Konoha Drunkard

"What?! He's Takikage?! Red-haired Lord, I'll take 30 billion!"

Sure enough, as soon as Shanks mentioned Takigakure's name, the leader of the Land of the Moon couldn't wait any longer. "That Takigakure guy, knowing everyone is wary of him, he's actually playing role-playing games. How despicable!" If they were to lose another tailed beast, how could these small ninja villages continue to survive? The first to bear the brunt would be the Land of the Moon, which is currently locked in a dogfight with Takigakure!

"That guy is truly despicable...!"

Shanks didn't expect that the atmosphere would change immediately after he revealed Takikage's identity. The initial disunity turned into a united front, with everyone glaring fiercely at the disguised Takikage.

"Takikage's character is really terrible..."

Shanks shook his head slightly as he watched the crowd glaring at Takikage with murderous intent, as if they were mortal enemies. This wasn't his concern. This competitive atmosphere was exactly what he wanted. Takikage seemed determined to win, and there was a group of people outside him who were constantly challenging him; no matter what price he offered, someone else would offer a billion more the next second.

"Hmph! Can your Kawanin Village even come up with 35 billion? All you do is shout!"

Now that his identity had been exposed, Takikage stopped trying to hide it and glanced disdainfully at the Kawanin Village leader, who had once again spent a billion more than him.

"Hmph! Don't look down on me. It's just... a little over 30 billion..."

The leader of Kawanin Village wanted to slap himself. He'd been so focused on preventing that bastard Takikage from getting the Tailed Beast, and the fervent camaraderie of everyone around him had gotten him all fired up. He'd completely forgotten that his net worth was only a little over 10 billion. He regretted it as soon as he opened his mouth, but he figured someone would continue bidding soon...

"This leader of Kawanin Village has asked for 35 billion. Are there any other bids?"

Shanks was also excited. He hadn't expected these small ninja villages to be so rich. It was quite a surprise. He had originally thought that this trashy fake tailed beast would sell for around 10 billion, since these were small ninja villages and couldn't come up with that much money. Even if the people from the Land of Commerce came, it would only be around 20 billion at most. He hadn't expected that the River Ninja Village was hiding its wealth so well.

Unlike Shanks' excitement, the leader of Kawanin Village looked around at the other leaders with trepidation, hoping someone would step forward and bid, otherwise he would really be doomed. Where would he get over 30 billion?

But everyone around pretended not to see the look in the eyes of the Kawagakure leader. Even the people from the Land of Commerce looked up at the sky. They did want to buy a Tailed Beast, but 35 billion was far beyond their budget. Back then, they had only asked the Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure for 20 billion, and this Tailed Beast was clearly not as powerful as the two from Iwagakure. 30 billion was indeed too high; they were businessmen, not philanthropists…

The person in charge of the Moon Kingdom stopped bidding. In any case, as long as it wasn't Takigakure that got it, it didn't matter who bought it. Besides, 35 billion was really too high and not worth it.

"Humph!"

Takikage watched with a cold smile as the leaders of Kawanin Village also made their bids. Even if he couldn't come up with that much money from Kawanin Village, in the end, wouldn't it be his turn to bid 34 billion for the tailed beast? Why bother competing? He knew these leaders were going to fight him to the death; no matter how long he bid, someone would inevitably jump out and confront him.

"Three hundred and fifty billion at a time..."

The leader of Kawanin Village began to feel his heart race...

"Three hundred and fifty billion twice..."

The leader of Kawanin Village's blood pressure began to spike...

"Three hundred and fifty billion three times! Congratulations to Kawanin Village for purchasing a wild tailed beast for three hundred and fifty billion. I will also teach you the sealing technique during the transaction later. May I ask... when do you plan to pay?"

Shanks' eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands together and asked the River Village leader, who was about to faint and his vision was going black, with a grin.

"...Red...Red-haired Lord, could...could you spare a few days? We came out in a hurry this time, and the journey is long. We can't afford to carry so much cash?"

The leader of Kawanin Village, forcing himself to remain calm, said tremblingly, "There's a saying that goes, life is like... Since things have come to this, we can only bite the bullet and find a way. He dared not tell Konoha's Shanks that he had no money. If he did, who knows what would happen to Kawanin Village? This Konoha Shanks is notorious for having no bottom line when it comes to money..."

"I see... That makes sense! Besides me, no one else would run around with hundreds of billions like that. The ninja world is so dangerous... How about this, your Kawagakure is quite far from Konoha, so it's inconvenient to travel back and forth. Plus, carrying too much money is dangerous. Let's do it in installments. 35 billion in five installments. You can give the first installment of the tailed beast and sealing techniques to take away first. For the next four years, you can have someone send 7 billion to Konoha every year. How does that sound?"

Shanks considered what Kawagakure had to say and it made sense. In the entire ninja world, besides him and Kakuzu, who else would dare to recklessly travel around with hundreds of billions? He was a conscientious businessman; he couldn't make things too difficult for them, especially since he'd need to take advantage of them later. The tailed beasts formed from dark chakra weren't something ordinary people could withstand...

745. The Red-Haired Man is a Good Person

"Really? That's wonderful! Red-haired Lord, you're such a kind person..."

The leader of Kawanin Village never expected happiness to come so suddenly. One second he was worried that he would be killed by Shanks from Konoha if he couldn't come up with the money, and the next second he felt a moment of happiness. Shanks is such a kind person!

"puff!"

Shanks' words made everyone present spit blood in anger. How could this be possible? If they had known that installment payments were possible, they wouldn't have had a problem getting a hundred billion, they could just split it into twenty installments...!

Especially the low-key Takikage, who was already prepared to bring the Tailed Beasts into his possession, didn't expect Shanks to pull off an installment payment scheme... The low-key Takikage decided to stop being low-key.

"Lord Shanks, shouldn't auctions be a cash-on-delivery transaction? You didn't mention this payment method beforehand! If I had known about this payment method, I would have offered 200 billion without a problem. I demand that this auction be nullified and restarted!"

"Yes, Lord Shanks! We didn't have enough cash on us before, so we didn't dare to name a price. If that's the case, we can ask for whatever we want, this time doesn't count..."

"Yes! This doesn't count, let's start over..."

After Takikage finished speaking, the others echoed him. It would be difficult for them to come up with so much money at once, but installment payments would be no problem. Let alone seven billion yen a year for five years, even five billion yen a year for a hundred years would be no problem. As long as they bring the tailed beast home to improve their historical status, paying for a hundred years would be no problem!

"boom!"

"Enough! You bastards, do you think I'm playing a game with you, where you can just start over after dying? You leaders of various villages and countries don't even have that much guts. Now that you know how to pay, you want to start over? Do you really think I'm easy to talk to?! This tailed beast belongs to Kawagakure! Before they leave and pay the balance, if any of you dare to mess with them, my forty-meter-long sword hasn't been used in a long time!"

Seeing the shameless commotion below, Shanks unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, pinning these bastards to the ground and unleashing a torrent of abuse! "Are you kidding me? You offer 200 billion, payable over 100 years? I won't live to see that day! Besides, Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, is all about integrity in business. How could he possibly agree and then go back on his word? That would be a slap in his own face, and how could he do business with anyone after that?"

Those below, overwhelmed by Shanks' imposing aura, trembled and struggled to stay upright, barely daring to breathe, as they endured Shanks's furious barrage.

This aura is terrifying! Each of them is a leader in their respective village or country, and even though they are from small villages and countries, their strength is at least Jonin level. Yet, they can't even stand up under the aura of Konoha's Red-Haired Man. This Konoha Red-Haired Man is too damn scary! They finally understand why this Konoha Red-Haired Man has been so arrogant for so many years without being killed. Just this aura alone can make these Jonin weak in the knees. Who the hell could defeat him...?

"Hey, head of Kawagakure, let's make the deal now. I've already turned this Jinchuriki into a complete idiot, and I've also knocked out the Tailed Beast inside him. As long as you take him back to the village, extract the Tailed Beast, and arrange for another Jinchuriki, there won't be any problems. However, there are some risks involved in having an ordinary person become a Jinchuriki, which is unavoidable, so you should be prepared. Of course, if there are any problems that can't be resolved later, you can send someone to Konoha to notify me. But after-sales service will cost extra."

Shanks had the samurai of the Land of Iron bring out the dazed, drooling Jinchuriki, then took out a sealing technique and handed it to the leader of the River Village. He took a card from him and kept it. The deal was done!

"Rest assured, Red-Haired Lord, we are aware of all this. We will take our leave now!"

The leader of Kawagakure naturally knew what Shanks meant by risk. After all, once the tailed beasts were sealed, it was over. Over the years, it wasn't uncommon for tailed beasts to go berserk in villages with them. Even Konoha had the Nine-Tails go berserk and destroy the entire village. However, the survival ability of a tailed beast in the ninja world has been greatly enhanced. At least they are no longer at the mercy of stronger ninja villages like before, and being used as cannon fodder by those powerful ninja villages is of no benefit whatsoever.

"The deal's done. What are you doing here instead of leaving? Waiting for me to treat you to dinner?"

After seeing off the people from Kawanin Village, Shanks turned to look at the still trembling leaders and said irritably.

These bastards are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong, especially Takikage, who is one of the best among them. Back in Konoha, he groveled like a dog in front of Minato and the others, but now he acts like a big shot in front of other small ninja villages, always wanting to destroy this village or that country. No wonder his character is so bad.

"Yes...yes, we'll go right away..."

Hearing Shanks' words, the group didn't dare utter another word. They helped each other out; they just wanted to leave, they were only too weak to walk before...

"Great leader of the Shang Kingdom, please wait..."

Shanks glanced at the few short, stout figures in the crowd, his eyes darting around. He'd finally encountered some big spenders, and he wasn't about to give up without playing some cards. He'd initially thought the Tailed Beasts were theirs for the taking, but these merchants lacked the guts to actually get a good deal for nothing...

"Red... Red-haired Lord, what are your orders?"

A few short, fat men in the crowd felt like they wanted to die after Shanks yelled at them like that. Could this terrifying person have some ulterior motive for targeting them...? They'd always heard from their fellow countrymen doing business in Konoha that the noble circles in Konoha were very chaotic...

"Well, I just noticed that you seem quite obsessed with the Tailed Beasts, Chief. Hasn't your Land of Commerce always been uninterested in the fighting and killing in the ninja world? What do you want to buy these Tailed Beasts for? If you're going to use them for display or to make specimens, I do know a few beautiful summoning beasts. How about... I capture them for you, and we can discuss the price?"

Shanks thought of the snow eagle from the Land of Snow and the thunder eagle from the Land of Lightning, both of which seemed quite beautiful.

"Actually, there are several beautiful white snakes in Dilongdong that are quite powerful... As long as the price is reasonable, we should be able to negotiate... They are the summoning beasts of Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin!"

"No, no, no, Lord Red-Haired, we didn't buy the Tailed Beasts for display. As you know, we people of the Land of Commerce are naturally good at business, and our businesses are growing bigger and bigger. But while we have the wealth, we don't have the corresponding strength to protect it, so..."

The chieftain of the Shang Kingdom waved his hands repeatedly, explaining that what use were those summoned beasts to him? Even powerful summoned beasts required immense strength to conquer, especially that one of the Three Ninja! They couldn't afford to offend him...

746. Don't let me see you again.

"Hey! I thought it was something serious. It's just for safety, thank goodness you didn't buy one. If you had, and the tailed beast really went berserk, you would have suffered a huge loss. There are plenty of ways to ensure safety, why buy a tailed beast? Think about it, if you can control the tailed beast, that's fine, but what if it goes berserk? Do you think your Land of Commerce can handle it? Do you know how terrifying a tailed beast going berserk is? Back then, when the Nine-Tails went berserk in Konoha, we had to rebuild Konoha. And that was only because we were able to control the Nine-Tails. If you can't handle a tailed beast, it could even lead to the destruction of your country..."

Shanks was deliberately trying to scare the big boss. These people didn't know how vast the difference was between different tailed beasts; they only knew that while there was a difference in strength, it shouldn't be too great, since they were all born of the Six Paths...

"Oh? I don't know what your method is, Lord Shanks..."

The chief of the Land of Merchants was quite curious about Shanks's shrewd and calculating demeanor. Buying tailed beasts was the only method that the two chiefs had come up with. Could there be another way?

"It's very simple! Think about who is the most powerful in the entire ninja world right now? I'm not bragging, but ever since the Third Raikage passed away, there hasn't been anyone in the entire ninja world who can go toe-to-toe with me for ten rounds. Even the tailed beasts are the same. Which tailed beast doesn't tremble in fear when it sees me? Think about it, what tailed beast has a higher safety factor than me, the Four Emperors Shanks?"

As Shanks spoke, he couldn't help but drool.

"That's true... Lord Shanks, are you perhaps considering switching allegiance to my Kingdom of Commerce?"

The leader of the Land of Commerce also had golden eyes. If the Konoha Shanks became the Land of Commerce Shanks... he'd even beat the Tailed Beasts senseless; they'd be completely wrecked by him...

"It's impossible for me to switch allegiance, but we're all businessmen, so we can make a deal. For example, I can be your bodyguard in the Land of Commerce. If some foolish guy tries to attack your Land of Commerce and you can't handle it, I can help you. In return, you only need to pay me 5 billion in salary each year, right? Of course, you have the power to sign the contract. If one day you buy a Tailed Beast or think I'm too old to fight anymore, you can terminate the contract with me at any time... What do you think?"

Shanks really wanted to give himself a thumbs up. He was a genius for coming up with such a method!

"Well... wouldn't 5 billion a year be too expensive...?"

If I hadn't been hit with that bastard's aggressive attitude just now, realizing the gap between us, I really would have stabbed this bastard to death. He's clearly trying to collect protection money, and he can talk about it so clearly and elegantly... You're something else...

Even knowing it was protection money, the head of the Shang Kingdom had no choice but to swallow his pride and bear it, considering it a way to avoid further trouble. However, 5 billion per year was indeed a bit too much...

"How could that be? Boss, think about it. Your Land of Commerce's annual income is second only to Sunagakure. As the saying goes, when people are poor, they will do anything. Even a penny can stump a hero. If some powerful but penniless guy were to try and take over your Land of Commerce, could you bear to watch the wealth accumulated by so many villagers over so many years be taken away? Five billion a year is just a drop in the ocean for you. It can buy you peace and security. Isn't that great?"

Shanks really wanted to slap this short, fat guy. He already thought 5 billion was too little, and this guy actually thought it was too expensive! If it weren't for their huge potential, he wouldn't bother cooperating with this bastard...

“Well… alright, but Lord Shanks, we sign a contract every year. You know my position was chosen by everyone, so signing a contract every year is the limit of my authority.”

The chieftain of the Shang Kingdom gritted his teeth and said, "Consider it paying for peace. But who knows what this scoundrel with no bottom line is capable of? What if he goes to the Shang Kingdom one day and uses that same imposing aura to intimidate us? He might just take all the money we've worked so hard to earn over the years..."

"No problem, let's sign the contract now!"

"Why not take this free 5 billion?" Shanks pulled out a piece of white paper and scribbled furiously on it. The paper shimmered with gold, the strokes flowing like dragons and phoenixes...

........

"Brother Mifune, thank you so much this time. This is just a small token of my appreciation. If you ever come to Konoha, I'll treat you to a full-on dragon dance..."

Having raked in 5 billion for free and completed a deal worth over 30 billion, it's time to go back and brag to Haruko-sama, to show her how capable her man is... Mainly, he truly feels that if he stays in Mifune's mansion any longer, he'll inevitably fall into depravity...

"I'll definitely go when I have time! Have a safe trip."

Mifune carefully accepted the exquisitely wrapped box Shanks handed him. This gift from Shanks was certainly significant; he had invested money and effort in helping this guy with the auction, enabling him to make such a large deal...

"Then I'll take my leave, goodbye..."

Shanks waved his hand, closed his eyes, and disappeared...

"Lord Mifune, that Red-Haired Shanks from Konoha really knows how to do business. He's made tens of billions in just one go..."

After Shanks left, Mifune's subordinates said enviously, "I witnessed Shanks auctioning off the Tailed Beasts and negotiating business with the people from the Land of Commerce. It completely changed my worldview..."

“If you had his strength, you could do business like that too. But I’m curious what treasure Konoha Kurenai sent to you, sir. Konoha Kurenai is known for being stingy. This box is so exquisitely packaged, it must be something special.”

Another of Mifune's subordinates stared at the exquisitely packaged box in Mifune's hand and said...

"Haha!! I'm curious too, come on! Let's go back and open it so you can see..."

...........

"You bastard! Don't let me see you again! You! You!"

That evening, an angry roar echoed over the general's mansion in the Land of Iron...

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Why would I sneeze for no reason? Did that old man Mifune open the box to thank me in person?"