After finishing dinner at Obito's house and hearing him share some advice from his beloved teacher, Minato, Uchiha Shi took his leave. Shi and Obito became acquainted because Obito's grandmother lived next door and often came over for casual visits, which led to their growing familiarity. Unlike other characters in the Naruto series, Uchiha Shi could maintain a close relationship with Obito without worry. After all, they understood each other well. Even if their bond deepened, it wouldn’t prevent Obito from potentially turning on him later.
After leaving Obito's house, Uchiha Shi slipped into the streets of Konoha with his wallet in hand. At this time, the clouds of war had not yet fully spread among the common folk, and Konoha still appeared to be a serene and peaceful place. However, some signs of trouble were already beginning to emerge.
Uchiha Shi pushed aside the curtain and entered a ninja tool shop. "Hey, Shi! Back again to buy explosive tags?" the shopkeeper, grinning broadly with his bushy beard, asked. "No, this time I’m here to buy shuriken." "Well, that’s unfortunate; the prices for shuriken and kunai have both gone up by 20%, and the special wire has increased by 30%. However, I still advise you to stock up a bit. According to news from Granny Cat, these hard currencies will increase in price again." "Alright then, give me six sets of ninja tools with wire holes, two large rolls of thread, and one sealing scroll. Let’s see, with 200,000 left, I’ll exchange all of it for explosive tags," Uchiha Shi said, grinning as he touched his wallet, showing no hesitation.
D-rank missions usually have a bounty ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 ryo, although there are some that pay a few hundred. However, Uchiha Shi didn’t take those, and since he completed the mission alone, there was no one to share the rewards with him. His hard work this year had allowed him to save up a seven-digit amount. The money he saved was precisely for this moment.
"Wow, Shi! That’s quite the expenditure!" The shopkeeper’s eyes widened slightly; Uchiha Shi’s spending power was comparable, if not greater, than that of some elite Jonin. Uchiha Shi smiled slightly; he didn’t have to support a family, only his own self-destruction. He was certainly different from those frugal ninjas saving for retirement.
In the ninja world, prices for tools are polarized: explosive tags cost 2,000 ryo each, shuriken are the cheapest at around 50 ryo, and kunai vary between 200 to 30,000 ryo based on quality, with significant price differences depending on whether they are used for throwing or blocking. A high-quality set of ninja tools, including throwing tools, melee tools, and protective gear, would cost nearly 200,000 ryo. The prices for katana and ninja swords are even more absurd; the cheapest practice ninja sword starts at 3,000 ryo, while chakra metal ninja tools are prohibitively expensive, often not for sale unless at astronomical prices in units like Asuma.
As for why Uchiha Shi needed to buy so many tools and explosive tags? The reason is simple: Uchiha Shi was going to die, but he couldn’t just let himself die intentionally. It’s a bit convoluted, but that’s the logic. Deliberate suicide would be viewed as insurance fraud by the will of the heavens, and not only would he gain nothing, but he would also lose his life in vain.
However, if a determined ninja were to bet all his possessions and offer up his most outstanding skills cultivated to this day to fight for a noble cause, and yet succumb in such a battle, who could say that wasn’t a worthy death? Wasn’t this akin to the version of the former emperor who died halfway through his entrepreneurial endeavors? I’ve burned every ounce of myself! Why don’t you hand over my health insurance card with both hands?
Soon, the shopkeeper emerged from the back, carrying a huge pile of items, with the weight of the six sets of tools making him break into a sweat. With a thud, he placed the tools on the table and then, as if shuffling cards, arranged a stack of explosive tags into a fan shape for Uchiha Shi to count.
"Shi, buying so many tools at once, are you planning on taking on a very dangerous mission?" The shopkeeper realized that Uchiha Shi was not just buying for fun. Uchiha Shi looked up, frowning at the shopkeeper. "Don't blame me for being nosy; I know about the confidentiality rules for ninjas, but I do some business with Granny Cat and also dabble in a bit of intelligence work." "The dangerous tasks within the clan are just going to the battlefield in the Land of Rain or the Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water," the shopkeeper said, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "Either one is not something someone of your skill level should be involved in." The shopkeeper didn’t beat around the bush; he spoke very directly, then frowned and looked at Uchiha Shi with some difficulty.
"Considering how long you’ve looked after the business of the cat clan, I’ll offer you a little something extra." Saying this, the shopkeeper took out a piece of parchment and placed it in front of Uchiha Shi. "This is a one-time contract from the ninja cat clan. Once signed, you can summon a ninja cat using summoning jutsu." The ninja cat is the elite of the ninja cat clan. They are often active in chaotic areas, with their headquarters in a little-known ruined city. However, unlike traditional summoning beasts, ninja cats are very independent and almost impossible to enslave.
This clan conducts business in ninja tools and has a very close partnership with Uchiha Shi, who excels in manipulating ninja tools. Uchiha Shi knew that the leader of the ninja cat clan, Granny Cat, really liked children. If possible, Granny Cat wouldn’t hesitate to help children, especially those from the Uchiha clan. Now that the shopkeeper presented this one-time summoning contract, it indicated his inference based on the news he received—that Uchiha Shi was likely to face life-and-death situations on this mission.
The shopkeeper presented the ninja cat contract as a means of helping Uchiha Shi but actually wanted to dissuade him from undertaking this mission. "You understand my meaning, right?" The shopkeeper stared directly at Uchiha Shi, his pupils quietly shifting into slits. His tone grew very serious. Uchiha Shi smiled and took the one-time contract from the shopkeeper's hands. The ninja cat clan is neutral and does not interfere in ninja conflicts unless paid well. Thus, the contract's primary benefit is to supplement survival supplies and battle tools on the chaotic battlefield, and it also requires payment.
However, for Uchiha Shi, who spent all his money tonight, this was just a piece of scrap paper that wouldn’t hinder his reasonable deception... or rather, the utilization of insurance. With this thought, he turned and walked straight out of the ninja tool shop, leaving behind a simple sentence: "Thanks, uncle."
"But I have things I must accomplish, and I won’t fear facing death." "This is my ninja way!" After delivering this eloquent speech, Uchiha Shi left the shop, squeezed his wallet to feel his balance, and then turned into the red-light district of Konoha. Tomorrow he would confront the fear of death, and as he truly faced this situation, Uchiha Shi felt a surge of excitement mixed with a hint of fear. Therefore, he decided to eliminate this slight regret tonight.
Three minutes later—