Black Market

Hyuuga Nen came to a restroom. He placed his hand against a wall and gave it a gentle push. An entrance appeared, and he walked inside.

After searching for several days, Hyuuga Nen had finally found one of the Black Markets. These places generally only handled assassinations and the sale of information, unlike the Bounty Exchanges he often visited in the Land of Sea and the Land of Tea.

Seeing someone enter, the person in charge of the Black Market nodded to Hyuuga Nen.

"Any new information lately?" Hyuuga Nen asked the person in charge.

"Yes. The biggest piece of news recently concerns a member of the Hyuga Clan." As he spoke, the man handed Hyuuga Nen a list.

Hyuuga Nen glanced at the list of available information, then paid for this particular report.

After getting the report, Hyuuga Nen read it carefully. It detailed where he had first appeared and the two false identities he had used. It also gave a rough description of his abilities and strength, and recounted his clashes with several of the Great Nations.

The report had been updated many times. Hyuuga Nen surmised that many different sources had contributed to it, and the Black Market had compiled all their information into the version he was reading now.

Two hundred million!

That was the bounty offered by the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Looking at the amount, Hyuuga Nen thought, I can't believe my life is worth so much now.

The report also recorded how his bounty had changed. At first, it had been only one hundred million. But after several of the Great Nations had pursued him and he had managed to escape, the bounty had doubled.

"I've really offended three of the Great Nations this time," Hyuuga Nen thought. But given the circumstances, he hadn't had many options. If he could have chosen, he wouldn't have wanted to kill so many people.

"I'm very interested in this information about that member of the Hyuga Clan. Is there anything else?" Hyuuga Nen asked the man in charge, deliberately pretending that the bounty had caught his attention.

"The rest isn't very important. I heard that three of the Great Nations pursued him, but they all failed. I imagine they're furious."

"Oh, and here's a message from the Kaguya Clan, specifically intended for that member of the Hyuga Clan." The man in charge spoke as he flipped through the information in his hands. At last, he took out a piece of paper and handed it to Hyuuga Nen.

"This information isn't very important, so I won't charge you for it," the man in charge told Hyuuga Nen.

"The Kaguya Clan?"

Hyuuga Nen unfolded the paper in his hand and saw that it was a letter. It said that the Kaguya Clan and the Hyuga Clan had always been on good terms. If Hyuuga Nen truly had nowhere else to go, he could seek refuge with the Kaguya Clan, who would guarantee his safety.

After reading the letter, Hyuuga Nen put it away. "So the Kaguya Clan hasn't been wiped out yet. But it probably won't be long now. They may disappear as a clan within a few months—or a few years at most."

As for seeking refuge with the Kaguya Clan, Hyuuga Nen had no intention of doing so. They could barely protect themselves; how could they protect him?

Besides, Hyuuga Nen knew that Kirigakure was currently enforcing the Bloody Mist Policy. The one pulling the strings behind it was Obito Uchiha. Hyuuga Nen didn't know what Obito Uchiha thought of the Hyuga Clan, but he had no intention of walking straight into a trap.

"But what exactly is the connection between the Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan? Is it like the connection between the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan?" That was what Hyuuga Nen wondered.

Hyuuga Nen couldn't help thinking of Madara Uchiha. If the Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan share an ancestor, perhaps I can learn from Madara Uchiha and try to obtain something from the Kaguya Clan. Maybe I can use it to grow stronger.

Unfortunately, the Kaguya Clan and Hyuuga Nen were both in dire straits, and there was nothing they could do. The most he could do was write them a letter, telling them to be more cautious and perhaps preserve more of their bloodline outside the clan.

Thinking this, Hyuuga Nen stopped dwelling on the news about the Kaguya Clan and continued questioning the man in charge. "What about the Hyuga Clan? Have you heard anything from them?"

The man in charge shook his head. "There's no news about the Hyuga Clan for now."

Looking at the report in his hands, Hyuuga Nen asked another question. "Who provided this information originally?"

At Hyuuga Nen's question, the man in charge grew serious. "That answer isn't free!"

After receiving the money, the man in charge looked pleased. "The original source was Kakuzu, a missing-nin from Takigakure. He even collected a bounty from us when he provided the information."

"So it really was Kakuzu. But why would he do that? Was it just for revenge, or was he after the bounty?" Hyuuga Nen couldn't quite figure it out.

"Could it have been Pain's order? Was he trying to recruit me into the Akatsuki?" Hyuuga Nen suddenly remembered that the second time he had met Kakuzu, Kakuzu had been wearing the Akatsuki's robes. That meant he had already joined the organization by then.

Hyuuga Nen thought it over and decided that seemed likely. I can't believe not only the Five Great Shinobi Nations have their eyes on me now, but the Akatsuki has noticed me too. He let out a heavy sigh.

But whatever Kakuzu's reasons, he had indeed sold out Hyuuga Nen's information. It was because of Kakuzu's betrayal that the Great Nations besides Konoha had pursued him. Hyuuga Nen decided he would get back at Kakuzu.

If you can sell information about me, then I can sell information about you—and maybe even collect a bounty. The thought eased Hyuuga Nen's gloomy mood a little.

However, he didn't do it right away. He planned to go to another Black Market and sell Kakuzu's information there.

After asking about the information concerning himself, Hyuuga Nen didn't forget his original reason for coming to the Black Market. He asked the man in charge about the Ancient Kingdom of Roran.

A while later, Hyuuga Nen left the Black Market. He checked which way to go and set off toward the Ancient Kingdom of Roran.

On the way to the Ancient Kingdom of Roran, Hyuuga Nen found another Black Market. After changing his appearance again, he sold them information about Kakuzu, including detailed records of the techniques and ninjutsu he used. He simply didn't reveal the name of Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear technique.

Hyuuga Nen also imitated the tone of the letter the Kaguya Clan had sent him and wrote them a reply. He said, in essence, that their clans had been on good terms for generations and that he would visit if he got the chance. He also urged them to take good care of themselves.

Afraid that someone might intercept the letter, Hyuuga Nen couldn't be too explicit. He had to keep the message vague.