20. Is profiting from national disaster something you're entitled to?

Summer was ending and autumn arriving; outside, it was a fine day of clear skies and bright clouds. But the red sun over Sunagakure still hung high, the distorted air silently proclaiming that this place and the outside world were two different realms.

Although only Jonin and leaders of the Great Clans could attend the public trial of Hoshino Maki, quite a few people were paying attention.

Not to mention the ninja from the hospital and the Reinforcement Unit, the captured Cloud Ninja bribed their guards every day to tell them outside news, gleaning plenty of intelligence from their idle chatter.

So that brat Hoshino Maki had been lying to them—he had no real authority at all!

Otherwise, how could he be dragged to a public trial so soon after returning to the village?

But having already become prisoners, unable even to commit suicide, they could only be at others' mercy.

The merchants were the same.

If peace came now, they would rush to open logistics routes; if war continued, they had to prepare for the worst.

So even at the hottest part of noon, they personally waited at the venue entrance, finding a shady spot to squat, wiping sweat while staring at the meeting hall's doors, waiting for the first news.

"This Sunagakure weather is way too hot."

A merchant who looked like he was from the Land of Snow couldn't help complaining.

He had come to Sunagakure for business and would have left quickly, but then the war broke out, the village locked down, and he was stuck here until now.

"You said it—if they don't lift the lockdown, my goods will all rot."

"I missed my daughter's birthday. So frustrating."

"..."

Once that started, the scene instantly turned into a complaint session, merchants chattering like a flock of crows until a patrol of ninja passed by and they quieted down.

Just then, the venue doors opened. The merchants shot to their feet, their bulging bellies as light as cotton candy, no burden at all.

"This..."

A merchant stepped forward, then hesitated and didn't advance.

The first rule of being a merchant was reading the room. The Jonin leaving the meeting all wore heavy expressions, their furrowed brows tinged with anxiety. Not just the Jonin—even the clan leaders they usually could only look up to were unsettled, walking in small groups as if discussing something.

The two groups moved differently, but their common point was tightly knit brows.

As for Hoshino Maki, who came out last, he had his hands in his pockets, his expression calm, like nothing had happened.

This confused the merchants. Wasn't this supposed to be a public trial of Hoshino Maki?

Why did it look like Hoshino Maki was putting Sunagakure on trial?

Their instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm kept them from approaching.

The merchant at the front saw a ninja glance at him with shining eyes, turned to flee, but a large hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Mr. Bo Er, long time no see. Why run when you see me~"

Bo Er turned his head and squeezed out a smile: "Long time no see, Captain Kazuya. How could I want to run? I just suddenly remembered urgent business at my shop."

The guy in front of him was the Jonin guarding Sunagakure's main gate. Although every time he entered the village he had to pay a bribe, this particular person demanded especially much when on duty. The merchants privately called him the 'Skinflayer Captain.'

But today, this man wasn't his usual arrogant self. Instead, he wore a friendly smile and slung an arm around Bo Er's shoulder.

"Forget those little matters. Bo Er, I heard your goods can't be shipped out, right?"

"That's right. I hope Captain Kazuya can show some mercy."

"Ah~ It's not that I won't help you. The war's aftermath is still lingering. Even if you ship them out, they might not make it safely to the Land of Snow. How about this—sell them directly to me. I'll buy them at double the market price. I won't let you take a loss!"

Kazuya cut him off, patted his chest, putting on the air of someone who wouldn't let his own people suffer.

Bo Er sensed something off. In the past, this guy would just take things for free. Why was he suddenly offering to buy at a high price?

And double the high price at that!

But sensing something wrong, he didn't dare refuse, because he could hear the threat hidden in Kazuya's words: if he didn't sell, there would be 'accidents' on the road.

"Captain Kazuya, I..."

Bo Er was thinking of an excuse to leave, to properly find out what was going on, when he saw another large hand land on Kazuya's shoulder—a thick, calloused palm.

"Kazuya, what are you saying?"

Kazuya felt a shadow loom over his head. He stiffly turned around to see a burly man over two meters tall, a scar cutting across his right eye, making his face especially intimidating.

"Ca-Captain Yūyō!"

Kazuya immediately snapped his feet together and bowed in greeting.

Some people became Jonin because they were lucky enough; others became Jonin because there was only one Kage.

Kazuya was the lucky kind.

His ninjutsu skill was above average among his peers, but because he had distinguished himself fighting alongside Pakura against the Rock Ninja and was a rare sensory-type ninja, he was specially promoted to Special Jonin.

Of course, whether his sister—who became a concubine to a Great Clan heir—had pulled strings was anyone's guess. He himself denied any nepotism.

But the man before him, Yūyō, was a veteran Jonin from the Intelligence Department. Not only was he from a Great Clan and battle-hardened, he was also a capable subordinate under Intelligence Chief Yūta, and had been the squad leader when Kazuya served under Pakura.

Yūyō didn't know Bo Er, but Bo Er certainly knew Yūyō.

Seeing a big shot he normally had no right to know come right up to him, he immediately stepped forward with a fawning smile: "Lord Yūyō, this humble one is a grain merchant from the Land of Snow, named Bo Er."

As he spoke, he pulled a business card from his sleeve, bent at the waist, raised it above his head with both hands, and handed it to the other party with extreme deference.

Yūyō's eyes lit up. He glanced at Kazuya, who was trembling with fear, and let out a cold snort, already understanding everything.

Do you really think you're entitled to profit from a national crisis?

Yūyō quickly scanned his surroundings with his peripheral vision. Seeing no one paying attention, he squeezed out a "kind" smile. "Bo Er, right? Good, very good. Sunagakure needs upstanding citizens like you."

With that, ignoring Kazuya in front of him, he shoved past the man, stepped forward, and lightly patted Bo Er on the shoulder—so hard that Bo Er's features nearly scrunched together.

"You come with me. Let's talk about mutual assistance between the Sand and Snow Villages."

"Sir, I'm just a merchant. What do I know about that?"

"No matter. First you help me, then you'll understand."

Bo Er: ???

He swallowed hard, realizing he had escaped the dragon's den only to fall into the tiger's lair. There wasn't a single good person in Sunagakure!

Staring at the two men before him, Bo Er knew he couldn't walk away unscathed. He could only pray they'd show some mercy and leave him enough travel money to get home.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Are you Mr. Bo Er?"

A gentle voice sounded from behind the three. Kazuya and Yūyō turned to see who it was, and their expressions immediately tensed. "L-Lord Hoshino!"

Bo Er took the chance as they turned to get a clear look. The newcomer was none other than Hoshino Maki, the center of attention in Sunagakure lately.

Truth be told, this was Bo Er's first time being this close to him. Though they hadn't exchanged words, the man was completely different from any Sunagakure shinobi he'd met before.

Most of those ninjas were either ferocious and menacing or cold and indifferent, treating outsiders like enemies, their faces never showing a smile.

But Hoshino Maki was different. Bo Er had never dealt with him, but he'd heard that no one who had ever spoken ill of him.

Maybe it was the relentless pressure from Kazuya and Yūyō, but right now, Bo Er felt Hoshino Maki's appearance was like a god bestowing grace upon his most faithful follower.

"I'm not interrupting your conversation, am I?"

"Not at all, not at all."

Kazuya and Yūyō shook their heads like rattling drums.

Kazuya glanced at the other man from the corner of his eye. It was the first time he'd seen his captain act like this—it was almost... just like himself.

"Good. Mr. Bo Er, the village has a business deal for you."

Seeing Bo Er's face tighten at the word "business," Hoshino Maki glanced at the two men beside him. "Don't worry, I guarantee you won't come out at a loss. There are a few other merchants there too—you might even know some of them."

Bo Er's gaze flickered between the three. After weighing his options, Hoshino Maki still seemed the most reliable.

"I'm certainly happy to do business with Sunagakure."

Watching the two figures walk away, Kazuya was filled with regret. He should have dragged Bo Er off right then and there.

Just as he was thinking that, he felt a hard kick to his backside, sending him flying three meters to land face-down on the ground.

"Don't get any crooked ideas from now on!"

Lying on his side, Kazuya rubbed his backside and muttered to himself, "It's not like I was the one who ruined your plans. If you've got the guts, go kick Hoshino Maki instead!"

In a meeting room of the Kazekage Building, Hoshino Maki and the merchants sat on opposite sides of a long marble table.

Hoshino Maki had someone pour them tea, then smiled as he watched the merchants flipping through the agreement.

Aside from the village's official grain reserves, the largest grain merchant in Sunagakure was the Chiyo Clan.

Chiyo certainly wouldn't let her clan jack up prices, but the smaller merchants were another story. Individually, their grain stocks were small, but together, they were not to be underestimated.

More importantly, using them as leverage could easily stir up unrest within the village. They might not understand Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, but they knew that without grain, people couldn't survive. If a spy fanned the flames, chaos would follow.

"Sir, it's under control."

A shinobi knocked on the meeting room door, walked up to Hoshino Maki, leaned in, and whispered.

Hoshino Maki nodded. "Have the villagers been notified?"

After receiving confirmation, Hoshino Maki smiled and thanked the man for his hard work.

Once the man left, Hoshino Maki looked at the merchants, who were murmuring among themselves, and spoke up. "What have you all decided?"

A merchant from the Land of Grass wore a troubled expression. "Sir, we accept the plan to trade ore for grain, but the quantity..."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Yes, sir. We've traveled a long way to Sunagakure. We can't afford to make a loss, can we?"

"Sir, besides ore, could you consider granting us the exclusive right to trade grain? If you give it to us, we guarantee we'll bring in enough grain from abroad!"

"Sir—"

Hoshino Maki smiled as he watched their greedy faces. Sure enough, no matter the world, a merchant's nature was to chase profit.

The terms he'd given them were already enough for them to make a tidy sum, but they still weren't satisfied. They wanted more.

Hoshino Maki didn't resent this instinct. After all, desire was the driving force of human progress.

But desire must have a leash—these people actually wanted exclusive rights. Did they really take him for a fool?

The merchants looked at Hoshino Maki's smiling face and, for some reason, felt a chill crawl up their spines. Their voices dropped a few notches, and eventually, the meeting room fell into silence.

"Everyone, how about this—I trade this item with you for one ton of grain?"

As he spoke, Hoshino Maki pulled open his clothes, took the Tiger Head Gold Belt from his waist, and pressed it onto the conference table.

Crack—!

A web of cracks spread rapidly from under the belt, stopping only when they reached a palm's width from the teacups in front of each person.

"Pure gold, genuine. If you don't believe me, go ask the Fourth Raikage—he'll vouch for it with his reputation."

A synchronized gulp sounded through the silent meeting room.

Though they weren't shinobi, they'd traveled far and wide and had some experience.

The key point wasn't that he'd cracked the table, but that the cracks had spread to the exact same distance in front of each person. This level of force control was something they'd never heard of—perhaps only the legendary Princess Tsunade could manage it?

And without Hoshino Maki needing to say it, they knew whose belt this was. After all, the Fourth Raikage used to walk around the village bare-chested, flaunting this belt, and many who'd visited Kumogakure had seen it.

Now that this belt was here, combined with the current relationship between the two villages, the direction of this war was obvious.

In other words, the war would soon end, and Sunagakure's grain shortage wouldn't last long. So now they had to consider: was it better to make a quick profit or to choose a long-term friendship with Sunagakure?

They weren't oligarch-level merchants. At their standing, building a friendship with a village was a rare opportunity.

Of course, the main thing was—in front of this man, making quick money didn't seem so easy.

Hoshino Maki put away the signed agreements, poured himself a cup of tea, and walked to the window with the cup in hand. He blew on the steaming tea soup while looking at the notice board outside, which announced the upcoming grain rationing system.

Knock knock

"Come in."

"Lord Hoshino."

The knock sounded. Hoshino Maki didn't turn around. The visitor entered and stood still without speaking.

"Bo Er, aren't you curious why I called you back alone?"

"A small merchant like me—Lord Hoshino, just give your orders if you need anything."

"Is that so?"

"Then what if I want you to work for me?"

This time, the answer came after a pause: "My lord, I'd be happy to cooperate with Sunagakure."

Hoshino Maki turned around with a smile: "Don't be afraid. I mean you no harm, Bo Er—or rather, Mr. Oyakuro En."

'Bo Er' shuddered all over, then forced a smile: "My lord, I don't know what you're talking about."

Hoshino Maki shook his head: "Aren't you going to try using your Ketsuryūgan on me? You tried to leave Sunagakure before and failed. Controlling me would be quite helpful for getting out of the village."

'Bo Er's' pupils suddenly contracted. He said nothing, clenched his fists, his body trembling. Finally, his tightened fists slowly loosened.

"My lord... how did you know?"

Oyakuro En stopped pretending and came clean.

He'd thought about it, but in the Kazekage Building, he didn't have the nerve to act recklessly.

Hoshino Maki didn't answer his question but asked instead: "Are there still clan members of the Blood Pond in Jigokudani?"

Oyakuro En shook his head: "No more."

"Then you were quite thorough."

Given his age, Hoshino Maki confirmed that Oyakuro En had likely just killed his clansmen to avenge his wife, and had yet to gain the presence and strength of the future 'Merchant of Death.'