The Exchange Shop

On the way to the nearest black market exchange, Haku pondered Orochimaru's last words before they parted.

[Your body seems a bit unusual. There's a power brewing, but your cells can't quite support it, making it strange. You should pay more attention to it.]

[System!]

[Host, what do you need?]

In that instant, Haku felt that his system AI must have known something all along but had never told him.

[Hoo!]

Slowly exhaling, Haku asked the system if it knew anything about his body.

[Host! Because you've been constantly refining chakra, your body has actually been in a constant state of starvation. Chakra is formed by the combination of physical and mental energy. Simply put, it's how your body converts other ingested energy into chakra, which is then released through ninjutsu and Taijutsu.]

[In reality, Host, you're not unable to sense the existence of Ki. It's just that every time you sense even a little Ki, it gets automatically absorbed by your cells to repair their damage.]

[This means that if you continue to refine chakra, you won't be able to normally perceive and use Ki.]

Looking at the information provided by the system, Haku lowered his head in thought. So, if he continued to use chakra, he would never be able to sense and use Ki.

[Should I give up on chakra like this? The ceiling for Dragon Ball is much higher, after all.]

As if sensing Haku's thoughts, the system AI chimed in again.

[The system advises the Host not to give up on chakra. Currently, all of the Host's strength comes from the chakra system. If you abandon chakra, your Combat Power based solely on physical quality will drop to 20, which is below the minimum requirement of 50 Combat Power for Ki cultivation.]

[The system suggests that after the Host completely refines the Eight-Tails Seed and fully cultivates the Eighth Palace of the Nine Palace Seal into a Dantian, you should use the Eight-Tails chakra to replace your own chakra refinement before cultivating Ki.]

While discussing Ki and chakra with the system, Haku arrived at a black market exchange on the border of the Land of Rivers.

[Hey! Boss!]

The owner of the exchange was an ordinary person. Seeing the masked individual enter, he judged from the voice that the person wasn't very old. However, as an ordinary person who managed to run an exchange in this world, which was quite unfriendly to ordinary people, he naturally wouldn't judge someone's strength by their appearance or age.

[What are your orders, esteemed sir! May I ask your name!]

[Clang! Clang! Clang!]

Haku, still wearing his mask, rhythmically tapped the table with the kunai in his hand. After a moment, he spoke.

[Give me a list of your bounties, and also show me what missions are available.]

Hearing Haku's request, the boss breathed a sigh of relief and retrieved two scrolls from behind the counter.

[This is the list of recently bountied individuals. You can submit their bodies to any exchange to claim the reward.]

The boss pointed to one of the scrolls.

After watching Haku take the scroll, he pointed to the other one.

[This is all the missions currently available at the exchange. The contents are updated every 24 hours.]

[If you wish to accept a mission, register on it. After completing the mission, write your completion status or intelligence report on the back. Someone will verify it. If your mission is completed, a mission completion marker will appear behind the mission. You can take this scroll to any exchange to collect your reward.]

Listening to the boss's explanation, Haku instantly felt that this was quite sophisticated. The technological level in the Naruto World was indeed high, but it seemed to have focused its development in a slightly odd direction, not towards general technology.

[This is quite good. Give it to me!]

[Hold on! Sir, these scrolls are not easy to produce. I only have quotas for issuing 5 scrolls, and this is my last one.]

[If the number of completed missions from the scrolls I issue doesn't meet the requirements, I will be punished by my superiors. Therefore, sir, you must first demonstrate your strength before I can hand over this scroll to you, sir!]

Seeing Haku about to take the mission scroll directly, the exchange owner hurriedly stopped him.

[Hmm!? How will you verify it?]

Looking at the boss, Haku had no intention of making things difficult for him. He had learned about these exchanges from Orochimaru before.

Although they appeared to be exchanges set up by the black market, they were backed by the Five Great Nations. Causing trouble here would have serious consequences.

The boss cleared his throat, preparing to speak. He had actually been worried that Haku might make a move just now. While he had backing and someone would avenge him if something happened, he only had one life.