Chapter 112: Men Die for Wealth, Birds Die for Food
Behind the fan, the Daimyo's face revealed an eerie smile.
The island was incredibly wealthy.
All the Daimyo knew this.
Yet none of them had ever made a move against it for two reasons.
First, they needed the black-market operators to handle certain unsavory tasks that couldn't see the light of day.
Second, no single nation dared to monopolize that wealth.
The black market boasted bounty hunters whose strength rivaled the Kage of the Five Great Nations. Adding in the ninja trained by the nobles and merchants, the underground black market had amassed an army of over ten thousand ninja, comparable to the military might of a great nation.
This balance had created a stalemate. While swallowing the black market's wealth would make any nation the undisputed leader of the shinobi world, no country had ever dared attempt it.
Occasional raids to skim off some wealth were acceptable, but to provoke the entire black market would cost even the great nations dearly.
The underground black market, left to flourish unchecked, had long since grown into a colossal behemoth.
But now, among the shinobi nations, only Konoha had the power to seize the black market's wealth.
The Daimyo spoke gently, "Containment… isn't as effective as guidance. Don't you agree, Kazuma?"
"You are correct, my lord," Kazuma replied, his head perpetually lowered, not daring to meet the Daimyo's gaze.
Previously, Kazuma had acknowledged the Daimyo's authority over the Land of Fire but held a biased view of him, seeing him as a weak ruler with only economic influence and connections, unable to stand up to a village like Konoha.
However, recent actions had overturned his assumptions.
Indeed, containment was no match for strategic support.
Konoha had grown so strong that instead of trying to curb its development, it was better to push it further.
After all, there would inevitably be others willing to confront Konoha on the Daimyo's behalf.
Thus, in recent times, the Daimyo had placed no restrictions on Konoha, whether in commerce or finance, granting them every convenience.
If Konoha succeeded in consuming the black market and gaining resources rivaling those of a great nation, the first to feel threatened would be the other shinobi nations.
The Daimyo nodded in satisfaction and reminded Kazuma, "Whatever Konoha needs going forward, try to accommodate them. Don't engage in petty tricks."
What he sought was balance.
If Konoha grew too powerful, it might overshadow him; if it was too weak, it couldn't protect the Land of Fire's interests.
In his view, the Third Hokage had managed this balance well, but the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had not.
Kazuma responded firmly, "Understood!"
The Daimyo's meaning was clear.
No matter what happened, the Daimyo's name must not be involved. Even if Kazuma wanted to act, it would have to be as an individual. The Daimyo would not provide any support.
Hearing Kazuma's reply, the Daimyo turned to gaze out the window, a faint smile playing on his lips.
I've handed you the reasons and the stakes. Don't disappoint me.
…
"Tsuchikage-sama, what do you need from me?"
The short, white-haired and bearded Ōnoki looked up at the entering Kitsuchi and sighed, "The island has been destroyed by Hyuga Fuji and his forces. Konoha is transferring its wealth and personnel."
"The island?" Kitsuchi's expression grew serious. "You mean the underground black market paradise?"
"Exactly." Ōnoki handed a report to Kitsuchi and sighed. "That's the place."
It was no secret that the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was unique among the Five Kage, frequently employing bounty hunters.
After all, in his view, spending some money to reduce Iwagakure's casualties on the battlefield was a worthwhile trade.
During the Third Shinobi World War, he had hired many mercenary ninja.
His plan was that with these hired hands leading the charge, Iwagakure would suffer minimal losses when the war ended.
Instead, Iwagakure faced two monsters—Third Raikage and the Fourth Hokage—who alone inflicted thousands of casualties on his village.
The hired ninja failed to serve their purpose, and the losses were staggering.
But despite this unforeseen disaster, Ōnoki's cooperation with the underground black market remained intact.
He carefully selected bounty hunters and mercenaries with reliable reputations, fostering a long-standing relationship with the black market.
Thus, he was among the first to learn of the black market's upheaval.
"I initially thought Konoha was just looking to make a little extra money. I didn't expect them to go after the massive prize that is the island," Ōnoki said, his aged voice tinged with bitterness.
The wealth there was astronomical, seemingly limitless.
And then there were the bloodline limit ninja—a treasure trove of talent.
It was undoubtedly one of the black market's most prized assets!
He wanted it too…
Hearing this, Kitsuchi withdrew his gaze from the report and gave a bitter smile, unsure of how to respond.
He understood his father's reasons for employing black market ninja.
Iwagakure was facing a generational gap in talent, with too few promising young shinobi compared to other villages.
After the loss of his comrade Gari in the previous war, Ōnoki had been noticeably dispirited.
His collaboration with the black market was an attempt to minimize casualties, and he had even planned to secretly recruit talent from the market. Many trustworthy mercenaries weren't rogue ninja, and offering them an olive branch during collaboration could help bolster Iwagakure's ranks.
But now, Konoha's actions had derailed those plans, forcing them to reassess their strategy.
Standing by as Konoha absorbed the black market's wealth and bloodline ninja was not something Iwagakure could accept.
"What about Kumogakure?" Ōnoki asked. "Have they made any moves?"
"Nothing so far. They don't seem inclined to attack Konoha's transport ships."
Kitsuchi frowned.
Ōnoki frowned as well, then said thoughtfully, "Some representatives from the black market have contacted me. They want to discuss attacking Konoha. At first, I thought it was just a few disgruntled merchants and didn't respond. But now, it seems they're ready to risk everything."
Seeing Kitsuchi's puzzled expression, Ōnoki laid several wanted posters on the desk, his gaze heavy.
"These came with the black market's intelligence. According to them, these individuals are particularly dangerous."
Kitsuchi glanced at the posters, his expression shifting.
Remnants of the Sky Ninja, Shinnō, Hidan…
Kitsuchi recognized the Sky Ninja, who had once waged war against Konoha using flight technology but ultimately failed.
But Shinnō and Hidan… He hadn't heard of them before.
"Is this all the black market has to offer?"
"No. These individuals are just those who left traces in the black market's intelligence network after conducting transactions. Apparently, each has unique skills."
Ōnoki replied, "The black market's strongest forces are concentrated among bounty hunters. I've investigated, and several prominent groups have recently vanished without a trace."
Clearly, they hadn't all retired simultaneously.
Kitsuchi mused, "This doesn't seem like enough. Konoha could handle them easily."
"Who said they were going to attack Konoha?"
Ōnoki sneered.
"Kirikagure has called for a Five Kage Summit, and Sunagakure has officially responded. Soon, the Five Kage will gather in the Land of Rain!"
Kitsuchi's eyes widened in shock. "They're planning to…"
"Such a massive fortune… even I find it tempting," Ōnoki interrupted, his tone laced with lament.
Men die for wealth, birds die for food.
With the black market's riches ahead and Konoha's growing threat behind, the ones taking action wouldn't be limited to just the black market.
Perhaps Iwagakure should seize the opportunity as well.
(Chapter End)