The Black Market Exchange Eight Hundred Miles Away! The Legendary Rogue Ninja (Fourth Update)

In the Black Market Exchange's secret room, the air reeked of old paper and metal.

Oh, and most of all, the stench of piss from the toilet.

A lone light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting the shadows of four figures across the mottled walls, where they stretched and warped.

Senju Ryosuke sat masked at one side of the table, trying to endure the stench as he tapped his fingers against the tabletop in a steady rhythm. He studied the four people seated across from him—the elite rogue ninja they'd hired at great expense.

"The plan is simple." Ryosuke's voice was low as he outlined the mission. "Two of you will draw Orochimaru away and keep him occupied at the border for at least half a day. The other two will take out his squad."

The man in the lead had a scar across his face. Leaning back in his chair with his arms folded, he merely sneered. "Take out the squad? Our employer neglected to mention that there's a kid named Sawada Hiroki in it."

Ryosuke's fingers stopped tapping. He frowned. "He's just a Genin. What's the problem?"

"It's a big problem." Scar sat upright and leaned forward, blocking half the light on the table. "We do the job for money, but we're not about to get ourselves killed for it. We've heard all the rumors going around. One kid wiped out a Cloud Village squad and killed a jōnin. And you're calling that monster 'just a Genin'?"

This guy was trying to extort him.

Senju Ryosuke realized it at once. He took a deep breath to calm his anger.

These men were rogue ninja who killed without batting an eye. He wouldn't dare lose his temper with them.

The other jōnin beside Scar looked younger and thinner. He spoke up, his voice soft, with the faintest hint of a smile. "And then there's Orochimaru. He's one of the Third's disciples. 'Drawing him away' for half a day and 'keeping him occupied' for half a day are two completely different things."

"Exactly. We don't dare go after one of the Third's disciples."

Ryosuke's expression darkened.

He hated this feeling. He hated these mercenary ninja haggling with him over money.

At least the ninja in the village knew how to follow the rules. Did these damn rogue ninja care about anything but money?

But he knew that in a place like this, money was the only rule. Money really was all they cared about.

"How much do you want?" he forced out through clenched teeth.

Scar held up two fingers.

Ryosuke's eye twitched, but in the end, he pulled a scroll from inside his robe and pushed it across the table. "Here's an additional deposit. You'll get every last bit of the balance when the job is done. But if you fail—"

"We never fail." Scar took the scroll, pocketed it without looking, and stood. "Two of us will hold Orochimaru off, and the other two will take out the three brats. We prioritize the kid named Nawaki, right? But let's make one thing clear: the other kids aren't part of our contract."

The four ninja quickly disappeared into the shadows of the secret room, as if they'd never been there.

Only Ryosuke and the Exchange's manager remained in the room. The manager had stood silently in the corner the whole time, like a puppet.

"Those damn cutthroats..." Ryosuke muttered, his distrust impossible to hide. "They're here for the money, and they might just as easily leave for it. What if someone offers them more to call it off? Or what if they take our money and turn around and sell us out?"

The manager emerged from the shadows and went to the table, unhurriedly clearing away the teacups. His voice was as flat as if he were discussing the weather. "That's a risk you'll have to accept."

"We only arrange the missions. Here at the Black Market Exchange, I'll guarantee your safety."

But once they left the Exchange, he'd take no responsibility, right? This guy was a damn jackal, too.

"I need insurance." Ryosuke's gaze turned cold. "Something absolutely reliable. What if those men abandon the mission?

"I don't care how much it costs. I need someone who can finish the job if they fail or give up."

"If they abandon it..." Ryosuke made a throat-slitting gesture.

He wanted every last one of those damn ninja dead.

The manager paused while wiping a teacup and looked up.

Was the client asking them to double-cross the mercenaries? What a troublesome request. But that was none of their concern.

They only arranged missions and collected their broker's fee.

Still, cleaning up after a group of four jōnin wasn't something just any rogue ninja could handle.

But they did have someone who could do it.

"If that's part of the mission, then I do have someone suitable."

"Who?"

"Kakuzu."

As the manager spoke the name, the temperature in the secret room seemed to drop.

Ryosuke's pupils shrank slightly.

As a member of the Senju Clan, he'd heard of the man said to have fought Lord Hashirama.

He wasn't close to Lord Hashirama at all, but the forests Hashirama had created still covered vast stretches of the Land of Fire.

Anyone with a reputation like that who'd avoided being hunted down all this time was no ordinary rogue ninja.

Even having fought on the same battlefield as the First was something to be proud of!

"He only cares about money. But that also means that once he's paid, he's the most reliable blade you can hire. If he accepts your mission, he won't fail," the manager continued. "His reputation is his life. Breaking a contract would hurt his future business, so he never breaks one."

Ryosuke was tempted. This was exactly what he wanted.

"Good." He made his decision at once. "I want to hire him. The target stays the same. Once those four have made their move, he'll confirm whether the target is dead. If the target is still alive, he'll finish the job. And no matter what, he has to kill those four jōnin!"

Ryosuke ground his teeth as he spoke that last sentence. He would never let those greedy bastards demand the rest of their payment.

"Certainly." The manager nodded. "But there are two things you need to know."

"First, his fee will be at least three times the total amount you just paid."

Ryosuke's expression shifted, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Money isn't a problem."

If the people they supported took power, they would have helped put them on the throne. Their standing might still be below that of the ninja, but they certainly wouldn't be short of money.

But he couldn't stomach letting a few rogue ninja get away with their lives.

"Second," the manager said in a lowered voice, "Kakuzu is elusive. Even we don't have a way to contact him. The only way to find him is to wait until he runs short of money. And relaying the mission details will take time. At the earliest, it could take about a month."

A month—

Ryosuke fell silent.

Nawaki's squad could return to the village at any moment. A month was far too long.

Would he have to fabricate another story?

But he had no other choice.

"Then go find him." Ryosuke rose from his seat and straightened his clothes, reclaiming the arrogance of the Senju Clan. "If it takes a month, then it takes a month. Tell him that if he accepts the mission, we'll pay whatever he asks."

He needed to make absolutely sure.

For the sake of their future, Nawaki had to die.