Konoha Drunkard

On the way back to the village, Shanks sneezed several times in a row, rubbing his nose in confusion.

The gift he gave Mifune had taken a lot of thought. He'd heard from the people of the Land of Iron that their Admiral Mifune was particularly fond of one of their songstresses, and that he'd invite her home every evening after dinner to enjoy her singing. Shanks figured that Mifune's admiration for her singing was just a pretense; men know... maybe Mifune just had the desire but not the courage. So he found the songstress's assistant and paid a hefty sum to get the assistant to buy her... and give it to Mifune. He wouldn't forcibly take a woman; that was all he could do for Mifune...

However, Shanks didn't know that this songstress was Mifune's sister's daughter. In the Land of Iron, being a songstress was a profession reserved for highly educated noblewomen... Mifune simply enjoyed listening to his niece sing...

747. What happened to the family bond we were promised?

"You must have made a lot of money on this trip, right?"

As soon as Shanks entered the village, he was immediately blocked by the four powerful figures of Konoha who had received the news and dragged to the Hokage's office.

"It's just a small business, enough to make a living. You know the standard of living these days, my meager retirement pension isn't enough."

Shanks remained unfazed by the tight defense of Konoha's four giants. "I've already sold him, so what if they want to sell me too?"

"Small business? That's a tailed beast! You bastard, your meager retirement pension is enough for you to eat dragon meat every day!"

Soy Sauce Guy was furious when he saw Shanks looking completely indifferent. Shanks was still bringing up his salary. Over the years, Shanks had annoyed him so much that he had given him countless raises on his retirement pension. And now Shanks was bringing it up again.

"Tch, it's just a little snake. Orochimaru has plenty more if you want."

Shanks picked his nose without any regard for his image and said...

"Small snakes? Do you still have any of the 35 billion small snakes? Give me a few! Do you know how much pressure we've been under for you? Otherwise, if we had helped you suppress this matter, the villagers would have gone to your Thousand Hands Clan to protest!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his long pipe, looking utterly exhausted. He'd let the Four-Tails and Five-Tails incident go unpunished, since he was happy he'd tricked Onoki in the end. But now he'd actually sold out the Tailed Beasts, and not only that, he wanted to keep them all for himself…

"...Just tell me, how much do you want?"

Shanks looked at the four... no, the three shameless old men with disdain. Even if he didn't give Haruko her share, Haruko, being such a good student, would definitely give her something.

“We’ve put a lot of pressure on you this time. Although the village doesn’t have many charitable activities, as you’ve seen, more and more outsiders want to settle down in the village, and the village’s funds can’t cover everything… How about this, you just take out 20 billion, and we’ll buy living supplies for those poor villagers in your name or Qingzi’s name.”

The customers' ulterior motives began to take shape. Too many scams were bad, but they were also unhappy about being ripped off.

"puff!"

“Why don’t you just rob me? I can’t even earn 20 billion in one trip. You guys ask for 20 billion right off the bat. I have no money, but I have my life. Go ask around and see if anyone is willing to pay 20 billion. I’ll sell my 100-plus pounds of meat to them.”

Shanks spat out a mouthful of tea without a second thought, spraying it all over Danzo's face. He glared angrily at the soy sauce-loving Mitokado Yanagi!

"........"

Danzo wiped the water from his face, glared at Shanks, and said, "That's what he said, why are you spewing insults at me..."

"Do you know that the tailed beast you bought could provide the village with a powerful Jonin at any time? No matter how you look at it, you've lost a lot of money."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him with disappointment. A Jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast should at least be a Red-ranked member, not to mention that their village also has the Uzumaki clan, who are most suitable to be Jinchuriki. It would be another Double-Ranked Member.

"Tch, let's not even talk about the fact that this isn't a real tailed beast and can't revive after it's dead. Its strength isn't even half that of the fat cat from Sunagakure. What's the point of keeping such a weakling around? I don't have any more. I only have 5 billion left. Do you want it or not? If not, I'm going back."

After traveling for several days and nights, Shanks was dragged over by these old guys as soon as he got back, without even having eaten or taken a shower. He was too lazy to argue with them.

"...Use this 5 billion to help those villagers who are in trouble. I know that for the next four years, the River Ninja Village will give you 7 billion every year. After that, you keep 3 billion and hand over 4 billion to the village every year."

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he couldn't push too hard; this bastard was getting harder and harder to fool, so he figured he might as well swindle him out of a little bit.

"Depend on!"

After casually tossing out the gold card given to him by the head of the Kingdom of Merchants, Shanks made an international hand gesture to the old men and left.

Fortunately, they were unaware of the huge business deal he was discussing with the chief of the Shang Kingdom...

"...Is it going to be less this time?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked his three friends about the gold cards. They had wasted countless hours trying to fool this bastard before, but this time it was so easy. They only had to say a few words to get it done. It was unbelievable.

"...Perhaps he had a change of heart; he's a grandfather now, it's time to mature..."

"Soy sauce customer Mito Menyan thought for a moment and then said..."

"That's roughly it..."

The other two friends nodded in agreement.

"........."

Minato and Big Rocket exchanged a speechless glance. These old guys were fooled by the gold card in front of them. Who is Shanks? How could he be so easily fooled, throwing around 5 billion? There must be something fishy going on. For example, he must have earned more than the 35 billion from Kawagakure.

Big Rocket and Minato understood each other's meaning; they had to go tonight too, hoping he'd lend a hand to the two of them who were in dire straits...

........

The fact that Shanks auctioned off a Tailed Beast was such a big deal that everyone in the ninja world knew about it. Even the transaction price was thoroughly investigated by paparazzi. So when Shanks got home and took a shower, there was already an imposing figure waiting for him in the living room.

Looking at the gate, now smashed to pieces once again, Shanks felt a chill run down his spine. Damn it, he was truly caught between a rock and a hard place. He'd just dealt with those three old guys, and now a saber-toothed tiger had appeared...

"Don't say anything. I know why you're here. I was just swindled out of 5 billion by those old guys. I only have 1 billion left. Do you want it or not? If you don't, when Shikaku and Minato come over later, you won't even have 1 billion left."

Before Tsunade could speak, Shanks immediately pulled out a bankbook and placed it in front of her.

"boom!"

"Do you think I'm begging?"

Tsunade smashed the table to pieces with a punch and said fiercely.

"........."

Shanks looked at Haruko, who was resting with her eyes closed, with a wronged expression. Had she sold him out again? ...I'm your man, Tsunade...she's a woman!

"That's all I have, Tsunade. Look at me, I'm getting old. It's not easy to earn money. I'm not asking you to quit gambling, but at least don't be so extravagant every time. This is my last bit of savings. If you can bring yourself to do it, then take it all!"

Shanks pulled out another gold card and placed it in front of Tsunade, looking pitiful.

"Okay! Let's go!"

Tsunade grabbed the bankbook and card, got up and left cleanly and decisively... leaving Shanks bewildered in the wind and rain.

"...What the hell is this? What happened to family affection?"

Shanks slapped his thigh hard and pointed at the sky, unleashing a torrent of angry words.

748. Where do we put the extra one?

Not long after Tsunade left, the "Big Rocket" arrived. The Minato who had such a high level of thinking back then was still the same Minato. Although he had this idea in his heart, he wouldn't take action like the "Big Rocket".

However, when Big Cannon walked in and saw his father-in-law rant and rave about God, his eyelids twitched incessantly. After exchanging a few meaningless words with his father-in-law, he patted his butt and left, not daring to utter a single word from beginning to end.

He noticed the gold card and bankbook in Tsunade's hand when he passed by earlier...

The news that Shanks sold an unknown tailed beast to Kawagakure for a high price of 35 billion has spread like wildfire throughout the ninja world. However, this is something that small ninja villages and small countries are discussing. The large ninja villages are not concerned about the price of the transaction, but rather about the origin of this tailed beast. Each large ninja village has a Jinchuriki who can communicate with the tailed beast. They have all obtained accurate information from the tailed beast that the tailed beast in Shanks' possession is not a real tailed beast, and it is a fake tailed beast with some of the functions of a tailed beast that they don't know the origin of. This has aroused their curiosity.

When they learned that the tailed beast Shanks was referring to was indeed a tailed beast, but only because it was born later than the other nine tailed beasts, and was even a fart from the Six Paths Sage before his death... everyone was dumbfounded. They didn't know if it was true or not. Normally, they wouldn't believe anything Shanks said. However, Shanks had said this in front of most of the leaders of the small villages and countries in the ninja world. Someone as concerned about his reputation as him wouldn't lie, would he? After all, if he were exposed, it would be him who lost face...

That's why they couldn't tell whether Shanks was telling the truth or not. But since even the Tailed Beasts admitted that they were created by the Six Paths Elder, it should still have some credibility.

The most bewildered of them all was Black Zetsu. He knew perfectly well how the nine tailed beasts came to be; his goal all these years had been precisely these nine tailed beasts. But now, an extra tailed beast had appeared, and it was even a fart from Hagoromo Otsutsuki's indigestion...

Does this count as Ten-Tails chakra? If it does, there doesn't seem to be enough room in the Ten-Tails' body to fit it. But if it doesn't, what will happen if I can't summon her later...?

"Black Zetsu, do you think... we should capture that tailed beast from Kawanin Village?"

While Black Zetsu remained silent, Obito was also filled with questions. He had seen the Ten-Tails' body before; it indeed only had nine holes. To activate the Ten-Tails, this nuclear weapon, its original energy had to be replenished. But now there was another tailed beast, and the vice-principal's explanation seemed reasonable. So where would they put the last tailed beast? Its mouth...?

"Never mind, let's capture that one too and see how things go. Kawagakure is just a remote little ninja village, it won't be too difficult..."

Black Zetsu thought for a moment and decided that one more problem wouldn't be a big deal, so he might as well just catch them all at once. If nine of them weren't enough, he could just stuff them into his mouth...

..........

"Lord Raikage! We searched all the routes the two Yugitos took and found signs of a fight, remnants of the Two-Tails' chakra, and traces of a large-scale Water Release technique..."

In the Hidden Cloud Village, a Cloud Ninja ANBU was cautiously giving a report to the Fourth Raikage, who was burning with rage.

"boom!"

"Who the hell did this?! Find out!"

The Fourth Raikage punched a hole in the wall behind him. It was another Tailed Beast! A while ago, Shanks from Konoha captured one, and now their village's Jinchuriki was nowhere to be found. If it weren't for the fact that the Tailed Beast and Jinchuriki weren't the same one, he'd suspect Shanks had captured their Tailed Beast and sold it. Don't doubt it; perhaps Shanks wouldn't have done that before, since they were old acquaintances. But he wasn't that close to Shanks, and besides, Shanks was shameless when it came to money…

However, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki has just mysteriously disappeared. Coupled with the report from his underlings, it goes without saying that he was taken down. Could it be that the person who values ​​money over life also wants to follow in the footsteps of Shanks of Konoha and auction off the Tailed Beast?

"Lord Raikage, I feel this matter is not simple. I think we should inform Lord Killer Bee and tell him to be careful."

Mabui tapped her fingers lightly on the table and said, "It's all too coincidental. Konoha's Shanks just finished auctioning off a tailed beast, and their Two-Tails disappeared immediately. And what's more, there are even traces of Water Release techniques left at the scene. It's as if someone is trying to lead them to suspect Konoha's Shanks. Everyone knows that Konoha's Shanks only knows large-scale Water Release techniques..."

With the sharp intellect of the Azabu clan, she had every reason to suspect a conspiracy—a grand conspiracy targeting both Konoha's Shanks and their Kumogakure village...

If Shanks knew that the precious daughter of the Sack Bag could deduce so much from such a small piece of evidence, he would definitely give her a couple of punches to wake her up!

What kind of conspiracy is this? Kisame, that great white shark, is going to use Fire Release instead of Water Release to fight the Two-Tails head-on? That's just plain stupid.

"Alright... Tell Bi to stay home and not wander around lately. There aren't many people in the ninja world who can catch Yugito..."

Concerned about his brothers, the Fourth Raikage quickly regained his composure. Their two Jinchuriki from Kumogakure were capable of perfectly controlling the power of the Tailed Beasts. Although Yugito's abilities were somewhat weaker than Killer's, he was still manageable for most people. Such strength was rare in the ninja world. If, as Mabui analyzed, his brothers were also in danger…

.........

"Itachi, what's wrong with you? You've been acting strange for the past two days."

One day on a path, Kisame was carrying someone and curiously asked Itachi about it. Normally, Itachi would initiate the fight while Kisame tanked the damage. However, a couple of days ago, when they encountered the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Itachi somehow managed to get kicked by the Jinchuriki with a completely unskilled whip kick. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought he was hallucinating. Having teamed up with Itachi for so many years, Kisame had witnessed how formidable Itachi's taijutsu was. Even without the Sharingan, his strange taijutsu was still impressive. Now, he had been knocked down by a Jinchuriki who hadn't even transformed yet with a simple, unskilled attack, and he was like a critical hit with low health, unable to get up for a long time. It was too unscientific. Kisame had fought the Two-Tails Jinchuriki before, and the Jinchuriki's strength was only average, only becoming somewhat impressive after transforming.

Moreover, Itachi had been absent-minded ever since that day, which made Kisame, who considered himself the best teammate, very uneasy.

749. It's either the mouth or the chrysanthemum.

"Cough! Cough! It's nothing, I guess I haven't been resting well lately..."

Itachi paused slightly, coughed twice while covering his mouth, and looked at the bloodstains on his palm. Forcing himself to remain calm despite his exhaustion, he explained that ever since he was struck by a basic attack from the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, he had felt something was wrong with his body. He would frequently experience weakness throughout his body. At first, he thought it was a side effect of using the Mangekyou Sharingan too much. Shanks had warned him that overuse of the Mangekyou Sharingan would only cause vision loss and eventually lead to complete sealing and blindness, but he hadn't been told that it could also cause physical problems…

Itachi's nature is like this: he won't use complicated methods to solve problems if he can solve them simply. Ever since he awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, he has been able to easily KO his opponents with Tsukuyomi genjutsu. He never uses ninjutsu or taijutsu, which consume a lot of energy and mana. Besides, he's not out there, so Shanks can't interfere.

"Okay! Let's rest for a bit before heading back."

Kisame thought about it and realized it made sense. They had indeed traveled for a long time without proper rest in order to capture the Two-Tails, and Itachi wasn't exactly a stamina monster, so it was normal for him to be tired...

Long ago, they received orders from Pain, the "Circle-Eyes," to secretly capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. Upon arriving in the Land of Lightning, they discovered that Pain's location was correct; the Two-Tails Jinchuriki had indeed been there. However, by the time they arrived, the Jinchuriki was long gone. If it weren't for their keen sense of smell, they might not have been able to find the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, let alone secretly capturing a transformed Tailed Beast. If Itachi hadn't had problems, it would have been fine, but unfortunately, Itachi had collapsed from exhaustion during this time. Kisame, used to playing a support role, had to bite the bullet and fight the Two-Tails head-on. And surprisingly, he was incredibly powerful; even the transformed Two-Tails couldn't withstand his attacks…

"It's said that there's another tailed beast now, which your teacher, Shanks, sold to Kawagakure. I wonder if we should try to capture it."

Kisame's eyes also revealed curiosity. From childhood to adulthood, he had only ever heard of nine tailed beasts. He had even read a lot of information about the Hidden Mist Village's Anbu, and knew quite a bit about which village had which tailed beast. But now, there was an extra tailed beast, which didn't fit into his Masked Boss's plan.