Trading

"They're here, they're here." Under the bright moonlight, the many merchants gathered around the tavern saw Senba appear and immediately swarmed around him, chattering over one another until he was drowned out by the noise.

"Everyone!" Senba circulated his Chakra slightly, and his booming voice echoed through the empty room, instantly silencing the other noises.

Looking at Koinuida, who had been hung from a beam by the crowd, Senba swept his gaze over everyone before him. "According to the rules, we've completed our commissioned mission. Someone needs to sign our mission document." As he spoke, he took the mission scroll from his clothes and set it aside, then walked toward the back.

The instant Senba disappeared, the atmosphere among the crowd changed from excitement to something more delicate as they stared at the mission scroll before them. Signing that name represented no simple matter. In a sense, it was a right belonging only to the new guildmaster. The people who had just been unanimously condemning Koinuida immediately began to split among themselves.

Senba was more than happy to see this. Otherwise, how could the tavern's spoils legitimately end up in their hands? "Looting" sounded unpleasant, so passively accepting gifts was much nicer.

Things went just as Senba had expected. While he sat atop several large chests of gold, silver, and valuables, discussing the treasured blade "Rain Cutter" with Yue, Iruka approached with an odd expression, holding the mission scroll. A middle-aged man followed behind him.

"Senba, Guildmaster Shirakawa has finished signing the scroll. He says there's something he'd like to discuss with you." After speaking, Iruka walked aside with a puzzled look and watched Senba. He felt that this mission seemed different from what he had learned at the Ninja Academy, from beginning to end, and he wanted to see what Senba intended to do.

"Oh? Acting Guildmaster Shirakawa already signed the scroll, didn't he? Is there anything else?"

Senba handed "Rain Cutter" to Yue, whose eyes were shining, then turned and looked at Shirakawa with a half-smile. That one word—"acting"—made Shirakawa's smile turn awkward.

Shirakawa was no fool. From the other party's words, he realized that he might have signed too rashly. If Senba now used the fact that he was not the guildmaster to claim that it violated the rules and demanded that everyone find a new guildmaster to sign, then the people he had spent so much effort appeasing would probably turn on him at once. They might even accuse him of plotting against the guild, and he would follow in Koinuida's footsteps.

At that thought, Shirakawa understood that the youth before him was different from the Ninjas he had encountered in the past, who knew only how to speak with their blades. He would have to pay a certain price. But what would that price be?

At that moment, Senba crossed his legs and propped his right hand against a chest, his fingertips tapping steadily against the wooden box. The hard wood rang out with crisp sounds.

Seeing this, realization dawned in Shirakawa's eyes. So that was it.

Half an hour later, Senba, Iruka, and Uchiha Yue stood before the tavern, saying goodbye to Shirakawa and the others.

"Lord Senba, you're young and promising, truly young and promising. We'll be commissioning missions from Konoha again in the future. When that time comes, we hope we can trouble you, Lord Senba."

"Of course, of course. Farewell, everyone."

As he watched the three figures gradually disappear into the darkness, Shirakawa's face filled with emotion. Although he had been forced to pay a hefty sum, cooperating with Ninjas who were willing to negotiate was still better than dealing with Ninjas who attacked at the slightest disagreement. Besides, the gold and silver had belonged to the guild anyway.

In this chaotic world, one must never overestimate the refinement of Ninjas. They were human too, with both mental and physical needs, and those things required money as well.

By the bonfire in Asakusa Town, Genma Shiranui watched Senba distribute the spoils among everyone, as well as Iruka, whose brows were slightly furrowed. In the end, he sighed and called Iruka over. The two went some distance away to talk. As the team's commanding Jonin, he had better help Iruka with some psychological guidance; otherwise, it would be bad if the group developed resentment toward one another.

"Yue, since you've decided to take Rain Cutter, you'll need to give up most of your share of the spoils to compensate the three of us."

As Senba spoke to Uchiha Yue, who was unable to put Rain Cutter down, he moved most of the spoils beside her away. Uchiha Yue did not even spare them a glance.

"This is amazing! Rain Cutter actually contains a small amount of Chakra-conducting metal. I've been worrying that I didn't have a weapon that suited me. Senba, when we get back, I'm going to use you to test the blade."

"What did you say?!"

"Ahem, I misspoke. I meant spar with you, hehe."

Looking at Uchiha Yue's awkward face, Senba glared at her. Then he glanced toward the two figures talking in the darkness in the distance, frowning slightly, before taking out several meat buns and placing them over the fire to roast.

The sky might be vast and the earth might be broad, but eating came first. After an intense battle, they needed to replenish their energy; otherwise, he could not feel safe. As for Iruka's thoughts, Senba believed Teacher Genma would be able to guide him. Of course, if Iruka still could not accept it, then so be it. That was life—there would always be times when people parted ways, even the closest of friends.

As Senba watched the buns' exteriors gradually turn golden, his thoughts were actually on Kusagakure. He wondered whether that Uzumaki mother and daughter had been rescued.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

"Water Release: Thousand Needles Water Kill!"

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"

A massive waterfall came crashing down from the sky, submerging the office building where the Kusakage was located. Then thick mist spread across the surroundings, making it impossible for the Grass Ninjas within to distinguish directions. In the end, they became targets and were shot full of holes by countless water Senbon.

"Mist Ninjas, what are you trying to do?!"

A ball of grass rolled out of the mist. The grim-faced Kusakage looked at the three Mist Ninjas before him, his voice carrying a trace of tremor. He had no idea how he had offended them that they would cross the Land of Fire to attack them.

After all, he was merely an ordinary Elite Jonin, while the power of their Ninjutsu alone made it clear that they were Ninjas of Elite Jonin level.

Yet the masked Kirigakure Ninja answered the Kusakage with a flood of Water Release, blasting him back into the mist once more.

An hour later, the Kusakage, beaten until he had barely a breath left, watched as the Mist Ninjas swaggered into the Kusakage's office building. They not only took away the pitifully few Ninjutsu scrolls and treasures, but also roughly hoisted the two bloodline containers—one of Kusagakure's foundations—onto their shoulders. Ignoring their struggles, they vanished into the night in a flash.

"Pfft!" Unable to catch his breath at the sight, he fell straight into unconsciousness. Then a Special Jonin from the village hurried over to check on his Kage.

Then, a Kunai silently stabbed into the Kusakage's chest. Overthrowing the higher-ranked was their favorite thing to do.

At the end of Konoha Year 51, assassination personnel suspected to be from Kirigakure launched a surprise attack on Kusakage Village, killed the Kusakage, and plundered Kusagakure's important strategic supplies. As for what those supplies were, the Grass Ninjas of Kusagakure fell collectively silent.

Still unaware of all this, Senba and the other three immediately hurried back to Konoha at full speed after dividing up the spoils. Senba worried that the events might not have occurred, while Iruka, after being counseled, silently accepted the share of spoils that belonged to him.

After traveling through the night, Konoha's gates appeared in their sight. Seeing them, smiles appeared on everyone's faces.