The recent fight seemed as though it had never happened.
"Young Lady, what do we do next?"
Ryu and the other two stared at Asuka, waiting for her orders.
Konoha's people had arrived.
Would there be a conflict over the auctioned corpses later?
"I don't think so..."
Asuka shook her head.
At the very least, Konoha's two ninja would not clash with the high-ranking officials and nobles present.
Asuka looked around, trying to find that familiar figure among the crowd.
On the stage.
After a speech, the auctioneer presented the first item.
"The corpses of Branch Family members from the Hyuga Clan!"
Right from the start.
The corpses of Hokuto Hyuga and Gekko Clan, which should have been the grand finale, were brought out early.
After seeing Konoha's ninja fight so fiercely.
The auctioneer had temporarily adjusted the auction schedule.
Kaede Yamanaka and the calmed-down Shido Akimichi immediately looked toward the stage.
Ninja with Kekkei Genkai possessed immense research and practical value.
Whether alive or dead, many forces wanted to obtain them.
"I bid ten million ryo." Someone raised an arm.
"Eleven million."
"Twelve million."
Before long.
The corpses of Hokuto Hyuga and Gekko Clan were bid up to a combined price of fifty million ryo.
Their value lay in the bloodlines they possessed, which was why they sold for such a high price.
Furthermore, many people present wanted to do Konoha a favor.
Naturally, the price kept rising.
When the auctioneer brought down his hammer and announced the buyer of the corpses.
The wealthy merchant who had won them walked over to Shido Akimichi and Kaede Yamanaka with a beaming smile.
The two sides exchanged a few words.
The merchant stated that he would transfer the corpses to Konoha.
Shido Akimichi and Kaede Yamanaka immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the mission had been completed without incident.
However, the other party also made a request.
His bodyguards had just been killed, and he did not feel safe now.
Therefore, he hoped the two of them could serve as guards and escort him home after the auction ended.
Only then did Shido Akimichi and Kaede Yamanaka realize.
Those nameless extras who had just been killed were the thugs hired by the merchant.
An awkward yet polite smile bloomed across Kaede Yamanaka's face.
The atmosphere was harmonious.
Before profit.
Human lives were worthless.
No one cared about the deaths of a few nameless extras.
Soon.
The second auction began.
This time, it was a living person.
"A refugee from the Land of Rain. Just look at that figure, that pretty face..."
A girl with a lovely face and a delicate figure was dragged out.
With the auctioneer's introduction, she once again became the center of attention.
Human trafficking.
It was even more common in wartime, when ordinary people were displaced from their homes.
The people present wore different expressions and gazes.
At the same time, a pair of dark eyes watched from afar.
"Hehehe... Mingren, you're becoming more and more bloodthirsty."
Shennong laughed beside him.
He saw a deep killing intent in his disciple's eyes.
The original purpose behind Dark Chakra.
Was the inherent evil of human nature.
Shennong believed this was a hopeless world. Wherever there were people, there was darkness.
And the human heart... was clearly the starting point from which all darkness was born.
Mingren ignored him and quietly watched the scene, waiting for the auction to continue.
There was no problem with waiting a little longer.
He would watch first.
"Once the time is right, I'll kill them all!"
Mingren swept his gaze across the room, locking onto the high-ranking officials and nobles.
Their gaudy, resplendent faces were reflected in his eyes.
These people trafficked humans. They were no good either.
On the other side.
Konoha, which shouted about the Will of Fire and preached love and peace.
Simply looked away.
They pretended not to see any of it.
Their playing-dead reaction had naturally been entirely within Mingren's expectations.
In the Original Work.
Kakashi Hatake's Team 7 fought Zabuza and his group to the death.
But wasn't the root of their conflict Gato?
As long as Gato was killed, everything could have changed.
Yet in reality, Kakashi Hatake and the others would rather fight dangerous elite Jonin like Zabuza.
Than dare to deal with Gato, an ordinary wealthy businessman.
At that thought, the anger in Mingren's heart ignited fiercely.
His furious thoughts transformed into Dark Chakra.
Once lit, it could no longer be stopped.
[Power... 9.1!]
"More..."
Mingren murmured inwardly.
"Let me see just how ugly you can become!"
There was no such thing as incompetent rage.
All anger and dark emotions would become the source of Mingren's strength!
[Power... 9.2!]
After the long auction ended.
Even more ugliness and darkness was laid before Mingren's eyes.
Asuka naturally saw it as well.
She had never imagined.
That such a dark place was hidden within her own country.
Because of her anger.
Even Asuka's arms trembled.
She clenched her fingers, wishing she could kill everyone present.
But she knew.
The high-ranking officials and nobles who had come to the auction possessed both power and influence.
If she touched them, it would bring catastrophe upon the Land of Rain.
The tangled web of connections meant that every one of them knew, to some degree, even more formidable figures.
Pull one thread, and the whole body moved.
This was an enormous problem.
But was she really supposed to allow evil to flourish, right here on the land she loved and protected?
"Then, thank you all for attending today's auction. Until next time—"
The smiling auctioneer was so delighted by today's profits that he could barely close his mouth.
He had struck it rich.
Even a tiny share would be an astronomical sum of money...
However.
Before he could finish speaking.
A palm-sized stone was thrown out.
With a piercing whistle.
Bang!
The auctioneer, who was only an ordinary person, had his head explode.
As the headless corpse fell, the venue instantly froze.
Slaughter Blossoms
What... had happened?
The hall fell silent.
Amid their shock, someone stepped out from the crowd.
Before you continue