Inside the dimly lit basement.
Ruri's gaze fell upon her father's now-empty eye sockets, and a swirl of complicated emotions rose within her chest.
So she turned without hesitation and headed for the exit.
"I'm going to the black market to buy you a pair of normal eyes. At the very least, you should be able to see again."
En honestly didn't care whether he could see or not, but since his daughter said so, he chose to accept her goodwill.
During wartime, every hidden village strictly controlled the comings and goings of its shinobi. Leaving the village without a proper exit permit would almost certainly get you labelled as a missing-nin.
So if Ruri wanted to leave the village, she had to report to the Third Hokage — but she didn't have a reasonable excuse.
She definitely couldn't say she was going to buy her father a pair of eyes. That would force her to explain why a member of the Uchiha clan had his own eyes gouged out inside the village.
No matter how she framed it, it wouldn't make sense.
I'll ask that guy for help, Ruri concluded.
As long as Mitsuki used the Flying Thunder God to bypass Konoha's large-scale barrier, she could get out easily.
But if she was going to ask someone for a favor… shouldn't she bring a gift?
This was definitely outside Ruri's area of expertise.
After thinking briefly, she went to buy several boxes of the Akimichi Clan's newly released Sanshoku Dango-flavored Soldier Pills, planning to offer them as a present to Mitsuki.
Knock, knock, knock—
Ruri tapped the door to Tsunade's residence.
It was strange in a way: a member of the Uchiha clan visiting the Senju compound.
But since the Senju had long abandoned their clan name and merged into Konoha's civilian population, there weren't any strange looks along the way.
Inside the house…
Mitsuki had only recently returned from the Hyūga compound. Hearing the knocking, he glanced toward the door—and blinked.
Oh? Ruri?
Now that was a rare visitor. An Uchiha coming to the home of the Senju.
Then again, realistically, she was probably here for him. He just didn't know for what.
Lounging on his rocking chair, Mitsuki didn't want to move.
"Shukaku, we've got a guest. Go open the door."
Shukaku lay sprawled on the sofa, basking in the sun, and immediately pretended to be asleep.
No choice—Mitsuki had to get up and answer the door himself.
"What's the matter, Ruri?"
Just as she opened her mouth, Mitsuki had already turned around and was walking back inside.
"Come in first."
Ruri quietly closed the door and followed him.
"Sorry to intrude."
…
"You want me to use the Flying Thunder God to get you out of the village?"
Mitsuki picked up the box of Sanshoku Dango Soldier Pills she brought, glanced at it, and casually set it aside.
"And you brought a gift. Ruri, you're being way too formal."
"So you'll do it?" she asked bluntly, skipping all pleasantries.
Mitsuki gave a dry laugh. "Of course. Leaving now?"
Ruri arched a brow. "You're not even going to ask why I'm leaving?"
"…Fine. Why are you leaving the village?" Mitsuki asked half-heartedly, sensing his Flying Thunder God marker outside the walls.
Ruri suddenly felt mischievous. "I'm defecting. I intend to destroy Konoha."
"Whoa. Then would Lady Ruri be so kind as to spare my life when she destroys the village?"
Mitsuki widened his eyes dramatically—he was giving full emotional support.
Ruri clicked her tongue, exasperated, but eventually explained her real purpose.
"I'm going to the Fire Country's black market to buy a pair of normal eyes."
Mitsuki rubbed his chin, realizing what she meant. "Do black markets in the Fire Country sell that kind of thing?"
Ruri shrugged. "It's just organ trading. What's so strange about it?"
In a world torn by constant wars, human life was the cheapest commodity. Body parts even more so.
Mitsuki, despite living in this world for so long, still retained some baseline morals from his previous life. Like when he destroyed Kirigakure—he intentionally leaked intel so the Third Mizukage and Yagura would have time to evacuate civilians.
Mitsuki called Shukaku over, took Ruri's offered hand, and activated his senses toward his markers outside the village.
"Get ready. I'm jumping."
"Mm."
With a flicker of smoke, Mitsuki teleported himself, Ruri, and Shukaku to a town near the Fire Country's border.
Since Ruri would need him again to re-enter the village, Mitsuki decided to accompany her to the black market.Besides—he was honestly curious about what the underground world of the shinobi world looked like.
…
"…Uh. This is the underground black market?"
Staring at the empty hall in front of him, Mitsuki felt reality clashing violently with his expectations.
Shouldn't there be secretive merchants sitting on the floor with shady stalls, surrounded by cloaked rogue-nin and sketchy wanderers?
Ruri, seeing him frozen at the entrance, reminded him:
"Stop standing there spacing out. Come in."
"Yes, yes."
They stepped inside. Ruri pressed something on the wall, triggering an unknown mechanism, and the wall ahead slid open automatically.
A tall counter awaited them inside.
"What business brings you here today?" asked an elderly man with spectacles, his face radiating the aura of "calculating businessman," as he casually flipped through a scroll while glancing at the two of them.
But when his eyes fell on Mitsuki — and on Shukaku perched on his shoulder — he suddenly choked, coughing violently as the scroll slipped from his hands.
Then he fumbled under the desk, pulling out a little booklet and opening it.The very first page displayed a rough sketch of Mitsuki's face.
The string of zeros beneath the bounty amount was… impressive.
Ruri scowled at the sloppy professionalism and slapped the counter.
"We're here to buy eyes."
The old man pushed up his glasses and opened another scroll, laying it flat in front of her.
It displayed various eyes at different prices, with labels listing the owner's age and strength before death.
Mitsuki stared blankly. This supply chain was this developed? They even had a menu?
Ruri browsed for a moment, then selected a fresh pair and purchased it on the spot.
Honestly, it felt a bit like acting out a horror story — but this was normal daily business in the shinobi world.
As they exited the black market gates, Mitsuki found himself thinking:
Just who was behind this organization that extended through the entire shinobi world?
Was it the daimyo? Or, if he thought further outside the box… Could it be an Ōtsutsuki like Isshiki?
While he was pondering, an unexpected presence suddenly entered his sensory field.