"Taking you in? It's not impossible."
Ruichi maintained his hulking, ferocious appearance. "No need to work yourself to the bone—I'm not into that. But I do need someone to run errands."
Kin's eyes lit up instantly. She nodded like a pecking chick.
"I can do anything! Laundry, cooking, cleaning—I can do it all!"
"I'll make this clear first." Ruichi flexed an arm thicker than Kin's thigh. His knuckles cracked loudly.
"I hate trouble more than anything. If you dare cause trouble for me, or if you have any ulterior motives…"
The little girl shivered, shaking her head frantically.
"N-no! I wouldn't dare! Kin will absolutely never cause you trouble, my lord!"
"Good. Get up." Ruichi waved his hand. "Let's eat first."
---
Ruichi took Kin to a restaurant, sat down, and ordered food. As he ate, he quietly refined his plan—how to deal with that pig without leaving a trail, and how to turn everything into a chaotic, untraceable mess.
Kin sat across from him, fidgeting as she watched him eat in silence.
"You said earlier that your father was a merchant?"
"Y-yes, Master Ruichi."
"Then tell me—what businesses does the Daimyō's Estate run in this city? The profitable ones. The obvious ones."
Kin didn't know why he was asking, but she tried her best to recall.
"There's the largest grain store in the eastern district. A silk shop in the south. In the west, a restaurant and a gambling den… If we're talking about profits, it's definitely the grain store. In the Land of Rice Fields, grain is the easiest way to make money."
Ruichi's gaze drifted toward the refugees in the streets—sallow, emaciated, barely clinging to life.
A bold, perfectly formed plan took shape in his mind.
"The grain store," he said calmly. "That's the one."
"I have a task for you. Go spread a rumor throughout the city: The Daimyō of the Land of Rice Fields is wise and mighty, deeply cares for his people, and recently personally ordered a bounty that wiped out the long-standing bandit group in the canyon."
A wicked smile curled at the corner of Ruichi's mouth.
"Make it as exaggerated as possible. Best if it reaches the ears of the mountain bandits."
Kin immediately understood—this was about sowing discord and forcing a direct collision between the Daimyō and the bandits.
"I understand!"
She nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with excitement and vengeance.
"Stay safe. Don't expose yourself." Ruichi ruffled her still-messy hair.
"Wait for me at the abandoned shrine three miles outside the city."
"Yes!"
Kin ran off to carry out her mission. Watching her go, Ruichi smiled in satisfaction.
Professional matters should be handled by professionals. A merchant's daughter knew exactly how to stir public opinion.
---
Next, it was his turn to prepare.
His "bald tough guy" disguise was far too conspicuous. He needed to make a flashy exit first.
When the city guards watched that walking disaster leave, every single one of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Ruichi walked out of the city, entered a small grove, and confirmed there was no one around.
"Transformation Jutsu!"
The bald brute vanished. In his place stood a lean, shifty-eyed mountain bandit with a scar across his face.
One of the bandits he'd killed earlier.
Ruichi adjusted the ragged headscarf, hunched his back, and slipped back into the city unnoticed.
He deliberately let a few passersby catch a glimpse of his "bandit" face—solid proof for later claims that the mountain bandits had entered the city for revenge.
---
Near the eastern grain store, Ruichi didn't rush.
Like a ghost, he moved across rooftops and shadows, memorizing the layout, guard rotations, and—most importantly—the location of the accounting room.
Everything was clear.
Night fell silently.
A black shadow slipped onto the roof. A tile was lifted without a sound.
Ruichi slid inside.
He went straight to the accounting room and, in one smooth motion, swept all the cash into a sack.
"Not bad," he muttered. "This'll keep me comfortable for quite a while."
"Fire Release: Heater."
He planted several slow-burning Fire Release setups around the building—delayed ignition points.
Then he pried open the heavy granary gates with Earth Release.
Looking at the mountain-like stacks of rice bags, a demonic smile appeared on his face.
"Wind Release: Sound Transmission."
His voice boomed outward, rough and savage, amplified by wind chakra.
"Lackeys of the Daimyō's Estate! You dared put a bounty on our brothers—this is the price!"
"Brothers! Loot everything!!"
The moment he finished shouting, Ruichi vanished and sprinted toward the city gates.
---
The shouts were like explosives thrown into still water.
The first to react were the refugees huddled near the grain store.
"Grain—being looted?!"
"It's the mountain bandits! They've come for revenge!"
"The granary's open! So much rice!"
Hunger was the ultimate catalyst.
Fear and hesitation were instantly crushed by instinct.
One person rushed forward. Then another. Then dozens. Then hundreds.
Within moments, a tidal wave of refugees surged into the grain store.
People fought, clawed, and trampled each other for rice.
From atop the city wall, Ruichi watched calmly.
"Fire! The grain store is on fire!"
As flames rose and chaos engulfed the city, Ruichi nodded in satisfaction and disappeared into the night with the stolen money.
---
Three miles outside the city, at the abandoned shrine.
Kin waited anxiously. The distant noise from the city made her heart pound.
Then a figure emerged from the darkness.
Not the ferocious brute—but a handsome, white-haired youth in tattered clothes, looking like he'd just crawled out of a refugee camp.
"M-Master Ruichi?" Kin asked hesitantly.
"Hm. It's me." Ruichi tossed her a bundle of money.
"Your payment."
"M-my lord… the city—"
"Small matter."
He spoke as if he'd merely visited a neighbor.
They didn't linger. Under cover of night, they quietly returned to the town where Anko's team was staying.
---
On the road, Kin could no longer hold back her curiosity.
"Master Ruichi… why didn't you just rob the Daimyō's Estate directly? There must be far more money there."
"Too noisy. The cost would outweigh the gain." Ruichi explained calmly, like a teacher lecturing a student.
"Attacking the estate changes the nature of the crime. That brings endless investigation."
"Then… why only one grain store?"
"Because we don't have the manpower. You can't swallow more than you can chew."
He smiled faintly. "And tell me—do you think the biggest loss to the Daimyō was the money we stole?"
Kin blinked. "The… grain?"
"Exactly."
Ruichi snapped his fingers. "Those mountains of grain burning and being looted are enough to bury the missing cash completely."
"Even if the estate investigates, it'll end up as an unsolvable mess. And if the Daimyō still wants to keep using mountain bandits in the future, he won't dare dig too deeply."
Kin stared at him in awe.
This lord wasn't just strong—he was terrifyingly meticulous.
This wasn't robbery.
It was a masterpiece.