As the fire gradually died down, Kazuyama stood there, fuming with anger. His expression darkened, clearly displeased.
Inside his mind, he glared viciously at Chōmei, who sheepishly muttered,
"It's definitely the paralytic powder's fault—otherwise, this wouldn't have happened."
Kazuyama wasn't having it.
"Shut up!" he snapped.
"Do you realize my eyes have been contaminated?!"
"My god! I actually helped you experiment with this damn Scale Powder! If I hadn't acted quickly, my eyes would've been gone!"
Chōmei shrank back, thoroughly embarrassed. Both experiments had been complete failures—it was hard to argue otherwise.
Kazuyama sighed in frustration and unleashed another Great Fireball, reducing the fourteen charred corpses to nothing but ashes.
Honestly, if there were an achievement system, he'd probably have unlocked a new one: Great Fireball Technique – Now Lethal!
"Kazuyama, there's still one left..."
"Forget it. I need that one alive. We're already close to the Land of Rice Fields."
At the mention of the Land of Rice Fields, a wicked smile spread across his face.
Leaving Toroi alive had a purpose. This was a ninja with a Kekkei Genkai—who knew how much he'd fetch on the black market?
Asuma was worth 35 million ryō later on. A Magnet Release ninja like Toroi, even if he wasn't particularly strong, had a Kekkei Genkai—his value was guaranteed to be high.
That said, he definitely couldn't sell him in the Land of Lightning's black market.
Kazuyama made quick work of cleaning up. He dug a large pit to bury the fourteen corpses and released the horses.
Then, grabbing Toroi, he sprinted toward the Land of Rice Fields.
Just to be safe, he coated Toroi's body in paralytic powder once again. If not for his slow breathing, Kazuyama might've thought he was already dead.
Not long after, exhaustion set in, forcing Kazuyama to stop.
"Damn, Kumo ninja are built different. Why the hell is he so heavy?!"
He frowned at Toroi in disbelief.
He doesn't even look that bulky, but he weighs a ton…
No wonder Kumo prioritized martial arts—these guys were packed with muscle.
"I can't do this anymore. Let's wait until nightfall and just fly there. This is way too tiring."
He propped Toroi against a tree trunk and sat down to rest.
Taking out some dried food, he ate and waited for the sun to set before moving again.
As night fell, his wings unfolded.
Grabbing Toroi by the ankles, Kazuyama took off into the sky.
Using his wings meant tapping into his Tailed Beast's power, and with his chakra reserves, flight would be far less exhausting than carrying this deadweight on foot.
"Chōmei, can your Scale Powder put him in a state of suspended animation?"
"Suspended animation? What do you mean?"
"I mean stopping his breathing and heartbeat without actually killing him."
"Oh, you mean playing dead? Sure, why not? Want to learn?"
Kazuyama's interest piqued immediately.
He knew that some insects used suspended animation to deceive predators and escape. That was exactly why he'd asked Chōmei.
"No, I just need you to put him into suspended animation so I can sell him."
"Sell? What do you mean?"
"Never mind that. Just do it."
"Oh, okay, that's easy. Though, it might be a bit tricky using Scale Powder."
Kazuyama was confused, but Chōmei quickly explained.
"You coat his throat and nose with Scale Powder. The paralysis effect will put him into a deep coma."
"If you add chakra to the powder, it'll maintain its effect. His bodily functions will slow to a halt, but thanks to the chakra, he won't die. When the Scale Powder wears off, he'll wake up as if nothing happened."
Kazuyama's eyes widened. Scale Powder could be used like this?
"Hmph, what do you think Scale Powder is? It's still chakra-based."
"As long as his body still has chakra, he won't die. Instead, the Scale Powder will keep him in a state of suspended animation."
In that moment, all of Chōmei's previous failures became irrelevant.
"Chōmei, this is perfect. With this technique, I won't have to worry about anything."
Now, he could sell Toroi on the black market without hesitation.
Kazuyama didn't care about the ethics of the black market—he just needed the money. At first, he'd been uncertain, but with Chōmei's method, he had no doubts anymore.
As for what would happen when Toroi woke up? That wasn't his problem. By then, he'd already be back in Konoha, counting his money.
Under the night sky, Kazuyama flew toward the Land of Waterfalls.
Why there? Because the country had remained completely neutral in the Shinobi World War.
With Chōmei's chakra aiding his flight, he crossed through the Land of Rice Fields and arrived in the Land of Waterfalls before dawn.
Seeing the familiar landscape, he felt a little nostalgic.
"Chōmei, if I hadn't come here back then, I never would've met you."
Chōmei sighed. Without Kazuyama's intervention, he'd still be sealed away in Takigakure.
"Yeah… Thinking about it now, I owe you. Otherwise, who knows how long I'd have been stuck in that cave."
The Bounty Station was well hidden. If Kazuyama hadn't been wandering through the black market this past month, he never would've found it.
There were two Bounty Stations in the Land of Waterfalls—one in the north and one in the south. He was currently at the southern exchange.
"Chōmei, prep some fake death Scale Powder. I'm about to make a deal."
"Got it."
Chōmei quickly condensed the powder.
Following the instructions, Kazuyama applied it to Toroi's nose and mouth. The effect was immediate—Toroi's body went completely still.
"Chōmei, are you sure he's just in suspended animation?"
"Relax. He'll stay like this for a full day, then wake up on his own."
Satisfied, Kazuyama nodded.
Activating the Transformation Technique, he altered his appearance, taking on the form of a tall Iwa ninja.
If anyone from Iwagakure had been present, they'd immediately recognize him as Mahiru, one of their village's Jōnin.
Now fully disguised, he approached the Bounty Station.
The building was a rundown wooden shack deep in the forest.
Pushing open the door, he stepped inside and moved to the center of the floor.
Knocking twice, he lifted a hidden panel, revealing a vertical passage leading downward.
Descending, he entered a spacious underground chamber lined with iron cabinets.
After a short wait, two men dressed in black emerged.
"What do you want?"
"I captured a Kumo ninja. I'm here to exchange him for money."
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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