"Are you sure about this?"
A man in his teens trembled as he spoke to the kid next to him. He wore a tank top over marine-blue cargo pants. His long white hair was tied into a ponytail, and his sharp teeth and purple eyes quivered in fright.
The two hid behind a boulder, watching the merchant guild unload batches of goods from their ship.
The kid next to the man was no older than eight. He wore a long-sleeved, high-collared gray kimono with a pin-striped pattern common among the shinobi of Kirigakure. The garment was worn over a dark-green suit, with a similarly colored sash wrapped around his waist and a pair of sandals that reached up to his calves.
He was slender in stature, and his face was accentuated by his relatively long blond hair, which was worn in a combed-back style.
The kid scoffed and mocked, "Suimugetsu, were you secretly born a girl or what?" He paused and pointed at the ship, "I told you already, I saw a girl holding a sword that could annihilate a fleet of the Funato family!"
Suimugetsu's eyes widened, and his fingers twitched. He was a collector, and any sword that had even a little fame was something he wanted.
However, in the end, he was a coward. "Isn't that more of a reason not to mess with them?"
The kid sneered, "Hmmp! I've already mastered the Water Gun Jutsu of our clan, why would I need to worry about these guys?!"
Suimugetsu raised an eyebrow and asked, "You have? If I remember correctly, you've only started learning that jutsu a week ago…"
The kid stiffened and said, "O-Of course I have!" He turned around and glared at Suimugetsu, "Goddamn it, Suimugetsu, stop asking so many questions—"
Before he could finish, a shadow loomed over him, and a voice sounded, "Ahem… If you don't mind, could you stop spying on us?"
"Ah!" The kid turned around in fright, his left hand forming a finger gun.
Chakra gathered on the tip of his index finger, and a droplet of water started to form. In the blink of an eye, the droplet became the size of a walnut.
Upon release, the water bullet shot forward with immense speed… However, when it neared the man who had snuck up behind him, it slowed drastically and merely splashed the man's cloak, soaking him instead of causing any damage.
Drip
Drip
"..."
"..."
"..."
The silence was loud, and the atmosphere became awkward. The kid and Suimugetsu began to sweat profusely.
The kid coughed and cleared the tension in the air. "Ahem! I was just patrolling the port to see if anyone was causing trouble! And it seems like you guys aren't doing anything bad, so we will be taking our leave!"
The kid turned around while Suimugetsu bowed before following him. However, as the two started to leave, the man wearing a cloak and mask spoke, "Hold on… May I ask who you are?"
The masked man was naturally Toji. At first, he was simply curious about who was spying on the Merchant Guild, but that curiosity soon turned into amusement.
From the ninjutsu the kid used, he had already guessed that the two came from the famed Hōzuki clan, one of the strongest clans in the Land of Water.
The Hōzuki clan is powerful Water Release users who also wielded one of the strongest survivability abilities in the ninja world: the Hydrification Technique.
The kid turned around with a smirk and proudly said his name, "I am Gengetsu Hozuki, the genius and heir of the Hozuki clan!"
Next to him, Suimugetsu nervously bowed and introduced himself. "I am Suigetsu, his guard. I apologize for any trouble we may have caused you…"
Toji glanced at Suimugetsu and said, "It's nothing… Would you guys like to see what we're selling?"
From a single glance, Toji knew that Suimugetsu wasn't simple. His chakra reserves alone spoke of his power. What's more, although he was nervous, his hands never strayed far from his sword, ready to draw and strike Toji down at any moment.
The way he positioned himself was always to protect Gengetsu while also having the first step advantage if a fight were to break out.
However, from the looks of it, Gengetsu didn't seem to realize how strong his guard was, or that he was always protecting him.
Gengetsu paused for a moment before finally answering, "Fine, let's go see what you're selling!"
When the three entered the Merchant Guild's rented building, the two Hōzuki clansmen couldn't help but drool as the fragrant smell of meat lingered in the air.
Seeing this, Toji began his pitch. "We're a merchant guild that sells various goods cheaper than the market price."
Gengetsu sneered, "You can't fool me. All merchants say the same thing over and over! Do you really think you're the only ones who enter this place and offer a 'lower' price on your goods?"
He turned to the grain section and continued, "The average market price for a ton of grain is around 15k ryo in the Land of Water, and 6k ryo outside. Unless you're lowering the price to less than 5k, then stop saying you're offering a 'lower' price!"
Toji smiled as he knew what Gengetsu said was right.
In the ninja world, grain and rice are in the highest demand, making their prices very high per ton. Moreover, in countries like the Land of Wind and the Land of Water, where resources are scarce, food prices are even higher.
This high demand and low supply stem from one thing: ninjas. Because of the current warring-state era, most ninja clans are buying large amounts of food while neglecting to farm their vast lands.
The only people focusing on agriculture are the nobility, which strengthens their power in the ninja world even without relying on their own physical strength.
Seeing Toji remain silent, Gengetsu smirked and was about to speak when Toji stopped him. "You're right, those are the current market prices for grains… However, our grains are being sold at 2,200 ryo per ton."
"See, I knew you guys—" Gengetsu paused. He turned to Toji and yelled, "What?!"
Although 15,000 ryo per ton might not seem like a lot, for most clans, especially clans in the Land of Water and in the Land of Wind, this price is astronomical.
If a clan were to buy wheat at the price of 6,000 per ton, then 40 tons would be equivalent to 240,000 ryo.
With the addition of equipment, war funds, and civilian rations, 240,000 ryo is a substantial amount in most ninja clans' budgets.
So, if a clan could buy grains at 2,200 ryo per ton, they would be cutting their food budget in half.