After giving a few more instructions, he left. Although the Land of Fire was no longer as turbulent as before, with bandits blocking streets and rogue ninja ambushing travelers at every turn, life was still very hard for the common people at the bottom.
Once Uchiha Gen left the city district and entered an ordinary town, he did not even need to investigate. The situation was visible everywhere.
The streets were dilapidated, the walls stained with filth. Seeing the helpless women standing in their doorways with swaddled babies in their arms, Uchiha Gen felt somewhat stifled.
The numb expressions on their faces said it all. They probably did not even know where their husbands had gone—perhaps to some tavern, perhaps to some red-light alley.
As Uchiha Gen continued forward, he seemed utterly out of place among these people whose expressions had frozen in place. From the ruined houses nearby came the occasional sound of women sobbing, mixed with children crying. It was hard not to feel anxious in such an environment.
As Uchiha Gen walked on, a layer of mud stuck to the soles of his shoes. It would have been one thing if it had merely been rain-soaked dirt, but there was a stench of urine clinging to his feet.
"Tch. The order has completely collapsed. If I'd been born into an environment like this, the ignorant younger me probably would've developed destructive tendencies too."
Chakra burst forth like a wave, washing away the filth clinging to him.
Uchiha Gen was suddenly in no hurry to return to the Clan Land. He wanted to see whether ordinary people throughout the Naruto World lived like this, or whether only certain places were so bad.
After all, Uzumaki Nagato, one of the Naruto World's mid-stage bosses, had been born in an environment like this. Though he was from the Land of Rain, sometimes one's environment had nothing to do with national borders.
There were no linguistic or cultural barriers in the Naruto World. It was not difficult for an ordinary person to flee to another country and settle down there, especially since there was no census system or identity restriction at present, so long as they avoided sensitive areas.
When he gradually entered the next town, the environment was even worse. The moment Uchiha Gen entered, he encountered at least three cases of roadside robbery and brawling. It was even freer than America.
Deeper inside, his steps stopped before a slave market. Looking at the crowd gathered around it, the human trafficking business seemed to be doing quite well. The place was packed, with a huge group of people there merely to watch the spectacle.
"Don't miss out as you pass by! We've got loads of prime goods this year, so come take a look~"
This sort of slave market had never been mentioned in the Naruto World. But considering the era's background, perhaps it had been too dark to write about? Or had it hit Japan where it hurt?
Relying on his strong physique, Uchiha Gen forced his way inside. What greeted his eyes were several large cages. The people were probably inside them, though he did not know how this slave trader sold them.
Standing on higher ground, the slave trader saw that no more people were gathering and hurriedly jumped down from his chair. He walked before the crowd and introduced his wares.
"Everyone, stop making noise. Let me explain how these are being sold."
With a grinning face, the slave trader pointed at the boxes beside him. Not a sound came from within them.
"Everyone, this is different from the usual blind purchase, and it's different from bidding too. This time~ we're doing it together."
"The boxes contain rare specimens. The slave market guarantees that they are absolutely not ordinary merchandise! So... naturally, the price will be a bit higher."
That immediately piqued the crowd's interest. Once the atmosphere was right, the slave trader did not waste words. He immediately had one of the boxes carried out and set the starting price at one thousand ryo.
"What?! That expensive?!"
"An ordinary box used to cost just fifty-odd ryo. How can it jump this much all at once? Only an idiot would buy it!"
"Exactly! At that price, is there gold inside or what?!"
The slave trader was not angered. His wide grin revealed a large gold tooth.
"Stop making noise, stop making noise. There's naturally a reason it's expensive. If you can't afford it, don't yap. Those who know good merchandise will buy it~"
The crowd sneered. No one knew where the slave trader got his confidence. Most people who normally came to buy others were wealthy households. Ordinary families rarely bought people, since it meant another mouth to feed for no reason. If they bought a sickly one, they would suffer a huge loss.
At that moment, a man in brocade robes stepped forward to inspect the box. His face was covered in thick, snowy-white makeup, and a great deal of powder fell as his nose twitched.
"This box... hehe, I'll take it!"
Just as everyone was wondering whether the powdered man was a planted customer, the slave trader had already ordered the box opened.
Inside sat an unconscious burly man. His wheat-colored muscles were piled over his body in thick slabs, and he was probably around two meters tall. Stuffed inside the box, he looked like a lump of stone.
"Good! I didn't lose out on this one!"
This...
He did not lose out after spending a thousand ryo on a laborer? Could he not have bought several ordinary men for that money?
The crowd was baffled. Uchiha Gen gradually saw through the trick. The heavily powdered man had sniffed the box, likely to determine its occupant's gender, age, and condition. He had also seemed confused at first upon seeing the "goods" inside, only becoming delighted afterward.
Standing nearby, Uchiha Gen quietly sensed the area. There were actually dozens of Chakra signatures around them.
The powdered man before him was definitely someone who cultivated Chakra. So was the slave trader, and the people in those boxes were as well. And if nothing unexpected had happened...
The dark-skinned, muscular man packed inside the box should have come from the Moonlit Clan.
"These goods are only sold to discerning nobles. Those who can't see their value, please leave!"
As soon as those words were spoken, more than half the crowd dispersed. Many of them did not have that much money to spend so freely.
The powdered man who had won the "grand prize" did not leave. He seemed to intend to continue buying. From the looks of it, he was not a planted customer, because Uchiha Gen saw many people around him already eager to try.
"Make way. I'll take all five remaining boxes."
Frowning, Uchiha Gen knocked aside the people crowding in front of him with Chakra and spoke to the slave trader.
"Ah? You're taking all of them?"
"That's right!"
The slave trader immediately greeted him with a smile. Anyone who could pay five thousand ryo at once and speak so forcefully was a distinguished guest~
"Would you like to open the boxes and inspect the goods? You should know that once you buy them, there are no refunds."
"No need."
Uchiha Gen took out a ten-thousand-ryo banknote from his robes and handed it to the slave trader without the slightest hesitation. Then he walked over to the boxes and began moving the goods.
"No need for change. If there's no issue, I'll start carrying them away."
The slave trader nodded, turning the ten-thousand-ryo note over and over in his hands as though he had seen his own father.
"Wait! This is an auction! After naming your price, why didn't you ask whether anyone else wanted to bid?"
Uchiha Gen turned his head. The speaker was the man with a face full of powder.
"You want to bid against me?"
"Naturally!"
Puzzled, Uchiha Gen pulled out a stack of banknotes from his robes, all of them ten-thousand-ryo bills. He counted out ten and handed them to the slave trader, who was watching eagerly.
"Do you still want to bid?"
The man patted the hem of his skirt as though he had heard nothing. He had his servants carry away his muscular Moonlit Clan man and left, as though nothing had happened.
Uchiha Gen's lips curled into a smile. He tied the five large boxes together, lifted them effortlessly onto his shoulder with one hand, and departed.
The people around him exclaimed over his immense strength. Some also recognized that Uchiha Gen was a ninja and did not dare provoke him. With the spectacle over, the crowd gradually dispersed as well, though several people followed in the direction Uchiha Gen had gone.
Before you continue