The midday sun shone straight down on the flagstone road of South Street.
Wine banners fluttered on either side of the street, and South Street was packed so tightly that no one could get through.
Red brocade covered the towering main viewing platform.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire wore an ornate, loose golden robe. Fanning himself with a folding fan painted with cranes, he walked to the front of the platform, his face flushed with pleasure.
Minister Asano followed at his side with a deferential bow, holding a silk banner embroidered with the words "Special Zone" in both hands.
Directly in front of the viewing platform, the final auction lot had already been carried onto the display stand beneath a red cloth.
It consisted of two finely crafted long chakra blades, faintly shimmering with deep blue chakra light in the sun.
The delegations from other villages and representatives of the various clans below could barely contain themselves.
The head of the Kumogakure Trading Company raised his bidding paddle and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Thirty million ryo! Kumogakure opens at thirty million!"
The Sunagakure elder sneered and slapped the scroll in his hand onto the railing.
"Thirty-five million ryo! Sunagakure will take both!"
Gasps rose from the surrounding merchants as the excitement reached its peak.
Chikage leaned back beneath the awning below the viewing platform, holding a box of glutinous rice dumplings Mikoto had prepared and chewing leisurely.
Yashiro stood beside him, his sword polished to a shine at his waist, an irrepressible smile on his face.
"Deputy captain, those final chakra blades look like they could fetch forty million ryo."
Chikage swallowed his dumpling and brushed the white powder from his hands.
"The selling price doesn't matter. What matters is deducting the seating fees and