After briefing Hotaru, Hayate turned his gaze to Iruka and the two younger ninjas. "This A-Rank mission is primarily in the hands of you three."
"Eradicate the Hand's strongholds in Hell's Kitchen and bring Madam Gao before me alive. Anyone who stands in your way—regardless of who they are—is to be eliminated on sight."
Hayate then produced the case containing the items Madam Gao had used. "These carry her scent. When the time comes, you can call upon Pakkun for assistance."
Iruka stepped forward, taking the briefcase firmly. "Mission accepted. We will complete it without fail!"
Next to him, Lee flashed his signature thumbs-up, teeth glinting. "Lord Hayate, leave it to me! You can rest easy!"
Sasuke turned his head slightly, muttering a low "Idiot" under his breath before looking at Hayate. "Lord Hayate, I will bring this 'Madam Gao' back."
Hayate nodded. "Go. Complete the mission!"
In the next instant, the three ninjas blurred into shadows, vanishing from the room before the air could even settle.
Once they were gone, Hayate pulled out his phone and dialed a secure line.
"Management," a calm voice answered.
Hayate spoke slowly, his tone cold. "I want to issue a combined bounty announcement across the entire United States."
"Verification code," the operator asked, voice devoid of emotion.
"High Table Elder, 1000012."
"Pull the list of all Hand members within the United States. Issue a total liquidation bounty: $100,000 for ordinary members, $500,000 for small-time leaders, and $1,000,000 for Hand ninjas."
"The total bounty pool is $200 million."
He didn't place a specific bounty on Madam Gao herself; Iruka's team was already on her, and more importantly, Hayate needed her alive, not as a corpse delivered by a random hitman.
"Processing. Please hold."
At the High Table Bounty and Archive Center, the operator paused the line. "Administrator, archives. Get me the latest intel on Hand members in the U.S."
A staff member dressed as a secretary walked into the vault, pulled a file containing the most recent intelligence on the Hand's American operations, and handed it over. The operator opened it; the first page featured a photo of Madam Gao and a skyscraper in Hell's Kitchen.
The operator picked up a red stamp and slammed it down onto the file. The ink left behind a single word: WAR.
"Information recorded," the operator spoke back into the phone. "Global broadcast commencing shortly."
The data entry began immediately.
Target: Hand members (U.S. Wide)
Total Pool: $200,000,000
Payout Scale: $100k/Regular, $500k/Leader, $1M/Ninja
Distribution: United States
Status: Active Immediately
Primary Known Hub: Hell's Kitchen
As the information was finalized, the High Table's digital bounty board shifted. The previous top mission was bumped down, replaced by the liquidation of the Hand.
Send.
In an instant, every registered assassin under the High Table and the Continental Hotel across the U.S. received a text notification.
In the Bowery, the recently reinstated Bowery King looked at his phone and turned to Earl. "Work is here. Send everyone out. We need a piece of that 200 million." He needed the prize money to solidify his grip on his newly reclaimed followers.
At the New York Continental, Winston stared at the message, his brow furrowed. He knew that an internal bounty of this scale against another major power wasn't something a mere Adjudicator could order.
"It seems," Winston whispered to the empty room, "the new Elder's first fire is going to be fueled by the Hand."
Charon stood nearby, watching the hotel lobby as phones chimed in a synchronized wave—a scene reminiscent of John Wick's excommunicado, but on a much vaster scale.
Zero, the sushi-chef assassin, saw the words "Hand Ninja" and eyes lit up with a new target. He immediately flipped his shop's sign to "Closed" and walked out with his disciples.
Moments later, a second link was sent out—a comprehensive list of known Hand members with photos. There were over a hundred names, followed by a chilling postscript: This list is not exhaustive.
A 200 million dollar pool and a target-rich environment. It was an atomic bomb dropped into the underworld. On every street corner, the same sentence echoed: "Boys, let's go make some money."
In the War Room, Hotaru stared at her phone, then at Hayate. "Boss... where did you get that kind of money?"
She handled his finances; she knew his 90 million was currently tied up in the stock market shorting Stark.
Hayate smiled and tapped the briefcase Fisk had left—the one containing the 900 million in stocks. "Fisk's commission total was two billion."
Hotaru nearly dropped her laptop, standing up in shock. "He... he's that generous?"
"These are bearer shares worth 900 million—the down payment," Hayate said. "Transfer them all into my name."
Hotaru opened the case, her eyes wide as she scanned the documents. "Boss, you hit the jackpot. These stocks are gold—Oscorp, Coca-Cola, Stark. These are long-term keepers."
Hayate nodded. "I'll leave the logistics to you. Mobilize the High Table emissaries under our command too; let them earn some extra cash. As for your bonuses, we'll talk after this is over."
He walked out of the War Room toward the main hall. He needed a glass of whiskey. It was time to celebrate the fact that the Dragon Bone was almost in his grasp.
One relevant follow-up question: With the entire assassin world descending on Hell's Kitchen, how do you think the "Devil of Hell's Kitchen" (Daredevil) will react to this sudden, violent invasion of his turf?