Kusagakure.
Muzhi wore the attire of a Kusagakure shinobi, complete with the village's forehead protector.
This was the standard disguise for members of the Money Corps stationed here.
The goal was to deceive outsiders and avoid exposing their true base of operations.
If they paraded around in Land of Rain military uniforms, their enemies would storm their homeland in minutes.
"But when can we finally transfer to another unit?"
Muzhi sighed deeply, consumed by frustration.
He had longed to join a different division for ages.
Life in Kusagakure was worlds apart from life in the Land of Rain.
To maintain their cover, they even had to take on missions for the Land of Grass.
Yet, the pay from these missions was no better than their standard wages in the Land of Rain.
Back home, most of their time was spent training—with the same pay—and if they undertook missions, they could even exchange military merit for bonuses.
And those bonuses were substantial.
Here in Kusagakure, they risked their lives for nothing more than their base salary, and some missions were downright deadly.
And he was just a newly promoted chūnin.
To make matters worse, Commander Kakuzu had cut their base pay while they were stationed in the Land of Grass.
All things considered, life in the Land of Rain was far more comfortable.
But what could he do? His superior was a man who worshipped money above all else.
Now, the entire corps was a cesspool of corruption.
"Sigh."
Muzhi exhaled heavily, pulling out a small transparent vial filled with swirling black chakra.
He smashed it onto the ground.
The black chakra erupted, forming a dark portal.
Two figures stepped out.
"As expected, your technique is incredibly convenient," Kakuzu remarked, impressed.
He had traveled back on foot, but returning was as simple as this.
Maybe he should learn the Flying Thunder God Technique—though he'd heard it was expensive.
Ignoring Kakuzu's musings, Kin scanned their surroundings.
The Kusagakure of today bore little resemblance to the village it once was.
Instead of traditional structures, modern high-rises dominated the skyline. While remnants of Kin's Wood Release constructions lingered in the corners, the place had transformed into a semi-urban sprawl.
"You've developed this place quite well," Kin noted.
After destroying Kusagakure, he hadn't returned, focusing instead on building the Land of Rain's foundation.
He hadn't expected Kakuzu to manage things so effectively—this place was nearly on par with the Land of Rain.
"The merchants suggested the developments."
Of course.
Kin rolled his eyes. He should've known better than to give Kakuzu too much credit.
Nowadays, Kusagakure actively collaborated with certain merchants, who served as the primary distributors of low-level jutsu. High-level techniques were still handled by Kakuzu himself.
"Those merchants are surprisingly useful," Kakuzu admitted.
He'd underestimated them at first, but now his daily profits soared thanks to their schemes.
Though they took a cut, their methods far outpaced his solo efforts.
One young merchant, Gato, had particularly bold ideas—like monopolizing trade in the Land of Waves for massive profits.
Kakuzu was tempted.
"Be careful not to get sold out by them," Kin warned.
Self-made merchants in this era were rarely trustworthy.
Kakuzu's green eyes flicked toward Kin.
He'd already learned that lesson the hard way—after being betrayed, he'd made sure those merchants wouldn't trouble anyone again.
Now, several major villages had issued assassination contracts over their deaths.
Not that it mattered—every shinobi sent his way just added another life to his collection.
Kin turned his attention to the young man before him.
"Your name is Muzhi, right?"
"Yes, sir!" Muzhi straightened his posture.
"Prepare for a return to the homeland soon. We'll review your accomplishments."
Kin patted Muzhi's shoulder. He knew Kakuzu all too well.
Someone rising this quickly shouldn't be left to Kakuzu's mercies.
Kakuzu showed no reaction.
The man saw only money, not talent.
"Yes, sir!!"
Muzhi's spirits lifted. Maybe this was his chance to escape the Money Corps.
He'd had enough of this money-obsessed unit.
Many in the corps now cared only for profit.
Under Muzhi's arrangements, Kin settled into Kusagakure, occasionally exploring the village.
He quickly realized that what was once a shinobi village had morphed into a marketplace—a black market, no less.
The crowd was a mix of gangsters, rogue shinobi, and other unsavory types.
Distinct factions had even emerged, carving out territories within the village.
None dared disrupt Kusagakure's operations, though—the Money Corps wasn't to be trifled with.
Mostly because the corps happily took bribes from these factions.
Kin watched in disbelief as a Money Corps member chatted amiably with a hulking man.
The man discreetly slipped a wad of cash into the shinobi's hand.
The shinobi patted his bulging wallet and walked away, satisfied.
Kin turned to Muzhi, who was trailing behind him.
"Is this… common?"
Muzhi scratched his cheek awkwardly before nodding helplessly.
Kin sighed.
This was some kind of gangster's paradise.
"I need to assign someone to keep Kakuzu in check."
Left unchecked, the Money Corps would cease to be a military unit—it'd become a full-fledged crime syndicate.
As a man of principle, he couldn't allow such a blight under his command.
His gaze shifted to the merchants swaggering through the market.
They moved with arrogant confidence, and even the briber from earlier now groveled before one.
"Hey! You're in the way!"
A sharp voice rang out.
Kin turned to see a richly dressed, portly merchant glaring at him.
"My apologies."
Kin stepped aside politely.
"Know your place, dog!"
The man continued his tirade—until his head abruptly left his shoulders.
"Forgive me, sir, for allowing such disrespect," Muzhi said, sheathing his kunai.
Several figures swiftly appeared, dragging the body away without so much as a glance at Kin or Muzhi—not that they dared.
Bystanders barely reacted, accustomed to such scenes.
Kin stroked his chin.
"What's the deal with these merchants?"
Their arrogance was off the charts.
"Sir, the merchants here enjoy Kakuzu-sama's protection. Their status is… high."
As the Money Corps' benefactors, they had free rein.
"I see."
Kin sighed again.
Kakuzu had truly fallen. In the past, he'd just killed teammates and hoarded cash.
Now he was a full-blown crime lord.
"I'll have a word with him later."
At least Kakuzu's profits were substantial—Kusagakure now bankrolled the Land of Rain's expenses.
Minor issues could be overlooked.
Still, someone needed to rein Kakuzu in.
"But who?"
Kakuzu had a notorious track record with teammates.
(End of Chapter)