salted duck eggs—safe, secure, and with a stable income...

Shanks just wandered around aimlessly, enjoying the scenery. Who knows, he might be heading back to Konoha in a couple of days. What's there for him to worry about?

...........

"Yo! Brother Kakuzu! It's been a long time! Come on, come on, have a few drinks!" Shanks hadn't been gone long when he ran into his loyal and righteous brother Kakuzu again on the border of the Land of Fire. He even had Orochimaru send him sake. He quickly took out two bottles of Uchiha sake and tossed one over.

"Well, it's been a long time. When did you come out?" Kakuzu was always so straightforward, not afraid of offending anyone.

"Well, I've been staying in the village for too long, so I came out to get some fresh air. By the way, how's business lately? Did you come to the Land of Fire for some big business deal?" As the top two in the money-making world, their conversation naturally revolved around money; it was a topic they both had in common.

"No, that's not it. I heard that the Five-Tails appeared here a while ago, so I came to see if I could do this kind of business," Kakuzu said casually after taking a sip of his drink.

"Then you'll be disappointed. I just came from over there, and apart from the traces left by the Five-Tails, I didn't see a single hair." Shanks was increasingly impressed with Kakuzu. He was brutally defeated by the Seven-Tails back then, but now defeating the Five-Tails was a piece of cake. There were probably no more than ten people in the ninja world who dared to say that.

"Is that so? What a pity. Onoki of Iwagakure was worth 3 billion, much more than you," Kakuzu said regretfully.

"puff!"

"How...how much? Thirty billion?" Shanks spat out a mouthful of liquor upon hearing this number. He, a Yonko with red hair, was worth less than a beast. Was Onoki deliberately trying to make things difficult for him? This was an utter disgrace!

Back then, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, had a higher bounty than him, which he tolerated. After all, Hiruzen was the Kage of the largest village. But after he retired, his bounty dropped, and Minato became the highest. When he was ranked second alongside the Third Raikage, it didn't bother him; at least he had someone to keep him company. Now that the Third Raikage was dead, he didn't care anymore, having held the second-highest bounty for so many years. But he never expected that bastard Onoki would offer a higher price for a beast than he did. Doesn't that mean he's not even worth as much as a beast?!

"This is just Onoki's first offer. If he still can't find someone after a while, he'll probably raise the price." Kakuzu, however, wasn't as complicated as Shanks. He said whatever came to mind. Anyway, as the top dog of the underground bounty agency, he couldn't possibly have a price tag, otherwise he would have already cut off his own head and sold it to the boss...

"Damn it, Onoki is still a fool with too much money, and Kakuzu... how about we go and rip him off?" Shanks was furious. Since Onoki was rich, he figured he might as well make some money off him. He'd be doing a disservice to his reputation as the number one money-grubber if he didn't take advantage of him. Shanks' mind was completely focused on the 3 billion, and he'd almost forgotten what Shisui's surname was.

"...Oh? What are your thoughts?" Kakuzu asked, his eyes gleaming. Although he was the Finance Minister of the Land of Rain, it was impossible for him not to be interested in 3 billion. He'd worked himself to the bone for the Akatsuki for years, earning tens of millions at a time, barely enough for Orochimaru's experiments. Now that such a large deal was finally available, it would be strange if he didn't have some ideas.

"Of course, with you and me, the two top money-making machines, teaming up, it would be a disservice to Onoki, who's rich and foolish, if we didn't pull off something big. He's spending a fortune looking for the Five-Tails, right? Well... let's find the Five-Tails too. But after we find it, we'll hide it away. Once Onoki offers a high price, you can take it to Iwagakure and sell it to him. Of course, you'll be the one to handle this, and I'll keep watch. After it's done, we'll split it 50/50, how about that? Onoki's got tons of money! We'll rip him off 8 billion!" Shanks said angrily.

Shanks had actually misunderstood Onoki. Tailed beasts were, after all, important weapons of war for the village. Even if they weren't released, keeping them within the village served as a deterrent. When Hashirama Senju sold the Tailed Beasts, the First Kage, except for those from Sunagakure who already possessed the One-Tail and had no further desires, almost came to blows. So how could they let the Tailed Beast roam freely? If it were captured by another village, Iwagakure would lose all face. Therefore, Onoki had no choice but to reluctantly offer a high price to buy back the Five-Tails. He had sent people to capture it, but it was the Five-Tails, and Iwagakure was in a period of transition, with only his old bones and no one else capable of capturing Tailed Beasts. Those sent never returned.

"...But we don't even know where the Five-Tails is right now, how are we supposed to find it..." Kakuzu shrugged, genuinely excited. With someone who could send the Nine-Tails flying with his hammer, capturing a Five-Tails Jinchuriki would be a piece of cake. The problem was, they didn't even know where the person was.

"Don't worry, since the Five-Tails went berserk recently, it means this Jinchūriki isn't completely at peace with it yet. It might go berserk again tomorrow! This tailed beast rampage is bound to be a big commotion; it can't be kept secret. We can just wander around, do some casual business, and chase after it once we hear the news," Shanks said confidently. He wasn't planning on returning to Konoha unless he tricked Onoki out of his life. And if he pulled this off, he could return to the village peacefully and submit his retirement application. Considering the big gift from the second male lead's father last time, as long as Tsunade and Garp, those two gambling gods, didn't squander it, it would be enough for him and Haruko to live out the rest of their lives in comfort.

From that day on, Shanks followed Kakuzu across the ninja world, doing business in various locations. Before, Kakuzu would be picky about prices; he wouldn't even glance at cheap deals, since he was single and had no family to worry about. But things changed after joining Akatsuki. He had a large family to support. Every time he took on a mission, ranging from hundreds of millions to hundreds of thousands, Kakuzu never shied away from the hassle and accepted every single one. Every time Shanks saw Kakuzu emerge from the bounty office laden with missions, he would sigh and say, "Life is truly tough!" The carefree Kakuzu of the past was gone forever.

433. Antiques are just a lot of stock.

After Shanks and Kakuzu had been wandering the ninja world for two months, Onoki finally couldn't resist raising the price again, this time to 5 billion. Shanks almost had the urge to kill Kakuzu and take it all for himself, but in the end, reason prevailed over his inner demons; after all, peace brings wealth.

Fueled by the momentum of Onoki's 5 billion taels, Kakuzu disregarded the petty money and focused all his energy on finding the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki. As the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves," and opportunity always favors the prepared. Just as they stopped to rest in the Land of Claws, they suddenly sensed a powerful chakra fluctuation in the distance. Shanks swept his Observation Haki, and an ugly creature with five tails appeared within his Observation Haki's range. If this wasn't the Five-Tails, he'd pay with his head...

"Finally, I've been waiting for you. I'm glad I didn't give up..." Shanks chuckled and then winked at Kakuzu. The two of them quickly headed towards the Five-Tails.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"Wow! Another top-tier demolition company. You know, no matter how many tails a tailed beast has, their hobby of destroying things is always the same." Shanks laughed after the two arrived at the place where the Five-Tails had gone berserk. The scene had been completely destroyed by the Five-Tails. Not a single intact sapling could be seen in the once beautiful forest. Didn't they know how difficult it was for the Land of Claws to reforest?

"Should you go or should I go?" Kakuzu asked Shanks in a sly tone.

"I'll go. If you go, I'm afraid you'll beat him up so badly he'll lose an arm or a leg and become worthless. He's a cash cow right now." After Shanks finished speaking, he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the rampaging Five-Tails.

"Hey! You five-tailed... ugly freak! What are you looking at! I'm talking to you! Doesn't the Six Paths old man like you? He made you so ugly. The other eight heads are barely acceptable, but you're so ugly! Don't you know how hard it is for people to plant trees? Those trees were planted one by one by ordinary people. You've destroyed the fruits of their labor over many years. Doesn't your conscience hurt?" Shanks walked around pointing at the five-tailed ugly freak and launched into a tirade.

"You weak red-haired brat, how dare you insult such a precious tailed beast! Die!" For so many years, except for being beaten up by a bastard named Senju Hashirama decades ago, no one had ever dared to insult it. Even when it was sold to Iwagakure, everyone treated it with utmost respect, like a king. Today, it was actually insulted by a weak red-haired brat. How could it tolerate this? It dug its paws into the ground, lowered its head, and charged forward in one swift motion.

Then.......

"boom!"

He was hammered away...

"Yo ho! I, Shanks, have been in the ninja world for so many years, and this is the first time I've been called weak! You ugly five-tailed monster, you're even worse than Kurama. Even Kurama has to use a respectful title when it sees me." Shanks charged at the Five-Tails' huge head and blasted it away with an iron fist.

"Ouch! That hurts so much, you damned humans!"

The five-tailed beast lay on the ground, rolling around with a huge bump on its head. This human's attack hurt so much; it even caused a bump...

"boom!"

"It's good that you know pain. What's scary is that you don't know pain. Look at you, it's not your fault that the Six Paths Old Man made you so ugly, but it's wrong of you to run around and scare the flowers and plants."

"boom!"

"I'll make you ugly!"

"Damn it, it still has to be the brat!"

"boom!"

"How dare you say I'm weak!"

"Ah! I'm going to kill you!"

"boom!"

"Say!"

"I..."

"boom!"

"I'll let you say it..."

"........"

Shanks rode on the head of the Five-Tails like a father beating his son, punching it repeatedly. At first, the Five-Tails was quite tough and didn't back down at all.

After an hour, the five-tailed fox, its head covered in bumps and its eyes filled with tears of despair, looked at the red-haired devil in front of it. It had given up struggling. Its previous experience had taught it that the more it struggled, the more enthusiastically the red-haired demon would beat it. It was simply a monster!

The person in the distance was so shocked that he couldn't speak. Before Shanks made his move, he had thought about what method Shanks would use to fight the tailed beast, such as using his awesome swordsmanship or his super-powerful water jutsu.

But this guy actually went up and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Tailed Beast, and this brutal, flesh-and-blood battle between man and beast was truly shocking. This was a real hand-to-hand combat with the Tailed Beast! The Third Raikage fought the Eight-Tails using Lightning Release Mode, while Shanks' fight with the Tailed Beast was purely a physical collision. In the end, the Five-Tails was beaten so badly that it showed a look of utter despair. Moreover, watching the brutal, flesh-and-blood scene made Kakuzu's blood boil. He even had the urge to roll up his sleeves and rush up to fight the Tailed Beast for three hundred rounds.

"Shanks, how about it? Do you know you were wrong?" Shanks asked, pointing at the Five-Tails lying on the ground, looking utterly hopeless.

"I...I...I understand."

The Five-Tails initially tried to be defiant, but upon seeing Shanks raise his evil black fist again, it immediately backed down. It had no choice; this was the first time in its hundreds of years of life that it had experienced pain.

"Now go back and hand over the Jinchuriki to me. Remember, don't cause any trouble without me, or I'll give you a makeover next time," Shanks said, raising his fist.

"........"