At the end of the passage, Uchiha Fugaku and his two companions found themselves in a plain, unremarkable room.
There was almost no furniture, and the space was empty and devoid of people.
Snap—
Uchiha Takehiko moved swiftly to the innermost part of the room and rotated the base of a lamp fixed on the wall.
With a sharp mechanical sound, the inner wall slid apart, revealing a hidden staircase that led underground.
Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Kana, and Uchiha Takehiko descended the staircase and entered the basement of the casino.
The space below was a large, well-lit hall with rocky walls and lamps mounted on all sides.
Several individuals were scattered around the hall, dressed in various styles.
Some appeared to be wandering ninjas, others bore scratched-out headbands identifying them as rogue shinobi, and a few were clad in samurai armor.
All of them seemed focused on the bounty notices posted on the walls, apparently looking for their next target.
Fugaku and his companions moved past the bounty hunters and approached the counter.
"It's to submit the task…"
The man behind the counter began to speak, but the moment his eyes landed on Uchiha Fugaku, his expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted toward a door at the back.
As the host of this underground black market, he immediately recognized Uchiha Fugaku, the target of a staggering 50-million-ryo bounty.
He knew Fugaku's presence here could mean nothing good.
Puff—
The man only managed a few steps before he felt a sharp pain in his throat.
Uchiha Kana had moved with blinding speed, slashing his throat with a kunai before he could escape.
"Murder!"
"Someone's causing trouble!"
The bounty hunters who had been examining the postings turned toward the commotion, their faces a mix of astonishment and alarm.
Most bounty hunters were not honorable people, and troublemakers were usually dealt with swiftly by the black market's enforcers.
Sure enough, angry shouts echoed through the hall.
"Who's causing trouble?"
Two burly men stepped forward. Their attire marked them as shinobi, and their presence exuded a menacing aura.
"Destroy everyone in this underground black market!" Fugaku commanded calmly.
Uchiha Kana and Uchiha Takehiko moved immediately, their faces cold and filled with murderous intent.
"Eradicate the black market? You're courting death!"
The two underground black market ninjas roared, engaging Kana and Takehiko in battle.
Fugaku, meanwhile, stood still, observing the chaos without interfering.
Around the hall, whispers of recognition began to spread.
"It's him!"
"Who?"
"Look at the bounty notice… the one with the 50-million reward!"
Panic set in as the bounty hunters realized who they were facing. Tempting as the reward might be, they knew someone with such a high bounty was incredibly dangerous.
Most fled in terror, abandoning any thought of fighting.
Fugaku ignored the fleeing hunters. His target was the underground black market, not its patrons.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!"
Kana formed hand seals, unleashing a barrage of fiery shuriken. The projectiles arced gracefully through the air before striking her opponent.
Puff—
One flaming shuriken pierced its mark, igniting the ninja's clothes. He fell to the ground, rolling desperately to extinguish the flames.
Nearby, Takehiko wielded a short sword, his strikes precise and unrelenting. His opponent, armed with twin kunai, struggled to fend off the onslaught.
Clang—
Puff—
With a sharp swing, Takehiko disarmed his foe and delivered a deep slash across his chest. Blood flowed freely as the man staggered back.
A well-placed kick from Takehiko sent his opponent flying across the hall.
"Not bad," Fugaku remarked, nodding slightly in approval. Kana's skill with ninjutsu and Takehiko's mastery of taijutsu were evident as they steadily gained the upper hand.
Just as Fugaku began to think the outcome was certain, a sudden shout pierced the air.
"Use that!"
One of the injured black market ninjas tore off the glove on his right hand, revealing something metallic beneath.
The second ninja hesitated before following suit, exposing his own metal right hand.
The prosthetic limbs gleamed under the light, intricately designed to resemble real hands. The palms, however, bore gaping holes.
Whoosh—
Before Kana and Takehiko could react, large fireballs erupted from the metallic palms, hurtling toward them.
The speed of the attack left them no time to form hand seals. Kana and Takehiko narrowly dodged, but the heat scorched their clothes, leaving them shaken.
"Again!"
Without pause, another round of fireballs shot toward them. Kana and Takehiko scrambled to evade, but it was clear they were losing ground.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed as he studied the prosthetic limbs.
"These aren't ordinary weapons…" he muttered.
The advanced prosthetics were evidence of high-level modification, likely supplied by the mysterious organization backing the black market.
"Such technology… It's far beyond what I expected," Fugaku thought grimly.
Kana and Takehiko were now visibly burned, struggling to keep up with the relentless barrage.
Fugaku knew he had to act.
"Hypnosis."
His Sharingan spun, casting its hypnotic influence over the two cyborg ninjas. Their movements faltered, and their fireball attacks ceased as they fell into a trance.
Fugaku approached cautiously, his eyes fixed on the prosthetics.
"Who is behind this underground black market?" he demanded, his voice cold and commanding.
The hypnotized ninjas remained silent, their faces blank.
Then, Fugaku noticed something unusual—their metal hands were beginning to glow red-hot.
"Self-destruction?!"
Realizing the danger, Fugaku's Sharingan flashed as he grabbed Kana and Takehiko, leaping back just as the prosthetic limbs erupted.
(End of Chapter)
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