Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

"Achoo! Achoo~!"

In the dark and quiet space, a plump figure slowly opened its eyes. Shukaku rubbed its nose in confusion and muttered something under its breath.

"That stinking fox must be slandering me behind my back, that despicable traitor!"

"Shukaku, what scripture would you like to hear today?"

Just as Shukaku was feeling indignant, a candlelight shone in the darkness, and sitting cross-legged before its massive body was a young monk.

The monk's gaze was calm and serene, showing no fear as he looked at the enormous creature before him. He clasped his hands together and spoke in a voice like a sacred chant.

"No! You noisy little bald guy, get out of here!"

The thought of the monk chattering incessantly in his ear made Shukaku feel like he was living a life worse than death. He immediately slapped at the monk in front of him, but his claws missed. The monk was just a projection.

"Hoo~ It's a long and arduous task to reform this creature."

The monk who had been driven out slowly opened his eyes, looked at the strangely shaped earthen urn in front of him, and sighed softly.

In the conference room

The First Kazekage's words were resounding and earnest, and Uchiha Gin was really unsure whether this guy was pretending to be stupid or genuinely stupid, actually taking that stupid tanuki as the strongest tailed beast.

"As far as I know, what your village seals is the One-Tailed Beast, right?"

Meanwhile, Hashirama Senju, standing to the side, looked at the First Kazekage, who was speaking eloquently, with a very complex expression after hearing these words.

"That's right! According to Shukaku, the tailed beasts are ranked by the number of their tails, and as a one-tailed beast, it is the leader of the tailed beasts."

Seeing the mockery in Hashirama Senju's eyes, Retsuto became somewhat displeased. "What's with that look of disdain you? Believe me or not, I'll drag Shukaku out and shoot you all."

Ten practice shots in one village, that'll scare you to death!

"Brother Yin, it seems even tailed beasts can boast!"

"Excuse me for interrupting Retsuto's performance," Hashirama Senju said quietly to Gin Uchiha, turning to the side.

"It doesn't matter, the Land of Wind doesn't have money anyway, so all they can do is complain."

The Land of Wind was never within Uchiha Gin's client base from the beginning, so Uchiha Gin could only laugh at Retsuto's words.

"Ahem, excuse me for interrupting. Although I really want to celebrate Sunagakure's acquisition of the strongest tailed beast, based on our experience in capturing tailed beasts in Konoha, the strength of a tailed beast depends on the number of its tails."

Uchiha Gin coughed a few times, interrupting Retsuto's self-praise. It was clear that this Kazekage was shameless in his efforts to enhance his village's international standing, exaggerating Shukaku's abilities to the point of being a formidable opponent capable of taking on eight opponents at once.

"How many tails are there? What proof do you have?"

Retsuto, who had been questioned, was the first to straighten up, his gaze piercing as he looked at Uchiha Gin who had spoken, and asked in a cold voice,

"Hmph~ Just because we captured all the tailed beasts except yours."

With a cold snort, Uchiha Gin unfurled the scroll he had prepared beforehand. Lifelike tailed beasts leaped onto the paper, their ferocious forms drawing the attention of everyone present.

"Is this the true form of the Tailed Beast?"

The leaders of the major powers stared wide-eyed, holding their breath as they gazed at the tailed beasts on the scroll. Even though they weren't real, they exuded a terrifying aura.

"But Shukaku said..."

Even when Uchiha Gin produced the Tailed Beast Scroll, Retsuto stubbornly insisted,

"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. If that doesn't work, bring over the tailed beasts from your Sunagakure village for a test."

Behind the scroll, Uchiha Gin smiled mockingly.

"The Tailed Beasts cannot be used lightly!"

Lie Dou, feeling somewhat intimidated, lost some of his arrogance, but remained defiant.

"If you're bad at the game, practice more; if you can't handle losing, don't play."

Ignoring the First Kazekage, Uchiha Gin glanced at the other Kage, who were all deep in thought, and slowly spoke.

"Do you all know the power of the Tailed Beasts?"

"I've heard a little about it. In the ancient books of our Land of Thunder, there are records about the Nine-Tailed Fox. The ancients described it as being over a hundred feet tall, able to swallow dozens of adult men in one gulp, and the black light spheres it spews out can destroy a city in an instant."

Upon hearing Uchiha Gin's question, the First Raikage spoke first. After all, he had researched information about the Tailed Beasts before coming here, and he was surprised to find that there was indeed information about the Tailed Beasts in the records of the Land of Lightning.

"We also have similar records, and that tailed beast that looks like a giant turtle has appeared in the sea near the Land of Water many times. Some ninjas with considerable strength tried to investigate, but they were all wiped out."

Bai Lian pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"If the Tailed Beasts are truly as terrifying as you describe, then how did Konoha manage to capture these powerful Tailed Beasts?"

Although Ishigawa had also found descriptions of tailed beasts in the records of the Land of Earth, he was somewhat dismissive after hearing that Konoha had captured several tailed beasts, so it seemed that the tailed beasts were not that valuable.

"Tsk~ Speaking of which, we have to thank the Sage of Six Paths for his blessing, which allowed our Hokage to awaken a bloodline limit specifically for tailed beasts."

Uchiha Gin chuckled and patted Senju Hashirama's shoulder. Hashirama's younger brother, who had been sitting upright, immediately adopted a mysterious expression, causing the other Kage to frown.

Anyway, the fact that Hashirama Senju was unparalleled in Wood Release couldn't be kept secret, and it wasn't like there weren't spies from other countries infiltrating Konoha, so he simply laid it all out on the table.

"Wood Release".

The other Kage flashed through their minds the names of Wood Release techniques. Even though they had never fought Hashirama Senju, they must have gathered information beforehand to attend the meeting.

The name "Wood Release" was learned by them through their own intelligence channels.

According to intelligence personnel, this bloodline limit is unique in the ninja world, and no one except Hashirama Senju has awakened it.

"In that case, how does Konoha plan to sell this tailed beast?"

The Kage were well aware of the wonders of bloodline limits, especially the bloodline limit used by a Kage who stood at the pinnacle of a country's ninjas. Its power was naturally not to be underestimated. Having figured this out, the Raikage was the first to ask about the situation and no longer questioned how Konoha captured the tailed beasts.

Seeing that someone had taken the bait, Uchiha Gin immediately adopted a serious expression and slowly extended a finger.

Meanwhile, Hashirama Senju, seeing someone inquire about the price, excitedly shouted out first.

"Our Konoha offers absolutely high-quality goods at low prices, honest and fair to all, only one per person."

"Ten billion!"

"puff!!!"

I wonder which unlucky soul is drinking tea right now; I hope they don't choke to death.

As soon as Uchiha Gin finished speaking, the scene fell into an astonishing silence. Even Senju Hashirama, who had been so enthusiastic just moments before, was dumbfounded and didn't come to his senses for a long time.

"Smack!!!"

The First Tsuchikage, Ishigawa, who was already somewhat displeased, slammed his fist heavily on the conference table that Madara Uchiha had carefully purchased, letting out a mournful cry.

Remember the time the Land of Earth smashed a table?

"If you want war, don't try to fool us like this!"

Ishigawa, who found Uchiha Gin's price outrageous, was about to leave. However, Uchiha Gin, the seller, showed no sign of anxiety. Instead, he appeared calm and collected, and even gestured for Ishigawa to leave quickly.

"You Konoha people have absolutely no sincerity! We, the Land of Earth, will absolutely not sign this bullshit agreement!"

Seeing that the people from Konoha didn't try to stop him, Shihe was furious. He gritted his teeth, uttered a sentence, and headed for the door.

"Brother Yin, this isn't what we agreed on! This is going to cause trouble!"

Unexpectedly, before the meeting was even over, someone stormed out of the room. Hashirama Senju immediately became anxious, grabbed Gin Uchiha's sleeve, and gave him a good scolding.

"Don't be impatient."

Pushing away Hashirama's prisoner's large hand, Uchiha Gin turned to look at the First Mizukage, Byakuren, whose brows were furrowed, and asked with a smile,

"May I ask, Lord Mizukage, how is the battle progressing?"

"Hmph~ It's fifty-fifty."

Even when she was at a disadvantage, Bai Lian remained very tough.

"Sigh~ I wonder how much compensation Kirigakure will have to pay to the Land of Earth if they lose, and whether the Daimyo of the Land of Water will cut next year's military budget, or even just abandon Kirigakure altogether~"

With a look of regret on his face, Uchiha Gin sighed with a touch of melancholy.

"What do you mean by that?"

Ishigawa, who was almost out of the meeting room, stopped abruptly when he heard Uchiha Gin mention him. He turned around, frowned, and questioned him.

"Huh~ Lord Tsuchikage hasn't left yet? You'd better hurry back and settle your scores~"

Uchiha Gin's astonished expression seemed genuine, causing Ishigawa to furrow his brow even more.

"What are you trying to settle? Explain yourself!"

"Of course, we need to calculate how much compensation we should pay to the Land of Water and how much territorial waters we should cede!"

"Hmph! Nonsense, how could we possibly lose!"

Ishigawa retorted coldly, saying that their battle with the Land of Water was now one-sided, and if it weren't for the influence of this meeting, Iwagakure would have taken over Kirigakure.

"I couldn't say for sure before, but after today's meeting, I can guarantee that the Land of Water will have you completely under our control!"

Raising an eyebrow, Uchiha Gin stopped arguing with Ishigawa and left him to his own devices. Instead, he picked up the scroll in his hand and enthusiastically tried to sell it to the inexplicably beautiful Byakugan.

"Lord Mizukage, would you like to learn about this game-changing artifact?"

"Can they really turn things around?"

Bai Lian, who had just been indifferent to the tailed beasts, suddenly broke out in a sweat after hearing what Uchiha Gin had said.

If I lose this battle against the Land of Earth, I will not only face huge war reparations, but also the questioning of the daimyo, and the losses will be incalculable.

"We guarantee a comeback! We happen to have some high-quality, inexpensive aquatic tailed beasts here, perfectly suited to your Land of Water's environment. They can not only help you conquer the seas, but also guard your homes—one beast, multiple uses!"

After hearing this, Bai Lian lowered her head in silence, calculating the gains and losses in her mind.

If they lose, given how ruthless that old man Ishigawa is, he'll have to pay at least tens of billions in reparations before he'll stop. The Daimyo allocates at least tens of billions in military funds every year, and that depends on Kirigakure's performance. If they lose, they won't get a single penny.

"Too expensive!"

After comparing the two, Bai Lian was clearly somewhat tempted. Looking at Uchiha Gin's bright smile, his tone was much gentler than before.

"Is it expensive? It's always been this price! Lord Mizukage, we need to think long-term~"

"But 10 billion is really too much."

"Yeah, Brother Yin, this is too much!"

Hashirama Senju also thought it was too outrageous and whispered a reminder.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, I understand!"

Uchiha Gin nodded in a perfunctory manner, indicating that he understood.

"Sorry, Mizukage-sama, my Hokage just reminded me that it's not 10 billion for one tail, it's 10 billion for every tail~"

Uchiha Gin smiled slightly and corrected the off-track price list.

Just think about the 6000 billion explosive tags that the future rich woman Nan possesses; if converted to cash, it would be more than enough to buy a whole set of tailed beasts from him!

"Aminos!"

Byakuren dared not gamble. Kirigakure had the money to buy tailed beasts, but if they bought them and lost them to the Land of Earth, wouldn't they lose both their money and their people, and their debts would double?

"Lord Mizukage, going all in is a mindset. Betting doesn't guarantee a win, but not betting guarantees a loss~"

Uchiha Gin's words were like the whispers of a demon, lingering in Byakuren's mind like a terrifying nightmare.

"Just think about it, how painful it would be to realize that a village built up over many years with painstaking effort could be destroyed by your own hands."

"Oh, this."

Bai Lian wavered somewhat.

"Think of your wife, children, and elderly parents. They are all eagerly awaiting your triumphant return. If you are defeated, what will become of them?"

"I'll buy it."

"You old scoundrel, don't be impulsive!"

Having listened intently for a while, Ishigawa, seeing that the First Mizukage had clearly fallen into the trap, immediately shouted in alarm.

"That's 10 billion! 10 billion is enough to cover your village's expenses for several years!"

"You're so long-winded, old devil Shihe!"

Bai Lian, who had been hesitant, made up her mind after hearing her nemesis's words. She turned to look at the smiling Uchiha Gin and said in a deep voice,

"We, the Hidden Mist Village, bought it!"

"!!!" *8

"That's more like it~ Which one would you like, Lord Mizukage?"

Having successfully fooled a customer, Uchiha Gin immediately unfurled the scroll in his hand and displayed the tailed beast to Byakuren.

"The aquatic tailed beast you just mentioned."

Reluctantly ignoring the two-tailed turtle with the fewest tails, Byakuren placed her finger on the three-tailed turtle.

"The Mizukage has reserved one of the Three-Tails~"

After confirming the information, Uchiha Gin pulled a handful of ribbons from his pocket and threw them into the air to celebrate the opening day.

Unexpectedly, Bai Lian actually reserved a tailed beast worth 30 billion. Shi He silently sat back in his original seat with a cold face. He wanted to see what tricks Uchiha Gin could play next.

"Hehe~ Cheer up, Mizukage! As long as you have the Three-Tails, you're guaranteed to win this battle."

As Uchiha Gin spoke, he pulled a Three-Tails information card from his bag and handed it to Byakuren, who looked pained, while solemnly promising,

"This is?"

He took the card with a puzzled look, and Bai Lian's eyes widened instantly. Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from the card, he almost dropped the Three-Tailed Card on the ground.

"What is that?!"

The perception of the figures present was not bad. The moment the card appeared, they sensed a chilling and terrifying pressure, and they all looked at the ordinary card in surprise.

"Take this card carefully. It contains a tiny bit of tailed beast chakra, so it's a data card with built-in anti-counterfeiting features."

These Tailed Beast cards were made by Uchiha Gin last night using the chakra from the tailed beasts' tails. They were meant to introduce the abilities of the tailed beasts and also to let those who don't know anything about them witness the power and pressure of the tailed beasts.

"So detailed!"

Touching the slightly hot card in her hand, Byakuren began to examine its contents. She discovered that the card not only depicted the Three-Tails' entire appearance, but also listed its skills below. In addition to some water-style and taijutsu techniques, a skill called Tailed Beast Ball was highlighted in bold.

"To destroy a city in one strike."

Holding the card in her hand, Byakuren wished she could take the Three-Tails away right now and throw it onto the battlefield of the Land of Earth to teach that old devil Ishigawa a lesson.

"Lord Mizukage, since we've already bought it, why don't you take another look? There's also a Six-Tails here, which would be perfect for your Land of Water's land environment. When combined with the Three-Tails, one for external defense and one for internal defense, Kirigakure will be safe in wartime!"

Three tails are enough~

Uchiha Gin, who was thinking of striking while the iron was hot and selling more, was refused by Byakuren. It seems that the old man is quite cautious and did not get carried away.

"Hey, Kazekage, are the Tailed Beasts really as terrifying as you say?"

Seeing that Byakuren had acquired the Three-Tails, Ishigawa, he suddenly felt a little uneasy. While everyone was focused on Uchiha Gin, he subtly nudged Retsuto beside him and whispered, "..."

"I don't know much about the other tailed beasts, but Shukaku is a calamity beast that can destroy a city in the blink of an eye. Back then, the ancestors of the Land of Wind sealed it in a divine artifact that had been passed down for many years while it was sleeping, using their lives as bait and their flesh as a prison."

This time, Liedou didn't boast excessively. Instead, he told Shihe, who was standing next to him, the facts he knew.

"If that's really the case."

"Really not going to consider it? You should also persuade the Mizukage-sama; good things come in pairs, it'll bring good luck!"

Just as Uchiha Gin was earnestly promoting his product, Ishigawa, who was getting restless, suddenly spoke up.

"Konoha, I remember you said that the strength of a tailed beast is linked to the number of its tails?"

"Of course, this has been certified by two of Konoha's most authoritative authorities."

"Introduce the four tails to me."

"ha?"

"Don't you want to make money anymore?"

With a gloomy expression, Shi He frowned and questioned,

"Alright~ Lord Tsuchikage, please take a look!"

The customer is God, and the traitor is the emperor of emperors. With a smile on his face, Uchiha Gin quickly abandoned Byakuren and appeared beside Ishigawa.

"This red-haired gorilla is the Four-Tails. Lord Tsuchikage, choosing it is guaranteed to be excellent value for money!"

"How can you say it's overpriced?"

Seeing that Ishigawa still had doubts, Uchiha Gin immediately took out the Four-Tails card from his bag and handed it over.

"This is the information card for the Four-Tails."

"Ouch~ It's so hot!"

Caught completely off guard, Tsuchikage rashly accepted the card, feeling as if he had received a handful of scorching lava; his palms burned and turned red.

"There's even a bloodline limit!"

Feeling the scorching pressure emanating from the card in his hand, Shihe's eyes widened as he looked at it. The information about the four tails contained a bloodline limit that was rare in the world, and according to the card's markings, this bloodline could be learned and passed down.

"One strike wipes out a city, hmph~"

Looking at the Tailed Beast Ball in the Four-Tails' information, Shihe finally realized why the stingy Bailian would spend so much money to buy a Tailed Beast; this thing definitely had an important role in turning the tide of the battle.

"How is it, Lord Tsuchikage? Are you satisfied?"

"It's just so-so, and too expensive."

Even though he really wanted it, how could Shihe, who was always careful with his money, not try to bargain?

"Ah~ Tsuchikage-sama, this is the Four-Tails, which comes with a learnable bloodline limit, and you still think it's too expensive!"

Uchiha couldn't see through his little trick and immediately shouted out.

"What?! A learnable bloodline limit?"

Byakuren, who was admiring the Three-Tails information card in his hand, suddenly turned pale when he heard the words "bloodline limit." He realized he had acted too soon, but fortunately, it was only aquatic, which suited their Land of Water.

"Keep your voice down~ I've already bought it, okay!"

You have to understand how tempting a bloodline limit that can be learned is for a ninja village!

If trained properly, they can form a bloodline team in just a few years, becoming invincible on the battlefield.

"The Tsuchikage has reserved one Four-Tails~"

Uchiha Gin stood up, wiping the cold sweat from his brow, and sighed, "This money really isn't easy to earn!"

"Since both the Mizukage and the Tsuchikage have purchased a tailed beast, our Land of Lightning naturally cannot lag behind."

Sensing a slight threat, the First Raikage knew that if he didn't act now, he would suffer a great loss later, so he spoke loudly.

"Lord Raikage, which tailed beast are you interested in?"

Brother Ai is truly a good buddy, so supportive! If there are any left over later, I'll give you one for free~

"Let me see which one is the strongest!"

Seemingly nonchalant, but with a clear objective, the First Raikage pointed his hand at the bull's head.

"The Eight-Tails, as expected of the Raikage, so full of spirit!"

"Wait!" *2

Two aged voices rang out simultaneously.

"May I ask what advice you two may offer?"

Raising an eyebrow, Uchiha Gin looked at Byakuren and Ishigawa, who had both stood up, and asked in confusion,

"Does the Eight-Tails have a bloodline limit?"

Bai Lian asked the question first, and Shi He nodded in agreement. It seemed that these two mortal enemies were unusually in agreement.

If the Eight-Tails, which appears to be an aquatic tailed beast, has a bloodline limit, Byakuren is prepared to try and obtain it, since Uchiha Gin just said that the more tails one has, the stronger one is.

"The Eight-Tails has no bloodline limit."

"That's alright then~" Both old men breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lord Raikage, this is an information card. Please keep it safe."

He handed out the information card of the Eight-Tails, and everyone could clearly sense a more profound pressure from it than from the previous two cards.

This made Bai Lian and Shi He frown. Although the Eight-Tails had little use, its strength seemed to be stronger than the tailed beasts they had. If they fell behind, they would be beaten. They had to strengthen their forces!

The two exchanged glances, then turned to look at the scroll unfolded in Uchiha Gin's hands.

"I wonder if these five tailed creatures possess a bloodline limit?"

"Yes! It seems the Tsuchikage is quite interested in bloodline limits~"

"Stop nagging! Do you even want to make money? Show me!"

Upon receiving the steaming hot Five-Tailed Information Card, Ishigawa's eyes lit up, and he immediately put it into his pocket.

"Hey! Don't get angry if you're not going to buy it!"

That old guy actually stole it! This card has other uses too!

"Who says we won't buy it? We, the Hidden Stone Village, want the Five-Tails!"

"Hey curly-haired brat, bring me the Six-Tailed Fox!"

Fearing she might be a step too late and miss the last aquatic tailed beast, Bai Lian, unwilling to fall behind, jumped up and urged her on.

"Okay~"

Seeing that Uchiha Gin had sold five tailed beasts in no time, Senju Hashirama couldn't believe it was real and subconsciously pinched his thigh.

"Ah!" *2

Lie Dou, who also cried out in pain, turned his head away somewhat awkwardly. His head was now filled with lemon juice, transforming him into a master of sourness.

"Only two left! First come, first served!"

Feeling that his sales champion status was about to reach unprecedented heights, Uchiha Gin waved his last two cards and shouted out.

"Hmph! Anyone who buys this is a complete idiot!"

Envious to the point of turning purple, Lie Dou sourly remarked, "Watching others make money is more painful than losing money myself."

"Let me see the Seven-Tails' card."

Just then, Ishigawa, who was admiring the Tailed Beast Card in his hand, heard the shout and seemed to suddenly remember something. He raised his hand and shouted,

"No, Tsuchikage-sama, do you have enough money?"

Uchiha Gin looked Ishigawa up and down, who had raised his hand, and asked in a very skeptical tone,

"Can't I get one for my friend?" (End of Chapter)