"Those who disobey orders will return to the village and follow the rules!"
Seeing that his men were still hesitating, the assassination ninja captain shouted directly.
"Captain, but this opportunity..."
One of the assassination ninjas hesitated, still wanting to fight for it.
However, Morkel, who stood atop the Wooden Golem not far away, didn't give them a chance.
"Wood Style: Tree World Descends!"
A thunderous rumble erupted from beneath the ground.
In the next moment, towering trees sprouted from the soil, as if they had a will of their own, entangling the Cloud Shinobi assassins.
The battlefield changed in an instant, and the captain's heart sank.
The range of this Wood Style technique was terrifying!
There was no escape.
"So this is the power of a Wood Style ninja? No wonder Raikage ordered us to eliminate him at all costs..."
The captain muttered before thick vines wrapped around his body, tightening with a suffocating grip.
Morkel, standing atop the Wooden Golem, descended into the range of the Tree World and looked down at the captured assassins, who were dressed in black and struggling against their restraints.
"Which village are you from?" Morkel asked, his voice calm but commanding.
"You're dreaming if you think we'll give you any information!"
One assassin sneered, full of resolve. The moment he finished speaking, his head drooped lifelessly.
The captain's heart pounded as he looked up at Morkel, who had his eyes closed while forming a strange hand seal.
"Mind-Reading Technique: Soul Searching!"
This was a new jutsu Morkel had developed based on the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique. By touching a person's body, he could invade their consciousness and search their memories.
With Wood Style acting as a medium, Morkel could now perform this jutsu remotely.
The technique was incredibly powerful—so much so that Morkel even knew how many times the assassin had wet the bed as a child!
Within moments, he extracted the necessary information from the unconscious ninja.
"So, you are from Cloud Shinobi Village... It seems the Raikage truly fears my Wood Style. Sending more than ten Jonin-level assassins?"
Morkel smirked.
"A squad of top-tier Jonin... If all of you die here, it will be a massive loss for Cloud Shinobi."
Morkel calculated the consequences in his mind. Killing them would eliminate immediate threats, but it would also escalate tensions between Konoha and Cloud Shinobi, possibly even sparking a war.
More importantly, Cloud Shinobi would view him as a mortal enemy, leading to a life-or-death situation.
So why not make them pay a hefty ransom instead?
"Boy, do you think you can intimidate us?! We, the elite of Cloud Shinobi, do not know fear!" the captain barked, refusing to back down.
Morkel waved a hand dismissively. "No, you just won't be dying so easily. If you all die, I lose my bargaining chips."
He pointed to a random assassin.
"You, go back to your village. Tell them that if they want these men back, they'll need to pay 500,000 copper coins per person. If they refuse, I'll have no choice but to send them on their way permanently."
Morkel made a throat-slitting gesture, causing the captive assassins to grimace.
As the chosen messenger left, Naruto—who had been watching everything unfold—stared at Morkel with admiration.
"Morkel, you're amazing at making money!"
However, as the messenger disappeared into the distance, Naruto frowned.
"But... how are we supposed to keep all these prisoners? Are we taking them with us everywhere?"
Morkel chuckled. "Nah, we'll just throw them into the village prison."
---
Konoha Village, Hokage's Office
The Third Hokage and several high-ranking officials were gathered around a table, discussing Konoha's defense facilities.
Suddenly, Morkel appeared—with more than a dozen captured Cloud Shinobi assassins in tow!
The Third Hokage nearly fell from his chair in shock.
"Morkel?! What is the meaning of this?! Who are they?!"
Morkel feigned innocence and narrated the events that had transpired.
"So, they are all Jonin from Cloud Shinobi?"
Konoha advisor Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes.
Mitokado Homura, another senior advisor, was visibly impressed.
"Incredible. To capture so many Jonin at such a young age..."
The Third Hokage slammed the table, furious.
"Cloud Shinobi sent this many elite fighters to assassinate a child?! Are they trying to start a war?!"
Morkel shrugged nonchalantly. "After capturing them, I let one go to deliver a ransom demand—500,000 copper coins per person."
The advisors exchanged glances.
The Third Hokage sighed. "Morkel, you are too naive."
Homura nodded. "Yes, it costs far more than 500,000 to train a Jonin. You should demand more—at least a million per person."
Danzo, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
"Hiruzen, this is reckless! If we do this, other villages will see Konoha as weak!"
The Third Hokage stroked his beard, considering Danzo's words.
Morkel, however, focused his gaze on Danzo.
Now that he was paying close attention, he could sense that Danzo's right eye and arm held Uchiha chakra.
He also sensed something unsettling beneath the old war hawk's bandages.
A forbidden power.
Danzo, noticing Morkel's scrutiny, met his gaze. "What?"
Morkel's face remained calm. "Nothing."
"Anyway, Hokage-sama, I'm fine with handling the ransom personally—as long as all the money goes to me."
The Third Hokage laughed. "You have a good plan, kid. But since you're using the village prison, we take half."
"Deal."
Morkel was satisfied. His original expectation was 500,000 per person. Now, even with the village taking half, he still got what he wanted.
As he was about to leave, the Third Hokage asked casually, "By the way, how was your training with Jiraiya?"
Morkel grinned. "Great! He taught me about gathering intelligence in places full of beautiful women and that minors shouldn't drink alcohol."
The advisors fumed.
"That damn Jiraiya!"
The Third Hokage merely chuckled. "There's no better teacher than Jiraiya."
As Morkel was teleporting away, he suddenly asked, "Hokage-sama, does Konoha have an organization called 'Root'?"
The Third Hokage's expression darkened as he shot a glance at Danzo.
"Yes. Why? Did they threaten you?"
Morkel waved a hand dismissively. "Not really. They just invited me to join. I was just curious."
The Third Hokage nodded. "I see. I understand."
As Morkel left, the Third Hokage turned to Danzo. "Danzo, don't target Morkel again. 'Root' shouldn't even exist."
Danzo's only response was a cold stare, his single visible eye gleaming with menace.
---
A Small Town in the Land of Fire
That evening, Morkel, Naruto, and Jiraiya searched for Tsunade. After some inquiries, they finally found her in a barbecue restaurant.
Jiraiya smirked. "Tsunade, it's been a long time."
Tsunade raised her glass, smirking back. "Jiraiya, babysitting kids now?"
Her eyes landed on Morkel.
"Morkel? I feel like I've heard that name before..."
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