Tap tap tap. Gin's fingers drummed against the table.
Finally, he couldn't help but point at Sakumo, who was sitting beside him.
"Why is he here?!"
Wasn't he the one being invited?
How did this irrelevant person end up tagging along?
Gin couldn't stand Sakumo's presence, yet here he was.
Sakumo calmly took a sip of his tea, not even sparing Gin a glance, completely ignoring him.
Mifune, having placed his tea cup on the table, hesitated before answering.
"He said he's your teammate."
One sentence from Mifune left Gin speechless.
Could he deny it?
Gin glanced at the ceiling, internally wondering whether Sakumo might go back to the village and accuse him of being a rogue ninja. He wouldn't be surprised if he did.
After a long moment of silence, Gin turned his attention back to Mifune and asked.
"So, what is it that you want?"
He had just publicly embarrassed the Land of Iron, yet here they were serving him tea. Something felt off.
If this were Hiruzen, he'd probably be planning some elaborate scheme to deal with anyone who insulted him.
As for why Gin couldn't let go of his grudge against Hiruzen—it was common among the Uchiha clan to hold such feelings.
Mifune, now dressed in more casual attire, pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Have either of you considered serving the daimyo of the Land of Iron?"
"No. Don't even think about it. Goodbye."
Gin fired off a quick three-part rejection and stood up, ready to leave.
Serve a daimyo? What a joke.
If they wanted him to rule over the Land of Iron, maybe he'd consider it.
He had been curious about Mifune's intentions, but since it was an impossible request, there was no reason to stay.
"Wait," Mifune called out hurriedly, stopping Gin in his tracks.
"Then say everything you have to say now," Gin muttered, sitting back down. Sakumo didn't move an inch, as if he had expected this.
After a moment of hesitation, Mifune finally asked what had been on his mind.
"Would you be willing to trade your swordsmanship techniques?"
The swordsmanship Gin had displayed was unlike anything Mifune had ever seen. The way he infused chakra into his strikes, combined with the profound techniques, was something that the Land of Iron should possess.
That was why Mifune had been eager to bring up the idea, though he knew it wasn't something ninjas would easily trade. But it was worth a try.
Samurai were at a significant disadvantage when fighting shinobi. They often didn't even get close to their targets before being killed by ninjutsu.
"No matter the cost, if you name your price, I will try my best to meet it," Mifune said earnestly, his hands resting on the table as he looked Gin in the eye.
Gin stared at him for a while before glancing at Sakumo.
"Your call. It's your technique," Sakumo said indifferently, still focused on drinking tea and nibbling on snacks.
Gin hesitated.
He could sell his sword techniques. After all, the village didn't impose heavy restrictions on techniques he personally developed.
At most, he'd receive a verbal warning and some criticism from the villagers.
But he wasn't Jiraiya. Hiruzen wouldn't turn a blind eye for him.
He was an Uchiha, after all.
Not that Gin cared about the village's opinion.
He'd been called a failure for so many years that it didn't affect him anymore.
So, there was no issue.
"Fifty million ryō. That'll get you one sword technique," Gin stated, naming his price without hesitation.
He wasn't lacking in ninjutsu but was in desperate need of money.
If it were only about ninjutsu research, he'd have enough funds. But with his work on ninja tools, secret medicines, and future projects, money was essential.
"Fifty million ryō?"
Mifune hesitated at the hefty sum.
Though the Land of Iron wasn't poor—they were rich in mineral resources—it was still a large expenditure.
"Alright."
In the end, Mifune agreed.
"I want fire country banknotes," Gin demanded.
"No problem."
Mifune left to make the necessary arrangements.
With Mifune gone, the tea room became quiet, leaving only Sakumo and Gin.
"I didn't expect you'd actually sell it," Sakumo said, his gaze unfathomable, making it hard to read his thoughts.
"I need the money. My expenses aren't small these days," Gin sighed.
Unlike Orochimaru, who received research funding from the village, Gin had to fund his own experiments.
Sakumo remained silent.
After spending so much time with Gin, he had noticed that Gin didn't seem to have any attachment to the village.
He didn't even appear to belong to this world.
The two lapsed into silence again.
Gin's thoughts drifted far. The money wasn't just for his research.
With this funding, perhaps after the war, he could pursue other plans.
After all, Konoha didn't really welcome him.
Did it?
Before long, Mifune returned, carrying a stack of banknotes.
"Here is one hundred million ryō in Fire Country banknotes."
Mifune placed the banknotes on the table.
Gin immediately took them and began counting.
They were in denominations of one hundred thousand ryō each, totaling one thousand bills.
"Perfect."
Gin flicked one of the bills, producing a crisp sound.
The sound of money.
Rolling up his sleeves, Gin revealed summoning symbols on his arm and placed his hand on the table.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" (Summoning Technique)
Poof!
Two scrolls appeared on the table, which Gin tossed over to Mifune.
"See if they meet your expectations."
Mifune eagerly unrolled the scrolls, reading through the sword techniques.
"Sword Art: Troubled Wind."
"Sword Art: Lion's Roar."
"These…"
Mifune saw that the techniques were comparable to ninjutsu, though they weren't quite what he had expected.
Still, they weren't bad either.
As a swordsman, he could see the potential in these two techniques. The first could compensate for the lack of long-range attacks, while the second was a powerful Iai technique.
"Are you satisfied?"
Gin asked.
"Yes, very much so."
Mifune nodded. These two techniques would greatly enhance the Land of Iron's strength. The one hundred million ryō was well worth it.
"Then our deal is concluded."
Gin had developed those techniques a while ago but had never had the opportunity to use them.
After all, without techniques that complemented his Breathing Style, it would feel incomplete.
With the money safely stored away, Gin nodded in satisfaction.
Mifune tried to persuade them to stay a bit longer, but both Gin and Sakumo chose to leave.
Before departing, they glanced around, noticing several hidden figures lurking along the road.
A group that thought they were well-hidden but were, in fact, completely visible to Gin and Sakumo.
"They're here for you," Sakumo said with a shrug, indicating he wouldn't get involved.
Gin cursed under his breath, leading the way.
"Mifune's supposed to be a general, yet he can't even control his own men."
If these were Mifune's people, they would've made their move earlier, inside the house.
Even now, they hesitated, not wanting to be discovered by Mifune.
"You just finished a deal with them. Don't make too much of a mess."
"I got it."
(End of Chapter)