Genjutsu

"A client?"

So he was a "businessman." That explained the presence of unfamiliar ninja.

But in this chaotic era, a "businessman" hiding in the nooks and crannies of the Ninja World was bound to give off a bad vibe.

Whatever business this was, it was most likely not legitimate.

"What can I get from you?" Yuzhen asked curiously.

"My clients can be broadly divided into sellers and buyers."

"Could you elaborate?"

"If you're a seller, I generally only accept human trafficking... My research requires a lot of ninja assistance.

With the Ninja World in such disarray, most defeated ninja are simply killed. It's a shame, really. Ninja are a valuable resource, after all.

So, if you want to make the most of them, you can hand over any ninja you capture in war to me. I'll offer a fair price."

Vocal, it was "slave trade." Yuzhen actually heard...

Good news.

Yuzhen clenched his fist secretly. Regardless of why this person was collecting slaves from the Ninja World, since he was in this business, Yuzhen could be reasonably sure that the distress signal from his clansmen had come from here.

His clansmen were likely here. He had found the right place.

A human trafficker would indeed have all sorts of people. This was good news for Yuzhen.

"It's certainly a good business. It's a shame I didn't know about it beforehand and don't have the goods you're looking for," Yuzhen said.

"Oh, so those two ninja are dead. What a pity," the voice said.

The other party had indeed noticed the fight in the swamp.

Would he believe me if I said those two didn't die directly by my hand? Yuzhen thought.

"And if I were a buyer? What could I get from you?" he continued to inquire.

"Things that can rapidly enhance a ninja's combat power, such as temporary and fast-acting chakra-boosting elixirs, or extremely loyal, colossal Summoning Beasts."

Extremely loyal? Yuzhen remembered the unlucky guy who had just been bitten to death by his own Summoning Beast.

"Can I see the Summoning Beasts? I'm very interested in that aspect."

"Of course. Anyone can become my client as long as they adhere to the principles of fair trade... Please, go inside. The merchandise is in there."

As the words fell, a corner of the courtyard suddenly collapsed, revealing a downward-sloping staircase.

Yuzhen pondered for a moment, then stepped towards it.

As he descended the dark stairs, his vigilance reached its peak. His right arm, hidden beneath his clothes, began to turn pale.

He couldn't help it; this underground space felt too much like a trap. He had to be ready to flee at any moment.

Almost simultaneously as Yuzhen initiated his partial White Zetsu Transformation, his vision suddenly changed!

After descending a certain distance underground, what Yuzhen had initially seen as ordinary underground structures now transformed into iron cages.

The cages were lined up on either side of the passage. In the cages on one side were ninja with their hands and feet bound, while the other side held various bizarre and ferocious beasts.

Genjutsu? When did I fall under Genjutsu?

The change in his vision indicated that Yuzhen had been under some form of Genjutsu control. But the problem was, he had no idea when he had been affected; there wasn't a single clue in his mind.

And why did this Genjutsu dissipate after he partially activated his White Zetsu Transformation?

Could the White Zetsu-transformed body restore his chakra flow to normal?

Now was not the time to ponder these things. Yuzhen feigned ignorance and continued deeper into the passage.

At the end of the passage was a room with an open door.

Yuzhen tried deactivating his White Zetsu Transformation and found himself looking at a rather exquisitely built house. In the room directly facing the entrance, there was a long table. Behind the table sat a cloaked figure whose face could not be seen... This looked like a place for business negotiations.

Then Yuzhen reactivated his White Zetsu Transformation, and the so-called room turned into another cage, filled with all sorts of messy torture instruments.

He carefully observed the inside of the cage and, without much hesitation, boldly walked in.

"Welcome, my guest. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tsuchishi, and I am passionate about cultivating Summoning Beasts."

After entering the room, the voice echoed within the hollow space.

Passionate about cultivating? More like passionate about "assembling" Summoning Beasts.

Without giving Yuzhen time to react, the cage door slammed shut.

Now trapped like a turtle in a jar, the cloaked figure finally dropped the pretense. A sinister laugh began to echo through the underground space.

"You will certainly make excellent research material."

"Not long ago, it seems someone sent out a distress signal while I wasn't paying attention. I was very confident in my containment, initially thinking it was a mere illusion. But now, someone has walked right into my trap..."

"Don't worry, I will extract your brain and heart, then select the finest beast to replace them. You won't die, but you will live a new kind of life..."

Idle chatter? Of course not. This person is stalling for time.

Yuzhen felt his chakra being stripped away by some unknown force. He instinctively glanced at the wall behind the iron cage.

Earth Style?

He thought for a moment, then said, "I seem to recall an Earth Style ninjutsu that can absorb an enemy's chakra. What was it called... Earth Prison: Heavenly Wall?"

The arrogant voice abruptly stopped, then turned furious: "How do you know my secret technique?"

Did Yuzhen have an obligation to explain? He chuckled, then said:

"Your attitude isn't great. As a researcher, you should remain calm and rational in any situation."

You can't celebrate prematurely; clearly, you have no experience.

"You're trapped like a turtle in a jar. Once I drain your chakra, I'll see..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Yuzhen extended a pale hand and pressed it against the surrounding rock wall.

The surrounding chakra began to flow backward, and in an instant, Yuzhen went from "net loss" to "net gain."

He instantly siphoned all the chakra from the Earth Prison's walls. Without the chakra's support, the surrounding rock walls immediately crumbled.

A more hidden room was revealed.

"Found you. You were hiding pretty deep."

Just as Yuzhen had expected, someone who hid and tried to lure him into traps with various methods wouldn't have impressive frontal combat power.

Of course, the ability to absorb chakra could be considered a killing move, but unfortunately for him, he ran into Yuzhen, who could absorb even more.

If it were someone else, they might not have been able to escape this prison.

In the Ninja World, while the ability to absorb chakra isn't common, it's not so rare as to be nonexistent. If you believe this one move alone can make you invincible, you'll eventually stumble.

The person before him, who called himself Tsuchishi, made the mistake of relying on past experience.

"You can see me? No, when did you break the genjutsu?"

"I was about to ask when I fell for your genjutsu."

Yuzhen formed hand seals, Water Style: Water Severing Wave.

The iron cage that trapped him was easily sliced into pieces. Seeing this, Tsuchishi immediately tried to escape.

Trying to run?

Yuzhen unleashed his second ninjutsu, Water Style: Water Surge.

In the narrow underground space, the rushing water surged like a breached dam, instantly flooding the small "rat hole."

In an open area, the attack effect of such a ninjutsu wouldn't be much. With a ninja's agility, there would always be ways to dodge or defend.

However, in the confined underground, most people couldn't handle this "great flood." The opponent had no room to maneuver and could barely escape the impact range of Yuzhen's Water Style.

Yuzhen used the Mayfly Technique, first merging his body into the rock wall, then using the wall to move rapidly.

He instantly appeared beside Tsuchishi and, with a swift motion, slapped the drowning enemy on the back of the neck. With a crisp crack, Tsuchishi's cervical spine seemed to dislocate.

Choking on water and getting hit, the enemy was directly knocked unconscious.

"This... he can't take a hit?"

The enemy's resilience was so weak; it was somewhat beyond Yuzhen's expectations.

With such weak strength, he dared to call himself a "researcher"?

True inventors in the Ninja World would need Kage-level strength.