Ji Ba and the other two were not brainless to survive in a chaotic world.
From the very beginning, the three of them had no intention of claiming the 200 million taels bounty; that was death money! It was impossible for a pie to fall from the sky; there had to be a reason.
Although Ji Ba and the other two didn't know the opponent's true objective, it was highly likely that it was for the bounty. They were merely decoys, or rather, Bo Gang was the decoy. Moreover, possessing the corpse of Hanzo of the Salamander, a "demigod" from years ago in the ninja world, meant their strength was beyond what Ji Ba and the other two could imagine.
This was also Ji Ba's confusion: with such formidable strength, why didn't they approach the bounty-collection agency directly? Why resort to such an old-fashioned baiting method? It was truly perplexing.
Therefore, after Ji Ba confirmed with the head of the bounty-collection agency, he spoke into the air, "Unknown senior, I believe you can certainly hear me. As you can see, the bounty for Hanzo of the Salamander has been removed."
*Boom!*
A noise echoed from the roof, and the ceiling suddenly burst open, sending debris scattering everywhere. The blinding sunlight streamed in, causing all four present to squint.
Lin Yu, clad in a black robe, descended from the opening in the roof. A cold voice emanated from beneath his flame mask, "Was the bounty for Hanzo of the Salamander canceled?"
*Caw, caw.* A crow flew by.
The four were shocked by Lin Yu's dramatic entrance, yet it was still within reason. However, Lin Yu's words left them baffled. The head of the bounty-collection agency was confused; hadn't he just said it was canceled by headquarters?
Was the man deaf?
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Lin Yu's voice grew louder, "I'm asking you! Are you deaf?"
Lin Yu hadn't been lurking in the shadows. He was simply lost, having no idea which restroom was the bounty-collection agency's and unable to distinguish the markings on the doors. He'd randomly found someone who looked like a bounty hunter and tossed him a decomposing Hanzo corpse, hoping for some luck.
Of course, torture was out of the question. Even if he tortured them, Lin Yu still wouldn't know the way. It was better to remember their chakra and use the Kagura Shingan to relax in the trees with an ice pop.
This scorching weather was unbearable! He wondered if Orochimaru's research had progressed. After four or five years, surely air conditioning could be invented by now?
Orochimaru: ??? I'm researching eternal life, the pinnacle of ninjutsu! What the hell is air conditioning?
"That... Senior, the person in charge just said that the bounty for Hanzo of the Salamander has already been canceled."
Ji Ba's legs felt a bit weak, but he still managed a fawning smile as he replied.
"It was canceled?"
Lin Yu snatched the bounty manual from the head of the agency and flipped through it. Soon, he found the page for Hanzo of the Salamander. Indeed, it showed that the bounty had been canceled for unknown reasons.
"Why was it canceled! Aren't you going to collect Hanzo of the Salamander's body? Such a commemorative item, how could you just let it go?"
Although Lin Yu wore a mask, Ji Ba and the others could still detect a hint of complaint in his tone, making them feel somewhat awkward. This senior seemed a bit off.
Lin Yu didn't feel anything. After all, he was wearing the Flame Mask now, and this persona would eventually be passed on to someone else. Moreover, that person was skilled in fire jutsu. What did he, Uzumaki Lin Yu, have to do with the Flame Mask user ruining their reputation?
The head of the bounty-collection agency snapped back to reality, his face a picture of anger. "Who are you? Are you trying to challenge our bounty-collection agency with such arrogance?"
"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"
The two eyeholes of Lin Yu's Flame Mask rotated, revealing a three-tomoe Sharingan. The expression of the bounty-collection agency head instantly became vacant. In the blink of an eye, he was under the control of Lin Yu's Sharingan.
"Why was the bounty for Hanzo of the Salamander canceled?"
The head of the bounty-collection agency spoke slowly, "The reasons aren't very clear. I heard that in recent years, branches of bounty-collection agencies in various countries have had 200 million taels stolen, with the crime scenes completely destroyed. Therefore, headquarters canceled all bounties related to 200 million taels."
"Isn't Hanzo of the Salamander the only one with a 200 million tael bounty? This is clearly targeting me! One day, I'll go to the headquarters of the bounty-collection agency and smash it to pieces!"
Lin Yu slapped himself mentally. Robbing only 200 million taels was like announcing to the world that he possessed Hanzo's body!
However, after obtaining over a billion taels for free before the bounty was canceled, this bounty-collection agency was indeed quite lucrative! Kushina would love this place!
It seemed that from now on, "robbing the rich to help the poor" couldn't just be about fixed amounts. Today, he would "rob" a mere 300 million!
"Go! Bring out all the bank notes from this branch!"
"Yes, sir."
The head of the bounty-collection agency staggered away.
Ji Ba and the other two, seeing how easily Lin Yu controlled the head of the agency, felt a pang of fear. This head wasn't exactly a strong fighter, but he was at least an elite Chunin.
To control him with just a glance... the opponent's strength was terrifyingly profound!
This was also due to Ji Ba's limited experience. For someone like the head of a bounty-collection agency, any Uchiha with a three-tomoe Sharingan could control them. Ninjas who were constantly indulging in money and women generally didn't have strong willpower.
Lin Yu turned around, his blood-red, ghostly eyes fixed on them, as if contemplating their fate.
"Sharingan!"
Baji gasped in shock upon seeing Lin Yu's eyes. This person was a Leaf ninja!
Ji Ba and Bo Gang quickly nudged Baji. Too talkative, weren't you? This was like asking for death! Now, the opponent would surely silence them.
"You know my identity? Then I cannot let you live!"
If it were according to the future persona of the Flame Mask wearer, he wouldn't even speak and would simply eliminate them. However, Lin Yu wanted to ruin that persona's reputation. Otherwise, wouldn't life be too boring in the future, always wearing a straight face?
"Senior! We don't know anything. You can poison us, seal us! We will never reveal anything that happened today. In short, spare our lives!"
Ji Ba prostrated himself on the ground. As for face, that was for fools. Didn't he see Baji and the poker-faced Bo Gang already on their knees? They were faster than him!
Lin Yu looked at the three with amusement. "You're quite sensible. What are your names?"
"I'm Ji Ba!"
"Baji!"
"Bo Gang!"
Lin Yu: ...
"This... your names are quite peculiar."
Lin Yu's expression under the mask was one of suppressed amusement. What strange names these were!
"It's not my fault. I'm the eighth child in my family, so..."
"Stop, stop, stop! I don't want to hear your explanation."
Lin Yu cut Ji Ba off. He didn't want to listen to anyone's family history. "I can spare your lives, and even give you some funds, but I have one condition."
"I need you to secretly find someone for me. His name is Jigen!"