Traveling Merchant

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

Even ninjutsu.

The toxin produced by the three Water Bats kept in cages was a unique, secret formula for his personal use, with no corresponding antidote, making it essentially incurable.

While both were protease toxins, there was a risk of the ones used for trade being deciphered and an antidote developed. Naturally, they had to be kept separate; he needed to have that much risk awareness.

He certainly didn't want to experience the situation where the poison he used became completely ineffective on the battlefield.

After collecting the toxin, Umino Sasuke diluted the 500mL of venom with a considerable amount of water, increasing the output volume before packaging and bottling it.

Once he had organized the items for this trade, he left the laboratory with his spoils, the sealing scrolls, and headed directly for the traveling merchant trading post.

The so-called traveling merchant trading post was merely an exchange, similar to an underground black market, set up by traveling merchants behind the battlefield.

It wasn't an underground black market simply because this traveling merchant exchange had a deep official background and was even supported by multiple factions.

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

This traveling merchant exchange primarily did business with front-line ninja. Its overt business was to provide tools and supplies to them, while its main covert business was fencing spoils of war. It even had some deeper services, making its offerings far more comprehensive and professional than those of Konoha's Logistics Department.

It was basically all-encompassing. Explosive Tags, kunai, shuriken, and soldier pills were small business. If you had the money, they could procure almost anything, such as secret medicines, low-level ninjutsu, or summoning beasts.

They even offered a delivery service. If it was inconvenient to send items to family through Konoha's Logistics Department from the battlefield, they could help. Their reliability was far higher than Konoha's Logistics Department.

If a ninja died, Konoha's Logistics Department might engage in embezzlement, but if the traveling merchants accepted payment, they would definitely fulfill their end. Merchants operated on integrity, unlike two-faced ninja.

It was through this channel that Umino Sasuke had recently sent a standard kunai from Sunagakure and three portions of Nara Secret Medicine to his younger brother, who was still at the Jonin Academy, as a birthday gift.

In fact, many low-to-mid-level ordinary ninja, fearing embezzlement of their inheritance by Konoha's Logistics Department after their death, deposited their spoils of war and military pay in the traveling banks run by these merchants, which showed that the credibility of these people was indeed trustworthy.

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

The traveling merchant exchange closest to the front line was not far, but not close either.

After traveling less than thirty kilometers, he could see a valley with many rudimentary huts and wooden houses built within it.

Clearly.

This traveling merchant exchange was the lowest tier, only offering basic services. High-end services like delivery and money deposit could only be found at higher-level traveling merchant exchanges in the rear.

Before even entering the valley, Umino Sasuke put on a fish-faced mask he had prepared and used the Transformation Jutsu to change himself into a form that bore some resemblance to a Jonin of the Sarutobi Clan, yet also seemed to be deliberately concealing his identity.

The stubble on his cheeks, in particular, inadvertently revealed a lot of information.

As soon as he entered the valley, he heard sounds of decadent music, even punctuated by sudden shouts.

The entire valley was filled with an unpleasant, fishy odor.

Clearly.

Besides fencing spoils of war and selling tools and supplies to ninja, these traveling merchants were also engaged in the flesh trade.

Ninja with connections would generally use their missions as an excuse to return to the village periodically, even getting leave. Ordinary ninja without connections would have to stay on the front lines for months, or even years.

Facing the threat of death every day, under such prolonged high pressure, anyone's mental state would be somewhat affected. With a considerable amount of military pay on them, when they had no outlet for their stress, coming to this traveling merchant exchange for some leisure was a good option.

After all, ninja were human too and had such needs. The Konoha leadership naturally knew this, but what could they do? They couldn't exactly do this themselves or open a separate female camp.

They could only turn a blind eye.

As long as it didn't interfere with missions and wasn't done too excessively, becoming widely known, then so be it.

It was better than front-line ninja secretly looting and preying on civilians in the war zone due to a lack of outlets.

Looting in war zones was rare for Konoha, but not unheard of. When fighting in foreign lands, it was even more rampant and difficult to suppress.

Especially on the Land of Rain front, several squads of ninja had been imprisoned in Konoha for committing crimes.

These squads had become negative examples, being publicized back and forth in the Land of Rivers as a warning.

Thus, the provision of prostitute services by traveling merchants had become an unspoken rule in the Ninja World.

Umino Sasuke was not here for leisure. He quickly passed through a large area of huts and headed straight for the three-story building in the valley.

The masked ninja he passed on the road, seeing Umino Sasuke's attire, could not see through his Transformation Jutsu. They all made way, displaying a timid demeanor like mice seeing a cat. Many ninja who had already unbuckled their belts quickly retied them and hurried away, wasting several hours of waiting time.

Clearly.

While coming to the traveling merchant exchange for leisure was an unspoken rule, it was still somewhat disreputable. If caught by superiors, they would still be punished.

Punishment was a minor issue. If word got back to the village and their wives made a fuss, leading to them being cuckolded, that would be terrible.

No matter how wild they were outside, as long as it didn't get back home, life could still go on.

Ninja were, after all, high-income earners. Most ninja wives knew what was going on and generally chose to tolerate it. But if it became a public issue, causing them to lose face, then they could forget about peaceful days ahead.

"Fish, you're finally here."

Upon seeing Umino Sasuke's arrival, a bald merchant ninja, who looked like a greasy, plump shopkeeper, greeted him with great enthusiasm.

Clearly.

This was not Umino Sasuke's first time here; he was a valued customer.

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

Umino Sasuke did not immediately produce Water Bat No. 7, which was what the bald merchant ninja referred to as DDT No. 7.

DDT No. 7, that name is much more famous than Water Bat No. 7. Just the name alone has caused its price to increase significantly.

"No rush with this one, let's set prices for the other items first."

This Water Bat No. 7 is an important bargaining chip for his upcoming transactions. He absolutely will not bring it out for trade before all the other spoils of war have been appraised and identified.

Although Water Bat No. 7 isn't an incredibly potent poison, it is still a toxin that targets Chakra. Before an antidote is developed, and with regular detoxifying pills being mostly ineffective.

It still has a good market.