CHAPTER 11

One week later

Konoha's Psychiatric Facility

Inoichi Yamanaka sighed.

He stared intently at the monitor pointed into Kakashi's room, wondering how badly the mission to Kannabi had destroyed Team Minato.

The tide of the war had turned in Konoha's favour and Iwa was quickly back peddling from invaded territories as their supplies dwindled; reinforcements and consumable resources alike were scarce for Iwa.

The destruction of the Kannabi Bridge was still being felt by Earth Country.

It wasn't like there wasn't a different route from Earth to Grass, but Konoha and its allies occupied those paths, strangling Earth for air.

Inoichi wasn't very concerned with how well the war was going, as he had faith all along Konoha would come out on top no matter the situation.

He was more worried about the broken remnants of the children that had blown up the Kannabi bridge.

Obito was braindead.

There were rumours that the Uchiha clan wanted to unplug his life support and raise a memorial for the boy for his sacrifice during the mission. Any reservation they had for Obito was wiped away among the Uchiha people, recognising the tragedy that was the aftermath of the mission on one of their own; a young, promising shinobi.

Rin was convinced to not retire from being a ninja, though she was nearly inseparable from Obito's side.

Tsunade spoke with Rin's parents and agreed that the girl should regularly attend therapy, which Inoichi wholeheartedly supported. Tsunade informally brought Rin closer as a second apprentice and was the only positive force that could pull Rin away from Obito.

If Rin maintained her efforts, her life could return to normal.

Or, as close to normal as before.

Kakashi though…

Inoichi's lips screwed into a frown and he hummed. He crossed his arms and observed the boy, sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of a beige room.

He was facing a corner with his elbows on his knees, his fingers laced together, and his head perched on the back of his hands. His eyes were sullenly closed and his breathing was even, meditating in that corner of the room in utter silence as the chakra seal at the nape of his neck glowed a dull shade of blue.

His bed wedged into the far-left corner of the room was neatly made, with the white bed sheets flat and without creases, and his pillow propped up at the head of this bed. His soft brown blanket was folded at the foot of his bed.

On the right side of the bed and laid on the floor were two pairs of rubber slippers.

Today was better.

Kakashi was calmer and more cooperative.

When he was brought in, he was wild and vengeful. He couldn't be restrained in a straitjacket because the boy always found a way out of it, and they had to shave his hair till it was nearly bald because Kakashi kept pulling it out during a more manic episode.

Yamanaka techniques didn't work on Hatake clan members, and Kakashi was no different. Traditional medical methods had to be used, such as using medication to dull the child into a more docile state. But even as the dosage was strong enough to immobilise a grown man, Kakashi still sat without lilting to the side, meditating quietly in his corner.

The report Rin gave about the Kannabi Bridge mission was heavily redacted, even for Council scrutiny.

The part explaining how Obito sustained his head wounds was especially confusing; it said that he hit his head against a rock as he fell into a chasm, but Tsunade's examination of Obito's skull showed that the injury came from a point much smaller than any rock and widened upon entering Obito's head, jarring his brain.

Tsunade's findings were quickly silenced and those that had heard were sworn to secrecy.

Inoichi grimaced when he heard knuckles cracking behind him, saying over his shoulder, "Could you not do that? It's grating."

Orochimaru ignored the other man's annoyance, tucking his hands behind his back and raising an unimpressed eyebrow. "The boy has too much potential to be left here to rot, Inoichi." His golden, reptilian eyes turned from the screen showing Kakashi meditating to Inoichi shaking his head. "Drugging him into a stupor is wasteful. Inhumane—"

Inoichi scoffed. "You want to talk to me about being inhumane?" Orochimaru barely kept his expression from curling into a snarl, feeling the vestiges of pain burn in every single cell of the Sannin's body. Orochimaru's neck twitched, focusing on the agony racking his body to stay conscious, masterfully doing so in such a way that Inoichi didn't notice. The Yamanaka still had his back to the Sannin. "I know what you've done, and I assure you, you will be exposed. Soon."

Orochimaru inhaled deeply and pursed his lips, shutting his eyes and making sure that his face was smooth from any sign of his suffering.

He focused on the pain to stay conscious.

He focused on his hate for Naruto.

Orochimaru exhaled. His tone was smoother than honey. "Sarutobi-sensei wants Kakashi out of her. Soon."

Inoichi stilled.

The Sannin continued, rolling his neck as a particularly hard thud of pain slammed into the back of his head, "I've been assigned to be his handler, as I have more experience in dealing with his kind…"

Inoichi spat. "Child soldiers?"

Orochimaru smiled patronisingly, not at all talking about child soldiers, but about ROOT. Still, he replied, "We were all child soldiers, once upon a time." His shoulders rose and fell. "Don't be a hypocrite." A secretive smile tickled the corners of Orochimaru's lips when Inoichi slowly turned around, walking up to him and standing up against him. "Oh?"

To Inoichi's credit, he remained calm, standing imposingly and matching Orochimaru's height. He spoke slowly and firmly, "That boy isn't going anywhere."

Humouring him, Orochimaru raised his eyebrows and smiled. "And why won't he?"

"He suffered from a severe psychotic break," Inoichi said, spelling it out as if he was talking to a toddler. "He's also a prodigy that's both a danger to himself and everyone around him." The man shook his head, putting his foot down. "Releasing him, especially into your care, would spell trouble."

Orochimaru's answer was in a whispering tone, the smile on his face broadening a little, "Are you dismissing a direct order from your Hokage?"

Inoichi didn't waver. "If Lord Third wants Kakashi to leave this facility, the Hokage has to come here himself."

Inoichi barely saw it, but he saw a snarl cross the Sannin's expression before it was sharply replaced by a waning smile. He stepped past Inoichi and walked to the monitor, his hands still tucked at his back.

He watched Kakashi for a moment, drawing in a slow breath and exhaling casually from his nose.

Orochimaru remembered when he was a patient in this very psychiatric facility.

He couldn't have been older than Kakashi when he was confined for his own good after a prolonged psychotic break until Hiruzen Sarutobi vouched for him and he was released into the present Third Hokage's care.

Inoichi didn't need to know that though.

One way or another, Orochimaru was going to have Kakashi.

Kakashi inhaled a large breath, his shoulders rising until it reached as high as it could, and he released a sudden exhale, allowing his shoulders to fall into a slouch.

The boy then groggily leaned forward, grabbing the wall with both of his hands, wincing as he unfurled his right leg and set it firmly on the ground. He did the same with his left leg, wiggling his toes and staggering to his feet, heavily supporting himself with the wall.

Kakashi dragged his right hand down his face and muttered something, sending a look to the camera. After that, Kakashi stumbled to his bed and sat down, shuffling back and swinging his feet onto the bed, lying down with the crown of his head against the pillow but not his entire head, and his feet were deftly set on the folded blanket at the foot of the bed. His hands were laced on his abdomen, and the boy mumbled something again, flicking a look to the second surveillance camera in the room, before he shut his eyes.

Danzo was wholly cooperative with Orochimaru, especially when it came to CORE.

The bloodline and chakra mutations of those CORE children were due to Orochimaru's experiments, after all.

Danzo couldn't publicly reveal that Minato was somehow conniving with Naruto, a wanted operative, but the old war hawk divulged that even though One fatally injuring Obito contributed to Kakashi's current state, a different encounter with Naruto had broken the boy's sanity somehow.

Orochimaru didn't know what Naruto did, but whatever it was, it had broken Kakashi completely.

The Sannin stifled a sneering smirk. I didn't think you had it in you, Naruto. He restrained his elation, focusing on the pain to stay conscious. To think you two were once inseparable.

A whirlwind of thoughts spiralled in his head at the thought of Kakashi coming off his medication.

Naruto somehow kept you from entering CORE, but you always had the potential to surpass even him. Naruto knew how strong you could become and stifled your creativity. Orochimaru hummed distractedly, focusing on the pain burning every fibre of his being. This might just be the push you need to become unstoppable.

"So?" Inoichi interrupted Orochimaru's thoughts, and the Sannin groaned slightly.

"Ah, yes." He turned around to the Head of the Facility. "You." He walked past the other man, motioning flippantly over his shoulder. "Give me a moment."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A village in Northeastern Snow Country

Inside a horse-drawn carriage, fully insulated from the biting cold of winter, Lio pouted and whined, fluttering her eyelashes at her boss, "But, sir…"

Naruto shook his head and pointed at her school bag. "When you finish your homework, catch up to me."

Lio wasn't a bad student, not by any stretch of the imagination; she always eventually finished her homework and submitted it on time, and her grades were a steady "A", but she had a bad habit of rushing her homework just as the deadline arrived. It wouldn't have been a problem, given her good grades and her commendable track record during class, but it conflicted with her role in Naruto's group.

The Director of the Civilian School only allowed Lio to not come to school for two weeks not because of Naruto's influence as the benefactor for a minority of students in that very school, but because Lio was an exceptional student that would manage to catch up to class lessons when she resumed.

Naruto wanted her to begin chipping away at her two weeks' worth of homework, so that the rest of the time, she would be well available to perform her tasks.

Lio's eyes fell and her shoulders slumped with the heavy sigh that left her mouth. "Ok…"

Naruto crossed his arms, standing strong and watching his friend pick up her school bag. She dropped it on the ground between her ankles and opened it, rummaging inside for a moment before she took out a textbook titled Government: The Politics of Governance, by Doton Kazahana.

She brought out a notebook and a pen, shuffling to the ground and opening her textbook to the assigned page.

She grumbled and looked up at Naruto again, pitiful.

In response, Naruto smirked and squatted to her level, tugging her beanie to cover her ears and cupping her cheeks with a broad smile.

Blushing furiously, the girl's pink stare fell and she wilted. "Ok…"

His eyes checked that her thick, woollen sweater was on properly and that her warm clothes were fine, and they were. The carriage they had come in was a bit fancier than Naruto would have liked, but he didn't want to risk his friend getting sick; the walls and corners of the wooden carriage were lined with warm materials, blocking out the cold blowing outside.

She busied herself with her homework, having many more still waiting for her attention in her bag, while Naruto got up and checked himself; his brown cardigan and black pants were fine, and his dark socks and boots were securely on his feet. He zipped up his winter parka and wrapped a scarf around his neck, rolling his shoulders and testing his mobility with a few well-timed punches to the air. He pulled on his warm hand gloves and flexed his fingers, reaching for a beanie but instead tucking it into a pocket of his parka.

Lio spied a look at him and he opened his arms, motioning to himself.

Her rosy cheeks hadn't yet smoothed over and her pink gaze slowly absorbed her boss in his clothes, pursing her lips and sniffing. "You look fine, sir."

He gave her a thumbs up and shooed her to continue her work, rapping his knuckles on the entrance of the carriage.

A moment later, the door opened and Naruto briskly walked out, letting the door shut with a firm thud.

Naruto walked down the short set of stairs outside of the carriage and his feet landed on thick snow. He shut his eyes and drew in a long inhale, almost standing on his toes until he exhaled, smiling pleasantly to his subordinates lining the sides of his carriage.

"Welcome, boss!" they shouted, bowing deeply to him. He counted twenty of them, twenty more lingering out from sight.

Those present also wore warm clothing, albeit theirs were white and grey camo print clothes, carrying their weapons on their persons; on their backs, in their hands, or on their hips.

The morning wind howled lightly and a light layer of snow fell from the sky, blanketing the village in a sheet of snow.

Naruto waved his hand and his subordinates straightened up, standing at ease.

The boy adjusted his scarf to cover his nose, tightening it and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He spared a look behind him at the carriage, and Lio ducked away from the window, closing the curtains, much to Naruto's amusement.

One of the people who came to welcome Naruto marched to him and bowed again; the silver handle of the katana attached to his hip glistened in the morning sun. Naruto turned to him and looked with raised eyebrows, nodding his greeting.

"My name is Junji, sir. Whisper Group Regional Commander for Northeastern Snow Country."

Naruto removed his right hand and signed, "I remember you." He extended his hand and the man gratefully took it with both hands, nearly collapsing on his knees and pressing the back of Naruto's hand to his brow. Gratitude oozed from the man's being and Naruto smiled, bobbing his head and coaxing the man back to his feet.

It should never be understated the impact Naruto made, and the growing reach of Naruto's Whisper Group.

Junji, for example, was originally from Kumo and had been framed by his then superiors for accidentally killing a Snow Country tourist during a drug raid.

Naruto smuggled the man and his family out of Kumo and stationed him in this village to further grow Whisper Group's influence. Junji, other people stationed here, and the native people of the village were regular benefactors of Whisper Group, and it showed.

Electricity was connected to each house in that small village, the roads and alleyways were cleaned, and while the houses were still in a poor state, they were actively being maintained by Naruto's people. A regular rotation of security patrolled the village, and reports came in that they had been able to intercept rogue samurais that had wandered into their footsteps. The war rampaging the continent hadn't so much as spilt into the northeastern region.

The village was situated in an area that could not grow any crops and where farm animals could not survive. They were not close to any bodies of water to fish and there were no mines of natural resources.

There was only a dying textile company, which Naruto promptly bought.

Along with physical supplies and cash, Naruto also sent teachers and craftspeople to the village. He valued capable subordinates who could contribute their talents to the organisation.

The village was too far away from civilisation, as they resided in an obscure region on the map, but Naruto was rebuilding the place brick-by-brick. The same went for the other remote villages in the northeastern region of the country.

Naruto could confidently say that northeastern Snow Country was Whisper Group territory.

So much so that, while on the map the village was called Izu-Ken Village, on the lips of the natives and Whisper Group members, the village was given a new name.

Little Whirlpool, in honour of Mr Fishcake, also known as Naruto, the Head of Whisper Group.

Naruto began a steady walk further into the village and he was flanked on both sides by eight of his people. The boy's guards surrounded him and kept him from being seen.

The people of the village remained in their houses, peeking from their windows and only seeing a cluster of armed people surrounding a particular spot, while the multitude of others sped from roof to roof, watching over the visitor.

The people weren't allowed out of their houses, and the streets were too clear of traffic. For the rest of the day, any person who wasn't in Whisper Group that was found outside of their homes would be severely punished; this was a safety and privacy precaution for the sake of their boss.

They weren't allowed to know the Head of Whisper Group.

Not yet.

Naruto took his hands out of his pockets and gestured for Junji's attention, motioning, "How is the family? Are they settling in ok?"

The man answered with his head lowered, close to Naruto's side, "Very well, sir."

Naruto frowned. "I hate lies."

Junji's lips screwed to the side, speaking apologetically, "My boy…. He's not used to the cold. He's homesick."

"Does he understand why you and your family can't return to Kumo?"

"He knows but he doesn't understand. He's only five, sir."

Naruto stopped walking and his guards promptly stopped as well. The boy exhaled, covering his nose and mouth with his scarf. "Does he miss anything in particular?"

The man smiled weakly, grimacing. "The food, sir." Naruto snorted out a short laugh, and the guards chuckled under their breaths. "My wife can't cook, so we all used to go out every so often for dinner." He then hurriedly added, "The people of Little Whirlpool have been very welcoming. The food and company have been wonderful. It's just that…Snow cuisine is vastly different from Kumo's. It's very…" he tried to pick a polite word to describe Snow food, saying, "conservative here. Scorching food. Piping hot, in fact. Understandably so, but…not a lot of…texture?"

Naruto smirked at the man's description. "Culture shock, then."

The man nodded. "My wife and nephew are more eager to integrate into this community, though."

"I don't want too much attention to be drawn to Little Whirlpool. At least, not yet." Naruto crossed his arms and perched his chin between his fingers. Then he gestured with his hands, "There could be a bi-yearly Culture Celebration." He decided, explaining to his people as they turned inwards to him and watched him sign, while those patrolling the roofs and streets kept guard, "We don't want to drown out the traditions of the people here, and we don't want to forget our culture from Kumo. A house divided will not stand. So, twice a year, we can go all out and celebrate our different cultures."

Naruto recognised that sooner or later when Whisper Group expanded, people from other countries and regions of the continent would be mobilised to Little Whirlpool and other Whisper Group territories.

The boy pointed at the Regional Commander. "Look into this with your people and make it happen."

The man bowed fervently. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Naruto gestured for them to proceed, and the group kept moving on that snow-covered road till they reached a rustic building, several times larger than the average home in the village.

The doors were eased open to reveal a vast space filled with looms and sewing machines, bundles of clothes and materials. The lights flickered on and the heaters hummed to life, heating the place as Naruto went inside and the door closed after him.

Naruto unzipped his parka, waving away his guards when some moved in to collect his coat from him.

He animatedly strolled through the revitalised textile company.

Little Whirlpool, before Naruto claimed it, used to be a booming hub for textile production, but because of a sharp increase in the cost of materials and staggering mismanagement, the place was shut down and had been inactive for the past fifty or so years.

Despite buying the company for mere pennies, the cost of restarting operations cost Whisper Group millions in direct investments; the looms, sewing machines, and pressing irons needed to be replaced, the building had to be gradually rebuilt without tearing down the structure, and tailors and seamstresses required to be trained. Sourcing wool, cotton, linen and other materials from Lightning Country was a difficult task, as the price of those materials had skyrocketed and the farmers weren't interested in negotiating.

Then after that was the issue of transporting the materials from Lightning Country to northeastern Snow Country.

Naruto sat down behind a sewing machine, musing as he looked around. This place is still running at a loss, but I trust it will be profitable by next year.

The clothes being made were moved out in massive bulk to Snow Country and Lightning Country's markets, and a steady demand for Little Whirlpool Style was growing, surprisingly enough, in Lightning Country. The company specialised in both casual and winter clothes, with lesser attention on formal wear; buyers in Lightning mainly bought casual wear.

The dozens of merchants that sold the clothes in those two countries reported a slow increase in demand.

Naruto, and Whisper Group, only invested in businesses that would bring profit.

Without asking, Junji provided him with a heavy binder. Naruto took it with a gracious smile and opened it; it was the monthly report of income and expenditure for Little Whirlpool Style, and the accounts were still in the red.

At least, Naruto's accountants were being honest, he sighed.

He stayed positive, though.

Whisper Group was only three years old and they had completely taken over criminal operations in Kumo, and half of Snow Country, branching out into Iron Country and Grass Country little by little.

Naruto's group was filled with staunch loyalists of various professions, and he had dozens of individual and family-owned businesses under their protection, regularly wiring protection money every month. Those professionals—accountants, blacksmiths, researchers, teachers, former ninjas, to name a few—were those driving forward the reach of their group.

Naruto didn't yet have any person in Lightning Country's Parliament or Kumo's Council, but he could be patient.

Little Whirlpool Style would turn a profit eventually, and so will any future business Whisper Group embark on.

Naruto could be patient.

How much are we losing from closing this place down for the day? He asked the Regional Commander.

"Nothing we can't make back up tomorrow, boss."

Tempting. Naruto's brow creased. But I'm not running a sweatshop, Junji.

Junji frantically insisted, "Not a sweatshop, sir. The Director of this company," he motioned to a stately lady wearing a black sweater, formal pants, and snow boots, standing a short distance from them, close to the door, and the woman perked up and jogged to their Boss, "runs a regular rotation of workers in this. Isn't that right, Madam Unai?"

The lady named Unai bobbed her head, inclining her torso a bit in a bow and said, "We will not be able to maintain the quality of products we produce in this factory if our workers aren't well-rested and well-compensated."

Naruto hummed and closed his eyes.

A sweatshop would boost profits. But that boost would be artificial and short-lived. There was also a limited supply of workers, and Naruto had better use for his Group members and their families than forcing them to work in a sweatshop. He signed for them, and Junji translated for Unai's benefit, as she didn't know or understand sign language.

"People work harder if they're happy and their needs are being met, than if they're forced to work."

"I agree, sir," the woman said, nodding insistently.

Naruto smiled at their agreement. He looked to Junji, then to the woman and signed directly to her. Junji translated. "From what I'm hearing from my auditors—" Here Junji nearly stumbled, shocked that their boss had sent Whisper Group auditors from Lightning Country. Glancing at Unai, she didn't seem too surprised, giving the man a half-hearted shrug. He turned his attention back to Naruto, and the boy chuckled soundlessly, signing again for him to translate, "My auditors tell me good things about how this company and this village is being run. Your efforts in strengthening our group will not be dismissed. You have my gratitude."

Junji and Unai prostrated on the ground, bowing low with their brows touching the ground. Their gratefulness and earnest joy could not be put into words.

The boy laughed breathily and got up, touching their backs and urging them back to their feet. Naruto was more impressed that they took the confirmation that he had eyes everywhere better.

The boy wasn't only in Little Whirlpool to personally inspect the textile company.

He wanted to look at the venue for the upcoming auction.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Half a mile north of Little Whirlpool was a solitary well situated at the top of a steep hill. Hewn into the side of the mountain from the foot to the well were concrete steps and a metal railing on the left side of the steps that looked like it had been recently polished.

As far as the eye could see, the world was blanketed in snow, except for the smokestacks pouring from chimneys in Little Whirlpool in the distance. The stairs, though, were devoid of snow or moisture.

Lio bustled up the stairs, almost flying in her haste.

On reaching the well, she immediately leapt inside without pause.

Darkness covered her as she descended.

Her pink eyes narrowed. She looked down, seeing the orange lights at the bottom of the deep well. She landed with a huff on her hands and feet, scrambling on all fours onwards until she pushed back onto her feet, run-walking down the tunnel.

The tunnel was illuminated by electric lamps embedded in the wall, and the floor of the tunnel was made from polished stone. The tunnel was heated, prompting Lio to pull off her parka and hold it in her arms. She smelled lilac and a hint of cleaning detergent in the air, and when she burst into the end of the tunnel she was met with a wide room.

'Wide room' was a severe understatement.

The place was huge, and it just kept going.

Back in the First Shinobi War, this had been a Snow hideout for their royal family when Lightning invaded their country.

The main room was filled with neatly arranged wooden chairs, all facing a raised platform. On the stage was a simple wooden podium and behind the podium was a set of closed curtains, hiding the backroom where the loot was being stored.

Lio looked around, calming her breathing and searching for the small imprint of chakra she left on her master; it was why Naruto could never escape her when he tried to run. Only she could detect her chakra and it was impossible to remove, as far as she knew.

Just then, Naruto opened the curtains covering the backroom and he beckoned to her.

Gleefully, the girl jogged to him, discarding her parka on a random chair and bouncing through the curtains to her master.

On the other side were wealth and treasures unimaginable.

Gold necklaces arranged on plastic model necks, more than fifty diamond rings and golden wedding bands seated inside chests, quality dresses and suits worn on mannequins, dozens of fancy carpets all rolled up and organised in one side of the room, shoes and high heels cleaned and set in another designated side of the backroom, paintings carefully kept inside airtight and sealed bags with marble statues standing in another area of the room. Extravagant curtains and ornate furniture adorned another section, wigs and toupees were arranged with hats and expensive walking canes. Children's toys, expensive and cheap, had their section.

Dog leashes adorned with expensive jewels, diamond-decorated chandeliers, lavish vases, and priceless family heirlooms. Each had their designated section of the backroom.

There were also heaps of government and family documents; check books, government records, passports and legal documents, family pictures, books from personal libraries, unpublished manuscripts, and things like that.

Everything Whisper Group stole from the families of some of Lio's bullies.

Everything in this room could easily surpass five hundred million ryu. Maybe surpassing a billion ryu.

Every single inch of the backroom was scrubbed clean and dried, and all of the items inside were shined, disinfected, dusted, and cleaned. Everything was classified and legibly recorded, and even now there were still a few people from Naruto's group milling through the loot, accounting for and confirming the arrival of the treasures.

Not everything was going to be sold in the auction, but rather displayed for regular sale in designated rooms in the underground base, for the guests to buy on their own without bidding for them.

A slow smile crept up Lio's expression at the glittering treasures before her.

Her feet took her to the left side of the room as her dazzled eyes looked at the shining appearance of the stolen loot. She absentmindedly nodded to the smiles and waves of the accountants and auditors perusing the items, none of whom wore clothes that had pockets.

Instinctively, her left hand reached and grabbed Naruto's right pocket.

The boy looked at her with raised eyebrows and a curious smirk.

"This is…amazing…" she gushed.

"This is just the beginning." He handed a large binder to Junji, and tucked his hands into his pockets, inadvertently holding Lio's left hand with his right as their hands nestled in his right pocket; he was used to how touchy-feely Lio was since it was her way of showing she cared.

They were in the weapons section of the backroom, standing in front of several racks of swords, spears and javelins, bows and arrows, bludgeons, war hammers, axes, tantos, ninjatos, hook staffs, combat scythes and sickles, kunai, and other weapons.

Lio's eyes were drawn to a large, solitary scroll perched on a podium, pointing and asking, "What weapon is that?"

"Samehada and the Needle Sword," Naruto spelt out with one hand.

The girl whistled. "They're going to be expensive." She turned to him with a bright smile. "What's your starting price?"

He laughed and shrugged heavily. "I don't know. Fifty million for Samehada, thirty for the Needle Sword." He nodded to Junji, who had been attentively watching and listening. "What do you think?"

"I honestly have no idea, boss." Juji could say with definite words that this whole experience was his first.

Naruto shrugged again, trying to sign with one hand. "We'll figure something out." He jerked his chin to Junji. "Put out some feelers and get an estimate for those swords by tomorrow."

"Right away, boss." Junji hurried away to begin his enquiries.

The auction was going to take place in two days and would last two weeks.

An attendant readily replaced Junji, waiting for Naruto to instruct him; it was an olive-skinned, fresh-faced young adult woman with freckles on her face, steely silver hair that was braided into a long ponytail that was coiled into a bun at the back of her head, and gleaming silver eyes that shone with eagerness.

"Give us a tour of the facility," Naruto signed and Lio brimmed with jittery enthusiasm. "I want to see the guest accommodations. I also want to meet our kitchen staff and the cleaners."

Naruto sank millions of ryu into preparing for this auction; he wanted everything to be perfect.

"Yes, sir," the woman answered, politely gesturing. "If you'll follow me."

They went with her.

The hideout buzzed with activity, readying for the auction.

Authors note

That's it for this chapter.

Expect the next chapter in two days.

I'll see you when I see you.

Foy.