The news of Kumogakure successfully capturing the Eight-Tails with the help of the Konoha Hokage quickly spread throughout the Ninja World.
Before understanding the true nature of the secret dealings between the two sides, no one dared to harbor ulterior motives.
Kumogakure's return journey was extremely peaceful.
Darui knew that while the Kumogakure team played a role, it was minor; the smooth journey back to Kumogakure was mainly due to Yuuki's earlier intervention.
This made Darui feel that it was somewhat worth it.
With the conclusion of Kumogakure's Eight-Tails capture operation, the Ninja World once again fell into a period of calm.
More than a month passed swiftly.
At least on the surface, the Ninja World was calm, except for occasional reports from the Land of Rice Fields about Ninja slaughtering civilians.
Ninja did not care about the lives and deaths of ordinary people.
Since the Land of Rice Fields had Otogakure, the outside world only paid a little attention, not investing too much effort.
Kakuzu, wielding a poisoned shuriken, killed over a dozen troublemaking civilians.
Looking at the eyes filled with disgust and fear around him, Kakuzu finally understood the meaning of a certain phrase.
People are foolish and have too much money!
This kind of business simply couldn't be done, yet Uchiha Tomoki thought he could make a fortune.
He was truly foolish!
However, Kakuzu knew that if he could believe Uchiha Tomoki's words, he couldn't be too smart himself.
There was no other way; business still had to be done.
Kakuzu was now eager to sell his stock, especially with Konoha continuously supplying goods, filling warehouses to the brim.
This also made Kakuzu realize what it meant to have too much money.
The goods were valuable, true, but Kakuzu needed real money, banknotes he could hold in his hand and feel the texture and weight of.
Kakuzu knew he wasn't good at business, so he also formally established a merchant guild, recruiting some professionals to handle sales.
Yet, to this day, apart from a few sporadic sales, there had been no income.
This was already the tenth or so group of troublemakers Kakuzu had dealt with, and for this, Kakuzu specifically used Ninja tools to kill the instigators, rather than obliterating them with Ninjutsu until nothing remained.
"Foreign merchants, get out!"
"We don't need your goods!"
"You are not welcome here; you will never sell a single item!"
"....."
The brutal methods only intimidated the crowd for a moment; shortly after, instigated by some individuals, they once again tried to drive away Kakuzu's 'Red Horn Merchant Guild'.
If he didn't know that killing all these people would make the Red Horn Merchant Guild completely unable to survive in the Land of Rice Fields, Kakuzu truly wanted to wipe out the crowd with a few Ninjutsu.
"Chairman Kakuzu, it seems we are not welcome here, and the people of this place do not need our goods. Let's go to the next town!"
An old man, forty or fifty years old, bowed his back and softly suggested to Kakuzu.
Kakuzu glanced at the old man with a cold glint in his eyes; apart from using a bunch of useless sales tactics and constantly suggesting they try different places.
This fellow was not as capable as his resume claimed. Fortunately, this old man's team had signed a contract: if they couldn't sell the goods, they wouldn't get a single penny in compensation.
Otherwise, Kakuzu would have killed this guy long ago.
Unable to think of another solution, Kakuzu reluctantly agreed to the old man's suggestion.
New place, new hope, followed quickly by despair.
The same things repeated themselves over and over again in different ways.
Half a month later, after visiting the last town in the Land of Rice Fields.
Kakuzu was already numb.
Konoha's goods had no market in small countries.
"Chairman Kakuzu, perhaps the Land of Rice Fields doesn't need these things. How about we try the Land of Hot Springs next?"
"Alright, but not 'we', just 'I'. You are all fired!"
Kakuzu still held a faint hope, expecting the next country to open up the market.
And as Kakuzu headed to the Land of Hot Springs alone, Sasori, who hadn't been seen for a long time, appeared beside Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu, you'd better not leave in a hurry. I've found something interesting."
Three days later.
The old man, fired by Kakuzu, arrived at a luxurious mansion.
"Sir, that foolish Ninja has confirmed his departure and should now be in the Land of Hot Springs, ready to make his big move!"
"Hmm, well done."
The adult, dressed in the attire of a high-ranking official of the Land of Rice Fields, merely gave a faint compliment.
Just then, a deeply gloomy voice suddenly rang out.
"You all did very well too; if this old man hadn't been clever, I really would have been fooled by you!"
It was Kakuzu, who, after Sasori's advice, had secretly remained in the Land of Rice Fields.
The old man, still sprawled on the ground, looked at Kakuzu's figure and was instantly filled with panic.
"Chairman Kakuzu, please listen..."
Before he could finish what he wanted to say, the place turned into ruins.
Understanding the full story, Kakuzu finally started to get the hang of it.
A market, such a thing, could only exist within the range of Ninjutsu.
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