Inside the two-meter-high and wide safe lay unimaginable riches.
Stacks of ten-thousand-yuan bills were neatly arranged alongside shining gold bars. Bags brimming with sparkling gems, ornate jewelry, and even land deeds were casually placed in one of the compartments.
In both of his lifetimes, Izanami had never seen such vast wealth.
"Is this the fortune of a top-tier tycoon?" he gasped in awe. "If Kado didn't lie to me, this is just one of his many treasure troves. Just how rich is this guy?"
He chuckled. "Not that it matters now—it's all mine."
Izanami pulled out a storage scroll he had prepared in advance and began transferring all the cash, gold bars, gems, jewelry, and deeds into it. Unfortunately, the safe itself was too large to fit into the scroll—it wasn't a large or extra-large type. Luckily, he had anticipated this and brought two storage scrolls.
After collecting all the valuables, Izanami returned to the surface from the basement. He formed a hand seal and summoned an Izayoi's shadow clone, infused with a massive amount of Chakra.
"I'll leave the rest to you," Izanami said to the clone. "No problem, right?"
"Unnecessary question," the clone replied smugly. "Don't you trust me?"
With a smirk, the clone raised his hand and released Attraction, drawing Kado toward him before vanishing with him from the Land of Waves.
Watching the clone depart, Izanami and another Izayoi's shadow clone took Zabuza Momochi and Haku (White) and flew away from the Wave Country.
After returning to the Ninja Continent, they used the Body Flicker Technique to head toward the nearest Black Market. Each of them was carrying one person—Zabuza and Haku—respectively.
Izanami's Reincarnation Eye, capable of long-distance vision and seeing through matter, allowed him to locate the Black Market easily. After all, aside from ANBU and Root operatives, only Black Market agents lived underground.
However, his Reincarnation Eye couldn't find Black and White Zetsu, nor the Zetsu Clone. If there were no accidents, their disappearance was likely due to the Ephemeral Technique, which let them integrate into the earth, plants, and trees.
Although Black and White Zetsu weren't known for their combat strength, they possessed three extremely formidable skills—Spore Technique, Impersonation Technique, and Ephemeral Technique. These could be seen as the ultimate versions of the Three Body Technique, Body Flicker Technique, and Invisibility Technique.
Thanks to these abilities, even Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura never discovered their third brother's existence.
Within half a day, Izanami and his clone arrived at the entrance of the nearest Black Market—disguised as an ordinary public toilet.
Leaving his clone outside to guard Zabuza and Haku, Izanami entered alone through the special passage.
"Welcome, please follow me," said a middle-aged man in a black suit, immediately guiding him to a private room.
In the Black Market, masked individuals are usually either those pretending to be mysterious, individuals with a reputation in the ninja world, or outright legends. How one is treated depends on which category they fall into.
Izanami didn't realize this. It was his first visit to the Black Market. His Reincarnation Eye couldn't eavesdrop or scan information like rules or procedures. With no posted notices or guides, he simply assumed everyone got the same treatment.
"I wonder what the guest requires?" the man asked politely after offering Izanami a seat.
"Do you have paper and a pen? I'd like to order some materials," Izanami said.
"Yes, yes, right away," the man responded eagerly, eyes gleaming at the possibility of a large transaction. He quickly returned with writing materials.
Izanami began listing out the items—every material required for crafting Human Puppets and Chakra Cores, all memorized beforehand.
Once finished, he handed the paper over and asked, "Can you acquire these materials?"
The man studied the list carefully. "These are puppet materials from the Hidden Sand Village. Some differ slightly, but they're all obtainable."
"What's the price here?" Izanami asked.
The man raised three fingers. "Three times the market price."
In other words, a 30% markup.
"That's acceptable. Prepare thirty sets for me. How long will it take?" Izanami replied without flinching. He avoided asking the actual market price to keep from revealing his ignorance and being treated like a novice.
"The goods will be ready in three days," the man said, rubbing his hands. "But we require a deposit—200,000 Ryo will suffice."
Two hundred thousand Ryo—the standard reward for a B-rank mission.
"Fine. I'll return in three days."
Reaching into his sleeve, Izanami pulled out twenty ten-thousand-Ryo bills and placed them on the table. With that, he turned and left.
The middle-aged man, meanwhile, used the Black Market's network to start acquiring the materials. Within a single day, news of the transaction was passed along via special channels.
"The mysterious individual has been located," said White Zetsu with a grin.
"As Black Zetsu expected, he's buying materials for crafting Human Puppets in the Black Market," he added.
Black Zetsu, speaking solemnly, said, "While one could gather such materials independently, it would take too long. The only fast options are the Hidden Sand Village or the Black Market. It's no surprise he chose the latter."
"Inform 'Uchiha Madara-sama' and eliminate this threat as soon as possible."
Soon after, Uchiha Obito and Black and White Zetsu appeared on a rooftop, communicating with Tendo Pain.
"We've located the mysterious individual. Will you act personally?" Obito asked.
"Is your injury not yet healed?" Tendo Pain asked, testing him.
"Not yet. That injury can't be healed with time alone," Obito responded. "You know better than anyone—the man we're facing once brought order to the chaos."
Had Nagato ever seen the real Uchiha Madara, he might've sensed something was off. After all, the true Madara would never bother explaining himself to a junior, let alone reveal vulnerability.
Even without eyes, the real Madara would face the Nine Tails with unshakable arrogance.
Seeing that Obito remained mysterious and unwilling to act directly, Tendo Pain finally said, "Then I will go. You assist from the shadows."
"Very well. But I want to bring someone along."
"Uchiha Itachi?"
"Yes. His pupil techniques are extremely useful. They might prove decisive."
"Fine. When do we act?"
"Right now."
With a few curt exchanges, the Six Paths of Pain, Uchiha Obito, and Uchiha Itachi took action—swiftly and decisively.
Had Izanami witnessed this meeting, he would've clicked his tongue in astonishment.
The two top BOSSes of Akatsuki—one overt, one covert—teaming up, with the undefeated prodigy Uchiha Itachi assisting. This was, without question, the strongest trio in the ninja world.
To assemble such a lineup just to deal with him… it was definitely overkill.
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