The Boiling Black Market

In the ninja world, black markets existed in every country.

They merely varied in size.

The Bounty Exchange was a place specifically for settling bounties, and Kakuzu did not want to make the trip to larger black markets.

So he conveniently accepted missions in places like this.

Large black markets, on the other hand, were like major trading hubs. Aside from the black market itself posting and accepting missions, people could also privately post requests there.

Whether they could actually collect their payment was another matter.

The reason black markets were not shut down was the hostility between ninja villages.

At a black market within the Land of Fire, one could freely post missions to assassinate personnel from other villages.

Even though the Five Great Nations had formed an alliance on the surface.

Sometimes, an alliance treaty was no more valuable than scrap paper.

One could also post a bounty to assassinate someone from Konoha, but they would have to consider whether Konoha's spies would find out.

The black markets had their own intelligence channels, and many ninja villages even conducted business with them.

Thus, Anbu from Konoha were stationed long-term at the largest black market in the Land of Fire.

Today, someone who had not concealed his face arrived at this black market in the Land of Fire.

Uchiha Itachi, with a slash carved across his forehead protector.

The moment he entered, the entire venue fell silent.

Konoha was not without Rogue Ninja, but those who swaggered in wearing their forehead protectors so openly were especially rare.

Naturally, the black market had intelligence personnel in a place like Konoha.

When the Uchiha had directly clashed with Konoha, the relevant intelligence had already been sent back.

The people of the black market naturally knew that although Uchiha Itachi was young, he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan!

Just one day ago, he had still been a Konoha Anbu captain. Now, he had already defected from the village and appeared at the black market.

The black market staff did not dare neglect him and hurriedly sent out a receptionist.

The receptionist had an honest-looking face, plump cheeks, and eyes squeezed into slits by fat. He wore a warm and friendly expression.

"Hello, I'm Beiyuan. What can I do for you?"

Itachi scrutinized the receptionist before him. He wore clothing bearing the black market insignia, his face full of humility and ingratiating smiles.

The people around them were very quiet. Those with well-connected sources knew that this was Uchiha Itachi.

Those without such information were curious why someone from the black market had come out from the inner rooms to personally receive this man.

"I need to post a bounty of five hundred million," Itachi said.

The surrounding crowd immediately gasped.

Five hundred million!

Even the most expensive Raikage only had a bounty of a little over one hundred million.

Bounties of this level were usually posted just for show.

Even if one could defeat a Kage-level expert, it was useless, because they still had subordinates and clansmen.

They would be better off killing an Asuma worth thirty-five million.

"Let's discuss this in the inner room."

A sharp glint flashed through Beiyuan's eyes, and his face piled on even more smiles.

Itachi gave a slight nod and followed Beiyuan into the inner room.

Not long afterward, a bounty appeared on the largest display in the hall.

It was immediately pinned to the top.

Bounty: Shimura Danzō of Konoha—five hundred million.

Client: Anonymous. Bounty period: 18 months.

The client would provide relevant intelligence. Acceptance fee: one million. The acceptance fee would decrease by one hundred thousand each month, down to a minimum of one hundred thousand per person.

No limit on the number of successful claimants. Payment guaranteed.

The black market erupted at once. A mere one million acceptance fee, and intelligence was even provided.

They had not seen a mission with such a high return rate in years.

Everyone knew intelligence was most useful in the early stages. Once it became worthless later on, a price reduction was perfectly normal.

And the payment was guaranteed.

That meant the client had already paid the money, and it was currently being held by the black market.

As long as one was capable of completing the mission, they could receive the money immediately.

A great many people wanted to see what this was all about.

Whether they could finish it or not did not matter. Spending a million to look at the intelligence was not a loss.

For a moment, countless desperadoes surged toward the window.

The Konoha personnel stationed here were dumbfounded. A public bounty had been placed on Konoha's higher-ups!

Five hundred million!

No name had been left behind, but Uchiha Itachi had mentioned a five-hundred-million mission when he arrived.

That meant Itachi had been instructed by the clan to do this.

There were not many complicated rules in the black market. Those who accepted the mission received a bag of intelligence after paying.

When they opened the bags, they found freshly copied intelligence. This was information Itachi had selectively placed there.

Of course, everyone was still guarding their intelligence closely.

Bounty hunters who could casually fork out a million had real skills. They all understood the importance of early intelligence.

They all made sure to keep others from seeing it.

When everyone looked through the intelligence—

Whoa! Konoha's defense deployment maps and patrol routes!

A roster of Anbu personnel distribution!

A tally of Root personnel!

Detailed files on Danzo's right-hand men!

The power of the Wood Style Arm on his body!

Those who had accepted the mission all cried out that it had been well worth taking!

Although the defense maps and patrol routes would be changed, the intelligence on Danzo's Wood Style Arm alone was worth a million.

Moreover, the intelligence roughly stated that Danzo intended to wipe out the Uchiha in order to obtain the Sharingan.

Everyone understood why the Uchiha had publicly placed bounties on the heads of the village's higher-ups.

"This is exciting."

"Then doesn't that mean Konoha and the Uchiha are about to go to war!?"

"Damn... this is going to be one hell of a show."

Everyone in the black market was a desperado, and some of them were quite intelligent.

They all keenly realized it.

If Konoha and the Uchiha went to war, Konoha would suffer a devastating blow.

It might even... trigger the Great Ninja War.

Konoha's people had also blended into the crowd and paid the fee.

After reading the intelligence, he stood there completely stunned.

As an intelligence agent, how could he not understand the sheer impact of the information Itachi had leaked?

He had to report it back to the village immediately!

Just as he made up his mind, he discovered that the people around him had already surrounded him.

His identity could not be concealed from everyone. The people closing in knew he was Konoha's intelligence agent stationed here.

Damn it!

Were they planning to silence him!?

Beiyuan approached with a smile. "Sir, fighting is prohibited in our black market."

"But once you leave the black market, that may not be the case."

"If necessary, we have rest rooms here where you can stay for free for a few days."

The intelligence agent looked up at the vicious Rogue Ninjas surrounding him and swallowed.

The intelligence would be most useful over these first few days. If he did not send it back—

Konoha would likely suffer considerable losses.

But he had no choice...

"I happen to be a little tired as well. I do need to rest for a few days."

Itachi silently slipped out of the crowd. Of the hundred people present, at least half had bought the intelligence.

He immediately admired Senior Senyo even more.

He had not paid anything at all. Instead, he had the black market deduct the cost from the money paid by those registering for the mission.

Any surplus would be split among them; if there was a shortfall, the Uchiha would make it up.

The prerequisite was that Danzo could be dealt with quickly.