After leaving the forest, Yujin and his group proceeded with extreme caution, which helped them avoid any unexpected incidents along the way.
However, being overly cautious had its downsides. After several days of tension, many in the group began to let their guard down slightly.
While they weren't completely careless, a bit of relaxation was inevitable.
During this time, Yujin learned a lot about the basic structure of the ninja world—information that naturally came from Uchiha Mei.
To his surprise, Mei's demeanor was quite unlike the stereotypical image of Uchiha clan members. She appeared emotionally stable, unarrogant, and communicative.
Over the past few days, Yujin had received a fair amount of both useful and trivial information from her—though nothing involving any clan secrets, just general knowledge.
At the moment, they were discussing the "economic foundations" that sustained the major ninja clans.
"Besides the mission fees they receive from various employers, most clans have relatively stable sources of income or specific areas they rely on," Mei explained.
"Such as?" Yujin asked.
"For example, the Senju clan consistently receives missions related to the cultivation, production, and transportation of tobacco from fixed employers."
Yujin was momentarily stunned. The Forest-dwelling Senju developed the tobacco industry? That didn't quite align with their image.
"And the Uchiha clan is associated with sugar," she continued.
Well, he supposed the Uchiha clan could be considered sweet—sometimes overly so.
"The Hyuga clan deals with alcohol-related industries."
"And the Sarutobi clan?" Yujin asked, quickly catching on. "Let me guess—tea?"
"Correct."
For some reason, Yujin suddenly felt that the ancient, prestigious ninja clans weren't so high and mighty after all. Even the lofty Ōtsutsuki bloodline started to seem rather mundane.
He wondered if any clan specialized in salt or soy sauce production—maybe even pickled vegetables. That might be an untapped market.
It appeared Yujin had misunderstood the nature of these great clans. Regardless of whether they engaged in production directly, they were clearly involved in logistics.
After all, everyone had to eat.
As the saying goes—why do ninjas fight and kill one another? One reason was the accumulation of decades, if not centuries, of hatred between them, often stoked by hidden manipulators behind the scenes.
The other, more crucial reason, was the struggle for living space and survival.
Mei's explanation of the ninja world's "industrial landscape" drastically updated Yujin's understanding of this world.
With this eye-opening knowledge in mind, Yujin led his team into a region of low hills.
It was approaching dusk, and he was looking for a suitable spot to set up camp.
Then, in a secluded area surrounded by uneven terrain and forest cover—a veritable "feng shui treasure land"—they encountered another group of ninjas who had arrived earlier.
Chaos broke out immediately, followed by a tense standoff.
After a brief assessment, Yujin began applying his newly acquired knowledge of ninja industries. He figured this group of ninjas had probably just failed some "ninja startup" venture, leaving them bankrupt and devastated.
They looked like they had lost a battle. Every one of them appeared utterly dejected. They hadn't even set up a proper perimeter, allowing Yujin's group to approach openly and without resistance.
These ninjas were scattered and disorganized. Some even gave up upon encountering an enemy.
Yujin clearly saw someone attempt to stand up, fail, and then simply slump back down in resignation.
The world was truly unpredictable. Yujin's group, despite often being at a disadvantage, had the upper hand for once.
Though not especially powerful, Yujin's people still had their spirit—and full bellies.
The opposing group, numbering around thirty, had the advantage in size, but they looked starved and beaten.
If it came to a fight, and assuming they didn't care about taking losses, Yujin's team could likely wipe them out.
After years of being oppressed by one force after another, it was strange—almost surreal—that Hanemiya Clan now found itself in a position to do the oppressing.
The difference in morale between the two sides was stark.
Yujin's group had long since accepted the fall of their village. The psychological scars had been dulled by time. Now, they were more rational and motivated—driven by a strong will to protect themselves and their kin.
As for their combat mentality, it was simple:
"If there's a fight, I'll throw the first punch. If there's retreat, I'll be the last one to run."
In contrast, the other side had just suffered a crushing defeat. The emotional toll was evident. Many of them seemed to be thinking:
"If there's a fight, I'll die first. If someone must die, let it be me."
It wasn't that Yujin's group had superior mental fortitude—they were just at different stages of coping with loss.
Yujin's side had reached the stage of recovery. The others were still in shock.
Due to their disadvantage, the opposing group's leader could no longer stay silent.
A young ninja, around twenty-four or twenty-five, pushed through the crowd and stepped to the front.
"Who are you people?" he asked.
Their biggest concern was that Yujin's group had been sent to eliminate them.
"We call ourselves 'Ashes'—a group of wandering ninjas from various backgrounds. You can call me Yujin. And who are you?" Yujin replied.
The opposing ninja scrutinized them carefully. He noticed they weren't wearing forehead protectors, and though their condition was clearly better than his own group's, they didn't seem like pursuers.
They hadn't attacked, nor had they prepared for a fight. Everything suggested this was a chance encounter.
Seeing this, the man decided to take a gamble. Gritting his teeth, he revealed their identity:
"We are the Fūma clan—formerly known as the Kazama clan. I'm the clan head."
Fūma? That sounded familiar.
Yujin thought for a moment before asking:
"The Fūma clan—famous for crafting ninja tools and skilled in manipulating shuriken?"
"Yes, that's us."
"How did you end up in such a sorry state?"
Okay, maybe that was a bit tactless.
Yujin didn't mean to insult them—he was just genuinely curious.
After all, the Fūma clan had survived into the Hidden Village era. Even if they had dwindled to just a few remnants later on, they still made it that far. How could they have fallen to such disgrace now?
The question made the clan leader's nose sting. He was nearly brought to tears.
"We're just passing strangers—your concern is overstepping," he thought bitterly. "What business is it of yours how we ended up like this?"
But he didn't dare say that aloud.
"My name is Fūma Gorō. Mr. Yujin, to avoid any misunderstandings, could you have your people step back a little?" he asked.
Looking at this ragged and pitiful group of ninjas, Yujin had an idea.
He thought this might be a good opportunity for a little experiment.
"In the current situation, any misunderstanding caused by my people isn't really a misunderstanding. Any rash move from your side, though—that would be the real misunderstanding," Yujin said, applying pressure.
Fūma Gorō was briefly choked up by that response. He grew annoyed, but the situation left him no choice—he could only lower his head and yield.
"Very well, Mr. Yujin. Then may my people step back instead? I assure you there will be no hostile moves."
Yujin smiled with deliberate friendliness and said:
"Alright, but… no, they may not."
Fūma Gorō had just started to return the smile, but his lips immediately twitched and dropped at the answer.
That... didn't sound like something a normal person would say.
So… was that a yes or a no?
...
GET THE STONES!
500 stones COME ON!