Chapter 190: The True Art of Persuasion

Tōshirō's relationship with the village's ninja was strained. Tsunade hoped that through this capture mission, Tōshirō could prove himself, improving his reputation among the village's shinobi.

Two Konoha ninja immediately saw through Tsunade's intentions—she was trying to bring Tōshirō into the mission. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to discuss it with him.

The two exchanged glances, about to say something, but Tsunade spoke first: "Tōshirō is incredibly strong. With his help, our success rate will increase."

Her stance was firm, leaving them little room to argue.

Given Tsunade's status, outright rejecting her wasn't an option. The two turned to Tōshirō, their voices serious. "Can we trust you?"

"You don't have to trust me," Tōshirō said nonchalantly. Then, with a more serious tone, he added, "But you should trust Tsunade."

The two Konoha ninja sighed, ending the discussion. This mission was too important to fail. Having another capable fighter was an extra layer of security, so they relented.

After gaining approval, Tōshirō followed them to a secluded location, where Tsunade briefed him on the mission details.

Once she finished, Tōshirō understood the situation.

The Daimyō of the Land of Fire had received a tip—intentionally leaked by Tōshirō himself—which led to Tsunade and her team's arrival.

"Just the four of you?" Tōshirō asked.

Tsunade chuckled and shook her head. "Of course not. This mission is of great importance. Our other teammates are scouting the terrain and setting up ambushes along possible escape routes."

Tōshirō wasn't surprised. Given that the Phantom Troupe's kidnapping target was highly valuable, the village's reaction was completely understandable.

"So, what's your stance on this?" Tsunade asked. "This is a good opportunity for you to redeem yourself."

"Do I even need to say it?"

Tōshirō raised a fist and declared righteously, "These bandits, who live off robbery and extortion, deserve to be eradicated! The Phantom Troupe is utterly devoid of conscience—I will never coexist with them under the same sky!"

The two Konoha ninja were taken aback. They hadn't expected such an intense reaction from Tōshirō.

Realizing he might have overdone it, Tōshirō let out an awkward chuckle. "So, when do we start?"

"The day after tomorrow."

"Got it." Tōshirō had intentionally stalled for several days to give the Daimyō enough time to gather reinforcements.

"Tōshirō…"

Hearing Tsunade specifically call his name, Tōshirō paused. "Is there something else?"

"…No, it's nothing."

Tsunade shook her head. What had happened to the Uchiha clan… she couldn't bring herself to say it. She was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Her hesitation piqued Tōshirō's curiosity. "What's wrong?"

Tsunade simply shook her head again. "Try to visit the village more often when you have time. Don't stay away too long."

"Mm, I will."

Tōshirō assumed Tsunade was just upset that he was always wandering outside, leaving them with little time together. So, he didn't think much of it.

Inside a private room at Heaven's Haven…

Eight members of the Phantom Troupe sat around a large round table.

The table was filled with exquisite dishes, but no one touched their food—they were waiting for two people to arrive.

Seated nearby, Koji and Yoshimitsu exchanged whispers.

"What's taking them so long? You think they bailed on us?"

"They shouldn't have. We had a clear agreement."

Yoshimitsu gently tapped his spoon against a glass, subtly signaling to the others: once the glass shatters, it's the signal to attack.

The others gave slight nods. Driven by greed, they had already considered the risk: if they killed those two, they could keep all the profits for themselves.

Just as they were plotting—

Creak.

The door swung open.

Two figures entered, one tall, one short—Tōshirō and Kakuzu.

Tōshirō scanned the room, then glanced at the lavish spread of food on the table.

"Oh? Quite the feast, huh?"

Yoshimitsu stepped forward with a welcoming smile. "King of Leaves, you're finally here. We've all been waiting for you."

Tōshirō nodded calmly, his expression unreadable, and walked toward the seat reserved for him.

Koji, eager to please, pulled out the chair for him.

Tōshirō didn't hold back and sat down without hesitation, while Kakuzu took a seat nearby.

As the two remained silent, the atmosphere grew slightly awkward. Yoshimitsu took the initiative to break the ice. "What's wrong? Are these dishes not to your taste?"

Tōshirō picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of fish from the nearest plate. "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering… you guys wouldn't have poisoned the food, would you? Planning to take all the profits for yourselves?"

For a brief moment, the room fell into dead silence—because, truthfully, that thought had crossed their minds.

Yoshimitsu forced a grin and was about to explain, but Tōshirō beat him to it, suddenly bursting into laughter. "Just kidding! Look at how nervous you all got. Come on, let's eat!"

With that, he picked up a piece of fish, placed it in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad."

The guilty-looking group subtly let out a sigh of relief. "Haha, King of Leaves, you sure love to joke around."

Tōshirō smirked. "Well, you guys were so quiet—I just wanted to liven up the mood."

Within the organization, he was known for his unpredictable personality.

Yoshimitsu laughed along. "It's just that you weren't saying much, so we thought you were in a bad mood."

"Why would I be? After this job, we'll be living easy for a good while."

Tōshirō let out a hearty laugh and declared, "Bring out the drinks!"

"We already prepared them for you." Yoshimitsu poured him a cup of sake.

After a few drinks, Tōshirō became increasingly talkative.

As the alcohol flowed and conversation picked up, the previously tense atmosphere became more lively.

"Drink! Keep drinking!"

Seeing that Tōshirō was in high spirits, Yoshimitsu decided the time was right. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and said, "King of Leaves, I want to discuss something with you."

"What is it? I'm in a good mood today. As long as it's within my power, I'll definitely agree."

Tōshirō, clearly in a good mood, seemed willing to accept any request. But what Yoshimitsu said next immediately made him turn serious.

"What? You want a fifty-fifty split again? Didn't we agree on this from the start?"

Yoshimitsu protested, "Yes, you initially said seventy-thirty, but you never mentioned whether the split would remain the same after more members joined."

Tōshirō set down his chopsticks and responded coldly, "What, are you trying to rebel? Don't forget, all of you were once defeated by us."

Yoshimitsu shook his head. "I'm not trying to rebel—I just want what I rightfully deserve."

Tōshirō refused outright. "Forget it. It stays seventy-thirty. That's the rule, and it won't change."

Realizing that negotiations were going nowhere, Yoshimitsu decided to drop the pretense. He grabbed his cup and smashed it on the floor.

At that moment, the organization's members immediately stood up, and in the next instant, a large group of reinforcements flooded in from outside.

Tōshirō and Kakuzu remained unfazed, calmly watching as they were surrounded.

Yoshimitsu sneered. "Even for you two, taking on all of us at once won't be easy."

Expecting to see them panic, Yoshimitsu watched for their reaction—but what happened next completely stunned him.

Tōshirō stood up, casually stretched, and yawned. "Not easy? Well, damn, then let's not bother."

With that, he pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and—flipped the entire table over.

Everyone: ???

Yoshimitsu refused to back down. "King of Leaves, don't push your luck! Do you even know why they call me 'the Reckless One'?"

"You want an equal split? Keep dreaming."

At this point, there was no room for further discussion. The fight was inevitable.

"Attack!"

Yoshimitsu roared like thunder. At his command, everyone lunged forward.

Seizing the moment, Koji quickly formed hand seals. His already beak-like mouth suddenly extended, shooting forward to pierce Tōshirō.

"Mouth Jutsu: Woodpecker Strike!"

Tōshirō didn't react in time—his body was impaled.

Seeing this, the organization's members grinned. They had succeeded.

Then, in the very next second—their smiles froze.

Tōshirō's body dissipated into a cloud of white smoke.

It was a Shadow Clone.

(End of Chapter)

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