pertwk Chapter 70 Kaori Uzuki
Chapter 70 Kaori Uzuki
Chapter 70 Kaori Uzuki
"Daheiwu" pawnshop.
The counter was very high, forcing people to look up at it.
The boss was an old man who wore a monocle and had eyes like a vulture.
"To pawn for dead goods, or to pawn for live goods?"
The old man didn't give Kaori a second glance just because she was a beautiful woman; he was focused on the knife.
The sword has been drawn.
Its blade gleamed coldly, with forging patterns resembling ripples on its surface. This was a fine knife.
"Damn it."
Kaori's voice trembled.
This meant she had given up the possibility of redemption. That knife carried the glory of the Uzuki clan, and her husband had said he would pass it on to their children.
"Thirty thousand taels," the old man quoted.
"This is impossible!" Kaori looked up abruptly. "This was crafted by the master craftsman Kurofu, infused with chakra-conducting metal! The material cost alone is more than 100,000 ryo!"
"That's the market price during peacetime."
The old man slowly sheathed his sword.
"Madam, open your eyes and look outside. It's wartime. People are dying every day on the front lines. Their knives are stripped off and transported back to the black market in bundles. That's the price for these knives right now."
Kaori bit her lower lip and tasted a hint of blood.
Thirty thousand taels. That's outrageous!
But she had no choice. The hospital's payment requests were suffocating her; if she didn't get the money soon, her daughter would truly have no other option but to die.
"I'll take it."
As I walked out of the pawnshop with that thin wad of banknotes, the rain started to pour down harder.
Kaori went straight to Konoha Hospital.
Outside the intensive care unit in the inpatient department.
The doctor was a middle-aged man, holding a medical record book in his hand.
"Mrs. Uzuki, we need to talk about the outstanding bill."
"I brought the money." Kaori handed over the thirty-five thousand taels.
The doctor took the money and counted it.
"This money is only enough to pay off last week's debt and cover the next three days' expenses."
"What?!" Kaori felt dizzy. "How could it be so fast? The previous fees were clearly—"
"The price has gone up."
The doctor sighed.
"With the number of wounded on the front lines surging, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and even chakra infusions have all been classified as controlled supplies. Prices have tripled."
"And—" the doctor paused, "your daughter's lung infection has worsened. Ordinary medications are no longer effective."
Kaori fell silent.
"Doctor, no matter what, please continue to treat Xiyan. I will raise the money."
It was completely dark when I left the hospital.
Kaori was soaked in sweat, and a sharp pain shot through her stomach. She hadn't eaten anything properly for two days, trying to save money to buy her daughter's nutritional supplements.
She stood on the street, looking at the lights of Hokage Rock in the distance.
The place was brightly lit, as if there had never been a war.
She stood in the shadows, her hands empty. She had sold all her husband's belongings, but only managed to catch her breath for three days.
We still need to raise money —
Kaori's gaze was resolute.
As a ninja, what's the fastest way to make money?
Doing a task?
The rewards for D-level missions are too low. Missions of C-level and above require a team, and she's currently working alone. Moreover, she can't leave the village because she has to take care of her daughter.
That leaves only one path.
Taking on freelance work.
There are also commissions in Konoha's underground world.
Kaori arrives at a bar on the edge of the red-light district.
This place is a gathering place for information brokers and illegal labor brokers.
Kaori went inside. She covered the lower half of her face with a black cloth, revealing only her cold, black eyes.
The tavern was filled with smoke, the stench of sweat, and the smell of cheap alcohol.
She walked to the innermost booth.
There sat a fat man with a face full of fat, counting money.
"I need to take a job." Kaori's voice was hoarse, and she deliberately lowered her voice.
The fat man raised his eyelids and glanced at her.
"An unfamiliar face?"
"Stop talking nonsense. We want a lot of money, cash payment, and no need to leave the village."
The fat man grinned.
"Not leaving the village? There aren't many jobs like that. These days, you either have to go out and work your ass off, or—"
His eyes swept over Kaori's curvaceous figure.
"Or, how about going to have a few drinks with some big bosses? Judging from your figure, even with your face covered, you still—"
Duh!
A kunai was driven deep into the fat man's fingers.
The fat man's laughter stopped abruptly.
He sensed the murderous intent. This was the work of someone who had actually killed.
"I'm a ninja," Kaori said coldly. "Don't insult me with such dirty talk."
The fat man swallowed hard, abandoning his initial disdain.
"Okay, okay. I have a job."
He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
"There's a small family's warehouse that needs someone to guard it tonight. Apparently, other forces are watching it. The reward is ten thousand taels, paid in cash."
"Only ten thousand?"
"This price applies to jobs that don't leave the village and are temporary. Take it or leave it."
Ten thousand taels. She used to look down on it. But now, it's enough for her to pay for three days' worth of medicine.
"I accepted it."
Kaori grabbed the note, turned around, and disappeared into the rainy night.
It was a terrible night.
The so-called guard duty was actually a trap.
That small family was actually transferring contraband and was being watched by the security forces.
As soon as Kaori arrived there, she was met with a surprise inspection by the Uchiha clan.
The employer ran away.
As a temporary, undocumented worker, she became the scapegoat.
Faced with the Uchiha police force's pursuit, she had no choice but to flee.
-
She ran wildly across the rooftops in the rainy night, with several Uchiha clan members shooting shuriken and fire-style attacks from behind.
She didn't dare to fight back.
Once they retaliate, the nature of the situation changes, and they become rogue ninjas.
She could only move through the dark alleys like a rat crossing the street.
Finally, she hid in a trash can.
The stench from the garbage heap was unbearable. She held her breath and listened to the footsteps of the guards receding into the distance.
At that moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation.
She was a Konoha ninja. Now, however, she lives like a criminal, hiding in a garbage dump, and has to worry about her daughter's medical bills.
Three o'clock in the morning.
Kaori crawled out of the trash can. She was covered in mud and looked utterly disheveled.
He naturally didn't get the ten thousand taels, and even broke a kunai, which is now worth seven hundred taels on the market.
The streets were deserted; she was cold and hungry.
This is truly hopeless.
However, she quickly rallied. A ninja is someone who endures; she could accept this setback.
Four o'clock in the morning.
The rain finally stopped, and Kaori returned home.
This is an ordinary apartment with two bedrooms and a living room. It used to be full of warmth and joy, but now it's just deserted.
A new notice was posted on the door:
[Rental Overdue Notice: One month's rent is owed. If payment is not received within three days, the property will be repossessed.]
Kaori tore off the paper and casually threw it on the ground.
Let them take the house if they want. She can stay in the hospital with Xiyan, even if she has to sleep in the hallway.
She didn't turn on the light.
Using the moonlight streaming through the window, she took off her dirty clothes and went into the bathroom.
Cold water was washing over my body.
There's no hot water. Because the gas fee hasn't been paid.
The icy water sent shivers down her spine, and the cuts from the sword in her hand stung when it came into contact with the water. She scrubbed her skin vigorously with a towel, trying to wash away the smell of garbage.
In the mirror, the once spirited female ninja now looks utterly wretched.
After changing into clean clothes, she rummaged through the closet and found half a bottle of military ration pills.
This is expired military supplies; it tastes like stone, but it's the only food we have at home.
She chewed two pieces and swallowed them. A sharp pain shot through her stomach in protest.
Its daybreak.
Kaori arrived at Konoha Hospital.
In the hospital room, a little girl with short purple hair and a striking resemblance to Kaori was lying on the bed. She was wearing an oxygen mask and her face was pale.
Mao Yue sunset. Five years old.
The future master of Konoha swordsmanship is now suffering from lung disease, and even breathing requires a great deal of effort.
"Cough cough—" Xiyan coughed.
The nurse is changing her IV drip.
"Mom—" Xi Yan called out in a daze, her voice weak.
"Mom has gone on a mission, she'll be back soon," the nurse said casually, quickly changing the dressing before turning and leaving.
The nurse walked out of the ward and saw Kaori at the door.
"Mrs. Uzuki?"
The nurse paused for a moment, then seemed to remember something.
"Perfect timing. The attending physician wants you to come to his office."
in the office.
The attending physician was a bald man named Tian Shita. He was a minor supervisor in the medical department, with mediocre medical skills but a knack for accounting.
"sit."
Tanashita pointed to the chair and pushed the new bill over.
"In addition to the previous outstanding payments, there's a new situation now."
"Xiyan's lung shadow is expanding. Ordinary antibiotics have become ineffective."
Kaori's fingers were intertwined.
"Then—what should we do?"
"We need a special medicine." Tanashita adjusted his glasses. "Recently, there's an imported product called 'Wind Country Lung-Clearing Powder' on the market."
"Does the hospital have them?"
"Yes, there are, but—" Tanashita drawled, "those are reserved for Chunin and Jonin. You know, it's wartime now."
"I have money!"
Kaori said urgently, "I—I'll be able to raise the money very soon!"
Tianxia looked at her with greasy eyes.
He stood up, walked to the door, and closed it.
"Mrs. Kaori".
"Actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be money."
Tanashita turned around, his gaze lingering on Kaori. Although she looked haggard, her slender figure and cold, alluring demeanor, characteristic of a ninja, were a fatal attraction for men.
"The hospital happens to be short a few night-time intensive care nurses."
Tianxia took a few steps closer.
"If you're willing to come to my duty room tonight and help organize the medical records—I can find a way to deduct the cost of Xiyan's medicine from the waste records."
Kaori froze.
She looked up, her face filled with disbelief.
Is this really a doctor from Konoha? Where is your Will of Fire?
The husband died on the front lines protecting these people, while these people, back home, tried to force women into prostitution with drugs.
"roll."
Kaori uttered a single word.
"What did you say?" Tianxia's expression changed.
I said, get out.
Kaori's murderous aura erupted.
"If I ever hear those words again, I'll slit your throat. Even in the hospital."
Tianxia took a step back in fright. He swallowed hard, furious and embarrassed.
"Fine! You've got guts!"
"Eight o'clock in the morning, three days from now! If you can't pay the remaining fees, we'll stop the medication and throw your daughter out!"
"Even if she dies in the hallway, I'll follow the rules!"
Kaori walked out of the office.
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