The kunai hurtled towards the tattooed man, rapidly enlarging in his pupils, causing his face to drain of color. Just as the thought of death crossed his mind, a hand clamped down on Kakuzu's wrist.
"Easy there, don't scare him," Kai said calmly. "Put the kunai away. It seems lively inside."
"Yes, Boss," Kakuzu didn't argue, sheathing his kunai after glancing at the tattooed man.
Boss?
The tattooed man's expression changed. Looking at Kai, whose figure seemed surprisingly slender beneath his cloak, he was shocked. A level nine bounty hunter calling someone "Boss" was astonishing.
In the underground black market, strength was paramount, unlike the outside world where status mattered more. Even this fearsome level nine bounty hunter showed such deference. This meant the young man before him possessed terrifying power.
"My boss asks what's going on inside," Kakuzu said coldly. Usually, the black market was deserted when he visited. This was unprecedented.
"It's... it's an auction!" the tattooed man stammered. "The huge bounty attracted many small clans and factions, so the manager decided to hold an auction here."
"An auction?" Kai was surprised. He hadn't known auctions existed in this world. He wondered if anything worthwhile would be there. It might just be junk.
"Sir, it seems you're interested," the tattooed man said, sensing Kai's thoughts. "If you're here for the Land of Hot Water mission, the departure time is still a while away. You might as well take a look. I heard they're auctioning legendary artifacts."
Artifacts?
Kai was surprised. There were few artifacts in the Naruto world. The first was the Second Hokage's Raikiri. But it was destroyed fighting Rasengan.
"Sir, let me tell you, this artifact is incredibly powerful. An ordinary genin with it could fight a jōnin. With such a weapon, you could reach even greater heights," the tattooed man flattered.
Kakuzu glanced at Kai. He didn't like auctions; they cost money. For a miser like him, it was torture.
"Let's go. It's free," Kai smiled warmly.
The tattooed man was startled. Free? Was he just looking, or planning to steal? He quickly dismissed the second thought. The black market, while not a country, had influence throughout the shinobi world and was incredibly wealthy. No one dared cause trouble there; they'd face the entire shinobi world's wrath. Everyone loved money.
"Free?" Kakuzu was also surprised.
Kai patted his shoulder. "Let's go. You'll see."
Kai followed the tattooed man deeper into the black market. After several turns, they reached a vast underground chamber. A large platform stood in the center, with a heavily tattooed man shouting.
"Sir, this is as far as I can take you. There's no VIP room due to the impromptu auction," the tattooed man said respectfully, still affected by Kakuzu's earlier display.
"Leave us," Kai said calmly.
A wooden mallet struck the platform.
"Three thousand ryō, third time! Congratulations to the lady! One hundred military rations!" The man pointed to someone in the crowd.
The crowd erupted in crude shouts.
"Haha, pretty girl, can you afford three thousand ryō? I heard Akatsuki is broke. Spend the night with me, and I'll give you the money."
"Tsuchigumo, look at your face! Girl, spend the night with me, and I'll give you two hundred military rations. I'm Haru the Hornet."
"I'll give three hundred military rations!"
Chaos erupted. Five figures in fiery cloud cloaks, visibly trembling, were being heckled by the crowd. They couldn't handle the vulgarity.
Kai pushed through the crowd, seeing a slender figure—Konan, one of Jiraiya's students from Amegakure. Unlike in the original story, she was only seventeen or eighteen, lacking her usual coldness, appearing innocent and naive. Her cheeks flushed at the crude advances.
Before she could respond, Kai interrupted.
"You use this as money?" Kai said slowly. "I use this as pet food."
"Using this to sleep with a girl? What a waste of your dignity!"
His quiet words were like a hurricane. Kai's words were a direct challenge to Tsuchigumo and Haru.
"Kid, do you know what you're saying?" Tsuchigumo said coldly.
"Military rations are rare for small clans and factions, unless they're from the Five Great Nations."
"If you can't back up your words, don't blame us for being impolite."
Everyone watched with interest. They saw Kai as a naive boy, unaware of the shinobi world's darkness.
"Kakuzu, are military rations really that valuable?" Kai asked, surprised.
Kakuzu nodded impassively, ignoring the insults. If Kai ordered it, he'd kill everyone.
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