"Yuzuru, it's your bounty poster."
Tsunade's voice carried a hint of excitement.
Among the countless bounty notices, Yuzuru Uchiha's stood out from the rest.
Not only was the poster massive, but the number printed on it was so large it was hard to even count.
"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands…"
Tsunade counted the zeros from the back, one by one, until her mouth slowly fell open.
Ten billion ryō?!
No way—there had to be a mistake!
She was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the sole heir of the Senju clan, one of the Legendary Sannin, the Third Hokage's direct disciple, and a medical-ninjutsu prodigy with overwhelming strength…
Yet even with all that, her bounty wasn't even three hundred million ryō.
Tsunade had expected Yuzuru's bounty to be higher than hers, but she had never imagined it would be this high.
A ten billion ryō was simply absurd.
Seeing her stunned expression, Yuzuru couldn't help thinking what a pity it was. Such a good opportunity—but the timing wasn't right.
"Someone's willing to pay a ten billion for my head. That's what they call personal charm."
Yuzuru brushed his hair back, narcissism slipping into his eyes.
Being so far ahead in the black market rankings that no one else even came close—it was practically an honor.
Even Sarutobi Asuma, whose name had long become a unit of measurement, only had a measly thirty-five million ryō bounty.
That amount wasn't even worthy of polishing Yuzuru's shoes.
Seeing that he was still able to smile, Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You really have nerves of steel. Maybe think about what kind of heaven-defying crime you committed for someone to offer one ten billion ryō for your head?"
At that, Yuzuru let out a subtle hum. "The one who posted the bounty is an enemy. The more an enemy opposes me, the more that means I'm doing the right thing."
"I'll keep walking toward my goal, step by step."
Hearing the quiet conviction in his tone, Tsunade blinked—then a smile appeared on her lips without her noticing.
She gave a soft laugh. "So you're not worried that a ten billion ryō will attract half the world's bounty hunters? These are people who'll do anything for money."
"If they want to die? Let them come." Yuzuru shrugged. "Up until now, not a single bounty hunter has dared to attack me."
He then pulled his own poster from the wall. "Yuzuru Uchiha is here. Anyone who wants the bounty, step forward."
The noisy bounty hall fell silent at once. Every gaze locked onto him.
They lived off the black market. They knew that number all too well.
Many had once stared at his poster until their hearts pounded and their breath turned hot, fantasizing about killing him—gaining enough money to live in luxury forever, and fame to match.
But now that Yuzuru had appeared in person, they realized they didn't even have the courage to meet his eyes.
Seeing everyone fall silent, Tsunade sighed and patted his shoulder. "You're making a scene again. Too flashy."
Yuzuru only chuckled. "How can an Uchiha not be flashy?"
He turned to address the hall. "I have matters to attend to today. All services are suspended for now. You all may leave."
Anger flared instantly in the eyes of the surrounding ninjas.
Yuzuru's aloofness, the way he dismissed them—it was like they were nothing to him.
These were people who lived by gambling their lives. Even if they feared his strength, someone still stepped forward.
"Yuzuru Uchiha, this is the black market. The bounty hall concerns all our interests. You don't get to decide that with one sentence."
A moment later, their vision blurred—Yuzuru was already holding that ninja by the throat.
"Do you wish to dance for me as well?"
Crack.
With a clean snap, the ninja went limp.
Yuzuru tossed the corpse aside. "The weak should learn to stay quiet."
"Dammit, he's too arrogant!"
"We're not scared kids—your scheme won't work!"
"No way we're leaving! This is the black market—we do whatever we damn want!"
"Yuzuru Uchiha! Do you even know where the 'black' in 'black market' comes from?!"
Instead of fear, the kill only ignited their defiance.
More bounty ninjas stepped forward, surrounding him.
The commotion drew stronger and stronger fighters. Soon, nearly everyone in the area with any real power had gathered.
Their eyes glittered with greed.
Yuzuru had walked into the black market alone, flaunting his arrogance.
If they killed him here—even if the payout was split evenly—it would still be a fortune.
"Yuzuru… now what?"
Tsunade's voice trembled.
These weren't weaklings—several were extremely strong. And they were clearly about to attack all at once.
"Why panic? If they didn't come looking for trouble, how would I carry out the rest of my plan?"
He had intentionally provoked them—he needed all bounty ninjas united against him.
Only by overwhelming them with absolute power could he make this pack of lawless fighters into obedient citizens, laying the foundation for future rule over the Land of Silence.
"Tsunade, stand back."
Yuzuru waved her aside and walked toward the crowd.
"Kill him!"
Someone shouted—and the hall erupted.
Yuzuru formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A massive sea of fire swept out, consuming everything within dozens of meters. Many were instantly reduced to charcoal.
At the same time, the bounty hunters' attacks rained down.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Thunder Strike!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
"…!"
A barrage of ninjutsu engulfed Yuzuru. Grins spread across the bounty ninjas' faces.
They didn't care about friendly fire—every attack launched without hesitation.
Under such overwhelming ranged firepower, Yuzuru's body should have been obliterated.
But the next second, a hundred-meter-tall Susanoo appeared from nowhere.
Its giant blade swept across the battlefield—every bounty hunter in range turned to dust.
Yuzuru stood atop Susanoo's head, arms crossed, looking down on them like insects.
"Now, can you tell me where the 'Black' in Black Market comes from?"