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Moreover, Ye Dou has never taken action against ordinary civilians—he has only fought trained combatants. During the Land of Waves arc, he even took down a few chūnin. Before that, his opponents were typically jōnin-level. If Cardo were just an ordinary person, then figures like Kaidō would be torn apart—how could Ye Dou be expected to care? As for the "second pillar" (Uchiha Sasuke) and the others, Ye Dou has fought them several times, and they couldn't last more than two or three moves before losing combat effectiveness.
That's just my opinion—I hope you find it satisfactory.
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"Don't kill me! I have money! Lots of money! I'll give it all to you—just don't kill me!"
In the kitchen of the base formerly used by Momochi Zabuza, Cardo was on his knees, begging desperately for mercy.
He didn't dare to raise his head. He knew very well that once these cold-blooded killers saw your face, they left no survivors.
So even when he heard the door creak open, Cardo kept his eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to look at Ye Dou's face.
Ye Dou was in no rush. He calmly took out medicine and bandages, treating his wounds first. Then he created a shadow clone and sent it back to distract Kakashi and the others, keeping his presence concealed.
Only after finishing his treatment did he finally set his eyes on Cardo.
He said flatly, "Name your price—for your life."
Asking for money? That's a good sign. Cardo instantly felt relieved.
He wasn't afraid of being extorted—as long as he could keep his life. What he feared were those like Zabuza, who only came to kill, with no room for negotiation.
Testing the waters, he offered nervously, "O-One hundred million..."
A hundred million ryō wasn't a small amount. Most A-rank missions paid only a few million. Even hiring someone like Zabuza cost merely one million ryō.
Ye Dou remained silent, staring at Cardo.
He didn't know the full extent of Cardo's wealth, but he understood that the man was one of the world's richest figures—perhaps richer than the Hidden Leaf Village (Konohagakure) itself.
Even Konoha, despite having the highest living standards of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, required constant support from the Land of Fire for war funding—whether for food, supplies, or weaponry.
Cardo's wealth might not rival a whole nation, but for an individual, it was undoubtedly astronomical.
On the surface, Cardo was the head of a shipping company. In truth, he made his fortune through smuggling and the black-market trade—industries known for extreme profitability.
One smuggling trip could earn ten, twenty, or even fifty times the cost of operation.
Ye Dou knew that one hundred million ryō wouldn't be enough to satisfy him.
"One billion. No less," Ye Dou said coldly.
"I—I can't. I don't have that much liquid capital. Most of my wealth is tied up in real estate. I can't hand that over—it's useless to you," Cardo protested.
Seeing Ye Dou remain silent, Cardo's heart raced in panic.
He hoped Ye Dou understood that as a businessman, he wouldn't keep all his money sitting in vaults. He invested. He turned money into more money.
Of course, Ye Dou understood how wealth worked. Still, he was displeased. After all that effort—killing so many people—he would only walk away with one billion?
"Your life isn't that cheap."
He changed tack and asked, "How much liquid cash do you have? I mean real ryō, including anything stashed in black-market safe houses."
This bastard's trying to rob me blind! Cardo's face twisted, but he didn't dare to look up, fearing Ye Dou would see his anger and strike him down.
"I—I don't know! I'd have to go back and check—unless you want to wait here…"
"I'm going with you."
Ye Dou drew his newly acquired ninja blade and pressed it against Cardo's head. "Think carefully. I only want the liquid funds. I won't touch your real estate. With the way you make money, you'll earn it back in a few years."
Cardo clenched his fists in frustration, barely restraining his rage. "You're breaking the rules of the shinobi world!"
"There's an old saying," Ye Dou replied, smiling coldly. "'Arson and murder wear gold belts. Building roads and bridges earns no coffins.'"
There was indeed an unspoken rule among shinobi:
While a ninja could kill, burn, and destroy during missions, they were forbidden from targeting rich civilians—especially powerful merchants outside the ninja system.
Breaking that taboo meant being blacklisted by clients. Without missions or funding, the very profession of shinobi would collapse. Even elite mercenary groups like Akatsuki respected this rule—for their own survival.
"Give me one reason to believe you'll let me live after taking my money," Cardo growled.
"I kill for profit, not for sport," Ye Dou replied calmly. "If you don't know who I am, then you're not worth killing. And besides—I may come back when I run out of money."
You damned bastard! Cardo cursed internally. He decided then and there to hire elite ninja as bodyguards. Those samurai he previously used were garbage—cut down in seconds. Next time would be different.
He also resolved to spend a fortune tracking Ye Dou down and killing him.
"Fine," he gritted out. "I'll give you the money. But you better keep your word."
Cardo finally dared to look up. With a face full of pain, he got up and led Ye Dou toward his bank.
His base of operations was still in the Land of Waves, and his valuables—cash included—were stored nearby.
Ye Dou followed without worry. The Land of Waves wasn't like the Five Great Nations. There were no hidden villages, no active ninja clans. No one here could pose a threat to him.
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