Chapter 46: A Simple Transaction
"This is some truly explosive gossip."
Uchiha Asuka set down the can of meat in his hand, placed a bowl of water in front of the Orange Cat, and leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Although affairs like this aren't exactly unheard of in the ninja world... wasn't Rasa supposed to be famously devoted to his wife?"
The Orange Cat sniffed the fragrant canned meat before continuing.
"That's all I managed to hear. Once that male ninja finished talking, he couldn't wait to get down to business.
"I figured they'd chat afterward, so I waited outside the bedroom window until dawn.
"Turns out I stayed up the whole night for nothing."
"What a shame."
Asuka shook his head before his expression suddenly turned serious.
"Next time, don't wait until dawn. Everyone in Sunagakure knows you're my Summoning Beast. If someone catches you lurking around other people's houses, they'll think I'm spying on the village."
The Orange Cat took a bite of the meat and mumbled,
"You're right. I almost got caught that morning."
Asuka frowned.
"And then?"
The Orange Cat patted its chest with an oddly human gesture before replying,
"Just before dawn, the husband came home. The guy inside tried to sneak out through the window.
"Well... I just happened to be lying against that very window.
"He nearly shoved me off, so I got mad and kicked him right back into the room.
"After that, the whole family started screaming and fighting. Everyone on the street rushed over to watch the commotion, so nobody noticed me slipping away."
"The husband?"
Asuka froze for a moment before asking in surprise,
"So... the man and woman you overheard were having an affair?"
"Exactly."
The Orange Cat nodded confidently before lazily flopping onto the table.
"Normal families don't have gossip that juicy."
"Whose house was it?"
The cat narrowed its eyes suspiciously.
"Why? Planning to have an affair yourself?
"Though that woman's lovers number well over ten, I doubt she'd bother with a Konoha ninja if she wants to keep living comfortably in Sunagakure."
"Pah!"
Asuka made a face at the cat before crossing his legs with exaggerated disdain.
"I was just curious.
"We've known each other for years. Have you ever seen me get involved with that kind of woman?"
The Orange Cat subconsciously shook its head.
Asuka had always behaved himself.
The only remotely improper woman he'd ever spent time with was probably the owner of the village's magazine shop.
"Her house is on 77 Desert Snow Street.
"The husband's a Genin with an excellent reputation. Everyone says he's honest to a fault.
"His wife is named Mari. She's only average-looking, but she's got an incredible figure—just like those shameless vixens who love showing themselves off.
"She doesn't just seduce married men.
"She seduces married women too.
"Whenever her husband leaves on a mission, she brings people back to the house.
"I've personally seen it happen more than ten times."
The Orange Cat stretched lazily, completely immersed in the gossip.
"Oh, right. Mari recently found herself another lover.
"His name's Yuzo, and he's connected to Chiyo."
"Chiyo's lover?"
"No. He's the disciple of Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizo.
"A while ago, when I wandered through the Land of Wind's capital, the cats living in the Daimyō's mansion told me the Daimyō's favorite concubine had taken a Guardian Ninja as her lover.
"His name was Yuzo too."
"The same person?"
"Probably. Sunagakure can't have that many people named Yuzo."
A complicated expression spread across Asuka's face.
Ebizo's disciple certainly lived an eventful life.
Then again, it wasn't exactly unusual.
Ninja lived with death hanging over their heads every day. Plenty of them ended up leading... unconventional lives.
Back in Konoha, he'd heard more than enough stories about who was cheating on whom.
Still, the fact that Mari's husband hadn't divorced her yet completely redefined Asuka's understanding of patience.
He gave the Orange Cat a thumbs-up.
"Fatty, you've got a real talent for digging up gossip."
The Orange Cat grinned from ear to ear.
"So you've finally recognized one of my strengths."
"You certainly do."
Asuka pinched the cat's belly and sighed.
"When I first signed a contract with you, besides thinking you were adorably chubby, I mostly wanted to use you as a pillow.
"Who would've thought you'd shed so much fur..."
"That's going too far!"
The Orange Cat's fur instantly puffed up.
"Bastard! Be honest.
"When you signed the summoning contract, didn't you secretly hope I'd transform into a catgirl?"
"You got too fat.
"After that, I completely lost interest in catgirls."
"Die!"
Inside the house—
The Orange Cat's furious yowling, Asuka's cries of pain, and the sound of shattered dishes echoed for quite some time.
---
Three days later...
"Granny, you wouldn't want to watch a genius become a complete good-for-nothing, would you?"
Thump!
Kankurō clutched his head in pain.
Looking at his mother, whose fist was still clenched, he complained pitifully,
"Why'd you hit me?
"I just wanted Granny to teach me Puppet Ninjutsu while I practiced my opening line."
"Where did you even learn something like that?"
Karura glared at her son.
She couldn't understand how her once well-behaved child had suddenly started saying such ridiculous things.
"For the past couple of days, Big Brother Asuka kept muttering it to himself.
"I learned it from him."
"Uchiha Asuka?"
Karura frowned.
"What else have you been learning from him lately?"
"Puppet Ninjutsu."
"He knows Puppet Ninjutsu?"
"Yep!"
Kankurō nodded earnestly before raising a finger.
"He told me the only weakness of Puppet Ninjutsu is the puppeteer.
"So I should train my body too.
"That way, even if someone gets past my puppet, I can just kick them away.
"He also—"
"That's enough!"
Karura hurriedly cut him off.
She had only spent two months recovering after giving birth and hadn't been able to keep an eye on Kankurō during that time.
How had he changed this much already?
Taking several deep breaths, she grabbed his arm.
"Starting today, you're going to learn proper Puppet Ninjutsu from Lady Chiyo.
"And stop using those ridiculous opening lines.
"You'll only offend her."
"Oh..."
Kankurō answered dejectedly.
He had specifically asked Asuka for advice.
He still vividly remembered Asuka patting him on the shoulder and saying—
«"Kankurō, Granny Chiyo has already retired. She won't casually accept disciples.
"But if you spend two months learning Puppet Ninjutsu from someone like me—someone who knows absolutely nothing about Puppet Ninjutsu—she'll worry that the village's future genius will be ruined and reluctantly take you in herself.
"Then, when you meet her, just say that line.
"Your chances of success will skyrocket."»
Creak.
The door opened.
Following behind his mother, Kankurō stared in amazement at the enormous room before him.
"So big..."
After stepping inside, he looked around.
The room was almost completely empty.
There wasn't a single piece of furniture.
Only a large indoor pond occupied the center, though he couldn't tell whether there were any fish in it.
While he was distracted, Karura had already walked over to Ebizo and explained why they had come.
Chiyo's gaze settled on Kankurō.
Remembering the utterly nonsensical "puppet master wisdom" Asuka had filled his head with, she let out a quiet sigh before speaking in her aged voice.
"I'll only teach him the basics.
"Yuzo, go to my room and bring the beginner puppets."
"Yes, Lady Chiyo."
"Thank you, Lady Chiyo."
Karura bowed gratefully.
She knew Chiyo was most likely accepting Kankurō out of consideration for Rasa.
At that moment, Kankurō's eyes landed on the ninja who had just left.
"So that's Yuzo!"
Children couldn't hide what they were thinking.
Ebizo, who was quietly fishing nearby, noticed the admiration in Kankurō's eyes and asked kindly,
"Kankurō, what are you thinking?"
"Huh?"
Kankurō scratched his nose—exactly like Asuka—and answered innocently,
"Yuzo Sanzai is a true ninja.
"He can withstand an impact of over three hundred catties and complete impossible missions through sheer willpower."
"...?"
Three question marks practically appeared above everyone's heads.
Plop.
Ebizo's fishing rod slipped into the pond.
He slowly repeated Kankurō's words in his mind before asking carefully,
"...Where did you hear that?"
"When I was playing at Big Brother Asuka's house.
"His cat said it."
Understanding immediately dawned on Ebizo's face.
He watched as Karura dragged Kankurō away by the ear before quietly saying to Chiyo,
"Sister...
"The one weighing over three hundred catties...
"That would be the Daimyō's favorite concubine, wouldn't it?"
Chiyo merely glanced at him before picking up another fishing rod.
"The Daimyō reduced our funding.
"You're trying to influence him through the people around him in hopes of recovering some of that support.
"It's not an honorable method...
"But given our circumstances, it's one of the few options left."
"The village's finances have reached a critical point.
"Otherwise, we never would've resorted to something like this."
Ebizo sighed, set down his fishing rod, and stood up.
"Sister.
"I'm going out."
Chiyo simply hummed in acknowledgment.
Watching her younger brother leave, she slowly closed her eyes and sat motionless beside the pond.
The Daimyō...
Would Sunagakure even have the strength to wage another war ten years from now?
---
"Lord Ebizo!"
"Hm?"
"Where are you headed?"
"Just taking a walk."
Greeting the villagers as he went, Ebizo's thoughts never stopped turning.
So...
Asuka had known about the matter all along.
What exactly was he planning by sitting on such valuable leverage?
The people of Konoha almost certainly knew nothing.
Otherwise, even the faintest rumor would've reached his ears by now.
Given the complicated relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha's leadership, Asuka probably wouldn't volunteer that information anyway.
Still...
Dead men told no tales.
But before they died, they could always leave behind insurance.
If this secret ever became public, the Daimyō might slash Sunagakure's funding even further.
Shaking those thoughts aside, Ebizo headed straight for Asuka's residence.
"Yo!"
Opening the door and finding Ebizo outside, Asuka looked genuinely surprised.
"Lord Ebizo.
"It's been months, yet you still look full of energy."
"Heh... heh..."
Ebizo stroked his beard with a gentle smile.
His gaze drifted toward the Orange Cat sleeping on the table, and a faint glimmer flashed through his eyes.
"Shall we talk inside?"
"Of course."
Asuka welcomed him in, poured him a glass of water, and asked,
"Have you come to see me off early since I'll be heading back to Konoha soon?"
"No."
Ebizo set the untouched glass back on the table.
"I won't waste words with a young man like you."
"You know... about that matter, don't you?"
Seeing Ebizo's certainty, Asuka glanced at the sleeping Orange Cat before looking back at him.
"The story about your disciple and the three hundred catties?"
Ebizo's lips twitched.
Looking at Asuka's perfectly innocent expression, he let out a weary sigh.
"It was simply... an unfortunate measure taken for the village's future."
If Sunagakure hadn't been drowning in financial problems, bribing a few nobles to whisper in the Daimyō's ear would've been far easier.
Unfortunately, they didn't have that kind of money.
And the Daimyō refused to allow female ninja anywhere near him.
So they had settled on the cheapest solution available.
"It really was a terrible idea."
Asuka nodded honestly.
To tell the truth, it had never once occurred to him to target the Daimyō's inner circle.
During his D-rank missions, he'd witnessed the Daimyō's peculiar tastes firsthand.
He could only describe them with one word.
Bizarre.
"Young man..."
Ebizo's aged voice pulled Asuka back from his thoughts.
"How can we make sure this matter never becomes public?"
Asuka looked at Ebizo's smiling face and answered with complete sincerity,
"If you quietly get rid of the Daimyō's concubine, wouldn't the problem solve itself?"
"Your way of thinking is rather dangerous."
Though he said that, Ebizo's tone carried a hint of regret.
"It is said that Uchiha Madara also despised the nobility. He once dreamed of unifying the entire ninja world.
"Had Senju Hashirama not opposed him, the nobles might not have survived.
"Still... from what you've said, it seems only you and that cat know about this."
After a brief pause, he smiled kindly.
"Young man...
"Can you keep this secret for an old man?"
"Of course."
Asuka agreed without the slightest hesitation.
To him, gossip was just that—gossip.
It was entertaining for a while, then everyone forgot about it.
His immediate answer caught Ebizo completely off guard.
He stared at Asuka for a long moment before asking cautiously,
"No conditions?"
"None."
"You don't want money?"
"I have plenty."
"Women?"
"I value my integrity.
"I'm still a virgin."
"Ninjutsu?"
"I've already copied nearly a thousand techniques.
"Even if I practiced ten a day, it'd still take me half a year to get through them all."
"Then..."
Asuka winced.
Seeing Ebizo about to continue, he immediately raised his right hand toward the sky.
"I swear upon the honor of the Uchiha Clan.
"I'm only interested in hearing your gossip.
"I have absolutely no intention of spreading it.
"Right now, only I and three cats in Konoha know about this.
"In the future, it'll still be only me and those same three cats.
"Please believe me.
"I'm the most tight-lipped man in the entire Uchiha Clan."
The moment Asuka swore on his clan's honor, Ebizo's half-closed eyes snapped open.
He carefully studied the young man before him.
The Uchiha valued their family's honor above everything else.
Since Asuka had sworn by it, there was a ninety-nine percent chance the secret would remain buried forever.
And yet...
In all his years traveling the ninja world, this was the first person he'd ever met who was this easy to negotiate with.
Rather than feeling relieved...
He grew suspicious.
Had he not been worried that Asuka might have left behind some unknown insurance—and that killing him could reignite another war—
Ebizo would've seriously considered keeping the young Uchiha in Sunagakure for good.
After a long moment of thought, he asked tentatively,
"How about... you ask for something?"
Asuka shook his head without hesitation.
"No."
"Just a little?"
"...?"
Asuka looked at him in confusion.
"Didn't Sunagakure spend all its money on war reparations?"
"If you don't accept anything... this old man won't be able to rest easy."
Asuka's lips twitched.
"I'm a medical ninja.
"I've heard Granny Chiyo possesses a forbidden medical technique.
"Would she be willing to sell it?"
"Sell it?"
Ebizo looked straight into Asuka's eyes.
After studying his perfectly clear gaze for a long while, he finally asked,
"How much are you willing to pay?"
"Give me a moment to withdraw some money."
With that, Asuka stood up and walked over to the safe.
A short while later—
Bang!
A thick stack of banknotes landed heavily on the table.
Ebizo looked at the money before shifting his gaze back to Asuka.
His impression of the young man changed completely.
The sincerity was unmistakable.
Chiyo's forbidden medical technique—
The One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique—
was impossible to learn without extraordinary medical skill.
According to Chiyo herself, fewer than five people in the entire ninja world were capable of mastering it.
Not only were the requirements to learn it extraordinarily demanding, but the price of using it was even greater.
Ebizo simply couldn't imagine this Uchiha sacrificing his own life for Konoha's higher-ups.
With that thought, he looked down at the money on the table and sighed.
"You should be more careful with your money."
"I know."
Asuka nodded.
"But this comes from the heart.
"Sunagakure earned it.
"Sunagakure can spend it.
"Not a single ryō is leaving the village."
Hearing those words spoken so earnestly, Ebizo's expression immediately grew solemn.
Without warning, he reached out and firmly grasped Asuka's hand.
"Wait here."
Without another word, he stood up and hurried out of the house, heading straight for his own residence.
With this money...
The village would be able to hold on a little longer.
And as for Yuzo...
And the matter of the three hundred catties...
He chose to trust this tight-lipped Uchiha.