Chapter 274 : Onlookers!!

Step, step, step.

The faint sound of footsteps echoed in everyone's ears, accompanied by the dragging noise of something heavy on the ground.

Each time the footsteps landed, it felt as if it tugged at everyone's attention, causing Kakashi and the others to subconsciously slow their breathing.

Especially when they saw the person's face, wearing a Wood Ox mask, their hearts seemed to skip a beat.

Is this the Wood Ox? After waiting for months, they finally encountered him. They never expected him to appear so boldly, without hiding.

However, they also had some doubts—was this Wood Ox real or not?

But besides Kakashi and the others, many others seemed to have noticed the figure of the Wood Ox, and quite a few people locked onto his presence.

"Look, that person being dragged by the masked man?" Kurenai's attention shifted to the barely breathing figure being dragged behind the Wood Ox. Her eyes widened in surprise. 

"That person seems to be a rogue ninja from the Land of Wind. And he's a top-tier puppet master!"

"Huh? A puppet master?" Kakashi's gaze also turned to the nearly lifeless ninja. His pupils shrank in realization. 

"Sand Rogue? The one who slaughtered two villages in one night? It's said that ten elite jonin from Sunagakure couldn't capture him, yet this masked man caught him!"

{Not a ninja village like Konoha, but a civilian village!}

In the past, Kakashi had seen a wanted poster with a sketch of Sand Rogue, but he never thought this rogue ninja, who had been hunted for years, would be caught by the Wood Ox.

It seemed like the two of them had fought fiercely, but in the end, it was the Wood Ox who won.

"I'll take a look, I'll take a look!" Guy also moved forward, looking at the masked figure with curiosity. 

"Is he the Wood Ox, the wood-style ninja we've been searching for? Huh... this person's build looks kind of familiar!"

Guy was still puzzled. If he just looked at the figure's build, it did seem a bit familiar, but after shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.

"Why would there be someone familiar here, especially a Wood Release ninja?"

"Are you sure this person is the Wood Release ninja we're after?" Kurenai Yūhi turned her gaze to Kakashi, frowning as she asked.

I have to say, Kakashi looked at the figure wearing an ox mask. He had already received confirmation from the ninja dog, Pakkun, that it was Senju Hayashi.

But he didn't confirm it outright. Instead, he pondered and said, "Maybe."

"Then why wait!" Once Kakashi gave his confirmation, Might Guy was ready to rush out and have a chat with Hayashi, hoping to bring him back to Konoha!

"Wait..." Kakashi grabbed him, his tone unusually serious.

"What's wrong with Kakashi? If we don't act now, he'll leave!" Might Guy was confused, wondering why Kakashi was stopping him.

Shouldn't they approach this ninja and ask him to return to Konoha now?

Kurenai Yūhi also looked at Kakashi, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion and curiosity. She couldn't figure out what Kakashi was thinking.

"He's already being watched. If we go out now, it might backfire. It's better to wait and observe for a while. If he's in danger, we can step in and help. It might even make our mission easier!" Kakashi reassured them softly, his voice firm.

"Besides, with Pakkun here, we won't lose track of him!"

Kakashi's message was clear: wait for the right moment!

Though still unsure, Kurenai Yūhi and Might Guy trusted their team leader, Kakashi. In the end, they could only suppress their impulses and calm down.

But they still followed Hayashi's slow pace carefully, making sure to keep their distance.

Along the way,

They also noticed that a few groups seemed to be trailing Hayashi. Clearly, from the moment Hayashi entered the Bounty Station area, he had already been targeted by those lying in wait!

Step, step, step...

Hayashi walked along the path, dragging a long rope and the nearly lifeless rogue ninja from the Land of Wind. His eyes scanned his surroundings.

At the same time, he noticed the hidden figures watching him, but he didn't care. He continued to walk forward at his usual steady pace.

Actually, after his Wood Release ninja identity was exposed, he knew this day would come. Now, he had made up his mind to face those ninjas who coveted him, and he was fully prepared!

When he left Konoha, Genya had already warned him that once the Wood Release was revealed, others would come after him. And now, he was finally facing them: 

"Heh... let me see if you can stop me. From today onward, the name of 'Atsukara' will echo throughout the ninja world!"

Muttering to himself, he continued dragging the nearly lifeless Sand Rogue behind him, his eyes flashing with a cold and ruthless gleam.

Under the gaze of the onlookers, he walked towards a huge stone door formed by mountain walls, with two bald ninjas in dark green clothing standing outside.

As they saw him and the Sand Rogue he was dragging, they stepped forward to block his way.

"Wood Ox, capturing the rogue ninja from Sunagakure, Sand Rogue, for the bounty!" Hayashi looked at them with an indifferent tone.

When he had arrived here, he was already familiar with the rules of the Bounty Station.

"Enter!" The two ninjas didn't say anything else. The stone door behind them opened, and he dragged the Sand Rogue inside.

Thud thud thud.

Entering, it was a vast room, and directly opposite was a towering wall. 

On the wall were small squares that stored mission targets, arranged neatly like the storage compartments in a funeral home. Everything was organized and orderly!

"Are you here to deliver a mission?" As he entered, a bald man in a high-collared dark green robe approached. He had a scar on his head, and then pointed to a nearby platform: "Place the target on the platform. I'll verify their identity."

Hayashi nodded, not wasting any time, and placed the nearly dead Sand Rogue on a platform similar to an operating table.

The bald man in green began to check if the Sand ninja had used makeup or altered their appearance and confirmed the authenticity of the mission target. 

Afterward, he took out a book from his sleeve and flipped through it.

Finally, his gaze landed on one of the pages: "Ah, found it. Rogue ninja from Sunagakure, Sand Rogue, bounty 8 million ryo!"

"Payment upon delivery!"

The bald man in green took out a box of paper money and counted it on the spot before handing it over to him.

Hayashi took the box filled with money and walked straight out without saying a word. 

The employees at the Bounty Station didn't say anything either. They simply pushed the nearly dead prisoner into the hidden compartment, not caring about life or death.

Hayashi then walked out of the Bounty Station, holding the box again.

As soon as he left the Bounty Station, he felt the familiar sensation of being watched by several pairs of eyes. A smile curved on his face beneath the mask as he stepped forward in the direction he was heading.

Swish, swish, swish~~ 

At the same time, all those who had been watching followed him.

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