Naruto: The Ninja World's Life Buyer

Chapter 172 The Great Shrine Festival: A Game Beyond the Race

At dawn, a small team gathered at the main gate of Konoha Village.

The one leading the group was Sosuke. He was wearing a black shirt and a dark gray overcoat.

Behind him were four young people.

Iwai, Rin, and Kenji. These three Chunin had sharp eyes and stood firmly. They carried huge sealing scrolls and marching packs on their backs.

Another one is Maki.

She was dressed in a black ninja combat suit, with bandages wrapped around her legs, and her ninja tool pouch bulging at her waist. This was her first time leaving the village as a ninja, and her face was filled with nervousness.

Sosuke glanced at the sky.

"Set off."

He didn't waste any unnecessary words.

The group of five, forming a standard diamond-shaped protective formation, left Konoha and headed towards the southern coastline.

On the road.

Maki was struggling to keep up. Although she excelled academically at school, she lacked experience in long-distance running, and her stamina quickly became an issue.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Her breathing became heavy.

"Let's take a break."

Sosuke stopped under a large tree and took out his water bottle.

The three Iwai members immediately dispersed, taking up high ground and vigilantly observing their surroundings. This was a battlefield instinct ingrained in their very bones.

"Mr. Sosuke—I'm sorry, I've let you down." Maki leaned against the tree trunk, feeling somewhat ashamed.

"It's always like this the first time."

Sosuke unscrewed the kettle and handed it to her.

"This mission will also be a training opportunity for you."

He looked at the three Iwai.

"See them? They're from humble backgrounds, just like you."

"A year ago, they were the worst students in school, ridiculed by everyone. Now, they are elites who have hunted down Jonin from Kumogakure."

"Talent and lineage determine the starting point, but resources and intelligence determine the ending point. I gave them resources. Now, I'm giving them resources too."

"As for how far you can go, that's up to you."

Maki gripped the kettle tightly.

"I understand, Mr. Sosuke."

Three days later, at the Great Palace, the largest port city in the Land of Tea.

The sea breeze is salty and damp, and the tea leaves are fragrant.

Here stand rows of gun emplacements, a bustling dock, and merchants dressed in various national costumes, hurrying about.

This is a country built on trade. Money is the rule here.

"Wow, it's so lively!"

It was the first time Maki had ever seen the sea and such a bustling port.

Don't get distracted.

-

Iwai reminded him in a low voice. His left hand remained pressed against his ninja tool pouch.

"There are all sorts of people here, a lot of different kinds."

They had barely entered the port area when a group of samurai dressed in blue haori and carrying long swords came to greet them.

The leader was a young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a handsome face and sharp, eagle-like eyes.

"You must be Mr. Takaya Sousuke of the Takaya Trading Company."

The young man bowed slightly to Sosuke, performing a standard samurai salute.

"My name is Kakuzaburo. I have been waiting here for a long time on the orders of my master."

"You're too kind, Mr. Saburo," Sosuke returned the greeting.

The Wagaku family are one of the de facto rulers of the Tea Country. They monopolize half of the country's tea trade and possess a private army of one thousand elite warriors.

"You must be tired from your journey. My father has prepared a small feast to welcome you back and wash away the dust of your travels."

The Hejie family mansion was more like a small castle than a home.

High walls, arrow towers, patrolling warriors. This is one of the heartlands of power in this country.

The dinner was held in the largest Japanese-style room.

The dishes were extremely plentiful, featuring the freshest seafood and the finest tea.

Sosuke sat at the head of the table, opposite the head of the Wagaku family, a shrewd-looking old man. Wagaku Saburo sat to the lower seat in accompaniment.

"Mr. Sosuke, you are a promising young man."

The old patriarch raised his glass.

"The purified water from the Takaya Trading Company is now a hot commodity on the black market. Even our Tea Country has heard of it."

"You flatter me, Master. It's just some small business," Sosuke replied, raising his glass.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became harmonious.

But Sosuke remained vigilant. His snake-like left eye, hidden beneath his eyepatch, calmly observed everything inside the room.

Behind the screen in the Japanese-style room, outside the paper door, lay at least twenty samurai. Their breathing was steady; they were clearly all highly skilled.

Large families are indeed very wary.

"Mr. Sosuke, we invited you here today to discuss a big business deal."

The old patriarch put down his wine glass and finally got to the point.

"The clean water and medicine from the Takaya Trading Company, as well as the ninja tools from the Uchiha Armory, are all hard currency on the black market."

"But land transport is too risky. Not only are heavy taxes imposed, but you also have to deal with bandits and wars along the way."

"I wish to cooperate with you to open up a sea route."

"Depart from the port of the Land of Tea, and transport your goods directly to the Land of Lightning, the Land of Water, or even more distant places."

"This would benefit both of us, and I'm sure you'd be happy to do it. However, there are people who will try to stop us from doing it."

""

"Who?" Sosuke asked.

"The Wasabi family."

A hint of murderous intent flashed in the old patriarch's eyes.

The Land of Tea is not a monolithic entity. His arch-rival, the Wasabi family, has always been eyeing him covetously.

"Three days later is the traditional Todoroki Taisha festival in the Land of Tea. According to tradition, the two major families will decide their port management rights for the next few years through a race."

"However, I received information that the Wasabi family has spent a lot of money hiring a group of wandering ninjas, preparing to kill my contestant during the competition."

"It is said that they are rogue ninjas who fled from the Land of Water, and their methods are extremely cruel."

Zongsuke's heart moved.

Did they originate from the Land of Water?

"You want me to send people to protect your athlete?"

"No."

The old patriarch shook his head.

"I want you to take care of those rogue ninjas."

Sosuke did not answer immediately.

He looked out the window. Night had fallen, and the sea breeze rustled through the pine trees in the courtyard.

"I need to think about this."

Sosuke stood up.

"Thank you for your hospitality tonight. We can discuss the details of the collaboration tomorrow."

"Alright."

The old patriarch nodded.

"Saburo, take Mr. Sosuke to rest."

"Yes."

He and Akuta Saburo got up and led the way.

"Mr. Sosuke, please come with me. We have prepared the best rooms and geishas."

Sosuke declined the invitation.

He didn't want to sleep under someone else's nose, especially in a family stronghold with thousands of private soldiers.

As soon as they stepped out of the gate of the Wajiku family's house, the three Iwais immediately surrounded them, forming a protective circle.

The night market at the Imperial Palace is noisy and chaotic.

Lanterns hung along both sides of the street, their warm yellow glow creating a continuous halo that transformed the harbor into a city that never sleeps.

Drunken sailors, heavily made-up courtesans, and wandering ronin—the streets were full of them.

Sosuke walked ahead, looking like a rich young master on vacation.

The three Iwais were scattered among the crowd, seemingly close yet distant.

Only Maki followed behind Sousuke.

"call----"

Maki took a deep breath; the air was filled with the aromas of grilled squid, matcha, and the sea.

This was a completely new experience for her, who grew up inland.

"It's quite lively, isn't it?"

Sosuke had his hands in his coat pockets.

"Yes, Mr. Sosuke. Here—it seems there is no war."

"Because this is the land of tea. There are no ninja villages here, only daimyo and powerful clans. They make a living through trade, and everyone needs to drink tea and needs a transit point, so everyone tacitly agrees not to leave this place."

Sosuke stopped in front of a roadside stall.

The stall owner was a shirtless old man who was frying a kind of tea cake on a griddle.

"Boss, two pieces, please."

Sosuke took out his money.

"Alright! Please try this, it's made from powdered Gyokuro tea leaves harvested this year!"

Sosuke took the steaming hot tea cake and handed one to Maki.

"Try it."

Maki took a bite. It was slightly bitter, with a sweet aftertaste and the soft, chewy texture of glutinous rice.

"Is it good?" Sosuke asked.

"Hmm—it has a very unique flavor."

Maki nodded. Her gaze fell on the scantily clad prostitutes.

This is a sight unlike anything seen in Konoha.

Although Konoha has its darkness, it maintains an outward appearance of order and cleanliness. But here, chaos reigns unsettlingly, yet a primal vitality coexists.

Sosuke finished the last bite of the tea cake and wiped his hands.

"Let's go find a hotel. We need to make our next plans."

They arrived at a brightly lit six-story wooden building.

This is the most luxurious commercial hotel in the Imperial Palace, specially catering to wealthy merchants and nobles from various countries.

The men standing at the door were not ordinary workers, but samurai.

Sosuke spent a lot of money to book a penthouse suite.

The view here is excellent; you can see the entire harbor at night just by opening the window.

Iwai, Suzu, and Kenji quickly got to work.

Check doors and windows, set up a cordon, and place detonation tags in the dead corners of the ceiling and floor.

Their movements were skillful and their teamwork was excellent.

Maki was at a loss; she wanted to help, but found herself unable to get involved.

"Maki, come here."

Sosuke was sitting on the tatami mat by the window, brewing tea.

Maki walked over and knelt down beside her.

"What do you see when you look down from here?" Sosuke pointed to the street outside the window.

Maki peeked out.

The streets were teeming with people.

"So many people—and so many trucks."

"Look more closely."

Sosuke poured her a cup of tea.

Maki narrowed her eyes, using the observation techniques she had learned at the ninja academy.

"Those trucks—they were crushed very deep. They were loaded with heavy cargo."

"However, the people escorting the delivery truck, although dressed in ordinary merchant clothes, walked with a very stable center of gravity."

"They are warriors."

"very good."

Sosuke nodded in satisfaction.

"That's Wasabi's convoy."

Sosuke took a sip of tea.

"I was just telling Old Man Akuta that the Wasabi family hired rogue ninjas from the Land of Water. Now it seems that things are not that simple. They have also sent their own samurai to infiltrate the crowd and wait for an opportunity to assassinate the Akuta family's contestants."

Maki felt a chill.

Looking at the seemingly bustling crowd, she suddenly felt that there was a knife hidden behind every figure.

"So—should we help the He Jie family?"

"Let's take a look first."

Sosuke put down his teacup.

"I don't make decisions lightly before I have enough intelligence. I only make the most profitable investments."

"Go to sleep. We're going shopping tomorrow."

"shop?"

Maki was stunned.

How can someone be in the mood to go shopping when tensions are so high?

"certainly."

Sousuke smiled.

"Now that we've come all this way to the land of tea, how can we not bring back some local specialties? It would be such a waste of the trip!"

"and--

""

"Only in the market can you see the true strength of a family."