"Sir... there's really nothing I can do! I can't break the rules!" The middle-aged woman hesitated, visibly moved. She had spent years in this place, personally serving countless prominent figures.
She was well aware of the existence of powerful ninja in the world, and Sōmi was clearly one of those who possessed extraordinary abilities.
As an ordinary person, the middle-aged woman's mental fortitude was commendable, allowing her to remain composed in the face of Sōmi's oppressive aura.
However, sweat was quietly seeping through the gaps in her hairline, betraying the deep fear in her heart.
The young Sōmi exuded an icy presence that felt like falling into a frozen abyss. It was evident he was not someone who would show mercy.
Her gaze briefly flickered to the filthy boy standing beside him. Clearly, this boy must have some connection to Risa Izawa.
The middle-aged woman silently cursed her greed. How could she have been so blinded by money that she promised Risa away, only to provoke this terrifying figure?
But it was too late for regrets now. All she could do was try to appease Sōmi and hope to smooth things over.
"Ah... there's no other choice..." Sōmi sighed deeply.
"You... you better not do anything rash! Do you even know who backs this establishment—" The woman began to speak urgently as she saw Sōmi rise to his feet, his full aura unleashed. The room was suddenly filled with gusts of wind that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
But Sōmi had no intention of continuing the conversation. With a swift Body Flicker Technique, he appeared behind her and struck the back of her head. The woman felt her vision go black and lost consciousness.
The two maids nearby met the same fate.
Sōmi then placed his hands on Kazuhiro Mori's shoulders and said, "Focus your senses. Once you locate your sister, tell me her position."
Although Sōmi had some experience with sensory ninjutsu, his skills were not particularly advanced. However, scanning such a small area was well within his capabilities.
Soon, Kazuhiro Mori's body trembled. He felt as though his weight had vanished, and he floated lightly outside the building.
To his astonishment, he found that the wooden walls between the rooms could no longer obstruct his vision. He could "see" directly into every room.
Some rooms were empty, while others housed courtesans seductively displaying their allure. In some rooms, the occupants had already abandoned restraint, engaging in intimate performances.
"Sir, I found her!" Kazuhiro Mori exclaimed in delight, but his body trembled immediately afterward.
"Sister!" he cried out, his emotions erupting like a barrel of oil set ablaze.
"Sir! My sister, she..." Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
"Tell me the location!" Sōmi maintained his composure, gently patting Kazuhiro Mori to help him calm down.
Not long after, a blood-curdling scream echoed through Hashiya-chō, followed by a golden cloud rising from the area and disappearing into the sky.
When the crowd rushed into the room where the scream had originated, they found only a grotesque, pulpy mass of flesh and blood, unrecognizable as a human form.
This incident naturally caused a massive uproar in the area, with various factions beginning to stir behind the scenes.
After all, the Five Great Nations were currently in a state of tense conflict, with frequent skirmishes between them.
The Land of Artisans had profited greatly from this situation, thanks to its unique craftsmanship and highly skilled artisans. The ninja tools they produced were in high demand.
This allowed the noble families controlling the Land of Artisans to amass immense wealth, contributing to the unprecedented prosperity of the western district.
Leaders of various factions began analyzing the reasons behind this incident.
Some even speculated that it might be a probing move by the Land of Wind, aiming to annex the Land of Artisans.
As for the idea of someone causing such a commotion solely to rescue a courtesan, the upper echelons scoffed at such a notion.
Immersed in their indulgent lifestyles, they were blind to the suffering of the common folk, who were often forced to sell their children due to poverty. To them, the commoners were merely tools to be exploited.
If public outrage ever reached a boiling point, they would simply redirect the anger, shift the blame, and grant minor concessions to pacify the masses. After all, under their "diligent governance," the majority of commoners had been reduced to mere paupers over the years.
...
The southeastern coastal region of the Land of Artisans was highly unusual. It featured a small active volcano, resulting in a barren wasteland.
The rising heat from the ground seemed capable of suffocating anyone, making it inhospitable to most forms of life.
However, a genius from the Land of Artisans had once conceived the idea of utilizing this volcanic area for forging.
Through the efforts of this genius and a group of artisans, the seemingly insane idea was brought to fruition.
After mapping the volcanic network, they excavated a series of smelting chambers along the edges of the island.
The walls of these chambers were constructed from heat-resistant basalt, capable of isolating the intense heat emanating from the volcanic magma.
They also enlisted barrier masters to set up a sealing barrier, confining the magma's heat within the smelting furnaces, thereby significantly increasing the temperature within the furnaces.
On the other side of the smelting chambers, a switch was installed to introduce distilled seawater for cooling the tools. The nearly infinite supply of seawater greatly enhanced the efficiency of the forging process.
At this moment, Scorpion was inside one of these smelting chambers. Although he was a puppet master, he was deeply impressed by the imaginative ideas and bold execution of the chamber's creators.
The dark blue stone chamber reflected a fiery red glow. In front of him, three burly men, stripped to the waist and wearing only sweat-soaked shorts, wielded various forging tools.
Before them was a concave pit that seemed to lead directly into the earth's depths. However, anyone who looked into it would abandon any thoughts of descending.
The pit was filled with bright red magma, some of which shimmered with golden hues.
The three burly men turned a curved switch near the pit, causing a plume of white-blue flames to rise. The moment the flames appeared, the surrounding space seemed to warp under the unbearable heat.
A spark ignited in Scorpion's eyes. He placed several scrolls on the ground, and with a few bursts of white smoke, the items materialized.
On the ground lay two corpses, three blades, and two humanoid skeletons.
The skeletons were particularly unusual, as they were not pale white but rather a stunning shade of purple—one deep and the other lighter.
Among the blades, one was covered in dark blue spikes, its surface encircled by black patterns that kept it immobilized.
"To think the metals here are so abundant—it saves me a lot of trouble..." Scorpion's gaze shifted to the pile of ore in the corner.
"If this blueprint works, the ninja tools might truly gain the ability to store and absorb Chakra..." Scorpion spread his palm, examining the blueprints once more.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Scorpion heard movement behind him. Without turning around, he said casually, "You're here? Let's get started!"
"This time, we'll need your sealing techniques..."
Sōmi, who had just entered the chamber, was curiously observing his surroundings. He responded absentmindedly.
Scorpion then rolled up the blueprints and, with a slight movement of his fingers, the three burly men began to act. It turned out that these forging masters had long been under Scorpion's control.
"Let's begin!" Scorpion's gaze burned as he fixed his eyes on the pit ahead.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Weekly Stable Updates with 30+ Chapters Always Available. High-Quality and Consistent Translations Are the Channel's Top Priority.
Current Books:
Naruto: Deidara's Struggle
God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village
Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline Development Manual
One Piece:The True Codex
One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup
👉patreon.com/GoldenLong