Chapter 274: Investigation Results
"The operators of Seagull City's underground black market are the Funaya family. This pack of human scum doesn't just deal in human trafficking and contraband; they have also monopolized the food trade on the island..."
Since following Uchiha Ikeizumi, Uchiha Izumi had seen countless insane degenerates, but this was the first time she had encountered a situation like the one in Seagull City. "If it were just for exorbitant profits, that would be one thing. But the most hateful part is that they intentionally manufacture famines, forcing the poor who can't feed their children to sell them all to the black market!"
"Those people have no food to eat...they don't even spare the cats! So many meows were caught and eaten by them, meow!"
Kojirō was so enraged he couldn't even speak clearly, gesticulating with his claws as if he wanted to tear someone apart.
"The intelligence I gathered on my end is more or less the same. A few years ago, there were several factions in Seagull City's black market checking each other, but recently the Funaya family rose suddenly and swallowed the others..."
Biwa Jūzō spoke in a low voice. Although his infiltration into the black market had been interrupted by Kurosuki Raiga, as a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, gathering basic intelligence in a town within the Land of Water was second nature to him.
"Then we start with the Funaya family! First, let every sinner meet their deserved end!"
Izumi spoke through gritted teeth. This was the first time she was leading such a large-scale liquidation. Given the scale of the Seagull City market, there were likely several hundred sinners whose guilt level reached a "Red Name." "In the name of [Absolute Justice]!"
"The opposition is likely more troublesome than you imagine. Just among those I know of, there's a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and several rogue ninja of Jōnin level..."
Jūzō crossed his arms and glanced at Izumi's somewhat youthful figure, unable to stop himself from offering a reminder. "Besides that, we have to watch out for those who profit through the black market; they might take advantage of the chaos or side with the Funaya family..."
"Are you trying to persuade me to give up, Senpai?"
Izumi frowned, her calm tone laced with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"No, I mean the opponents are strong..."
Jūzō gripped the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō, his killing intent overflowing. "So, I'll have to take action as well."
"Meow-aoo! And me, meow!"
Kojirō struggled to extend his claws from his thick paw pads. "I'm going to seek justice for the other cats!"
With that, the two humans and the cat reached a unified decision. After exchanging glances, their figures rapidly vanished from the spot.
Night fell. Inside the black market warehouse of Seagull City, unlike the town streets which had only scattered sparks of light, it was brightly lit and bustling with noise even at midnight.
Gang leaders were fighting over food quotas for their respective territories. This didn't just determine how much money they could make in the coming weeks; it determined how many subordinates they could recruit and even their own survival.
Because of this, the method used by the gang bosses to compete for quotas was exceptionally bloody. They would each send subordinates to participate in a free-for-all slaughter. The duration a subordinate survived determined the food quota they would receive; the last one standing got the largest share, while the first to die got the opposite.
To gain more profit, or simply to stay alive, the gang bosses used all sorts of tricks...some trained subordinates specialized in escaping, some brought in highly skilled swordsmen, and some simply hired wandering ninja or rogue ninja.
The natural result was that to pay the high salaries of the rogue ninja, the gang bosses had to increase the exploitation of the civilians in their territory. Those civilians who could no longer survive had no choice but to sell their children or even their wives to the gangs, who then resold them to the Funaya family controlling the black market. Thus, a vicious cycle was formed with food control as the starting point and human trafficking as the endpoint.
When the two humans and the cat used Transformation Jutsu to slip into the warehouse, the deathmatch was at a fever pitch. Most participants were already dead; only two wandering ninja, one rogue ninja, and a ronin samurai remained.
"These goddamn degenerates! Jūzō-senpai, don't hold back! Not a single person here is innocent!" Izumi took one look and was nearly blinded by the hundreds of Red Names flooding her vision. Shocked and enraged, she spoke decisively to Biwa Jūzō. "Kill them all!"
"Hmph! Suits me just fine!"
Jūzō hoisted the Kubikiribōchō without hesitation. Before anyone in the warehouse could react, he charged toward the nearest gang leader.
"Who's there?!"
A gang leader capable of making a name for himself in Seagull City usually had a few tricks up his sleeve. Almost at the same instant Jūzō launched his charge, the target leader reacted.
Clang! Pshhh!
Unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, even the fastest reaction speed couldn't save him. Just as he drew his blade, the heavy Kubikiribōchō, wrapped in a piercing wind, cleaved both the man and his sword in two!
"Enemy attack!"
"They're here to cause trouble! Get them!"
"Kill them!"
However, such a brutal scene failed to intimidate the gang leaders present. Instead, it triggered their vicious nature, and they swarmed toward Jūzō with their subordinates and thugs.
Only a few knowledgeable rogue ninja noticed the Kubikiribōchō in Jūzō's hand and instinctively stopped in their tracks.
As rogue ninja active in the Land of Water, they might not remember Biwa Jūzō specifically, but they absolutely recognized the famous Executioner's Blade!
"Go to hell, scum!"
Jūzō grinned, revealing a mouth full of jagged teeth. He swung the massive blade ruthlessly at the charging enemies, creating a storm of blood and gore in an instant.
Ordinary gang thugs were not even worth a single strike from him. Having received Izumi's permission, Jūzō showed no mercy. In a few breaths' time, he cut through the crowd, leaving a trail of severed limbs and broken bodies.
Watching this, the corners of Izumi's eyes twitched. Although she had seen Ikeizumi-senpai kill many times and was no longer a newcomer who hadn't seen blood, such a raw and cruel slaughter still made her feel instinctively nauseous.
However, one look at the dense list of crimes above the other Red Names was enough for Izumi to suppress any misplaced pity. She drew her specially prepared katana to meet the gang thugs targeting her.
"Sinner..."
The Sharingan in Izumi's eyes spun rapidly. In a split second, she finished reading the crimes above the enemy's head and met their gaze. The genjutsu of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan pinned the thug in place.
"...Death to you!"