Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 146 The Deal Between Plum Rain and Sunagakure: Double-crossing (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The Land of Rain, evening, a torrential downpour.

Thick black clouds coiled like pythons over the harbor.

The torrential rain was silent, devoid of thunder, while the wind, rising from afar, raged through the harbor, making the small wooden boats, like rootless duckweed, creak and groan.

In this dark and gloomy place, only a beam of horizontal light shone out, as if taut and straightened by the wind.

"Cough cough, this piece of junk, I'll smash you up one day!"

At the top of the towering lighthouse, the man who had climbed up coughed from the wind and cursed as he manually operated the spring mechanism, turning the lens system that concentrated the beam of light.

The swirling wind and the stinging rain slapped his face red, and even the lightest boats were swept away by the waves and hurricane.

No one would risk their life to leave or enter the port in this awful weather.

Naturally, there is no need for a lighthouse, a fixed luminous beacon, to act as a watchman and guide ships that do not even exist to the harbor.

However, lighthouses have never been used for just navigation and illumination.

It symbolizes both "hope" and "home," serving as a way for this weeping nation to assert its sovereignty and guide those lost at sea back home.

"Finally done."

The man, soaked to the bone, wiped the rain from his face, let out a deep breath, and stood up.

But when he watched the stagnant beam of light begin to turn again, a smile appeared on his weathered face.

A figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision behind him. The figure, whose face was only partially visible, showed no emotion in its eyes and ruthlessly swung the kunai in its hand at the man in front of it.

puff!

Blood splattered on the lens, turning the once bright beam of light from the lighthouse into a deep, dark, and crimson stain.

After a moment, the figure arrived at the foot of the lighthouse and saw the person waiting there.

Yellow lamps were lit in the lighthouse room behind him, and his figure, shrouded in a wide black robe, was incredibly tall, appearing to be over three meters, nearly four meters, tall.

The lamplight cast his black shadow across the ground, and a gust of wind rushed into his black robe through the gaps, seemingly indicating his impatience.

Not daring to look any longer, he lowered his head respectfully and said, "Lord Hiruko, it's resolved."

"……Um."

After a moment of silence, a muffled reply came from the man called "Hiruko," who said impatiently, "Have someone go upstairs and keep an eye on them. I want to see when they come."

"Yes."

His men responded and left. Hiruko, shrouded in a black robe, turned her head back, revealing her empty white mask in the moonlight.

Clap clap! Clap clap!

Even standing under a tall lighthouse, the heavy rain, hurled by the wind, can still sting and turn one's face pale.

But he seemed oblivious, gazing at the ever-churning waves of the sea, a deep sense of unease rising within him.

He had already made up his mind.

Once I finish this task to earn merit points today, I will never take on such troublesome tasks again, no matter what old lady Chiyo says.

If it weren't for the fact that this mission was incredibly lucrative, he, as a puppeteer, would never have carried out a mission in this kind of weather.

In fact, they had wanted to change the time and place of the transaction as early as two days ago when they learned of the weather change.

But the guy selling the medicine rejected the proposal outright, arguing that "the rainy weather would be more concealed" and demanding that they continue the transaction at the original time and place.

"As expected, when that bastard brings the goods over, we'll kill him and then fake it as a shipwreck," Hiruko muttered to herself, somewhat frantically.

The agreed-upon time for their transaction with the herb merchant was fast approaching, but with this awful weather, they hoped the guy hadn't completely lost his way at sea and couldn't find a place to trade.

Bang! !

Just as he was lost in thought, a loud crashing sound of waves breaking apart rang out.

Even in the midst of a storm, it was still deafening.

The signal from the Sand Ninja on the lighthouse was blocked, and Hiruko and the Sand Ninja hidden in the shadows couldn't help but feel a jolt in their hearts, and they subconsciously looked towards the source of the sound.

On the dark sea, a huge black shadow came crashing down.

The huge waves and storms were torn apart by the black behemoth's anchor-like bow, and then crushed under the steel behemoth by its incredible power.

The bright navigation lights, as dazzling as a lighthouse, tore through the gloom of the rainy night, enveloping the leeches standing beneath them.

It's hard to imagine that in such terrible weather, there would be any fearless people who would dare to sail, but when Hiruko saw that giant ship, he had no doubt about whether it could actually do it.

"...Hmph, this is interesting."

Looking at the unprecedented and extravagantly large ship, Hiruko, hidden behind the mask, couldn't help but let out a cold snort. His previously agitated heart was instantly calmed down as if doused with cold water, and he began to ponder in silence.

According to the intelligence gathered in the village, although the medicine merchant was very powerful and had a wide network of connections, his fleet certainly did not reach this level.

It's almost as if their skill level suddenly jumped to a whole new level out of thin air.

This made Hiruko begin to doubt whether the other party was actually a medicine merchant.

boom!

Just as he was pondering this, the anchor was dropped from the ship that had come ashore, and the huge spray it created was swallowed by the sea, allowing the ship to successfully land and anchor at the harbor.

Unlike the distant ships that sway helplessly in the wind and rain like wild grass.

This giant ship, which broke through the darkness, torrential rain, and surging waves, rested quietly at the harbor's edge, looking like a reclining giant, its imposing body unshaken by the waves and storms.

pat!

A figure seemed to jump directly off the ship's deck, and seeing this, Hiruko felt even more cautious.

"A ninja? Not that medicine merchant? Or perhaps, a bounty ninja he hired?"

Although he is cruel and tyrannical, the only reason he has survived to this day and become a puppeteer second only to Chiyo and whom he considers no less skilled than the Duomu couple is that he is both extremely cautious and valuing his life.

However, the figure in the distance, after disembarking, raised one hand to shield himself from the wind and rain, and with the other hand took out a powerful flashlight and flashed it at a certain frequency to send a signal.

Three long and one short, two short and one long, repeating in a cycle.

Hiruko then confirmed the other party's identity. Her body, which had been tense and making strange noises, immediately relaxed, and she also made a gesture to her subordinates on the lighthouse.

The figure quickly saw the corresponding coded signal flashing from the lighthouse and walked towards them. Soon, Hiruko, who was standing under the lighthouse, saw a figure wearing a black raincoat walk through the dim rain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

While he was thinking, Hiruko saw the man scratch his head and apologize sincerely, "I ran into some trouble, so I'm late. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Hearing the man in front of her apologize so politely and humbly, Hiruko was momentarily at a loss as to what kind of person he was.

To avoid being targeted by anyone, this operation was kept strictly confidential.

Therefore, they did not use their official Sunagakure identities, but instead contacted each other through the black market in their personal capacities.

Generally speaking, when two parties who are unaware of each other's backgrounds are conducting a transaction, the other party should project the intimidating aura of a local strongman, showing that they are not to be trifled with, in order to reduce the possibility of a big fish eating a small fish or a thief eating a thief.

But the other party's direct apology opening...

It will only cause you to lose your advantageous position and be in a weak and disadvantageous position, and it will also easily arouse the other party's greed.

"Hmm?" the man asked, somewhat puzzled. "Sir, what's wrong with you...?"

"Where is what I asked for?" Before the other person could finish speaking, Hiruko interrupted him, shoving the words back into his mouth.

"Huh? They want to see something right away? Are all merchants from the Land of Wind this direct in their business dealings?"

The man looked somewhat surprised, but quickly smiled knowingly and said, "The rain is heavy today, no one will notice, so there's no need to worry."

"Yes, it's raining heavily."

Hiruko nodded, repeated his words, and her voice suddenly turned cold: "So, in this heavy rain, I'm not here to waste my breath on you."

"I'll give you the money you want, you'll give me the goods I want, and we'll go our separate ways after the transaction is complete. That's what we should be doing now, not making me watch you try to get close to me!"

Faced with Hiruko's chilling tone and the intimidating presence of his tall stature, the man subconsciously took a step back, seemingly frightened and somewhat timid.

"Okay, okay, the weather is bad today, and everyone is anxious, which is normal. Please don't do anything."

He decisively raised his hand, feigning weakness once more, and then changed the subject, saying, "But, could I see your money?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruko glanced at the Sand Ninja disguised as an ordinary person behind her and tilted her head slightly.

Bang!

Several crates were carried out of the lighthouse, slamming to the ground with a dull thud and releasing a whiff of oil.

An ordinary person might not be able to tell what's inside the box, but that person did, so he subconsciously took a step forward with some excitement.

The Sand Ninja standing next to the box tensed up immediately, unsure whether to step forward to stop him or grab their weapons and stop him.

"Let him inspect the goods. Anyway, I'm standing here, he can't take them away," Hiruko sneered.

Upon hearing this, the Sand Ninja who had been blocking the way stepped aside, revealing the large, dark brown box behind them.

"Thank you for your trust."

After thanking him politely, the man walked to the box and suddenly produced a short knife. He then slowly cut into the box along the seal.

Upon seeing this, Hiruko unconsciously became cautious.

He didn't notice where the other person had hidden a weapon, nor did he see how the other person suddenly took it out.

Sizzle, click click.

The man pried open a gap in the box, revealing a stack of gleaming banknotes inside, with the short knife halfway inserted.

"That's enough!"

Before he could look again, Hiruko walked up to him and impatiently repeated in a more forceful tone, "Where's what I asked for?"

By the dim light of the room inside the lighthouse, he could clearly see the other person's unassuming and honest face.

If I remember correctly, the other person's name was...

Plum rain?

The appearance matched the intelligence report, but unlike what the report said, the other party did not seem to be an ordinary person.

But he was, after all, a herb merchant, and yet he personally went to the market to conduct the transaction, seemingly without any protective measures whatsoever.

Would a businessman who has built such a large business really be so unwise?

Is he truly an idiot, or is he pretending?

"it is good."

Mei Yu wore an innocent, harmless smile and shone her flashlight behind her as a signal.

Then he turned to Hiruko and smiled slightly, "I have already contacted my companions on my ship. They will be here soon with what you want."

Hiruko frowned, then realized what was going on.

The seemingly honest and simple-minded medicine merchant in front of me was indeed not the real person in charge; he was just here to test the waters at the port.

Only after realizing they had the financial strength to pay did they decide to notify the person in charge on the ship to continue the transaction.

"This is really troublesome." Hiruko was impatient, but she could only wait.

After all, these supplies are too important to Sunagakure right now, and even he absolutely cannot mess them up.

Even if you're itching to kill this guy right now, you have to wait until you've got the goods before you make a move...

"They're here."

Suddenly, the voice of a medicine merchant came from in front of him, and Hiruko subconsciously looked up.

The beam of light from the lighthouse overhead was cast down by the Sand Ninja, covering the originally black ground with a pale hue.

Bathed in that light, Hiruko could clearly see the figure walking towards them through the rain.

It turned out to be a very young boy. Even though his gentle demeanor slightly masked his youthful inexperience, his inherent immaturity was still evident.

Following behind him was an even more immature boy, carrying a knife on his back that was almost as long as he was, making him look somewhat comical.

Seeing this, Hiruko glared fiercely at the still-simple-looking Meiyu, his pent-up anger erupting at once. He said in a chilling tone, "Are you playing me?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Yu looked at him with some confusion, seemingly not understanding why he said that, and then walked up to the man respectfully and said, "Lord Yun Chuan, there is no problem."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Uncle Meiyu."

Yun Chuan, dressed in a black raincoat as dark as the rainy night, nodded slightly as a few raindrops that had gathered on the tip of his hair fell.

His gentle voice still carried a hint of crispness, perfectly matching his youthful face, and Hiruko was once again certain that the other person was indeed a brat!

But the fact that the drug dealer was so respectful to this kid made Hiruko tense up with some wariness, and the chakra he had refined inside his body began to surge restlessly.

"Kid, you..."

But Yun Chuan seemed to ignore him, his gaze sweeping past the leeches in front of him and landing on the boxes behind him.

Reflected in those deep blue eyes, the Sand Ninja felt a chill run down their spines and instinctively averted their gaze.

But the chill seemed to originate from the depths of their souls, making them feel as if they were nailed to the spot with nowhere to retreat.

(End of this chapter)