278. Handle The Logistic Yourself

"The last one! Only one left! The blue big cat, beloved by cat enthusiasts—gentle, obedient, friendly, sweet-voiced, soft-bodied, and perfect for cuddles!"

Uchiha Gin enthusiastically held up the remaining Two-Tails card, tirelessly advertising it.

"..."

But no matter how much he hyped it, it couldn't cover up the inherent shortcomings of the Two-Tails.

Too few tails, no bloodline abilities.

"Too weak and no bloodline—who would want it?"

Clutching three tailed beast cards, Ishikawa scoffed at Gin's claims.

"Sigh..."

Uchiha Gin sighed quietly. He had already anticipated that the Two-Tails would be a tough sell. After all, these Kage weren’t fools. When purchasing tailed beasts, practicality was their top priority.

As for aesthetics? Optional at best. Not every tailed beast could be like the Nine-Tails—both powerful and beautiful.

It seemed he would have to use his last trick.

While lamenting the situation, Uchiha Gin noticed Reto, the First Kazekage, standing nearby, his eyes red and brimming with envy. Seeing this opportunity, Gin's eyes gleamed as he called out:
"Kazekage-dono, your One-Tail is also a feline—why not take the Two-Tails home as a mate? Who knows, they might even produce children, and you'll be swimming in profits!"

"Uh..."

Gin expected Reto to blow up at his teasing, but to his surprise, the Kazekage seemed to be seriously considering the suggestion, calculating the possibility of breeding them.

Judging by his expression, he was genuinely tempted.

One tail equals 10 billion ryo. If a litter of seven or eight were born, Sunagakure would soar to new heights!

Just as Reto was lost in golden fantasies, his advisor Shamon leaned in and whispered a reality check:
"Kazekage-dono, the One-Tail is a tanuki, not a cat."

"Ahem! Of course, I knew that."

Snapping out of his money-driven daze, Reto feigned calmness and coughed lightly. After regaining composure, he shot Uchiha Gin a cold glance and replied,
"No need. Our Shukaku is the strongest!"

"Alright, alright."

Still denying it, huh? Typical sand-eaters.

Though the Two-Tails was a hard sell, it wouldn't derail the meeting. Regretfully, Uchiha Gin tucked the beast card back into his pocket, then bowed to Hashirama Senju.

"Bro Hashirama, shouldn't you say a few words now?"

"Huh?"

At that moment, Hashirama’s eyes were glittering with golden visions of wealth. He had completely forgotten the speech he had prepared about peace. Prompted by Gin, he looked up in confusion and stammered, unable to form coherent sentences.

"If the Hokage has nothing further to say, shall we go inspect the goods?"

The First Raikage, impatient to see his Eight-Tails in action, couldn't wait another second.

"Indeed, let’s go."

Rival leaders Byakuren (First Mizukage) and Ishikawa (First Tsuchikage) chimed in, exchanging competitive glances. They were eager to test their new beasts in battle.

The meeting had made Konohagakure the biggest winner, raking in enormous profits. The other nations had their gains as well.

Except for Sunagakure.

"Hold on!"

Feeling left out, Reto couldn’t stand it anymore. His initial terms had been dismissed, and now he was left to watch Konoha rake in profits while he got nothing. When it looked like the meeting was about to end, he finally protested.

"Does Kazekage-dono still have unfinished business?"

The First Raikage, already standing, frowned in annoyance. This broke nation always had the most complaints.

"Everyone here has profited except for Sunagakure. Isn't that a bit unfair?"

Reto kept his signature sulky expression, as if the world owed him a fortune.

"What, just because you're broke, we can't buy what we want?"

The blunt First Mizukage wasted no time mocking him. His disdainful tone made Retsuto grit his teeth in frustration.

"If that’s the case, then Sunagakure won’t sign the peace treaty."

If they couldn’t share in the profits, then everyone would suffer.

"Peace treaty? Oh, I nearly forgot about that."

Ishikawa, who had been ready to argue, stopped in his tracks. The lure of the tailed beasts had completely distracted him from the treaty. Fingering the three tailed beast cards in his pocket, he smirked uncontrollably.

"Iwagakure also feels the peace treaty should not be rushed. Let’s revisit it in a year or so."

Three against two—advantage Iwagakure. Even though the Seven-Tails was bought on behalf of Takigakure, their close alliance meant it could be temporarily "borrowed."

"Hmph!"

Byakuren, as Ishikawa’s rival, immediately saw through his strategy. Narrowing his shrewd eyes, he fearlessly met Ishikawa’s gaze.

"Shouldn’t we stick to the meeting’s primary goal?"

Not wanting to be dragged into conflict, the First Raikage stood and scanned the room with a steely gaze. His towering 190 cm frame radiated authority as his tiger-like eyes glared at the gathered Kage.

"I agree with Raikage-dono!"

Hashirama, realizing the peace treaty was on the verge of collapse, quickly supported the Raikage’s stance. He silently scolded himself for losing sight of his original intentions in the face of profit.

Although tensions were high, Uchiha Gin appeared calm. He patted Hashirama’s shoulder reassuringly, signaling him to stay composed.

"I believe everyone here cherishes peace. Let’s inspect the tailed beasts first and discuss the treaty afterward."

Gin's words diffused the tension, and the Kage begrudgingly agreed. They rose to their feet, eager to see the tailed beasts for themselves.

As the group headed to the forest outside Konohagakure where the beasts were held, Gin deliberately slowed his pace. Subtly, he signaled the First Raikage, who hesitated briefly but matched Gin's step, falling to the rear.

"Uchiha Gin, what do you need?"

The Raikage's deep voice betrayed a hint of curiosity.

"Raikage-dono, how about a little deal?"

Gin sneakily opened his cloak, revealing the gleaming Two-Tails card.

"Ah, no need. The Eight-Tails is enough for Kumogakure."

The Raikage politely declined, shaking his head firmly.

"Raikage-dono, let me share a little secret."

Gin’s mysterious tone piqued the Raikage’s interest. After ensuring no one was paying attention, he leaned in and whispered,
"The power of the tailed beasts isn’t so easy to control. Otherwise, why would Konoha sell them instead of using them to conquer the other nations?"

"I'm listening."


Previously overwhelmed by the imposing aura of the Eight-Tails, the First Raikage was too ecstatic to ponder the method of controlling tailed beasts.

"This Two-Tails, I’ll give you a personal 2% discount. What do you think?"

"Fine, I'll buy it—consider it support for a brother's business."

Gritting his teeth, the First Raikage finally gave in after much deliberation, reluctantly purchasing the last tailed beast card. Spending 200 billion for secrets on controlling a tailed beast? Worth it.

"As expected of my good brother~"

As the deal was sealed, Uchiha Gin pulled a small rectangular box no larger than his palm out of his bag and handed it to the Raikage.

"What is this?"

The box felt weightless in his hands. Examining the mysterious item he’d never seen before, the Raikage furrowed his brow.

"Shh~ Keep it down. This is the Driver I painstakingly created," Uchiha Gin whispered, a touch of reluctance in his tone. He was clearly loath to part with it. After all, he’d spent the whole night tinkering on this beast-driving device. Though admittedly, it came with some conditions and a tiny bit of side effects.

"Driver?"

Despite racking his brain, the Raikage found no recollection of such an item in his knowledge base. He carefully inspected the box, which was entirely gray except for a transparent crystal embedded on the front. On one side, there was a clearly carved slot—its size precisely matching the tailed beast cards.

"Brother A, you probably don’t know this, but the tailed beasts captured by Lord Hokage are managed entirely by the Uchiha clan. Coincidentally, your brother here has a bit of a knack for research. After tireless efforts, I developed this Driver."

In reality, it was a last-minute invention designed to boost sales. Uchiha Gin figured that bundling such an accessory with the beasts might help move inventory.

"Who would’ve thought you were so talented, Brother Gin! My respect!"

The Raikage, his initial disdain now replaced with genuine admiration, lamented that someone so gifted wasn’t part of Kumogakure.

"And how does this Driver work?"

The Raikage, now entirely invested, inquired softly while examining the mysterious gadget with renewed reverence.

"First—"

Before Uchiha Gin could elaborate, a series of exclamations rang out from up ahead, interrupting their conversation.

"Is that a tailed beast?"

"It’s even bigger than I imagined."

They had arrived. Uchiha Gin reluctantly set aside his explanation.

"Brother A, I’ll explain later. For now, let’s check out the beasts~"

"Got it. By the way, Brother Gin, let’s hit the hot springs tonight."

"Of course!"

Ahead, the group caught sight of a towering figure in the forest. Even without sensing its chakra, the sheer size of the tailed beast was enough to make them sweat.

Two figures stood apart in the distance, clearly waiting for the group.

"Hashirama, you’re late!"

Classic arms-crossed pose and a scowl, Uchiha Madara was visibly annoyed. Being left alone with that white-haired Senju was unbearable. If not for the mission, he would’ve ripped Tobirama’s tongue out by now.

"We’re here now, aren’t we? Dinner’s on me tonight, okay?"

Feeling flush with cash, Hashirama was in an unusually confident mood.

"Big brother, how much did we sell?"

Tobirama, who looked equally displeased, brightened slightly at his brother’s arrival. His gaze flitted to Uchiha Gin chatting away with the Raikage, and his frown deepened. What business did that guy have cozying up to the Land of Lightning? Was he up to something shady?

"Just one left unsold."

Adopting a cautious approach, Hashirama shared the bad news first.

"I knew it. That curly-haired guy is useless. First Leaf sales champion? What a joke!"

"Tobirama, enough!"

Hashirama quickly intervened, surprised at his brother’s unusually intense reaction.

"What? I can’t call him out for poor sales? If it were me, I’d have sold out the beasts ages ago—mmph!"

"Shh! Don’t let Big Brother Gin hear that!"

Hashirama, quick on his feet, clamped a hand over Tobirama’s mouth just as Uchiha Gin began approaching. He leaned in and whispered, "He sold a single beast for 100 billion. Do you understand?"

"Mmph—"

Like a silenced duck, Tobirama froze mid-struggle. His crimson eyes widened in shock, staring at Uchiha Gin in disbelief.

Satisfied that his brother had calmed down, Hashirama released him.

"Hashirama, great news!" Uchiha Gin called out cheerfully as he approached. "I just sold the Two-Tails! Gave them a small discount though—hope you don’t mind."

"Sold it? That’s amazing!"

Relieved that the last beast was offloaded, Hashirama didn’t even care about the discount. A sale was a sale.

"Yeah, an 80% deal—kind of a loss."

"Not at all!"

"Big Cousin, I…"

Madara, who had been silently listening, now approached with a sheepish grin. Following the earlier agreement, Uchiha Gin’s cut from the tailed beast sales was astronomical. Madara, deep in debt and plagued by creditors from the Land of Waves, was desperate for help.


“Heh.”

The matter of the tailed beast intelligence bill still hadn’t been settled with this brat. If not for the late-night delivery of the invoice by a cat, he wouldn’t have known that Uchiha Madara had done something so outrageous.

“This time, I lost.”

Senju Tobirama, already planning how to use the massive fortune he had just made, reluctantly admitted defeat to Uchiha Gin. After all, with money, one could do almost anything.

“Is that Uchiha Madara? He doesn’t seem as terrifying as the intelligence suggested.”

While the Konoha group was sharing their results, the Kages observing the tailed beasts each had their own thoughts. A mysterious man wrapped in bandages, silent throughout the meeting, rasped at the First Tsuchikage in front of him,
“Mu, don’t be fooled by appearances. Haven’t you already suffered at the hands of that flashy kid?”

The deep-gazing Ishikawa shifted his attention from the tailed beast to the Konoha group, his thoughts unreadable.

“Hokage-sama, can we take a closer look at the tailed beasts?”

Unable to contain himself, Byakuren from the Land of Water, currently engaged in wartime efforts, asked eagerly. His country desperately needed the overwhelming power of a tailed beast.

“You all? Barely qualified~”

Hearing Byakuren’s request, Uchiha Madara’s previously despondent demeanor instantly changed. His scarlet eyes scanned the other Kages dismissively, exuding scorn as if it couldn’t be hidden.
These guys, at best, could only go toe-to-toe with a tailed beast.

“Who do you think you’re looking down on?”

Raikage Reto, already in a sour mood, trembled with fury at Madara’s taunt.

“I meant no offense to you specifically.”

Madara locked his gaze on the increasingly irritated Reto, his Sharingan spinning slowly. He shook his head lightly, his expression calm.

“Madara, you’re finally acting sensible!”

Senju Hashirama, fearing that the situation might escalate, was ready to intervene. However, Madara’s unexpectedly mild attitude left him both surprised and gratified.

This was the demeanor of a Hokage in the making!

Reto’s face softened, and the tension eased. Perhaps the Uchihas weren’t as arrogant as intelligence suggested.

However, only Uchiha Gin sensed that something was amiss. With his cousin’s temper, there was no way he’d suddenly act so peaceful—something was definitely up.

“I’m not targeting you; I’m saying that all of you here are trash.”

Sure enough, in the next moment, Madara, with an air of indifference, uttered words that made everyone’s blood boil and their chakra surge.

“You!”
“Arrogant!”
“You’re courting death!”
“Witness my instant purification!”

The assembled Kages were leaders of their nations, peak shinobi of considerable age. They had never been so blatantly insulted by a junior.

Their faces darkened as chakra began to swirl around them, and the atmosphere turned oppressively heavy.

“Heh, just you lot?”

Madara, being straightforward to a fault, spoke his mind with little regard for tact. The people before him weren’t worth his time. He and Hashirama could deal with them easily, and even alone, he could handle them, albeit with some effort.

A deep blue chakra surrounded him, exuding an eerie, suffocating presence. The Kages, sensing the malevolent energy, adopted defensive stances.

“Big brother, aren’t you going to stop him?”

Tobirama, despite his dislike for Madara, understood that if he killed the Kages here, it would plunge the Land of Fire into endless war.

“No need. He’ll step in.”

After all, the Kages hadn’t paid yet.

“Thud!”

Just as the tension reached its peak, a shadow flashed behind Madara. A sharp knock landed on his head.

“Ow! What are you doing?”

Recognizing the familiar sensation on his head, Madara’s arrogance instantly vanished. His expression turned awkward as he glanced at the figure behind him.

The unexpected interruption left everyone stunned. They craned their necks to see who had dared to strike the notoriously temperamental Uchiha Madara.

“Apologies, apologies! My younger brother has a rather unruly nature. Please give me some face and don’t take offense. On the battlefield, feel free to beat him up.”

Blowing on his fist, Uchiha Gin, who had silently appeared behind Madara, sincerely apologized to the cautious Kages.

“Cousin!”

“Behave yourself. They haven’t paid yet!”

Gin grabbed Madara’s rebellious head and whispered into his ear.

“Hmph!”

Since Gin had spoken, Madara could only return to his cold and aloof demeanor, folding his arms in an attempt to look the part of a stoic master.

“You’re Uchiha Madara’s elder brother?”

Compared to the relatively unknown Uchiha Gin, Madara’s reputation was widespread. Every Kage present had a detailed file on him.

“Well, cousins, technically~”

“Oh, that explains it! No way one would have straight hair while the other has curls!”

With the situation defused, Gin resumed his role as host, guiding the Kages to inspect the tailed beasts.

“This two-tailed beast alone has such vast chakra reserves. How did Konoha capture so many tailed beasts?”

Standing before the snoozing blue cat, the Kages couldn’t help but swallow nervously. Kurodai, who had just acquired the Two-Tails, couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked.

“Does Konoha possess something that attracts them?”

“Tailed beasts aren’t mindless creatures; they have their own thoughts and can even speak. Because they’ve been treated as enemies for so long, they’re not close to humans. Our Hokage merely relied on his bloodline to subdue them, then handed them over to the Uchiha for safekeeping.”

Gin shrugged, offering a half-truth explanation.

“Bloodline limits, huh? Truly enviable.”

The First Tsuchikage smacked his lips and gave Hashirama a subtle look, noting the Hokage’s smile. Due to Konoha’s secrecy, details about Hashirama’s Wood Release were scarce, though it was known to be an unprecedented bloodline limit.

“Why are they all asleep?”

The First Raikage, puzzled by the sleeping beasts, asked curiously.

“The Hokage is too busy to constantly suppress the beasts with his bloodline. As one of Konoha’s founding clans, the Uchihas couldn’t just stand by. All these beasts have been hypnotized by our Sharingan, which is why they’re in deep slumber.”

“Just a Sharingan can subdue them? Can I return my purchase?”

“Ordinary Sharingan wouldn’t suffice. Haven’t you noticed my dear cousin stationed here? Only he can suppress these beasts with his ocular power. Look at his tired face—it’s an exhausting task.”

Gin’s prepared response was flawless, leaving the Kages unable to refute him.

“Well then, since everyone has inspected the goods, how about settling the payment and taking them home?”

Seizing the moment, Gin urged the Kages to finalize the transaction.

“Wait! How are we supposed to transport these tailed beasts?”

Staring at the massive Three-Tails, Byakuren, though tempted, asked a practical question. Surely they couldn’t carry the beast back themselves?

“You’ll have to handle the logistics yourselves. Konoha doesn’t offer home delivery.”