354. A Triple Win!

Holding the massive contract he had just signed, Shukan couldn't help but smile with satisfaction the moment he left the Daimyo's residence.

The short boy standing beside him also sighed in admiration, "I didn't expect this mission to go so smoothly."

Unlike Shukan, the boy had a small, arrow-like spike at the end of his tail, making him look like a demon from legend.

Hearing his words, the curly-haired woman on the other side pursed her lips.

"Even though it went smoothly, it means we'll be stuck here for the next five years."

She glanced at the ubiquitous rocks around them and sighed, "I still prefer the scenery of the Land of Fire."

Though it was just a casual complaint, it immediately drew the ire of their leader, Shukan.

His eyes narrowed, and a cold glint of killing intent flashed through them. "Are you talking too much because you want to go back for some 'retraining'?"

At these words, a trace of fear uncontrollably surfaced in the woman's eyes.

She quickly lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, leader."

Only then did Shukan let out a cold snort and warn, "In a place like this, keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, the entire team could end up dead because of one careless word."

After the stern warning, Shukan led them to a tavern.

Pushing open the door to a hidden private room, they found two figures who had been waiting for some time.

Both wore animal masks—one a dragon, the other a snake.

Upon seeing them, the members of the Yellow Group visibly tensed up, even showing signs of... fear.

They recognized the identities of these two individuals—members of the legendary Earthly Branches Squad, Dragon and Snake.

"It seems you've completed this mission quite well," said Dragon, En Oyashiro, slowly opening his eyes.

His crimson pupils seemed to lower the temperature of the entire room by several degrees.

This made the Yellow Group members nervous, but their leader, Shukan, remained calm and reported, "Yes, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth has signed a cooperation agreement with us worth 3 billion ryō."

"Well done!" En Oyashiro stood up, a hint of a smile finally appearing in his tone.

"The weapons and equipment prepared for you will be transported to the Land of Earth through the underground bounty exchange channels. I'll have someone contact you when they arrive."

With that, he patted Shukan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't forget, Lord Danzo places great importance on this plan. He has high expectations for you."

Hearing Danzo's name, Shukan immediately bent slightly at the waist and said solemnly, "This subordinate will not disappoint Lord Danzo!"

The other members of the Yellow Group also bowed, their expressions filled with reverence.

Seeing this, En Oyashiro smiled with satisfaction.

"In that case, we'll leave this matter in your hands. We'll take our leave now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hiruko also quickly rose from his seat.

As he passed by the Yellow Group members, he pulled out a scroll from his robe.

"The next stage of the evolution serum is sealed inside. You'd better not disappoint Lord Danzo."

After saying this, Hiruko tossed the scroll and disappeared on the spot.

Shukan looked at the scroll in his hand and finally let out a sigh of relief.

He quickly unsealed the scroll and took out the five serums stored inside.

Then, the five members of the Yellow Group removed their black coats, revealing the madness hidden beneath their clothing...

Because all five of them had undergone varying degrees of mutation.

The leader, Shukan's body was covered in thick yellow fur, making him look like a beast.


The short boy had a pair of black wings on his back and sharp teeth.

The woman's body was covered in large patches of purple scales, resembling snake scales.

Another large man had bulging muscles covered in crimson blood vessels.

Finally, there was a tall, thin man whose hands had completely transformed into mantis-like claws, gleaming with a metallic sheen...

---

[The Daimyo of the Land of Earth has reached a cooperative agreement with the Yellow Group.]

When Danzo, far away, received this news, he couldn't help but let a slight smile curl his lips.

That's right—both the Yellow Group mercenary group and the Ninja Composite Brigade plan were Danzo's ideas.

First, the Yellow Group. Their predecessors were death row convicts from all over the ninja world.

Following the principle of making use of waste, Danzo sent them all to the research institute.

After surviving multiple rounds of experiments conducted by Hiruko, they gained extraordinary abilities.

After passing various assessments by Root, Danzo allowed them to re-emerge in the ninja world as a mercenary group.

Each of the five members possessed a powerful secret technique.

Coupled with the biological weapons developed by Hiruko and Orochimaru, they were more than capable of handling ordinary jōnin.

Under certain special circumstances, they could even push a Kage-level opponent into a dangerous situation!

Of course, killing a Kage was still a bit of a stretch, but their combat effectiveness was already quite impressive.

This made them an important force under Danzo's command, second only to the Earthly Branches Squad.

As for the Ninja Composite Brigade plan, it was primarily a strategy based on the current environment.

After Danzo successfully formed the cabinet and sidelined the Daimyo, nobles across the nations became increasingly anxious.

Combined with the recent troop withdrawal incident, these Daimyos and nobles grew even more distrustful of their ninja villages.

This gave Danzo an opportunity.

"You don't trust your ninja villages? Fine, I'll give you a chance to grow strong and become independent! Just purchase our 'Safety Construction Package,' and we'll provide you with absolute security! Not only will we protect your personal safety, but we'll also help you train a loyal ninja force! From then on, you won't have to rely on anyone else—you can strike wherever you want!"

As for the cost? Simple—just deduct it from the annual military funds you give to the ninja village.

After all, that's the Kage's ninja village, not the Daimyo's.

Someone else's troops will never be as reliable as your own.

This was also an opportunity for Konoha to offload some of its excess production.

With the continuous improvement in the research level of the military factories, Konoha's weapons had long since begun to be upgraded.

But what to do with the old equipment? They couldn't just throw it away, could they?

Perfect timing—the Land of Earth wanted to establish a Ninja Composite Brigade, so Konoha could dispose of these old weapons through the underground bounty exchange!

In this way, the Land of Earth obtained weapons, Konoha gained funds, and outdated products was eliminated.

It was a triple win!