At this moment, Hattori looked at Hanaki's face and felt a particular warmth, as if he were looking at a golden-haired sheep!
He figured that he had to fleece this sheep before him. At least then, he'd have secured the support of a giant! Fleece away! He must fleece! With this thought, his eyebrows twitched, and he flashed Hanaki a bright smile.
"Hehe, Your Highness Hanaki, you truly are a dragon among men, so rich and generous! I think we can be great friends!"
With that, he slapped his thigh as if making a resolute decision.
"How about this: I'll give you a 10% discount on the information. Just four and a half million, and it's yours!"
"Haha, agreed!"
Hearing Hattori's offer of a discount made Hanaki feel honored. He quickly nodded and called to a nearby guard.
"Go back immediately and have the treasury prepare four and a half million taels. Tell them I want to see it ready as soon as I return!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The guard obeyed and rushed into the city, while Hanaki opened the carriage door and extended a hand to Hattori.
"Come, ride with me, my friend!"
"Hehe, sure thing!"
Hattori agreed happily and was about to board the carriage, but before he could, a guard stepped forward to block him.
"Your Highness, no!"
"This man is a stranger, Your Highness cannot take such a risk!"
"Yes, Your Highness, it's too dangerous!"
Hearing the guards' concerns, Hanaki frowned slightly. But just as he was about to respond, a sudden whistling sound of projectiles pierced the air.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…"
In an instant, several guards who had been advising Hanaki collapsed, injured. Their sudden fall left Hanaki completely exposed to the attackers.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…"
The projectiles struck again, and just as it seemed Hanaki would meet the same fate, a black briefcase suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Thunk, thunk, thunk…"
A dozen shuriken embedded themselves in the briefcase with muffled thuds, snapping Hanaki back to reality. He couldn't help but shout.
"An… assassin!"
Before he could say anything more, a voice full of laughter came from beside him.
"Hehe, relax, Your Highness. Right now, you're my client. In this world of shinobi, no one has been born yet who can take my client's life from me!"
"Uh…"
Hanaki turned his head to see Hattori had already pulled out a scroll, which he tossed into the air.
"Come out, Mist Demon!"
With a low command, the scroll exploded, and a white puppet leapt out, releasing a thick mist that shrouded the entire area within a hundred-meter radius.
Seeing this, Hanaki was stunned.
"This… what is this…"
"Hehe, just a little trick!"
Hattori chuckled lightly and turned back to Hanaki.
"Your Highness, you now have two choices. First, I can escort you back to your residence. This option is free, a complimentary service for buying my information. The second…"
"I choose the second one!"
Hanaki interrupted without hesitation.
"Capture those assassins for me. I want to know who sent them! If you succeed, I'll pay an additional five million as a reward!"
"Deal!"
Hattori didn't waste a second, afraid Hanaki might change his mind. He shouted into the thick mist.
"Mist Demon, get to work!"
"…"
As his command echoed, a chilling breeze seemed to sweep through the mist, causing a slight chill on the face.
Before long, cries of pain and shouts of terror filled the air.
"Ah…"
"What is that? Be careful… ah…"
"No… spare me… ugh…"
The screams lasted less than five minutes before fading, and as the mist gradually cleared, Hanaki cautiously poked his head out from the ox cart.
"Hey, are you still there, red-haired friend? Are you…"
"Enough, stop calling for me!"
Hattori emerged from behind the carriage, looking exasperated.
"I went after the assassins for you. Sorry, my partner doesn't know how to hold back, and they're all dead. But I did find this on one of them!"
He handed Hanaki a bloodstained letter.
"See if there are any clues. If not, I won't take the full five million… you can just give me half."
"…"
Hanaki took the letter and, after reading it, his face changed. He bowed deeply to Hattori.
"Thank you, my friend. You not only saved my life but also did me a great favor. I'll pay every money I promised."
He paused and then added, "Plus, I'll add another ten million. I want you and your partner, the Mist Demon, to protect me for the next week. Can you do that?"
Hattori: "(Д*)"
Ten million? Just like that?
Compared to this, my time in Sunagakure felt like a waste!
In that moment, Hattori saw Hanaki in a new light, as if Hanaki were his ticket to a life of luxury!
"Wing Gundam Zero Custom… no need for a fifteen-year plan anymore! With this guy, three years is plenty!"
Hanaki seemed to misunderstand Hattori's silence. Thinking Hattori found the offer insufficient, Hanaki quickly raised it.
"Apologies, my friend. I just realized that for a skilled shinobi like you, ten million might not be enough. How about fifteen million? That's the most I can offer right now!"
"No!"
Hattori waved his hand.
"That's too much. I said we're friends, and friends don't overcharge. Ten million is enough! If you insist on giving more, I might get angry!"
Hanaki: "(Д*)"
What a loyal friend!
Moved by Hattori's unwavering expression, Hanaki's eyes grew misty. He grabbed Hattori's hand tightly.
"Thank you, my friend! From now on, you are a brother to me. I promise, when I become the Daimyo, I'll support you in becoming the Kazekage of Sunagakure!"
"But I don't want to be Kazekage!"
Hattori shrugged and rubbed his fingers together with a grin.
"Hehe, so let's just make it cash. Money is the most practical and convincing thing, don't you agree, Your Highness?"
Hanaki: "(Д*)"
**(End of Chapter)**