Uchiha Koji returned to the bounty office.
But this time, the room felt different.
Two nobles were already seated inside—robes rich, posture relaxed, expressions filled with the quiet arrogance of men who were used to being obeyed.
They glanced toward Koji as he entered, their gazes lingering on the mask that concealed his face.
Pride flickered in their eyes.
Shibaku rose from his seat with a polite smile.
"Allow me to make introductions," he said smoothly. "Toji, this is Mibuchi Arata-sama—the one who controls the primary trade routes of the Fire Capital. No major shipment passes without his approval."
Mibuchi Arata's lips curved upward as he studied Koji.
"If you wish to cooperate with us," he said leisurely, "wouldn't it be better to remove that mask?"
Koji did not move.
Instead, he answered calmly,"Mibuchi-sama, the cooperation hasn't begun yet. And you should already understand—what I intend to sell is valuable enough that revealing myself would be… unwise."
A faint silence followed.
Koji continued, his voice steady.
"The method alone is worth placing a bounty on my head."
The second noble finally spoke, his tone amused.
"And why do you think I wouldn't do exactly that? Put a bounty on you right now and take the method for myself?"
Koji listened.
Then he laughed—softly.
"My dear noble sir," he said, "I believe it would be better if we spoke honestly. All of us are here for the same reason—to make money and create wealth."
His masked gaze shifted slightly, as though weighing the room itself.
"If we begin playing games or trying to stab one another, only a third party will profit."
He paused.
"As for your question—why you won't place a bounty on me—because you don't know how many people already know this method… or whether I have backing."
Shibaku's smile widened.
The nobles laughed.
"Hahaha," Mibuchi Aratasaid, shaking his head. "I expected a shinobi—someone who only knows how to kill and follow missions. But you have a knack for business."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You understand perfectly what we want to know. So tell us—do you have backing?"
Koji answered without hesitation.
"That uncertainty," he said, "is my leverage."
"As long as you don't know who stands behind me, you won't try to trick me. And as long as I need your control over the trade routes for my anonymous business—specifically, the chakra recovery pills—I won't trick you either."
He spread his hands slightly.
"Why don't we leave it at that?"
The second noble smiled broadly.
"Fair enough," he said. "If we both hold leverage, neither of us will act foolishly."
He turned to Shibaku and chuckled.
"Don't kill the hen that lays the golden eggs—was it? A fine phrase."
His gaze returned to Koji.
"Now tell us. What do you need?"
Shibaku nodded and gestured toward the man.
"This is Ogasawara Yorinobu-sama—the Merchant Guild liaison of the Fire Capital."
For the first time since entering the room, Koji stiffened—just slightly.
Ogasawara Yorinobu.
A man capable of influencing even the Daimyo's court.
This meeting… was far bigger than he had anticipated.
Koji spoke again, his voice steady.
"I have only one condition," he said."I will supply the chakra recovery pills to the bounty hall. From there, you may distribute them however you see fit."
He paused.
"In return, I want payment in gold—or chakra metal."
The two nobles exchanged glances.
Ogasawara Yorinobu leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.
"Gold can be arranged," he said calmly. "But understand this—you will sell exclusively through us. No private dealings. No hidden channels."
His gaze sharpened.
"We will pay thirty percent upfront. The remaining amount will be released in the next transaction cycle."
A brief silence followed.
"If you attempt to sell privately," Yorinobu continued, his tone turning cold, "your payment will be frozen. And a bounty will be placed on you without hesitation."
The threat was delivered casually.
That was what made it dangerous.
Koji listened carefully.
He understood the truth immediately—without noble backing, this business would collapse before it ever began.
"Sixty per cent upfront," Koji replied without raising his voice.
Mibuchi Arata smiled.
"Fifty," he said simply. "Final offer."
Koji hesitated.
Then he nodded."I agree."
But the moment he saw the faint satisfaction in their expressions, realisation struck him.
"…I agreed too quickly," Koji sighed. "You trapped me before the cooperation even began."
Ogasawara Yorinobu laughed openly.
"No," he said. "We didn't trick you."
He leaned forward slightly.
"We've simply been trading longer than you've been alive. You'll understand the rhythm after a few deals."
Mibuchi Arata rose from his seat.
"Then let us call this a happy cooperation."
Koji inclined his head.
"For now," he said.
The meeting ended without ceremony.
There were no handshakes.
No written contracts.
Only understanding.
Koji left the hall shortly after, his footsteps echoing briefly through the bounty office corridors before fading into the noise of the capital outside.
The matter of the pills had been settled—for now.
The elders' instructions were clear. The path forward had already been decided.
Once outside, Koji did not head directly toward his destination.
Instead, he disappeared into the crowded streets.
At a quiet corner, hidden between passing carts and shouting vendors, his form shifted subtly.
His posture changed. His presence faded. By the time he re-emerged on the other side of the street, the masked man known as Toji was gone.
No one noticed.
Moving through back alleys and lesser-used paths, Koji made his way toward the Uchiha shop—one of many scattered through the capital, yet known only to those who truly understood its purpose.
The real work would begin there.
Negotiations were finished.
Gold would flow.
Pills would circulate.
And with them… influence.
As Koji slipped inside the shop's back entrance, the streets of the Fire Capital continued as usual—unaware that something new had just taken root beneath its trade routes.
Something quiet.
Something dangerous.
On the Uchiha front, Fugaku advanced toward the Mist border with his forces.
Behind him marched Uchiha shinobi, supported by a handful of civilian ninja. At his side was Uzuku, leading the Hawk faction—five full teams moving in disciplined formation.
Uzuku's expression was relaxed.
Unlike during the Second Shinobi War, the units under his command were far better trained. Their skills went beyond reliance on the Sharingan—sword-based demon breathing techniques, silent formations, and Muji-style jutsu prepared specifically to surprise Mist forces.
This time, they would not fight predictably.
Fugaku glanced toward Uzuku before speaking.
"Uzuku," he said, "I didn't expect the Grand Elder to send this many jōnin. I thought we would have to rely on ourselves alone."
His gaze briefly swept over the advancing forces.
"When I saw them… I realised the Grand Elder still cares about the Uchiha."
Uzuku looked at him steadily. He understood exactly what Fugaku was feeling.
"Don't be too relieved, Clan Head," Uzuku replied calmly. "Battles are not decided by numbers."
He continued without pause.
"They are decided by the orders given. One mistake from a commander—and those numbers become sacrifices."
Fugaku did not take it as provocation.
Instead, he nodded.
"Don't worry," he said firmly. "I won't let them be wasted by my errors. The trust of the Grand Elder—and of the Uchiha—will not be broken."
"This is my promise."
Uzuku studied him for a moment.
Then he smiled faintly.
He did not hate Fugaku.
Uzuku understood that the Uchiha's current state was not the result of one man's failure, but of years of pressure, suspicion, and accumulated decisions.
For that reason, unlike many within the Hawk faction, he had never openly criticised Fugaku.
This battle would not be decided by resentment.
Only by judgment.
"That is more than enough assurance for me, Clan Head," Uzuku said calmly as they reached the border."If you can keep that promise."
Fugaku nodded.
"At present, the overall commander is Orochimaru-sama," he said. "With him in charge, leadership is not a concern. He has held the Mist forces at bay for two months already."
He looked toward Uzuku.
"Now that the Uchiha are joining the front, it will break the Mist village's will entirely."
Uzuku slowed his steps slightly.
"Clan Head," he said, "isn't Orochimaru-sama also a candidate for the next Hokage?"
Fugaku stopped.
For a brief moment, he said nothing.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were both away from the village—that much he knew. But Orochimaru…
His presence had never been announced. No public orders. No visible movements.
And yet, he was here—commanding a front, shaping a war.
"…I hadn't considered that," Fugaku admitted slowly."It's as if we weren't even meant to know he was in the village at all."
Uzuku did not respond immediately.
The Grand Elder's words surfaced in his mind—along with Toyoma's warning. Both had spoken of Orochimaru with the same gravity they reserved for Danzo.
He had not questioned them then.
But he had felt it.
The seriousness in their voices.
The absence of exaggeration.
Some presences did not announce themselves.
They were only noticed when it was already too late.
.
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