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Two days later, having detected that they were being monitored, the two individuals had already left Konoha. At this moment, they were walking through a forest that still belonged to the Land of Fire.
After traversing a dense forest, the sight before them was the ruins of an abandoned city—Kūki (Empty Zone).
Karin felt a sense of oppression as she gazed at the desolate and lifeless ruins. "Is this the place?"
"Yeah, let's go. Granny Neko's underground black market is here. I've been commissioning her to gather sealing techniques scrolls from the Uzumaki clan for years now. I've obtained quite a few things, though it's also cost me a fortune."
"I see. What kind of person is Granny Neko?" Karin asked curiously, wanting to know how Mujin lived when she wasn't around.
"Granny Neko? She hails from a family of black-market merchants who specialize in intelligence, ninja tools, and scrolls. Back in her youth, she left her family to strike out on her own, whether due to ideological differences or some other reason. Thanks to her good reputation and upright character, she built up a vast network of contacts, which allowed her to acquire high-quality ninja tools and scrolls. Because of this, she has a big name in the underground world—arguably even surpassing the Underground Exchange."
"By the way, the Underground Exchange is a widespread black-market network across the ninja world. They mainly handle various commissions and bounties. However, the Exchange has no moral bottom line—you'll often find requests there for wiping out entire clans or villages. Their bounty boards frequently list the names of elite shinobi. For example, Konoha's Sarutobi Asuma. As the son of the Third Hokage and a former guardian ninja serving the Fire Daimyō for several years, he's widely considered the top candidate to become the Fifth Hokage. His bounty is set at 35 million ryō."
"3… 35 million?!" Karin was utterly shocked. She had never even heard of such an amount of money, let alone seen it. When her mother was alive, their meals often consisted of just three bowls of rice with a side dish of pickled vegetables.
"Don't believe that nonsense, meow! If you're not strong enough, the Exchange will devour you whole, bones and all, meow!"
Mujin and Karin turned around. The speaker was a pair of cats wearing clothes.
"These are… ninja cats?" Karin had never seen anything like them before.
Mujin nodded. "Yeah, Rina and Tahi. They're Granny Neko's pets."
"Pets?! We're partners, meow! You brat, you're still as annoying as ever, meow!"
"Stop complaining and lead the way already." With that, Mujin tossed two cans of cat food toward them.
"Ohhh, a brand we haven't seen before, meow! Is this new? Well, I suppose we can forgive you this time. Follow us, meow!"
Mujin held onto Karin and explained, "The Empty Zone has been abandoned for so long, and Granny Neko's base is underground. The paths we used last time might be blocked by collapsed rubble when we return, so we need them to guide us."
The ninja cats led them through a labyrinthine series of tunnels deep underground, leaving both Mujin and Karin feeling dizzy after all the twists and turns. Finally, they arrived at Granny Neko's location.
Granny Neko sat there with a pipe in her mouth, while seven or eight kittens rubbed against her affectionately. "Well, well, look who it is—a rare visitor indeed. It's been a while since you've come around."
"Oh, so you've found another sealing technique scroll from the Uzumaki clan?"
"What kind of joke is that? Sealing technique scrolls from the Uzumaki clan are treasures even within the Great Hidden Villages. Do you have any idea how many I've found for you over the years? You greedy little brat!" Granny Neko knocked her pipe irritably, pretending to be angry, but in truth, she was a soft-hearted individual beneath her gruff exterior.
"I haven't skimped on paying either."
"Hmph. All I've got for you this time are a few barrier scrolls. They came from some small clan that's long gone. Take a look." After saying this, her granddaughter, Koharu, emerged from behind her and handed over several scrolls to Mujin.
Mujin opened the scrolls and gave them a quick once-over. These barriers were unique—they didn't impose restrictions but instead continuously generated flames or lightning within a certain range to attack enemies. The pros and cons were obvious, but they were still excellent references.
Without further inspection, Mujin tucked the scrolls away. "No need to check. I trust Granny Neko's judgment. The main reason I'm here today is to ask if there's any news about the previous commission I gave you."
But he'd already finished looking!
Granny Neko paused upon hearing this, then sighed. "Sigh… Well, considering how much you paid, I can confirm that what you're looking for is indeed stored in the confidential archives. I truly hope you're not foolish enough to try sneaking into the Hokage Tower to steal it."
Actually, I'm planning to break in, Mujin thought to himself.
"That's good to hear," Mujin said with a smile. He then pulled out a thick envelope and tossed it over. "Here's payment for the scrolls. Additionally, I want to spread two pieces of information. First, rumors are spreading among Konoha's shinobi that they're dissatisfied with the Daimyō. They believe powerful shinobi shouldn't take orders from someone as useless as him but should instead act independently. Second, Shimura Danzo of Konoha intends to run for Fifth Hokage. To gain the support of the jonin, he plans to demand an additional 50% in supplies and funding from the Fire Daimyō. Ensure these two messages reach the ears of the Fire Daimyō within twenty days."