"Client?"
So, he was a 'businessman'. That explained the presence of unfamiliar shinobi coming and going around here.
But in chaotic times like these, anyone hiding in the forgotten corners of the shinobi world and calling themselves a "businessman" usually gave off a bad vibe.
Chances were, the business done here was anything but legitimate.
"What can I get from you?" Genma asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.
"My clients fall into two simple categories: sellers and buyers."
"Could you be more specific?"
"If you're looking to sell, I typically deal in human trafficking... my research requires a lot of shinobi assistance.
Given how turbulent the shinobi world is now, defeated shinobi are usually executed on the spot. What a waste. After all, shinobi are a valuable resource.
So if you want to make the most of them, you can hand over prisoners of war to me, and I'll pay a fair price."
Slavery, huh?
Genma had stumbled upon... good news.
Clenching his fist silently, Genma didn't care what kind of twisted business this man was running. What mattered was that if he was trafficking shinobi, then it was very likely the distress signal from his clansmen came from here.
Which meant his people were probably being held in this place. He'd found the right lead.
Only someone dealing in people would have such a wide variety of captives. That, at least, was promising.
"It's definitely a lucrative business. Pity I didn't know ahead of time—I don't have what you're looking for," Genma said calmly.
"Oh? Then I suppose those two shinobi are dead. What a shame," the voice replied.
So he had noticed the battle in the marsh earlier.
Genma thought to himself: Would you believe me if I told you neither of them died directly by my hand?
"What about as a buyer? What can I get from you?" he asked, pressing forward.
"Things that can drastically boost a shinobi's combat strength—like a secret medicine that temporarily increases chakra output, or a massive summoning beast with absolute loyalty."
Absolute loyalty? Genma recalled the unlucky man who had just been mauled to death by his own summon.
"Can I take a look at the summoning beasts? That's an area I'm particularly interested in."
"Of course. As long as one abides by the principle of fair trade, anyone is welcome to be my client... This way, please. The merchandise is inside."
As the voice faded, a corner of the courtyard suddenly collapsed, revealing a staircase sloping downward.
Genma paused in thought, then walked toward it.
As he descended the dimly lit stairs, his senses were on high alert. His right arm, hidden under his cloak, began turning pale white.
There was no helping it—this underground space screamed "trap." He had to be ready to bolt at a moment's notice.
Almost simultaneously with his partial transformation into white Zetsu tissue, Genma's vision suddenly changed.
At first, he had only seen a normal underground structure—but now, the space transformed into rows of iron cages.
Each cage along the hallway held a bound shinobi, wrists and ankles shackled. On the other side were cages filled with monstrous, grotesque beasts.
Genjutsu? When did I fall under a genjutsu?
The change in scenery made it clear: Genma had been under the influence of a powerful illusion. The problem was, he had no idea when it had started. Not a single clue.
And more importantly—why had the genjutsu lifted once he partially transformed?
Could it be that my altered body restores the normal flow of chakra?
No time to ponder that now. Genma feigned ignorance and continued down the corridor.
At the end of the hallway, a room with an open door awaited him.
Genma tried releasing the white Zetsu transformation. The illusion returned—the room appeared elegant, with refined furnishings and a long table at the center. Seated at the far end was a cloaked figure whose face remained hidden. It looked like a business negotiation room.
Then, reapplying his transformation, the illusion shattered once more. The room revealed itself for what it truly was: another iron cage, cluttered with cruel, bloodstained instruments of torture.
Genma carefully inspected the inside of the cage, then, without hesitation, stepped boldly inside.
"Welcome, my guest," the voice echoed through the hollow chamber. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Toshi, and I am a passionate cultivator of summoning beasts."
Passionate cultivator? More like passionate Frankenstein.
Before Genma could react, the cage door slammed shut.
Now that he was trapped, the mysterious figure dropped the act. A sinister laugh reverberated throughout the underground chamber.
"You'll make excellent research material."
"Not long ago, it seems someone sent out a distress signal while I was momentarily distracted. I was confident in the security of my cages, so I thought it was just my imagination. But I never expected someone would walk right into the trap…"
"Don't worry—I'll extract your brain and heart, then replace them with those from one of my finest beasts. You won't die, but you'll live a new, exciting kind of life..."
Stalling for time? Of course he is.
Genma could feel his chakra being siphoned away by some unseen force. Instinctively, he glanced toward the walls behind the iron bars.
Earth Release...?
He thought for a moment, then spoke: "I seem to recall an Earth Release technique that absorbs an enemy's chakra... What was it called again? Earth Prison Hall?"
The arrogant voice cut off immediately, followed by a sudden flare of panic. "How do you know my secret technique?!"
Did Genma owe him an explanation? Not a chance. He chuckled and said:
"That attitude won't do. As a researcher, you should remain calm and rational no matter the circumstances."
Celebrating too early, huh? Total amateur.
"You're just a rat in a trap! Once your chakra is drained dry, let's see you..."
But before he could finish, Genma had already placed a pale hand on the surrounding wall.
Chakra began to flow in reverse. In the blink of an eye, Genma went from losing chakra to absorbing it.
The walls of the Earth Prison were drained completely. Without chakra to sustain it, the stone structure crumbled.
And behind it, a more secretive room was revealed.
"Found you. Hiding pretty deep, aren't you?"
Just as Genma expected, anyone who relied on elaborate traps and deception likely wasn't strong in direct combat.
Granted, chakra absorption was a lethal trump card—but unfortunately for this guy, he was up against someone who could absorb even more.
Had it been anyone else, they might not have escaped that cage alive.
In the shinobi world, chakra absorption techniques weren't exactly common, but they weren't rare either. If someone pinned all their hopes on that one trick, they were bound to fail eventually.
This man—Toshi—had made the classic mistake of relying too much on his experience.
"You can see me? No—when did you break the genjutsu?!"
"I was about to ask the same thing—when did I even fall under genjutsu?"
Genma quickly formed hand seals. Water Release: Severing Wave.
The iron cage holding him was instantly sliced to pieces. Seeing this, Toshi made a desperate attempt to flee.
Trying to run?
Genma followed up with a second jutsu. Water Release: Surging Wave.
In the narrow underground space, the surging water burst forth like a dam breaking, flooding the small "rat's nest" in an instant.
In an open space, that kind of jutsu wouldn't be too dangerous. Most shinobi had ways to avoid or defend against it.
But in such a cramped underground space, the enemy had no room to maneuver. There was no escaping Genma's Water Release attack.
Meanwhile, Genma used Mayfly Technique—his body merged into the rock, allowing him to travel through the stone at high speed.
In an instant, he appeared beside Toshi and delivered a clean chop to the back of his neck as the man flailed underwater. A crisp crack rang out as his spine twisted out of alignment.
Drenched and dazed, the enemy was knocked out cold.
"Huh... can't even take a hit?"
His opponent's fragility was a little disappointing—far weaker than Genma had expected.
This guy calls himself a scientist?
In the shinobi world, real inventors had Kage-level strength.
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