Chapter Sixty-Six: Journey to the Black Market

In the afternoon, Uchiha Li informed Jian and Yao that he would be away for a few days, then left the Hidden Leaf. What surprised him was that Uchiha Yao did not complain this time; she simply reminded him to be careful. Uchiha Li found himself unaccustomed to this change. Yao had been acting differently lately, though he didn’t know why. But as he thought about how this mission would accelerate Terra’s revival and further enhance his own strength, he quickly dismissed any concerns. As long as he was powerful enough, nothing could pose a real problem.

After Uchiha Li departed, Shisui also received orders to leave the village and began to “monitor” him. The two of them moved swiftly through the woods, both clad in Terra’s cloaks and masks. After an afternoon of travel, they arrived near a black market at the border.

Shisui, his right hand resting on his ninja pouch, watched their surroundings warily. “Li, didn’t you say you already had intelligence on the Nomads? Why come here?”

The black market was a gathering place for all sorts, with fierce-looking ninjas frequently coming and going—most of them rogue shinobi. Such people had long ceased to care about life and death, and might resort to violence at the slightest provocation. Vigilance was essential.

Uchiha Li glanced around at the unpleasant atmosphere and replied calmly, “The information I acquired came from this black market. There are several reports on suspected Nomad caravans, so it’s best to confirm and eliminate false targets.”

Sharpening the axe before chopping wood saves time; rather than searching every suspicious caravan, it was better to rule some out first. This approach might take more time initially, but overall, it would greatly reduce the time spent.

“I see,” Shisui nodded. “Still, it’s best not to linger here. I have a feeling trouble is inevitable.”

Uchiha Li kept walking, his tone placid. “Relax. Anyone who can survive here isn’t foolish.”

This was the largest black market in the area, located at the border between the Land of Fire and other nations. To survive here and become a bounty hunter required keen instincts. Both were wrapped in cloaks and masks, looking formidable enough that no one would bother them without reason.

Shisui said no more, and the two strode into the center of the street, entering a tavern.

Uchiha Li went straight to the counter, slapped the intelligence report onto the table, and barked in a hoarse, arrogant voice, “Was this information released by your establishment?”

The tavern instantly fell silent. Those drinking and dining stopped what they were doing, casting cold glances at Uchiha Li and Shisui. The tension in the air was palpable, as if violence could erupt at any moment.

Uchiha Li tilted his head and addressed the tavern owner with an unruffled expression, “What’s wrong? Am I not allowed to ask about information you put out?”

The black market owner gave Uchiha Li a long, searching look before replying, “Of course. We’re a legitimate business.”

At those words, the tavern’s patrons resumed their meals and conversations. The owner took the intelligence report, glanced at it, and said, “Ah, you’re asking about the Nomads with a thirty-million bounty. Not sure who suddenly took an interest in them, but they’ve become quite popular.”

“But that bounty won’t be easy to collect. No one has managed to find them so far.”

Uchiha Li knew this was his clan’s doing, and feigned impatience. “Enough with the chatter—do you have more detailed intelligence?”

As he spoke, Uchiha Li pulled out his wallet and handed it over.

The owner opened the wallet, his face breaking into a smile. “Of course. We’ve just updated our files—you’ll find them satisfactory.”

He rummaged in the cabinet and handed over a dossier, indicating Uchiha Li should examine it.

Uchiha Li took the dossier and leafed through it carefully. Compared to the information from his clan, this new report was far more detailed. It listed not only caravans matching the criteria, but also their recent activities. Clearly, with the large bounty, the Nomads had become the focus of many parties. In such circumstances, the black market would dig for deeper intelligence without further prompting.

Then, Uchiha Li’s eyes caught a particular line, and his heart leapt. It described a caravan suspected to be Nomads. From the report, this caravan was not much different from others—wandering year-round, earning a living by trading goods.

But Uchiha Li noticed their insignia was a snow ferret.

“I remember in the original story, it was Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru who accepted a mission to find a lost snow ferret,” Uchiha Li murmured, confident in his memory. Continuing to read, he saw the caravan had recently changed its route, heading toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

With this, he was nearly certain this was the Nomad caravan he sought.

He memorized the caravan’s location, calmly set the report aside, and nodded to Shisui. The two of them strode out of the tavern.

The black market owner called after them, “Come again, and good luck with your bounty.” In fact, he had said this many times lately, as countless factions had purchased Nomad intelligence from him.

Uchiha Li, unaware of the owner's thoughts, simply led Shisui out of the black market.

Seeing Uchiha Li’s demeanor, Shisui asked uncertainly, “Li, have you already found the real Nomad caravan?”

Uchiha Li nodded with a smile. “I can’t be one hundred percent certain, but I’m ninety percent sure.”

Such confident words left Shisui puzzled. He couldn’t understand how Uchiha Li had quickly pinpointed the target from so many suspects. But remembering Uchiha Li’s past achievements, Shisui suddenly understood. Uchiha Li always managed to accomplish what others could not—so this was just business as usual for him.

They said nothing further, quickly heading toward the area where the caravan was located.

Meanwhile, in another direction from Uchiha Li and Shisui, two figures were also advancing toward their destination. Both wore black high-collared coats adorned with red cloud patterns.

One wore a mask, his pupils a tranquil emerald green. The other was exceptionally tall, otherwise unremarkable, his face blending easily into a crowd.