Fish That Slipped Through the Net (Second Update)

"Your reputation is really something, getting an audience with the Third Hokage."

Mei Terumi looked at Xu Yue with a strange expression, her beautiful eyes full of probing curiosity.

Not only had this miserly merchant reeking of money received an audience with the Hokage, he had even brought her along to chat for a while.

As for what exactly they had discussed, only Mei Terumi and the Third Hokage knew.

"Of course. I’ve entrusted all my goods to Konoha for sale."

Xu Yue looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

"Seriously? You wouldn’t even give up on the Land of Wind despite its terrible environment. Did the heat fry your brain?"

Mei Terumi was full of disbelief.

This guy was actually passing up money? Was he an impostor…

"Hmph, precisely because the Land of Wind has such a harsh environment, they’d definitely demand huge discounts if I entrusted the goods to them. I might as well suffer a little myself. Besides, now that the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire are allies, the route is shorter, so the profit is only incidental. The Land of Fire is comfortable too, and selling the goods myself wouldn’t raise the price by much. Time is money…"

Xu Yue once again reinforced the impression he wanted Mei Terumi to have of him.

"So what are you planning to do next? You’re heading back to the Land of Water, right? I’ve been away for so long that I need to go back and report in too."

"Naturally, I’m returning to the Land of Water. I’ve compared commodity prices. Because of your nation’s policies, the Land of Water’s specialties sell quite well in other countries. This time, I’m planning to sell them to the Land of Earth."

Xu Yue spoke with the expression of a shrewd businessman…

Four cloaked men were eating at a street stall. Since this was a ninja village, there were plenty of employers who arranged missions discreetly, so they did not stand out much.

But beneath their hoods, all four wore grim expressions.

They were all members of the Holy Saints of Heaven, and all of them were official Reincarnators who had entered this mission!

Because they lacked sufficient strength, they had not directly participated in the Massacre Night. They had instead been responsible for intelligence gathering and support work on the perimeter.

Yet the forest that had suddenly appeared that night had left them utterly bewildered.

The news they received the next day had also made them abandon all hope.

They could only accept the fact that, even under Lord De Gaulle’s leadership, that elite team of terrifyingly powerful people—any one of whom could have slaughtered them with ease—had been completely wiped out inside!

They did not know what had happened, nor did they want to know.

They only knew that they were in deep trouble now!

Although they had not directly participated in the massacre, they were still among those "auxiliary members." Anyone could tell that the Anbu would surely be inviting them for tea.

Fortunately, when they saw the tropical rainforest emerge that night, they had sensed something was wrong and reacted quickly.

They had immediately fled to a prearranged hiding place and changed their identities.

Even so, with Konoha’s Anbu controlling the village so thoroughly, no matter how much they had prepared, they could probably hold out for only one day at most!

Their planned escape route had required the cooperation of an elite team and Lord De Gaulle personally leading them.

But now, could the few of them escape from a village under lockdown?

How could that be possible!

Their companions stationed at the secret safehouse had already lost contact. Clearly, that supposedly well-hidden safehouse had been discovered.

Even with skills that erased their traces, they probably could not hold out for much longer.

Such a hidden safehouse had not even lasted half a day!

For a time, their hearts were filled with deep awe and fear toward Konoha.

Lord De Gaulle and the elite team had vanished just like that. The safehouse had been discovered just like that. What were they supposed to do now?!

Yet at that moment, one member facing the street suddenly lit up and pointed toward the road.

The other three were instantly alarmed, thinking the Anbu had appeared.

But when they turned to look, they only saw several dark-skinned, short, sturdy men asking prices in front of a grocery store across the street.

There was nothing unusual about them at all.

"What are you doing? You scared us half to death."

"Actually, I think we should just turn ourselves in. Maybe we can still save our lives. After all, we were only on the perimeter…"

Those spineless words were quickly interrupted by the somewhat excited man.

"I recognize one of them. We entered a mission together before—he’s a Reincarnator too! And he’s one of those Reincarnators from the China Labor Corps!"

After he said that, the other three also froze.

The China Labor Corps?

That group was weak, but it was somewhat well-known within their circle.

During World War I, those country bumpkins had played an important logistical role. They also liked hiring them for hard labor.

They could endure hardship, worked diligently, and were obedient.

Their rates were low too. Even harsh contracts were no problem. Once they found an excuse, they could simply refuse to pay them.

At that thought, the bewilderment on the other three men’s faces turned into excitement.

"You mean…"

"That’s right, we’ll use them! I’m telling you, I encountered some of their people in the last mission. They were so meek and obedient. Hahaha, getting them to act as bait and cannon fodder won’t be a problem. In the end, only one of the three survived, and we could still find an excuse not to pay them. The survivor is in that team right there. Come on, let’s have them create an opportunity for us."

They had previously had no way out at all. Now that they had found this lifesaving straw, how could they not seize it desperately?

If they had been natives of this world, they would have thought twice no matter how weak they were. But this bunch were people whose background they knew inside out, so they had no reservations whatsoever.

"Hey, you one-eyed brat over there. Aren’t you going to greet an old friend?"

The one who had dealt with the Laborer Group was the first to speak. As he walked over, he lowered his hood.

The laborers who had been haggling with the grocery store owner turned at his words.

Among them was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy with only one eye. His features were somewhat savage, but they could not conceal his youth. His expression immediately changed.

As if he had recalled something, his face shifted between emotions. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, while his remaining eye filled with bloodshot veins.

Only after taking several deep breaths did he suppress that surge of emotion. Forcing out a smile, he said,

"My lord, we meet again. What a coincidence."

As he spoke, he introduced them to the companions beside him.

"These gentlemen are official members of the Holy Saints of Heaven, the fifth-ranked legion in the France Zone. They’re truly important figures."

Upon hearing the boy’s introduction, the middle-aged man with a headscarf immediately changed expression.

They had not dared to offend even a legion ranked around fiftieth, roughly on par with their own. Yet these people before them were members of the fifth-ranked super legion!

Why had they approached them on their own initiative?

The middle-aged man with the headscarf understood his group’s standing perfectly well. He knew these Westerners were far too arrogant to give people like them a second glance.

If they had not needed something, they would never have come over to greet them!

Still, even ordinary members of a top-five major legion should not do something as tasteless as the low-ranking legions, should they?

No matter how much they squeezed them for, they only had that little bit of wealth.

For a moment, he had a faint but deeply unsettling feeling.

Since they were not after money, the matter was likely to be even more troublesome and difficult!

"Hehe, don’t be nervous. We only need you to help us deal with a small problem. Don’t worry, we’ll sign a contract, a contract with the highest level of binding force. As long as you accomplish it, we’ll reward you afterward."

The cloaked man who knew them wore a teasing smile.

"This… it is our honor to serve you, my lords. How could we ask for a reward? There’s no need to sign a contract."

The middle-aged man with the headscarf wore an ugly expression, but he still spoke softly and politely.

"How could that do! We’re members of the mighty Holy Saints of Heaven. If people thought we were bullying you country bumpkins, that would be far too degrading. It’s settled, then. If you refuse, you’re disrespecting me."

"Oh, right. How did you enter the village…"

After the cloaked man finished speaking with a sinister grin, the middle-aged man with the headscarf felt his heart sink to the bottom.

They were not after money. They wanted their lives!

"Oh, so you’re all here. Vacation’s over, hurry up and pack up—we’re hitting the road. The goods here are all ready…"

At that moment, Xu Yue’s voice came from nearby. It seemed he had finished handling everything on Konoha’s side…

Second update! There’s one more!

Who still dares say I cut chapters short? Who still dares call me a two-update beast? Hahaha!