Chapter 62: The Black Market and The Dormant Order
Inside the scroll was even more information, far more detailed than what was displayed publicly on the bounty board outside. There were records of his daily habits back in Konoha, places he used to visit repeatedly, the old woman from the Haruno district who sold breakfast every morning and how he would occasionally stop there before training, small observations about the times he appeared and disappeared, fragments regarding his mother and father, even notes surrounding his isolation within the Uchiha clan itself. However it was also obvious that Konoha had deliberately censored certain parts, especially details that would damage their own political standing. There was almost nothing openly written about the deeper tension between the village and the Uchiha clan, no mention of the increasing pressure or the political isolation the clan had faced over the years. Instead the report framed most things vaguely and carefully as if trying to avoid pushing the Uchiha too far. After all if they revealed everything openly and united the clan under a common grievance then the situation inside the village itself could spiral out of control, something Konoha clearly did not want. They wanted division, suspicion and instability within the clan, not unity.
Kenzo calmly continued reading through the scroll, not showing even the slightest flicker of surprise. The moment he saw the bounty board and read Rei's report earlier he had already understood that most, though not all, of his information had been leaked. Even so this move by Konoha still irritated him slightly. If they had only spread useful information then he would not have cared nearly as much, after all that would simply be strategy, but releasing such unnecessary details alongside it was strange.
Kenzo did not believe there were no deeper implications behind this. Konoha was still one of the five great villages, it was impossible for something on this scale to happen carelessly. No village operated without dedicated strategists and analysts constantly calculating outcomes and possibilities behind the scenes. Which meant this could not simply be a mistake or an emotional reaction from a single person. There was purpose behind it, even if he could not fully see it yet.
Just then, noticing Kenzo still holding onto the scroll for such a long time, the man beside him finally spoke again in a low whisper.
"If you have even the slightest information about him we will buy it at a high price."
Kenzo looked at him briefly before quietly handing the scroll back and slightly shaking his head. His objective here was already complete and there was no reason to remain longer than necessary.
During this time while one of Kenzo's shadow clones remained inside the black market gathering information, another had already reached a completely different location deep within the forest. The route taken was anything but direct, the clone moving through multiple hidden turns and abandoned paths, occasionally altering direction for no visible reason before doubling back through old routes once used by Enkedu messengers. Certain markings carved subtly into trees guided the path forward, almost invisible unless one already knew what to look for, while broken branches and small stone placements acted as coded indicators left behind by previous scouts.
Eventually the clone arrived at a seemingly empty clearing hidden beneath dense forest cover before finally stopping. Kenzo's throat moved slightly before a strange low pitched sound escaped his mouth.
"Kha… Ge… En…"
The sound itself was uneven and distorted deliberately, the rhythm changing midway through each syllable in a way that made imitation difficult. It was not merely a password but a layered vocal pattern created specifically for Enkedu's inner communication system because ordinary words could easily be memorised and copied while tonal irregularities were far harder to reproduce correctly without training.
Immediately after the sound echoed out five shadowy figures appeared one after another from different directions, each wearing dark oni masks with long black cloaks covering their bodies completely. Their appearances were concealed perfectly, not even their heights matched naturally due to subtle modifications in posture and equipment. These were the core scouting members assigned specifically to outer surveillance and emergency containment.
For a few moments no one spoke.
Not because they knew Kenzo's identity or anything close to it, but because this was the first time they had been summoned in such a direct manner. Normally even communication between higher members passed through multiple stages, coded routes, dead drops, hidden signals and intermediaries. Direct meetings like this almost never happened unless something had already crossed acceptable limits.
The atmosphere within the forest gradually became heavier.
One of the masked figures finally lowered his head slightly.
"Emergency level?"
Kenzo's clone remained silent briefly before speaking in a calm voice intentionally altered through chakra vibration.
"Immediate dormant state."
The moment those words were spoken the figures visibly stiffened beneath their cloaks.
Another member spoke carefully.
"All cells?"
"Yes."
No further explanation was given.
There was no need.
Within Enkedu a complete dormant order meant all active movement ceased immediately, communication chains were severed, safe routes abandoned, hidden caches relocated and every isolated cell would effectively erase itself temporarily from the outside world. It was a measure designed specifically against large scale information exposure.
"Priority?" another masked figure asked.
"Preservation over operation."
The five figures exchanged brief glances before nodding almost simultaneously.
Other than scouting duties they had always been assigned another purpose from the very beginning, if an emergency severe enough ever appeared they would spread the dormant order throughout Enkedu faster than the normal communication network could manage.
Kenzo watched the figures disappear silently into the darkness of the forest for a moment before his clone itself vanished with a soft puff.
Meanwhile Kenzo's main body continued dashing through the forest at extreme speed, rainwater exploding around his figure every time his feet touched the ground. The surrounding scenery blurred continuously while the cold air cut sharply against his face.
Kenzo's movements slowed slightly as the memories from the dispersed clone flooded back into his mind all at once, the details of the black market, the bounty board, the dormant order, every conversation and observation merging together instantly.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
There were still around 90–100 km left before reaching Amegakure which meant roughly another hour remained assuming nothing unexpected happened.
Kenzo's gaze remained calm as the rain continued falling around him without end, his figure once again accelerating through the forest at terrifying speed because he understood very clearly that from this point onward every passing second would only make the situation more dangerous.