Underground Exchange

After taking the time to savor the warmth of everyday life, Seiji began searching according to the memories he had acquired.

As a medium-sized town in the Land of Water, though remote, it should still have an Underground Exchange, like those scattered throughout the Ninja World.

From Isshiki's memories, Seiji learned that the earliest exchange houses had been jointly founded by all the nobles of the Ninja World. Their sole purpose had been to control the Ninja World's economy and issue a unified currency.

However, after years of conflict and the emergence of ninjas as a profession, the exchange houses gradually evolved into Underground Exchanges. Nominally, they were still jointly controlled by the Daimyo of each country and received their protection. Yet in reality, over the course of that evolution, the Underground Exchanges in different regions had already become independent of one another. Even the originally standardized Ninja World currency, though unchanged in design, now bore the symbols of their respective countries.

The present-day Underground Exchanges retained only the tradition of issuing unified Ninja World currency in each region; their other functions had long since become utterly different. Their main business was trade—specifically, assassination bounties—and they also possessed formidable intelligence-gathering capabilities. It could be said that, with enough money, anyone could have a bounty placed on them, and any information could be obtained.

They had every kind of information. Didn't that sound a little familiar?

That was right. The one responsible for providing intelligence to the Underground Exchanges spread throughout the Ninja World was none other than Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, hidden behind the scenes!

Having lived for over a thousand years, Isshiki had infiltrated the Underground Exchanges as soon as they first appeared, relying on his knowledge of countless secrets. Over the long years that followed, by continuously providing flawless intelligence that no one else knew, Isshiki had gradually risen to become the person in charge of intelligence.

At the end of a street on the northern side of town, Seiji finally arrived at his destination. It was an attic building rarely visited by anyone. After locating the restroom, he briefly sensed the position of the hidden door.

He had no idea which brilliant idiot had designed it, but the location of a dignified exchange house was actually set inside a restroom.

His nose twitched slightly in distaste. Enduring the foul smell, Seiji walked in.

"This way, please!" A fierce-looking man came forward to greet him. He was the attendant on rotation at this Underground Exchange.

"Would the guest like to purchase intelligence or place a bounty?" the attendant asked.

Seiji did not answer. He silently took out a token and handed it to the attendant before him. This token was proof of identity Seiji had created on his way here, following Isshiki's memories and using the Ōtsutsuki Clan's unique method through Yin-Yang Release. In the current Ninja World, no one should have been capable of imitating it.

Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had never revealed his true appearance within the exchange houses. He had always remained behind the scenes, controlling matters remotely. The only proof of his identity was this one-of-a-kind token.

"My lord! How may I assist you?" After verifying it, the attendant immediately dropped to one knee.

"Get me the latest detailed map of the Land of Water. Also bring me one million ryo in cash." Seiji was quite satisfied with this and gave his orders calmly.

"Please wait a moment, my lord. I will prepare them immediately." The attendant accepted the order and turned to retrieve what Seiji needed.

Before long, the attendant returned with a map and a leather case. After respectfully handing them to Seiji, he asked another question.

"Does my lord require anything else?"

"Oh, right. Do you have a Storage Scroll? Give me one." Seiji casually unfolded the map to inspect it, then suddenly recalled something.

Having experienced the convenience of a Storage Scroll, Seiji was extremely eager to have one.

"My lord, I happen to have one on me. Please allow me to offer it to you!" The attendant hurriedly took out the Storage Scroll he carried and handed it to Seiji.

"Not bad." Seiji nodded in satisfaction. Copying the method from Isshiki's memories, he tapped a finger against the attendant's forehead and transmitted a piece of information. He then stored the map and leather case in the scroll before turning to leave.

Feeling a set of instructions appear in his mind for a ten-hand-seal version of the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, the attendant was overjoyed.

The Water Dragon Bullet Technique was a fairly common B-rank Water Release ninjutsu. Under normal circumstances, it required as many as forty-four hand seals. Yet Seiji, who had awakened his memories of a past life and inherited Isshiki's memories, possessed three different simplified methods in his mind: three seals, five seals, and ten seals.

"Thank you for your reward, my lord! Farewell, my lord!"

After leaving the exchange house, Seiji headed straight for a barbecue restaurant he had passed earlier.

"Lord ninja, what would you like to eat?" The owner personally came over to receive him.

"Bring ten servings of every kind of barbecue first!" Having lived on wild vegetables since childhood in this life, Seiji had experienced the pleasure of enjoying fine food through his memories and was eagerly anticipating this so-called barbecue.

The meat had been sliced into thin pieces with exquisite knife work. The sizzling sound and fragrant aroma as it grilled were intoxicating, as though whispering temptation and satisfaction into his ear. The color of the meat deepened from pale pink to golden brown, like a work of art displaying the irresistible appeal of grilled meat. Crisp on the outside and tender within, it gave off a heady aroma. Paired with fresh vegetables and seasonings, it left Seiji wanting more.

"This is dozens of times better than the crude stuff I made for myself in the wilderness!" Seiji could not help praising after his first taste of barbecue.

After wolfing down the meal, Seiji was thoroughly satisfied. Once he had paid, he left the barbecue restaurant and prepared to find a tailor's shop to order several outfits.

After describing several clothing styles he liked from his memories, Seiji paid the deposit and left.

He arrived at the town's only inn and lavishly chose the most luxurious room available. Having inherited Isshiki's estate, he had absolutely no intention of saving money. With the intelligence network of the entire Underground Exchange in his hands, Seiji could now be considered one of the richest people in the Ninja World aside from the Daimyo of the various countries. All that mattered was enjoying himself.

Soaking comfortably in the hot spring, Seiji slowly circulated the Chakra within his body and began cultivating.

Ten days passed quickly, and it was time to collect his clothes. After breakfast, Seiji went to the tailor's shop, where the old tailor, who had been waiting for a long time, handed him the outfits he had ordered. Seiji took them and hurried into the fitting room. Removing his old ragged, bloodstained clothes, he swiftly changed into the new ones.

Both the Otsutsuki Clan and the Kaguya Clan favored white, and naturally, so did Seiji.

He changed into an off-white, form-fitting standard ninja outfit suited for combat, put on a pair of short ninja boots, and draped a pure-white Divine Robe over it, embroidered with six black tomoe on both the chest and back.

As Seiji emerged from the fitting room in his new clothes, the old tailor's eyes could not help lighting up.

The youth in white had delicate features, yet possessed an unusual kind of striking beauty.

Light and graceful in bearing, noble in temperament, he seemed like an immortal banished to the mortal world. A faint, transcendent aura clung to him, while every gesture exuded elegance and composure.

Seiji was extremely satisfied with his new attire. It had perfectly achieved the effect he remembered.

Escorted out respectfully by the old tailor, Seiji returned to the inn.