Chapter 294: Taunting Face-to-Face
Time passed quickly; more than a week had gone by since Hayato last reported the news. The ninjas patrolling the village had found no suspicious individuals, and there were no signs of the barrier being breached. Many believed the assassin targeting Kawakaze had already given up.
Kawakaze himself seemed indifferent—if this continued, he feared he might forget the threat altogether. Life in Konohagakure remained unchanged by the situation.
"Boss, one order of raw beef liver and one order of monkfish liver," a tall man wearing a mask with green pupils requested as he sat down in the restaurant. It was past the usual meal hours, and the restaurant was quiet, with only a few scattered customers.
"Okay, just a moment," the boss replied, unperturbed by the man's peculiar order. He prided himself on having whatever his customers needed, as long as it was in stock.
The tall man glanced around, noting there were no ninjas in the restaurant wearing Konoha forehead protectors. He exhaled softly in relief. It had taken considerable effort to infiltrate Konoha, and for now, it appeared he was safe. His past experience with infiltration served him well; without it, this mission would have been much harder.
"You don't look like someone from the village," the boss remarked, bringing a tray over and striking up a conversation. Business was slow, and idle chatter filled the time.
"Good guess. I'm here in Konoha to see if there's any business worth pursuing," the tall man replied calmly, his demeanor steady. His green eyes, however, stayed locked on the boss, unblinking and watchful. If the boss made any sudden or unusual moves, he was prepared to act immediately.
He had come to Konoha for a deal worth 350 million ryo, a mission he couldn't afford to fail. His previous embarrassment in Konoha as a young man was a scar on his pride, a mistake he swore never to repeat. While he projected confidence to others, no one knew the deep sorrow and frustration he carried in private.
This time, he would not falter. He vowed to rise where he once fell. If not for the need to repair the damage to his own heart from his past mistakes, he would have returned to Konoha much earlier.
Decades had passed, and now, armed with mastery of the powerful Earth Grudge Fear Technique, his strength was unparalleled. The humiliations of his youth would not be repeated.
Never again! I swear!