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After finishing dinner at Kakashi's place and hearing some of the precautions his beloved teacher Minato had imparted, Uchiha Shi bid farewell and left.
He and Uchiha Kakashi became acquainted because Kakashi's grandmother lived next door and often came over to visit. Over time, they grew familiar with each other.
Unlike other characters from the Naruto universe, Uchiha Shi could be very relaxed about maintaining his relationship with Kakashi.
After all, Kakashi, being Kakashi, everyone knew what to expect.
No matter how deep their bond grew, it wouldn't stop him from turning dark and giving you a stab.
After leaving Kakashi's house, Uchiha Shi strolled down the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village with his wallet in hand.
At this time, the shadow of war had not yet fully spread among the civilians, and the Hidden Leaf Village still appeared peaceful on the surface.
However, some signs were already beginning to show.
At this moment, Uchiha Shi pushed aside the curtain and entered a ninja tool shop.
"Hey, Shi, are you here to buy Exploding Tags again?" The shopkeeper grinned, his mouth full of a beard, and asked Uchiha Shi.
"No, this time I'm here to buy Shuriken."
"That's unfortunate. The prices for Shuriken and Kunai have increased by 20%, and special steel wire by 30%. However, I still advise you to stock up. According to Old Lady Cat's information, these items will continue to rise in price."
"Alright, then give me six sets of ninja tools with wire holes, two large rolls of wire, and a Sealing Scroll. Let me calculate, I have 200,000, so I'll exchange all of it for Exploding Tags." Uchiha Shi patted his wallet and smiled, not the least bit heartbroken.
D-Rank missions typically offered a reward of 5,000 to 10,000 ryō, with some as low as a few hundred ryō. However, Uchiha Shi didn't take those. Since he completed the missions alone, no one shared the money.
A year of hard work had allowed Uchiha Shi to save a seven-figure sum.
And he had saved this money precisely for this moment.
"Wow, Shi, that's quite a generous purchase!" The shopkeeper's eyes widened. Uchiha Shi's spending power was on par with, if not surpassing, that of some special jōnin.
Uchiha Shi smiled slightly. He didn't need to support a family; he only needed to support himself.
He was different from those frugal ninjas who saved money for retirement.
The prices of ninja tools in the shinobi world were highly polarized. An Exploding Tag cost 2,000 ryō each, while Shuriken were the cheapest at around 50 ryō. Kunai ranged from 200 to 30,000 ryō depending on quality, with significant price differences between those used for throwing and those used for blocking.
A set of high-quality ninja tools, including throwing tools, close-combat tools, and protective gear, could cost nearly 200,000 ryō.
Swords and ninja swords were even more expensive, with the cheapest practice ninja swords starting at 3,000 ryō. Chakra Metal Ninja Tools were virtually priceless and, if sold, would be priced in the tens of thousands of ryō.
Why did Uchiha Shi need to buy so many ninja tools and Exploding Tags?
The reason was simple:
Uchiha Shi was going to die, but he couldn't die intentionally.
It might sound a bit convoluted, but that was the logic.
Intentional suicide would be deemed fraudulent by the Will of the Heavens, and he would get nothing, losing his life for nothing.
However, if
a passionate ninja, risking everything he owned, using the best skills he had honed until now, fought for a noble cause, and died in such a battle, who could say that this wasn't a worthy death?
Isn't this like the founder of the empire dying before his work was half done?
I'm so fired up, I have nothing left!
Aren't you going to hand over my Health Insurance Card?
Soon, the shopkeeper emerged with a pile of ninja tools, the weight of six sets of tools even making him sweat.
With a thud, he placed the tools on the table, then, like dealing cards, he fanned out the stacks of Exploding Tags for Uchiha Shi to count.
"Shi, buying so many ninja tools at once, are you going on a very dangerous mission?"
At this point, the shopkeeper realized that Uchiha Shi buying so many tools wasn't for fun.
Uchiha Shi looked up, frowned, and stared at the shopkeeper.
"Don't take it the wrong way, I know about the ninja confidentiality rules, but I do business with Old Lady Cat and also dabble in information."
"Dangerous missions for your clan usually involve the Battlefield of the Land of Rain and the Hell Valley of the Land of Hot Water." The shopkeeper's expression turned serious, "Neither of these places should be something someone of your caliber should be involved in." The shopkeeper didn't beat around the bush and spoke bluntly, then, he frowned and looked at Uchiha Shi with some difficulty.
"Considering how you've been a good customer to the Neko-Nin Clan for a long time, I'll give you a little something extra."
Saying this, the shopkeeper took out a piece of parchment and placed it in front of Uchiha Shi.
"This is a one-time contract from the Neko-Nin Clan. Sign it, and you can summon a Neko-Nin Messenger using the Summoning Jutsu."
The Neko-Nin Messenger is an elite cat ninja from the Neko-Nin Clan.
They are active in chaotic areas, with their base in a ruined city known to few.
However, unlike traditional summoning animals, the Neko-Nin Clan is a very independent group, almost impossible to be enslaved by ninjas.
This clan operates a ninja tool business and has a very close relationship with the Uchiha, who are skilled in tool manipulation.
Uchiha Shi knew that Old Lady Cat, the leader of the Neko-Nin Clan, was very fond of children.
If possible, she wouldn't hesitate to help children, especially Uchiha children.
Now, the shopkeeper presenting this one-time summoning contract suggested that, based on the information he had, Uchiha Shi was likely to face a life-or-death situation on this mission.
The shopkeeper offered this Neko-Nin contract to help Uchiha Shi, but more so to dissuade him.
To make him abandon this mission.
"You understand what I mean, right?" The shopkeeper stared straight at Uchiha Shi, his pupils subtly changing to vertical slits.
His tone became very heavy.
Uchiha Shi smiled and took the one-time contract from the shopkeeper.
The Neko-Nin Clan is a neutral shinobi clan and does not get involved in shinobi conflicts unless paid.
So, the main use of this contract was to replenish survival supplies and combat tools in chaotic battlefields, but it also required payment.
However, for Uchiha Shi, who had spent all his money tonight, this was just a piece of scrap paper and wouldn't hinder his plan to reasonably use the insurance.
With this thought, he turned and walked out of the shop.
He left behind a light sentence:
"Uncle, thank you."
"But, I have something I must do, and I won't fear even if it means facing life and death."
"This is my Ninja Way!"
After delivering this eloquent speech, Uchiha Shi walked out of the shop, pinched his wallet, and felt the remaining balance.
Then, he turned and entered the Red Light District of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Facing the fear of death tomorrow, Uchiha Shi felt a mix of excitement and a hint of fear.
So, he decided to eliminate this last regret tonight.
Three minutes later—
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(End of Chapter)