Bounty hunting for Bloodline Limit users from enemy nations was nothing unusual.
But when the bounty reached one hundred million ryo, it was highly suspicious, as that price was comparable to that of the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Even if the target possessed Wood Release, it seemed excessive.
As a result, various factions immediately sought to verify the authenticity of the news.
Then, the Underground Bounty Exchange confirmed: it was true!
Though the Underground Bounty Exchange didn't belong to any of the Five Great Nations, it still operated on a traditional mission system, not allowing arbitrary bounties to be placed simply for money.
Ninja Villages valued their reputation, and the Bounty Exchange was no different.
To place a bounty, one must first provide detailed information about the target.
For example, to place a bounty on Asuma, one would need to specify his identity as the Hokage's son, his Jonin rank, and his qualification as one of the Twelve Guardian Warriors.
Similarly, to place a bounty on Minato, one would need to describe his strength and combat achievements.
Even though the news of Minato's exploits would bring shame to Sunagakure, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and leak the information to the Bounty Exchange to eliminate this "Second Hashirama."
It was precisely this act that would make the name Namikaze Minato legendary throughout the Shinobi World!
"Konoha, Wood Release, eight years old—"
Hanzō stared at the intelligence report, his gaze lingering on the words "golden hair and blue eyes." Suddenly, he remembered the boy who had been with Orochimaru earlier.
Although the bounty had just been issued and there were no target photos yet, Minato's identity was already certain. After all, it was highly unusual for a child of that age to appear on a battlefield.
No wonder that child seemed so calm...
No, that wasn't calmness—it was the confidence of someone utterly fearless!
"He's practically a monster!" Hanzō exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. At the same time, a wave of regret washed over him.
He had sensed something was amiss back then, yet his arrogance had led him to let such an infinitely promising monster escape.
If only I'd known... I should have captured him at all costs!
Even with the Flying Thunder God Technique, I'm confident that with my Water Shunshin speed, I could have subdued him before he even reacted.
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
In the Third Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki stared silently at the intelligence in his hands.
After a long pause, he tossed the report onto the table with a sigh.
"Konoha never seems to lack these astonishing geniuses..."
"The First Hokage's Wood Release, the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique... this child possesses the strengths of both. If he's allowed to grow, he could pose a serious threat to Iwagakure."
The secretary beside him, his face tense, was clearly shaken by Minato's talent.
"Defeating Sunagakure's front-line troops means he's already a formidable force. Killing him head-on would be nearly impossible. The only option is assassination—that's probably why Sunagakure would rather lose face and put a bounty on his head at the Bounty Exchange, right?"
Ōnoki's tone was complex. "Why must such a genius always appear in Konoha, never in Iwa?"
Now approaching fifty, he spent his days agonizing over finding a successor.
Meanwhile, neighboring Konoha had produced Hatake Sakumo, then Tsunade and Orochimaru, and now Namikaze Minato.
This stark contrast left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Lord Tsuchikage, I suggest we send our Konoha spies to eliminate him at any cost," the secretary said gravely.
Ōnoki shook his head. "There's no need. Konoha will undoubtedly protect such a genius. How could they not have thought of this themselves?"
"But we can't just let him grow unchecked, can we?"
The secretary's expression grew anxious. "He's already this strong at eight years old. If it weren't for the information from the Bounty Exchange, no one would believe it."
Ōnoki sighed faintly. "Contact the Bounty Exchange and increase his bounty by another fifty million."
"Oh—!"
The secretary's eyes lit up. "As cunning as ever, Lord Tsuchikage!"
"Get lost! This is wisdom, you dolt!"
Two days later, at the Konoha Camp.
Orochimaru found Minato slacking off. "Your bounty has been updated, Minato-kun."
"Hmm?"
For a moment, Minato thought he'd been transported to the world of Pirates. "Bounties can be updated?"
"Indeed. Two hundred and thirty million. It's already surpassed Teacher Sarutobi's. Congratulations, congratulations," Orochimaru chuckled.
"How much?"
Minato stared in disbelief. "Why? I haven't done anything these past two days!"
"This must be from other factions adding to the bounty. After all, besides Konoha, no one would want to see another God of Shinobi emerge."
Orochimaru chuckled. "At this price, someone will be after you the moment you leave the village. But that's not a major issue. After all, you have the Flying Thunder God Technique. You don't even need to use the main gate to leave."
Mikoto looked at Minato with concern. "But even inside the village won't be safe, will it?"
"Actually, you and Nawaki are the ones who should be more worried than Minato-kun." Orochimaru said indifferently. "If Minato-kun wanted to leave, no one in this world could stop him. But with you two involved, it's a different story."
Mikoto's eyes darkened.
When she thought about it, it was true.
Minato could go wherever he pleased with the Flying Thunder God Technique. He'd only teamed up with them because he was worried about Nawaki. As a Chūnin, she was only here to complete missions, and Minato had roped her in to fill out the team.
With this realization, she hesitated for a moment, opened her mouth, and was about to request to withdraw from the team.
"It's the same for all of us."
Before Mikoto could speak, Minato interjected.
"Hmm?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Minato-kun, there's no need for such formality. While I'm too busy to properly care for Mikoto, I wouldn't want to impose on you in this situation."
"Nawaki is one thing, but Mikoto is no relation of yours—"
"But we're teammates, aren't we?"
Minato stared at Orochimaru, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement.
The man claimed to be too busy to care for Mikoto, yet here he was, feigning politeness. Now Minato was certain of his intentions.
This guy was definitely trying to set up a red thread!
He stole a glance at Mikoto, standing anxiously beside him, her beautiful face etched with worry.
So beautiful!
Minato hesitated for less than a second before making up his mind.
If you're given a steak and don't eat it, you might as well go eat shit!
"As long as Mikoto-nee doesn't mind the trouble my bounty brings, then my teammate can only be Mikoto-nee."
Such a stunning woman, plus the added bonus of being Sasuke's biological mother... if this were the original Minato, maybe he'd have hesitated. But as a modern-day transmigrator, how could he remain indifferent?
Minato turned to Mikoto, his signature gentle smile appearing on his face. "Speaking of which, I haven't asked for Mikoto-nee's opinion yet."
"I don't have any objections!" Mikoto blurted out instinctively.
Given Minato's ability to kick Dan Katō into the air with a single kick, she wasn't worried about any danger, even without the Flying Thunder God Technique. Besides, she didn't mind the bounty anyway.
And she had to admit that over the time they'd spent together, she'd developed some feelings for Minato. It was only because of his relationship with Kushina that she'd kept herself in check, never allowing herself to cross any lines.
But ever since she'd guessed that Minato wasn't solely in love with Kushina, she couldn't help but feel something different. As if she'd been too eager, Mikoto's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly tried to cover it up. "—After all, we're teammates."
"In that case, very well."
Orochimaru glanced at Minato. The two shared a knowing look before Orochimaru turned to leave. "Then I'll leave Mikoto in your care, Minato-kun."
At this, Mikoto's face turned even redder.
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