Jūzō Biwa

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"Hey, Tsunade, Orochimaru—don't you think this is a bit much? We just blew through our entire mission budget for the past two weeks!" Jiraiya sighed heavily.

In Akio's shop, Tsunade had bought figurines of Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen, and even ordered a custom one of herself—four in total. Orochimaru had purchased one of himself, and, inexplicably, another of Uchiha Madara.

Six figures in total. With Akio's buy-five-get-one-free deal, the total cost came to five million ryō. Just like that, the entire reward for an S-rank mission was gone.

"Tsunade, there's something off about that shopkeeper," Orochimaru said in his usual raspy voice.

Tsunade nodded gravely.

Jiraiya glanced back and forth between them, confused at first. But soon, his expression turned serious as well.

"Yeah... Something's definitely off." He had no idea what it was, but he could feel it.

Tsunade shook her head, then relaxed a bit. "I think I've figured out who he is."

Orochimaru paused and nodded. "Then it seems my guess was right, too."

After that, neither of them said another word, leaving Jiraiya feeling utterly defeated.

Meanwhile, in his online shop, Akio watched the three walk off before turning back to grab some blocks of wood—time to restock.

Several curious villagers wandered in during the day. Many admired the figurines and showed interest in buying, but upon hearing the price, all wore the same expression: Are you crazy, or am I?

After sending off about a dozen such potential customers, Akio frowned and carved a signboard that read:

"Each item: 1 million ryō. Serious buyers only."

Sure enough, not a single person entered the shop for the rest of the day.

Akio wasn't bothered. He never planned to become a quiet little shopkeeper. What mattered was the location—dead center in Konoha, perfect for keeping an eye on Ichiraku Ramen and being close to any major developments in the village.

As for a sudden attack from the Akatsuki? He wasn't worried. At this point, Nawaki wasn't someone who could be taken out in an instant anymore.

Life had settled into a calm routine. Akio spent his days practicing Gentle Fist, carving a few figurines, observing Teuchi from afar—it was a pretty comfortable rhythm.

Until a vaguely familiar figure entered his field of view.

"That guy... I think I remember him..."

The man's appearance was similar to Kakuzu's—his body hidden beneath a thick cloak, a massive sword wrapped in layers of bandages strapped to his back.

Trying to stay undercover? Akio chuckled inwardly. Anyone could tell from the shape alone—it was clearly the Executioner's Blade. Wrapping it in bandages was a poor disguise.

Of course, this wasn't Zabuza. He'd probably just been born. This was Jūzō Biwa, who had fought in the Kirigakure assault on Uzushiogakure.

Akio focused slightly—yes, the chakra signature was familiar. He also sensed at least four ANBU tailing him, holding back likely to avoid harming civilians. Among them was Sakumo.

Akio was half amused, half exasperated. Did the Akatsuki really send this guy in broad daylight to infiltrate Konoha?

Jūzō, for his part, was close to a breakdown. During the battle between the Land of Water and Uzushiogakure, three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were killed by Jitou, the rest scattered. Jūzō alone had chosen to abandon the Land of Water entirely and become a rogue ninja.

With his skills, life as a missing-nin wasn't bad—especially after joining the Akatsuki. Their leader gave out plenty of money for even the strangest missions, and the difficulty was usually manageable.

But this time, in a moment of recklessness, Jūzō had accepted a mission he'd regret for the rest of his life—splitting up a Konoha couple: Senju Nawaki and Uchiha Mikoto.

He had thought, How hard could it be to break up a couple? Maybe the boss was heartbroken from being dumped and taking it out on others. But after reaching the outskirts of Konoha, he found out Nawaki was the heir of the Senju clan—and Uzushiogakure's Grand Elder Uzumaki Akio was in the village too.

He spent a month hesitating. Only after confirming that Akio had returned to Uzushiogakure did he finally sneak into Konoha. But almost immediately, he was locked onto by the village's ANBU. One gaze in particular pinned him so tightly he dared not move. That had to be a powerhouse.

The only reason he hadn't been taken down was the sheer number of civilians around.

Glancing around, he gritted his teeth and… walked into Ichiraku Ramen.

Akio, watching from a distance, blinked. He's still got the appetite to eat ramen?

Jūzō slowly ordered a bowl, eyes constantly scanning for escape routes. The longer he lingered, the worse his odds became.

Akio picked up on the situation and narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, fierce wind whipped through the street, sand and dust blotting out vision, civilians scattering in every direction.

"Now!" Jūzō shouted inwardly and dashed toward the exit—but the wind stopped as suddenly as it began, and he nearly spat out blood from frustration.

"Sir! You haven't paid for your ramen!" Teuchi's voice called out from behind him.

Clenching his jaw, Jūzō turned around and walked back in. "I'm not done eating yet," he muttered and resumed his meal.

In the shadows, the ANBU glanced at one another. Sakumo frowned, deciding it was time to act. The sudden gust had nearly allowed Jūzō to escape.

Just as they were about to move, Jūzō wobbled, then collapsed face-first into his ramen. Broth splashed everywhere.

Two seconds of stunned silence followed—then chaos erupted.

"Ahh! Someone died from eating ramen!"

Teuchi panicked, unsure what to do.

The four ANBU instantly moved in, checking Jūzō's condition.

"Captain, it looks like food poisoning."

Sakumo looked stunned. An S-rank rogue ninja, captured in Konoha because of food poisoning? How pathetic.

He glanced over at Teuchi, who looked utterly wronged.

"Shut down the shop. Take the owner in for questioning!"

The farce came to an end. Akio just shook his head internally.

"Sorry, Teuchi."

The gust of wind had been caused by his gravity technique. While everyone was distracted, he'd slipped a little something extra into the ramen. That way, Jūzō could be captured without injury. As for Teuchi—he'd just undergo questioning. Maybe he'd even get a "Good Citizen Award" out of it.

"So… the Akatsuki are on the move. But why just send someone like him? Is there more to this?"

Akio muttered, thinking deeply. Could it be… they've run out of people?

"And that Executioner's Blade…" He hesitated. The ANBU had confiscated it, but he kind of wanted it. Uzushiogakure already had three of the seven swords. If he could get this one, he'd be closer to collecting all seven and summoning Shenron.

"…Maybe I'll steal it later."

"No… I'll take it."

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