Naruto: The Ninja World's Life Buyer

Chapter 192 The Private Army of the Disabled, Armed Forces Take Shape

Konoha Hospital, operating room.

"Hemostats"

Tsunade's voice came through her mask, sounding irritated, but her movements were quick and steady.

"Yes."

Nono quickly handed over the equipment.

Lying on the operating table was a middle-aged man who had lost both legs. He was a wounded soldier from the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War, whose lower body was blown to pieces after stepping on an Iwagakure explosive clay mine.

That year, he stayed at home, living on a meager pension. Getting drunk and irritable were the norm for a useless person.

But now, he has been given a new lease on life.

"Connecting nerves."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

The chakra scalpel in her hand shrank to millimeters as she picked out the atrophied nerve bundles one by one and connected them to the chakra conduction lines on the prosthetic limb interface.

Ten minutes later.

"Click".

A crisp mechanical meshing sound.

The black metal prosthetic limb was completely locked to the man's leg bone.

Tsunade straightened up and shook the blood off her hands.

"Next."

The corridor outside the operating room.

The place is full of people.

To be precise, it was filled with disabled people.

Some were missing arms, some were missing legs, and some were even paralyzed on one side of their bodies. They were all retired ninjas of Konoha, embers left after the Will of Fire had burned out.

They remained silent, their eyes filled with both tension and fervent hope.

Sosuke stood at the end of the corridor, holding a thick stack of documents in his hand.

Yuanzao stood beside him.

This "steel spider" has now fully adapted to his metal left leg.

"Boss."

Yuanzao looked at his former comrades-in-arms.

"Have they all signed?"

"They've all been signed."

Sosuke waved the document in his hand.

"No one refused."

This is the "Takaya Shokai Long-Term Employment and Medical Loan Agreement".

The terms are harsh, but also fair:

First, the Chamber of Commerce advanced up to five million taels for surgery and prosthetic materials.

Second, the recipient must serve the Takaya Trading Company for five years. During these five years, there will be no salary, only basic living expenses and prosthetic limb maintenance fees, which will be used to offset debts.

Third, after five years, once the debt is settled, the prosthetic limb will belong to the individual. If they continue to serve, they will enjoy the high salary and benefits of being a formal security guard at Takaya Trading Company.

Fourth, if there is betrayal or leakage of information midway, the Chamber of Commerce has the right to reclaim the prosthetic limb—through force.

"This is a contract of servitude."

Genzo exhaled a smoke ring and commented.

"For a ninja, five years is not a long time."

Sosuke said calmly.

"Moreover, I gave them a new life."

This is a fact.

Although Sosuke's prosthetic limbs had already been widely adopted, the cost of five million taels was not something everyone could afford. Many people scraped together what they could, but in the end, they could only raise enough for the budget version of the prosthetic limb, which cost five hundred thousand taels.

Many people couldn't even scrape together 500,000 taels.

Therefore, after obtaining permission from the Daimyo Prefecture's private armed forces, Sosuke immediately withdrew from this "selling himself" service.

The operating room door opened.

The man who had just undergone surgery was wheeled out. He was sweating profusely from the pain, but his eyes were filled with excitement.

"Next! Who's Tanaka?"

Jingyin came out with the list in her hand.

"Me! I am!"

A one-armed man stood up and almost fell over from excitement.

Sosuke turned and left.

"Yuanzao, these people are in your hands. Rehabilitation training and tactical training."

Genzo nodded. This wasn't difficult for him.

A large army of disabled people is being formed in this hospital.

This army belongs to Sōsuke. Completely belongs to him.

Outside Konoha Village, in a wasteland downstream of the Naka River.

This place is not far from the Uchiha Armory and has been enclosed by the Takaya Trading Company as a base for their private armed forces.

Dozens of horse-drawn carriages were parked at the entrance of the camp.

A group of all sorts of people jumped off the car.

Some of them wore tattered armor, some carried huge shuriken on their backs, and some wore blindfolds.

This is the legion that Sawtooth brought back from the Land of Rain.

Wandering ninjas, down-on-their-luck samurai, and wanted mercenaries. More than two hundred people in total.

Their aura was mixed, filled with wildness and bloodlust, like a pack of wolves in the wilderness.

"Is this Konoha?"

Kito—the rogue ninja who cooperated with Sousuke in the Land of Tea—is now one of the temporary leaders of this group.

He looked at the bustling village in the distance, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Looks pretty comfortable."

"Hey, you cripple over there!"

Gui Tou looked at the disabled legion training in the camp.

Genzo was leading fifty limbed ninjas in formation.

"It seems the boss has too much money to burn, even supporting disabled people."

The wandering ninjas behind Kito burst into laughter. In their eyes, physical mutilation was equivalent to death. These guys with iron hands and feet looked like a pile of scrap metal.

Yuanzao stopped what he was doing. He turned his head, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

The fifty limbed ninjas behind him also turned around in unison.

Click.

The uniform, mechanical clicking sound.

Fifty metal arms rose, their dark launch ports aimed at the newly arrived "wolves".

murderous look.

The chilling murderous aura of someone who had survived life and death and crawled back from hell instantly drowned out the clamor of the wandering ninjas.

The ghost head's laughter sound effect got stuck in his throat.

He sensed danger. There was something wrong with the way these cripples looked at him.

Just when the two sides were on the verge of exchanging blows.

"Quiet."

A calm voice came from the tent in the center of the camp.

The curtain was lifted. Sosuke stepped out.

He was wearing a black trench coat and scanned the entire room with his one eye.

Behind him followed a burly man. Hyuga Masaru.

"Boss!"

Sawtooth emerged from the crowd, carrying a large knife, and chuckled.

"I've brought the men. They're all seasoned veterans. But—these guys are used to being wild, they might not be very obedient."

Sousuke nodded.

He looked at the demon head and the group of unruly wandering ninjas.

"I am Sousuke Takaya. Now that you're here, you're one of my men."

"I will give you food, money, and legal status. But you must obey my orders."

Sosuke pointed to Genzo.

"From today onwards, he will be your instructor and captain."

"That old man with the iron leg, is he our instructor?"

The demon pointed at Genzo, clearly unwilling.

Sosuke didn't say anything more.

"You disagree?"

Genzo spoke up.

"Since you're not satisfied, then let's follow the rules."

He raised his head, his eyes sharp.

"You're the alpha wolf, right? Beat me, and you can have the captain's position. If you lose, shut up and be an obedient dog."

"Ha! You've got guts!"

Ghost Head grinned maliciously and drew the long sword from his waist.

"Then don't blame me for disrespecting the elderly and caring for the young!"

"Water Release: Water Chaos Waves!"

Kito was not careless at all, even when facing a disabled person. He formed a hand seal with one hand, spewed out a stream of rushing water as cover, and instantly plunged into the water, his long sword aimed straight for Genzo's neck.

This is a standard tactic of the Mist Shadows: using concealment to carry out assassinations.

Yuanzao also moved.

"Click".

A mechanical clicking sound.

The metal prosthetic leg of Genzo's left leg was suddenly raised at an angle that defied the structure of human joints.

when!!!

The demon's long sword was blocked by that metal leg.

Instead of using flesh, a row of serrated barbs that popped out from the prosthetic leg jammed the blade.

"What?!" Ghost Head exclaimed in surprise.

"Too slow."

"It's Yuanzhao," Yuanzhao said coldly.

Before Kito could react, Genzo swept his right leg across, knocking Kito off balance.

Immediately afterwards, the metal left leg rose again, hovering three centimeters above the ghost's brow.

The kneecap opened, revealing a dark, gaping hole—the launch port filled with poisonous senna.

If Genzo had even the slightest thought, Kito's head would be riddled with holes.

The entire arena fell silent. That prosthetic leg was such a sophisticated killing weapon.

"Who else disagrees?"

Yuanzao withdrew his leg.

"Click."

The kneecap closed, and the serrated barbs retracted. The prosthesis returned to its original smooth shape.

He surveyed the entire area, his murderous aura instilling fear in the pack of wild dogs.

"Here, there are no able-bodied or disabled people. There are only people who can or cannot kill."

Genzo looked at the ghost head in the pit.

"Stand up and join the ranks."

Gui Tou silently got up and joined the line.

Sosuke stood in front of the tent, watching this scene, and nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems the adjustment period was shorter than I expected."

He said to Genzo.

"Yuanzao, from now on, you're in charge of maintaining order here. If anyone dares to cause trouble behind our backs, don't report it; deal with them directly."

"Yes."

This private army, though composed of diverse members, finally took shape under the dual pressure of Genzo's military might and Sousuke's financial resources.

Konoha Hospital.

Tsunade's personal laboratory, the Tactical Prosthetics Research and Development Center.

On the operating table, there are various types of robotic arms and legs, some connected to complex tubing, and some still dripping lubricant.

Tsunade, wearing a white lab coat, is adjusting a new arm.

"Chakra conduction has increased by 5%, but the rejection reaction at the nerve junction is still at a critical level."

She rubbed her temples, looking somewhat irritated. She'd been working too much lately.

Moreover, this is not the most important thing.

More importantly, she received news that Sosuke was forming an armed force for disabled people.

As a medical ninja, her motto is to save lives.

But now, the people she healed have become killing machines more efficient than ordinary ninjas. This ethical paradox disgusts her.

"Lady Tsunade."

The laboratory door was pushed open.

Sosuke walked in. He was wearing a black trench coat and still smelled of dust from the camp outside.

"I heard there's been a new development in the surgery?"

Sousuke asked with a smile, seemingly completely unaware of Tsunade's emotions.

"Takaya Sosuke."

Tsunade turned around and stared at him sharply.

"What's with the private soldiers you're keeping in Nakagawa? Those ninjas with prosthetic limbs I made have become your personal henchmen?"

"That's the security force, Lady Tsunade. The business of the trading company is growing bigger and bigger, and there are too many people who are envious. I need power to protect my assets."

"and----"

"Where will those ninjas go if they don't become my henchmen? Even if they get their hands and feet back, they'll still have to fight again. Didn't you foresee this when you agreed to this plan?"

Tsunade was speechless.

Indeed. Those ninjas who lost limbs, after being fitted with prosthetics, would certainly not be willing to continue living the life of a cripple and would definitely want to return to the battlefield.

"If you dare use these people to do things that harm the village, I will personally dismantle those prosthetics and, while I'm at it, dismantle you too."

She said fiercely.

"rest assured."

Sousuke smiled.

"I want peace in Konoha more than anyone else."

97

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