The auction hall had already fallen into a tense silence, yet the bidding for the Chakra Condensation Pill showed no signs of slowing.
"600,000!"
The moment the price was called, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Everyone present knew this was already far above the pill's theoretical valuation. A Fourth-Grade pill should never have reached such a number under normal circumstances—but this was no ordinary item.
Tsunade did not hesitate in the slightest.
She raised her hand calmly, her gaze unwavering.
This pill was not for herself.
It was for Minato Namikaze.
With this pill, Minato would condense a Chakra core akin to a Spirit—granting him near-instant casting, terrifying battle continuity, and an overwhelming advantage in the upcoming Martial Arts Tournament. Victory would no longer be a matter of probability; it would be inevitability.
Compared to that, sacrificial coins were meaningless.
"700,000!"
The Raikage Ai followed immediately, his voice firm and decisive.
He was bidding for Yugito Nii.
Kumogakure's future could not be placed at risk. If Yugito fell behind Minato or other rising monsters, the balance of power among the Five Villages would tilt irreversibly.
"800,000!"
Sasha's voice was low, strained, but resolute.
Sunagakure had no choice.
Rasa, as the sole candidate for the Fourth Kazekage, was already showing cracks. Against Minato and Yugito, he stood no chance. Against Kitsuchi, he struggled. Against Kisame, he was outright suppressed.
And worst of all—after Pakura assumed the role of camp patrol captain, Rasa could not defeat even his own subordinate anymore.
If Rasa were eliminated first in the Martial Arts Tournament, Sunagakure would become the laughingstock of the Ninja World.
Sasha could not allow that.
"900,000!"
Yagura Karatachi entered the fray.
Kisame Hoshigaki was already terrifying, especially with Samehada in hand, but Kisame had no interest in becoming Mizukage. Yagura's true target was Mei Terumī.
Hidden Mist needed a symbol of renewal—and power.
"1,000,000!"
Ōnoki sneered as he raised the price yet again.
Unlike the others, he had no intention of grooming a successor.
The Sacrificial Shop sold longevity pills. As long as those existed, he would remain Tsuchikage.
The price climbed relentlessly.
In the end, Kumogakure crushed all opposition with an overwhelming bid of 1,500,000 sacrificial coins.
Ai sat back down, utterly untroubled.
With this pill, Yugito's odds of winning the Martial Arts Tournament had skyrocketed. The return on investment would dwarf the cost.
As the auction progressed, treasures were sold one after another—some sparking frenzy, others quietly withdrawn. Then, the final item appeared.
A fist-sized spherical Spirit Tool floated above the platform, its surface wreathed in faint crimson flames.
Mojiao's voice echoed through the hall.
"Seventh-Grade Spirit Tool — Heart of Flame."
The atmosphere exploded.
"This item was refined according to the spirit power system of the Douluo Continent," Mojiao continued.
"It requires at least Jonin-level mental force to activate, and only Kage-level powerhouses can fully unleash its potential."
A projection flared to life.
"Within this orb resides a Divine-Grade Spirit — the Fire Phoenix."
Gasps filled the hall.
"It carries a Fire Domain with a radius of three thousand meters.
Within the Domain:
– Fire-attribute abilities are increased by 50%
– Casting speed is doubled
– Water and Ice attributes are suppressed by 50%
– All other attributes are weakened by 20%"
The demonstration footage began.
Entire landscapes vanished beneath seas of flame.
Cities were reduced to ash.
Mountains cracked and melted like wax.
"This item contains 18 Spirit Abilities, freely usable by the wielder," Mojiao said, his tone steady despite the chaos.
"Additionally, it possesses two Divine-Grade Forbidden Techniques, accessible only after complete mastery."
The auction hall erupted.
"No bloodline required!"
"No cultivation bottleneck!"
"Even ordinary Ninja can wield Six-Paths-level power!"
Mojiao's final words were the spark that ignited every ambition present.
The Five Kage rose almost simultaneously, shock written plainly across their faces.
If this item had existed during the battle with Uchiha Madara…
There would have been no Valley of the End.
There would have been no casualties.
There would have been no struggle.
Even Black Zetsu, who had witnessed Kaguya's power firsthand, felt his mind shake.
"This level of force…" he whispered, voice trembling.
"It already surpasses the Six Paths."
What terrified him more was not the power itself—but the method.
The Sacrificial Shop could bestow such might through a single object.
A chilling realization took root.
Perhaps, in their eyes, the Ten-Tails was nothing special at all.
Even if his mother were fully resurrected… she might still be outmatched.
At that moment, Black Zetsu made his decision.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan was dead.
As long as the Sacrificial Shop existed, it would never be allowed to succeed.
Rather than cling to a doomed path, he would gamble everything—on unsealing.
If the shop truly did not care what escaped…
Then he would force the issue.
Yet despite the frenzy, the Heart of Flame went unsold.
The starting price alone crushed all bidders.
Even the Five Great Ninja Villages dared not move.
Tsunade briefly considered a joint purchase—but Shikaku stopped her.
No matter who held it, the others would never sleep soundly again.
As the auction concluded, Black Zetsu wasted no time.
He ignored the stunned crowd and led Tobi straight to Mojiao.
"I have a transaction worth tens of millions," Black Zetsu said coldly.
"Introduce me to Boss Li."
Mojiao paused.
This strange customer hadn't bid on a single item—yet his tone was absolute.
"The Boss is occupied," Mojiao replied smoothly. "You may speak with me."
"A transaction of this scale isn't enough?" Black Zetsu pressed.
"I am authorized for everything below Eighth-Grade."
Black Zetsu leaned closer.
"What if I'm selling a Seventh-Grade treasure?"
Mojiao's fingers paused mid-air.
"…Name it."
"Gedo Statue."
The interface refreshed instantly.
Mojiao's demeanor changed.
"Please follow me."
Inside the VIP negotiation room, Bi Ji soon arrived.
"Customer," she said gently, "are you offering the Gedo Statue?"
Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes. "Why isn't Boss Li here?"
"I am fully authorized," Bi Ji replied.
"Even requests involving the Six Paths seal can be discussed."
That was enough.
"What price for an empty Gedo Statue?" Black Zetsu asked.
Bi Ji summoned the evaluation screen.
"15,000,000 sacrificial coins."
Black Zetsu erupted.
"Do you know what this is?! It is the body of the Ten-Tails!"
Bi Ji remained calm.
"It is a container. A unique one—but still a container."
The valuation appeared:
Natural Energy + Life Aggregate: 8,000,000Ten-Tails Compatibility Structure: 4,000,000Massive Chakra Capacity: 3,000,000
Total: 15,000,000
"We do not price strategic meaning," Bi Ji said softly.
"Otherwise, even a longevity pill could bankrupt the world."
Black Zetsu fell silent.
He calculated frantically.
Even selling both Jinchūriki… even emptying every reserve…
He was still twenty million short.
And the Ninja World was now at peace.
No one urgently needed Tailed Beasts anymore.
The gap was insurmountable.
As the realization crushed down on him, Black Zetsu's hatred burned anew.
All of this—
Every misstep—
Every delay—
Traced back to one man.
Uchiha Madara.
_____________________
https://[email protected]/mrSOMEONE01234? [replace @ with a]
>>>>>I'm a student, and I'll try my best to keep uploading chapters regularly <<<<<
thanks for your support
[[READER TIER 1: translates stories {15$} ]] { RECOMENDED }
[[READER TIER 2: translated & original stories {20$} ]]
[[[[Please at least visit my patreon so I can have some traffic]]]]]