Traveling Merchant

Water Bat No. 7 was a general-purpose biological protease toxin he had cultivated, mainly for trading with traveling merchants in exchange for scarce bladed tools and supplies.

Even ninjutsu.

The venom produced by the three Water Bats locked in cages was his exclusive secret formula, reserved for his own use. Without the corresponding Antidote Serum, it was virtually impossible to cure.

Though they were both biological protease toxins, those meant for trade risked being cracked and having matching Antidote Serums developed. Naturally, they had to be kept separate from the ones he used himself. He still had that much awareness of risk.

He had no desire to one day find, on the battlefield, that the poison he had administered had completely lost its effect.

After extracting the venom, Umino Sasuke diluted the 500 mL of toxin with plenty of water to increase the shipment volume, then packaged it into bottles.

Once he had sorted out the items for this transaction, he took his Sealing Scrolls of spoils of war and left the laboratory, heading straight for the military trading outpost.

The so-called military trading outpost was merely a marketplace, something like an underground black market, opened by traveling merchants behind the battlefield.

The only reason it was not called an underground black market was because this Military Trading Post had deep official backing and even enjoyed the support of multiple factions.

At the very least, the nobles of the Land of Fire and the Konoha Ninja Clan were definitely involved—and deeply so.

This Military Trading Post mainly did business with frontline ninja. Its public business was supplying frontline ninja with bladed tools and equipment, while its main underground business was fencing spoils of war. It even handled deeper, more sensitive dealings. Its operations were far more comprehensive and professional than those of Konoha's Logistics Department.

It basically handled everything. Explosive Tags, kunai, shuriken, and Soldier Pills were all small business. Secret medicines, low-level ninjutsu, Summoning Beasts, and more—so long as one had money, they could get nearly anything.

They even provided delivery services. If someone found it inconvenient to send something to their family through Konoha's Logistics Department from the battlefield, they could ask these merchants to handle it. Their reputation was far better than the Logistics Department's.

If someone died in battle, Konoha's Logistics Department might embezzle what was left behind. But once traveling merchants accepted payment, they would definitely get the job done. Merchants lived by their credibility, unlike two-faced ninja.

Not long ago, Umino Sasuke had sent his younger brother, who was still attending the Ninja Academy, a standard Sunagakure kunai and three doses of Nara Secret Medicine as a birthday gift through this very channel.

Many ordinary low- and mid-ranking ninja even feared that Konoha's Logistics Department would embezzle their inheritance after their deaths, so they deposited both their spoils of war and military pay in the Military Banks run by these merchants. That alone showed how trustworthy these people truly were.

At the very least, they were far more reliable than Konoha's Logistics Department.

The Military Trading Post nearest the front line was neither very far nor particularly close.

After traveling less than thirty kilometers, he saw a valley filled with crude shacks and wooden huts.

Clearly.

This Military Trading Post was among the lowest-tier branches and only handled basic services. Higher-end services, such as deliveries and deposits, were only available at the next-tier Military Trading Posts farther behind the lines.

Before entering the valley, Umino Sasuke put on the fish-face mask he had prepared long ago and used the Transformation Jutsu to take on an appearance vaguely characteristic of a Sarutobi Clan jonin, while also looking as though he were desperately trying to conceal his identity.

The thick, curling beard along his cheeks in particular carelessly revealed quite a bit of information.

The moment he entered the valley, he heard waves of lewd sounds, occasionally punctuated by sudden, high-pitched cries.

The entire valley was suffused with a sickening stench.

Clearly.

Besides fencing stolen goods for ninja and selling bladed tools and supplies, these traveling merchants also ran a flesh trade.

Ninja with connections generally used missions as an excuse to return to the village every so often, and some even had vacations. Ordinary ninja without connections could only remain at the front for months at a time, sometimes even years.

Facing the threat of death every day, anyone would develop some mental problems under such prolonged pressure. With plenty of military pay on them and nowhere to vent that pressure, coming to the Military Trading Post for a little entertainment was not a bad choice.

After all, ninja were human too, and they had needs in that regard. Konoha High Command naturally knew what was happening, but what could they do? They could hardly handle such matters themselves and open a separate women's camp, could they?

So they could only turn a blind eye.

As long as it did not interfere with missions or go too far and become common knowledge, things would be allowed to remain as they were.

That was still better than frontline ninja with nowhere to vent secretly looting the war zone, assaulting men, and violating women.

Looting in war zones was rare on Konoha's side, but it was not unheard of. When fighting in foreign lands, it was even more impossible to stamp out.

That was especially true on the Land of Rain front. Several squads of ninja who had committed crimes had already been thrown into Konoha Prison.

Those squads had even become negative examples, paraded back and forth through the Land of Rivers as a warning.

As a result, the prostitution services provided by traveling merchants had become an unspoken rule accepted throughout the Shinobi World.

Umino Sasuke had not come here for entertainment. He swiftly crossed a large area of shacks and headed straight toward the three-story building in the middle of the valley.

The masked ninja he passed along the way could not see through Umino Sasuke's Transformation Jutsu when they saw his attire. Every one of them hurriedly stepped aside, as timid as mice before a cat. Quite a few ninja who had already undone their belts quickly tied them back up and left in a hurry, wasting several hours they had spent waiting in line.

Clearly.

Coming to the Military Trading Post for entertainment might have been an unspoken rule, but it was still not something that could stand the light of day. If they were caught by a superior, they would still be punished.

Punishment was a minor matter. If word got back to the village and their wives made a fuss, putting a green hat on them, that would be a disaster.

No matter how wildly they behaved outside, as long as it did not reach home, life could still go on.

Ninja were, after all, high-income earners. Most ninja wives knew what was going on and usually chose to endure it. But if things were made public and they lost face, there would be no peace in their lives afterward.

"Fish, you finally came."

Upon seeing Umino Sasuke, a balding merchant ninja who looked like a plump, greasy shopkeeper hurried over with tremendous enthusiasm.

Clearly.

This was not Umino Sasuke's first time here, and he was a premium client.

The balding merchant ninja led Umino Sasuke directly to the second floor, then asked impatiently, "Fish, how much DDT No. 7 did you bring this time?"

Umino Sasuke did not immediately take out Water Bat No. 7, which was what the balding merchant ninja called DDT No. 7.

DDT No. 7 was far more famous a name than Water Bat No. 7. The name alone added quite a premium to its value.

"No rush. Price the other items first."

Water Bat No. 7 was an important bargaining chip for his upcoming trade. Before his other spoils of war had been appraised and evaluated, he would never take it out early for trading.

Water Bat No. 7 was not some terrifyingly lethal poison, but it was still a toxin that targeted chakra. Before an Antidote Serum had been developed, ordinary Antidote Pills were practically ineffective against it.

It still had quite a market.