A troubling question lingered in Tsunade's mind.
How could the village fail to control the supply of these pills—
Unable to deliver them to the battlefield was one thing, yet allowing them to be sold privately?
Tsunade turned toward the civilians standing before her.
"Do you know where these pills are being sold?" she asked calmly.
One of the men hesitated before answering, "Tsunade-sama… I know. They're being sold on Sixth Street."
Tsunade repeated the words under her breath as her gaze hardened.
Sixth Street.
Turning to the group behind her, she spoke without hesitation.
"Itsuki, inform the Hokage that we've returned. Then tell him I'm going to inspect these pills personally."
She paused, her eyes sharp.
"I want to see whether they truly live up to the rumours."
Chūnin Itsuki nodded immediately. "Yes, Tsunade-hime."
Tsunade, accompanied by several shinobi and kunoichi, made her way toward Sixth Street—the place where the pills were said to be sold.
Sixth Street.
The shop stood out immediately.
A former Uchiha clan property, vast in size and recently renovated.
Inside, the space was crowded.
Some people wore ordinary civilian clothes, while others wore unmistakable Uchiha clan uniforms.
The air buzzed with quiet negotiation.
"Raizen-san," a fat man said with a practised smile, "we've decided on a fifteen per cent margin on sales. As for iron ore purchases, the Cat Clan will take half the market value."
He leaned forward slightly.
"However, these pills must be distributed exclusively through our merchant group."
The man standing across from him was a middle-aged Uchiha.
Deep cut marks lined his right cheek and hands—scars earned through countless life-and-death battles.
His sharp eyes made it clear he was no stranger to bloodshed.
"Gensai-san," Raizen replied coldly, "the Grand Elder has already made an agreement with the Iron Country merchants."
His gaze hardened.
"They supply far more iron ore than the Fire Nation merchants. You can't exploit the situation like this."
Raizen stepped closer.
"If you conduct business this way, no one here will benefit—
except the third party quietly enjoying the profits."
Mizuno Gensai's smile stiffened.
He looked at Raizen, sighed once, then met his gaze again—his expression now completely neutral.
"Raizen-san, we are merchants," Gensai said calmly.
"We conduct business for profit."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Given the current situation between Konoha and the Uchiha, it's obvious why you want us to handle the sale of these two pills."
His eyes sharpened.
"It isn't us who are in need here. It's you."
He smiled wider, already seeing through the strategy.
The Uchiha wanted neutral merchants to raise the banner of sale—
so that Konoha couldn't directly interfere with the distribution of Uchiha products.
Many merchants understood this truth all too well.
Raizen laughed softly.
"Hahaha… Gensai-san, don't you know?"
His hand slipped into his robe.
"The Uchiha are now officially recognised as a merchant clan of the Fire Nation—by the Daimyō himself."
He placed a document on the table.
Gensai froze.
As he reached for the document and read its contents, his expression drained of colour.
"How… how can this be?" Gensai muttered.
Why would the Daimyō grant merchant status to a shinobi clan?
No matter how he thought about it, the situation refused to make sense.
Gensai looked at Raizen, confusion clear on his face.
"If the Uchiha are officially recognised by the Daimyō," he asked, "then why do you need us as representatives? It doesn't make sense."
Raizen met his gaze calmly.
"We don't currently have our own clan merchants stationed in Konoha; only a few are left here," he said.
"And as you can see, we've already sold several Uchiha properties to your merchant group—at very reasonable prices."
A faint, practised smile appeared on his face.
"That's why we believe you're… a considerate partner."
Gensai's expression darkened.
Watching Raizen's casual manner only irritated him further.
"Then give me a real answer now, Raizen-san," Gensai said flatly.
Raizen chuckled softly, clearly amused.
"I am being serious."
Gensai hesitated, unsure of how to respond to Raizen's attitude.
"Don't take his manner too seriously, Gensai-san."
A calm voice came from the doorway.
A middle-aged Uchiha woman stepped inside, her posture elegant, a composed smile resting on her lips.
Her eyes, however, were sharp as they settled on Raizen.
"My husband has always had a slight problem with his head," she said lightly.
Raizen turned toward her, stunned.
"How can you say that?"
"Good evening, Lady Uchiha," Gensai greeted respectfully, immediately recognising the shift in authority.
She inclined her head.
"I'll be the one you should discuss the pill distribution with," she said calmly.
"My husband's group is only here for security."
Her gaze flicked back to Raizen—cold now.
He had gone ahead and negotiated with the gensai of the Mizuno merchant clan on his own, despite it being 'her 'who had received direct orders from the Grand Elder to handle the sale.
"I've already finalised the deal with Gensai-san," Raizen said quickly, forcing a smile as he looked at Shinka.
Shinka said nothing.
She walked toward Raizen and stopped beside him, staring down at him in silence.
One glance was enough.
Raizen stiffened, then quietly stood up from his chair.
Shinka took his seat.
Only then did she look at Mizuno Gensai.
"It wasn't his place to finalise the deal regarding the pills," she said calmly.
"But what he said is not wrong, Gensai-san."
She folded her hands on the table.
"The Uchiha are fully capable of handling sales on our own. However, we've chosen the Mizuno clan for a reason."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Your clan conducts business primarily during wars or rare circumstances—
periods where profit margins are lower compared to other respected merchant clans of the Fire Nation."
Gensai's expression tightened.
The words struck precisely at his weakness.
"That doesn't concern us," Shinka continued smoothly.
"We wish to form an alliance."
She leaned forward slightly.
"You will represent our products within Konoha. We will provide protection. And the profit margin…"
A pause.
"You may decide it yourself."
Gensai's breath caught.
"In return," Shinka added, "we want your clan's support in expanding sales into the markets of the Country of Thunder."
Gensai froze.
The Mizuno clan's connection to the Country of Thunder was a closely guarded secret.
Seeing his reaction, Shinka smiled faintly.
"We do have some… very capable information gatherers."
Her eyes drifted toward the window.
A cat lay there lazily, half-asleep.
Sensing her gaze, it opened one eye, met hers, and let out a soft sound.
"Meow."
Then it went back to sleep.
Gensai looked at Shinka, his expression strained.
For the first time, it was clear—he was the one cornered now.
After a brief hesitation, he spoke in a lowered voice.
"Our clan only conducts limited sales in the black markets of the Country of Thunder. We don't have much influence there."
Even as he said it, Gensai knew the risk he was admitting.
But for the Mizuno clan's survival, risk was unavoidable.
Shinka nodded, as if she had expected that answer.
"That's exactly what we want," she said calmly.
"You may handle sales within Konoha however you see fit—
openly and fairly."
She continued without pause.
"As for the Country of Thunder, profits will be split fifty–fifty. You provide the trade routes and contacts. We provide protection."
A faint smile touched her lips.
Raizen, watching from the side, found the situation amusing.
Gensai was being pressured.
Gensai finally looked at both husband and wife.
"And how are we supposed to trust that the Uchiha won't stab us in the back once you've secured the routes?"
Raizen smiled, a hint of pride in his expression.
"If there's one thing the Uchiha are known for," he said, "it's honouring our missions—and our word. You're free to check our history."
Shinka added smoothly,
"And given the current situation, you can see for yourself—
We're trying to make as many allies as possible, not enemies."
Gensai exhaled slowly, defeat clear on his face.
"I'll discuss this with my clan," he said at last.
"As for sales within Konoha, my people will handle them. You don't need to worry."
He knew the truth.
If the Uchiha followed through on their word, this was the greatest opportunity the Mizuno clan had seen in years—
and one he couldn't afford to miss.
"You won't regret it," Shinka replied calmly.
Bang.
A thunderous crash echoed from outside the room.
Shinka, Raizen, and Gensai all stiffened at once.
They understood immediately—
Something had gone wrong.
When they rushed out, the sight waiting for them made Gensai's breath catch.
A table lay shattered in pieces.
An Uchiha shinobi stood frozen in place, trying—
and failing—
to calm a furious woman standing before him.
"Senju .... Tsunade…"
Raizen grunted out the senju name through clenched teeth.
His eyes flashed red with anger.
Shinka noticed instantly.
"Don't do anything rash," she said quietly.
"The Grand Elder warned us."
Her voice was calm—
But her gaze, fixed on Tsunade, was anything but friendly.
"You bastards!" Tsunade roared.
"How dare you refuse to sell to me? Do you have any idea how much this could help the shinobi at the border?"
The Uchiha shinobi swallowed hard.
Tsunade's punch had shattered the table with ease, and now all eyes were on him.
"Tsunade-hime," he said carefully, forcing the words out, "you didn't make any prior booking. You'll have to wait until the other clans receive their allotted share."
Sweat rolled down his temple.
He wasn't sure whether he was more afraid of Tsunade—or of explaining this incident to Lady Shinka.
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