"People ahead, please stop."
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
Several masked ANBU ninja appeared, surrounding the merchant convoy, their dark eyes fixed on them.
"That legendary blade—you took it, didn't you?" A middle-aged man with a bandaged right eye and dressed in a green uniform stepped forward from the ANBU ranks. His tone was cold and commanding. "Hand it over."
"Honorable shinobi," a short, plump man with two thin mustaches at the front of the convoy gestured behind him to calm the uneasy group before addressing the middle-aged man respectfully. "We haven't obtained any legendary blade."
However...
The short man inwardly cursed. Those people had assured him that Konoha's ninja wouldn't arrive so quickly, and hadn't the black market promised customer confidentiality?
What was going on? No matter what, they were high-paying customers who had spent billions!
Yet before they could even take a few steps, they were already cornered by Konoha's ninja. If this wasn't a breach of trust by the black market, he wouldn't believe it!
"Hmph!" The middle-aged man snorted coldly, his gaze icy as he stared at the convoy. "If you refuse to hand it over, don't blame us for taking it by force."
They hadn't obtained it?
What a joke!
Did they think Konoha's ANBU were fools?
If they weren't certain the blade was with this group, would Konoha's ninja have shown themselves so blatantly?
"Konoha's ANBU?" Seeing how confident the other side was, the short man realized negotiations were pointless—they would search by force no matter what. But...
"Bandaged right eye?"
He glanced at the middle-aged man, finding him somewhat familiar. "Shimura Danzo?"
"..."
Hearing his name spoken by a mere merchant, Danzo narrowed his eyes.
This was no ordinary merchant. The appearance of the "Darkness of Shinobi"...
Was not something a simple merchant should recognize.
So...
"Attack!"
No matter what, no one could be allowed to know Konoha had taken the blade.
Danzo's gaze turned frigid as he ordered the ANBU, "Leave no one alive!"
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
At their superior's command, the ANBU moved instantly. Since no survivors were to be left...
"Wait!"
Before the ANBU could strike, the short man shouted, "I am a merchant appointed by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, sent on his orders to procure goods. Not even you—not even the Hokage—has the right to attack us." He smirked, watching as the mention of the Daimyo made the ninja hesitate. He sighed in relief.
As long as these were Konoha's ninja, it was fine. Even the Hokage was appointed by the Daimyo, let alone...
"Damn it! You're rebelling!"
Yet...
Danzo only frowned slightly before repeating coldly, "Attack!"
It seemed even the Daimyo's court coveted that blade. In that case...
"Leave no survivors!"
They would have to make this operation even more flawless.
As long as everyone here was silenced...
Who would know Konoha was responsible?
"You—!" The short merchant panicked, turning to a middle-aged man behind him. "Lord Banba, save us!"
Th-these ninja were rebelling!
They wouldn't even heed the Daimyo's authority.
"Useless!" Banba scoffed at the merchant before calmly saying, "Engage."
"Whoosh!"
Seven ninja emerged from the convoy.
"Konoha, do you intend to rebel?" Banba glared at Danzo. "These are the Daimyo's belongings!"
"No one has the right to search them!"
Banba sighed inwardly. The enemies were too numerous—they had to prepare for the worst.
Once they escaped, they would report this to the Daimyo. Someone would deal with them. To dare steal from the Daimyo's court...
Did the Hokage no longer want his position?
Seeing so many ninja suddenly appear from the convoy, the Konoha ninja remained unfazed. These were just rogue ninja hired by the Daimyo's court—compared to elite shinobi like them...
They were nothing.
"These..."
The Daimyo's ninja!
Danzo narrowed his eyes. This was troublesome.
But...
They could no longer stop now.
So...
"Damn it!"
The merchant-ninja's faces turned pale with fury. "Damn Konoha!"
Seeing the Daimyo's name truly held no weight, they immediately formed hand seals and clashed with Konoha's ninja.
...
"Captain Raiga, should we intervene?" A Kiri-nin with a Mist headband asked. "While they're in chaos, we can retrieve the blade and return to the village."
"Not yet." Black Zetsu Raiga narrowed his eyes. "Later..."
"Once the Daimyo's forces and Konoha weaken each other, I'll prepare their funer—"
Before he could finish...
"Let Konoha prepare yours instead." A low voice interrupted. "Kiri-nin..."
"You've crossed the line."
"Who's there?" The Kiri-nin turned sharply to see a spiky-haired young man with white hair standing nearby.
"Hatake Sakumo?" Raiga grinned. "How interesting."
"It seems we've been discovered."
Damn it. They had planned to strike once Konoha suffered losses, but now...
"In that case, let me hold your..."
"Funeral first!"
With that...
Raiga raised his blade and shouted, "Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"
...
"Well done!" Uzumaki Jun patted Kakuzu, who was observing the battle through binoculars atop a hill. "To think you could sell it for so much!"
Indeed...
Selling weapons was the most profitable business!
"Why are you here?" Kakuzu glanced at Jun before refocusing on the distant fight. "Your script was well-written. Otherwise, these fools wouldn't have taken the bait."
A single stone tablet had multiplied the blade's value a hundredfold...
Why hadn't he studied more in his youth?
Truly...
Those with twisted minds were different.
This kid's brain was nothing like a typical Uzumaki's...
"Don't spout nonsense." Jun coughed lightly, feigning seriousness. "The tablet was made by others. We merely sold a blade."
"It was just a coincidence."
"..."
Kakuzu lowered his binoculars, giving Jun a look of admiration. "Why are you here? Doesn't Uzushiogakure have other matters?"
This thick-skinned...
No wonder he became a Kage at such a young age.
"Nothing urgent in Uzushiogakure." Jun smiled. "Who do you plan to sell the other blade, the fire-affinity one, to?"
Selling Frostmourne to the Land of Fire...
This was pure provocation.
If mishandled, these two nations would become sworn enemies.
"The Land of Water." Kakuzu's eyes gleamed. "It'll fetch a higher price there."
"..."
Truly... the man who once fought the God of Shinobi to a standstill...
This...
He'd do anything for money.
Jun stared at Kakuzu speechlessly before saying, "You... did well."
If Konoha wielded Frostmourne and Kiri wielded Fire's Joy...
No need to guess—these two villages would become eternal enemies.
"You still haven't answered." Kakuzu eyed Jun suspiciously. "What are you here for?"
Knowing this Uzumaki brat, he wouldn't show up without a reason. Every time he appeared, it was either to sell weapons or collect bloodlines. So...
Why did he have a bad feeling about this?
This kid...
Was he scheming again?
As for Jun...
"To add fuel to the fire." Jun smirked mysteriously, forming a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Disguise Technique."
A puff of smoke later...
A man with a yellow-spiraled mask and Mangekyō Sharingan, and another with a white mask bearing three tomoe and Rinnegan, appeared before Kakuzu.
Under Kakuzu's wide-eyed, twitching gaze...
"Please address me as..." x2
"Uchiha Shin."
"Six Paths Pain."