Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 107: Can They Fetch a Good Price?

As he watched White Zetsu and the second Black Zetsu leave, Uchiha Madara turned his attention to the Edo Tensei technique, delving into its intricacies.

It's close, very close. Soon, I'll finally be free of this decrepit, failing body!

When that time comes, he'll operate from the shadows, while Obito handles things on the surface. The Moon's Eye Plan will proceed even more smoothly.

A note on the scroll caught Madara's attention:

"Reminder: The stronger the sacrificial vessel, the stronger the Edo Tensei summoned ninja. The best vessel is—"

The rest of the line was blank, as if the optimal vessel had yet to be determined.

This fit the impression Madara had of Hyuga Fuji.

Fuji, after all, was merely a "disciple" of Orochimaru and had provided some improvements to the Edo Tensei. However, when it came to thoroughly researching the technique, Orochimaru was undoubtedly superior. It was no surprise that Fuji hadn't fully figured it out.

Still, knowing the importance of the sacrificial vessel's strength gave Madara enough information to begin his experiments.

One thing was clear: the White Zetsu were out of the question.

Most of them were no stronger than chunin, hardly suitable as "powerful vessels." While a few were special cases, they were all assigned to critical tasks and couldn't be wasted as test subjects.

Madara concluded he'd need to capture some strong shinobi for his experiments.

Little did he know, this decision was about to lead him straight into trouble.

…

Meanwhile, with the ongoing mission to clean up the underground black market, a steady stream of intelligence was being delivered to the Hokage's office.

Drug trafficking, human trafficking, weapons smuggling, illicit entertainment industries—every conceivable black-market operation had been uncovered.

Bounty hunters?

They were merely one facet of the vast underground network.

Supported and funded by officials and elites from every nation, the black market thrived in the chaos of the shinobi world. Its growth had been unimpeded, nurtured by the constant wars that plagued the land.

If all its power were ever unified, the black market could easily rival the Five Great Nations as a sixth superpower.

But because of its fragmented nature, it was vulnerable to being dismantled—though only temporarily.

The system itself would inevitably regenerate.

As he sifted through the mountain of intelligence reports, Minato let out a quiet sigh.

"Fourth Lord, the black market operations in the Land of Fields have been dealt with," Nara Shikaku reported, stepping into the office. "The Otogakure shinobi were highly cooperative and provided us with plenty of intelligence. However, they've requested to retain some of the bloodline limit users that were trafficked through the market, claiming they need them as a foundation for their village."

Minato hesitated briefly. "What's their current situation?"

"Our reconnaissance by both Root and the Anbu hasn't found anything suspicious about them," Shikaku replied.

"Then approve it. It's a reasonable reward for their assistance."

Minato sighed again as he added, "There's been an overwhelming influx of children and innocents into Konoha recently. If this continues, we might need to expand the village's housing."

The scale of the black market's human trafficking was appalling.

Beautiful women, strong men, children with bloodline limits—every demographic was being bought and sold like commodities.

Even in the neighboring small nations, their operations had uncovered nearly ten thousand captives in total.

The sheer audacity of these criminals left Minato deeply disturbed.

"Is Fuji still out there handling the black market cleanup?" Minato asked.

Shikaku nodded, letting out a sigh of his own. "Yes. He's gone to deal with the most troublesome location. The nobles and merchants involved there are too numerous, and their power too great, for Lady Tsunade to manage alone. Fuji was the best choice to send."

"The Paradise Island…"

Recalling the intelligence on the island, Minato rubbed his temples in frustration.

A lawless zone, a paradise for the elite, a microcosm of everything wrong with the black market—Paradise Island was a den of horrors.

Sensing Minato's unease, Shikaku tried to offer counsel. "Lord Fourth, maybe we're being too aggressive with this. Moving against that place will bring significant backlash…"

"No," Minato cut him off firmly. "I might have compromised on the Daimyo's matter, but I refuse to back down on this."

He slid a stack of intelligence documents toward Shikaku.

"…."

Shikaku's expression tightened as he flipped through the reports. When he stopped at a particular page, he felt his stomach churn.

Some nobles had reportedly been consuming parts of shinobi believed to possess "extraordinary vitality," hoping it would extend their own lives.

"Shinobi with extraordinary vitality…"

The phrase immediately brought two clans to mind, both of which had ties to Konoha. One had been destroyed long ago, but the other…

Shikaku glanced up at Minato's seemingly calm expression, then looked back down, silently cursing the offending nobles.

These vile, ignorant bastards!

"They're former allies of Konoha…"

Minato's voice was low, tinged with bitterness. "I can't let Kushina see these reports. Thank goodness she's pregnant now—if she took on a mission involving this, I don't even want to imagine the consequences."

His eyes fell to the floor, a shadow passing over his face. "I once thought the Hokage could accomplish anything. But when I see the state of this shinobi world, I wonder… Can Konoha, as it is now, really bring about change?"

The atrocities committed during wartime—cannibalism among them—had often been acts of desperation. Starvation and survival left little room for moral boundaries.

But consuming human flesh simply to extend one's lifespan?

Those who did so weren't just immoral; they were monsters in human form.

And yet, this was only one of many unspeakable crimes detailed in the reports on his desk.

Compared to these atrocities, even the darkness of the Root organization seemed almost mild.

The wars that plagued the shinobi world had allowed these evils to fester. Rather than eliminating the black market, the Great Nations had let it thrive, even aiding its expansion.

Minato clenched his fists. Do such nations even deserve to exist?

"Lord Fourth," Shikaku interrupted cautiously. "The resistance to change will be immense. If it leads to another internal war, Konoha may lose the strength it holds over the shinobi world."

"…"

After a moment of silence, Minato shook his head and redirected the conversation. "The new arrivals to Konoha have clashed with some of the villagers. Fugaku's having a hard time resolving it. I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, sir."

…

As the ship sliced through the calm ocean, waves lapped gently against its hull, producing soft, rhythmic sounds.

In the misty distance, the silhouette of an island began to take shape. Tree canopies and jagged rock formations emerged, veiled by the ethereal fog.

At first glance, it seemed like a deserted island.

But deeper within lay a dazzling commercial district, like a glistening jewel hidden in the island's heart.

Skyscrapers lined the streets, their glass facades reflecting radiant sunlight like countless diamonds.

Neon lights illuminated the night in a kaleidoscope of colors, painting the dark sky with a vibrant glow.

However, the glittering exterior couldn't hide the island's rotten core.

Amid the extravagantly dressed nobles and merchants wandering the streets, Uzumaki Ashina felt a stifling sense of unease.

"Not bad—I heard you acquired a Lava Release shinobi?"

"Just a low-level ninja. Needs training. Interested? I heard your fighter lost to Blackrock in the arena."

"Don't remind me. That useless piece of trash couldn't even beat a Melt Release shinobi. Fine—20 million ryo, and the Lava Release user is yours. I want to win back my pride and give that failure a proper punishment."

"20 million? Right on the line. Deal."

Conversations like this were commonplace here.

This was a paradise for the rich and powerful—a microcosm of the black market's darkest depths, where human lives were bought and sold like commodities.

For Ashina, who had witnessed the horrors of the Warring States Period as the head of the Uzumaki clan, even this was bearable.

What left him truly suffocated, however, was the discussion about two young red-haired girls.

(To be continued)

***

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