Shota leaned back in the comfortable chair inside the VIP hall. He felt a quiet sense of satisfaction after winning the bid for the Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets jutsu. The price had been high, but it was worth it.
This technique would be very useful for him and for the village of Sunagakure.
He did not bid for any of the other items that came after. Shota knew that people would become suspicious if he spent too much money. Someone like the young noble he was pretending to be would not have unlimited funds or the ability to bring huge amounts of cash to a secret auction.
'If I spend more it would raise suspicions and they might send someone for me to pay ahead of time or to show that I have the funds.' Shota thought carefully.
He understood the risk clearly. If he kept winning every big item, the Root shinobi or the auction staff might start asking questions. They could send someone early to check if he really had the money ready. That would ruin the whole plan before they could strike.
So Shota decided to play it safe. He laid back in his seat and relaxed, waiting patiently for another item that he might really want. The team stayed quiet around him, all of them still dressed in the stolen samurai armor. They watched the stage and the crowd without drawing any attention to themselves.
After about an hour or so, another item was brought onto the stage that caught Shota's full attention. It was not as powerful or jaw-dropping as the Vacuum series jutsu, but it was still very rare in villages outside of Konoha. The hostess announced it with a bright smile.
"The next item on the auction is the method to learn Shikoku Fūin, also known as finger carving seal."
Shota remembered everything he had read about this technique. It was a special type of fuinjutsu. The user would concentrate chakra into their finger and use the heat from that chakra to write whatever they wanted directly onto a surface. They could apply any fuinjutsu seals they knew and had mastered, all without needing special paper or ink. It was fast and convenient once learned properly.
'Mastering it at a very high level would also mean that I would be able to apply seals in the air. In the anime, if I am not wrong only Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Minato could do it. But still it would be good to be able to instantly apply seals. And this would also help me get started in fuinjutsu.' Shota thought.
He liked the idea a lot. Being able to place seals instantly without tools would give him a big advantage in battles and in daily operations. It required very delicate chakra control, which meant very few people would actually be able to master it. That made the technique even more valuable to him personally.
'This would not generate much attention from the smaller shinobi villages or even nobles or merchants who don't know the value of this or don't have anyone capable enough to master this.' Shota thought.
He was right about that. Most buyers in the hall were looking for flashy offensive jutsus or powerful weapons. A fuinjutsu technique that needed fine control and patience would not excite the average noble or merchant. They wanted things that gave immediate power or status. Smaller villages might not even understand how useful it could be in the long run.
'It would not only be perfect for me but also for the puppet masters and makers back in Suna. They can do so much with their puppets during making them as well as during battles.' Shota thought.
This was another big reason he wanted it. In Sunagakure, puppet users were very important. If they could carve seals directly onto puppet parts or even during combat, it would make their puppets much stronger and more versatile. Shota could already imagine the improvements his village's craftsmen could make with this knowledge. He decided right there and then to bid for it.
When the bidding started, there was not much competition. A few people made small offers, but most lost interest quickly. Shota bid calmly and won the technique without any real fight. He felt satisfied again. Two useful items were now in his team's hands, and no one had grown too suspicious yet.
Several more items went up for auction after that. Some were rare weapons, others were forbidden scrolls, and a few were strange medicines or poisons. The bidding remained fierce among the big villages and rich nobles. Shota and his team watched everything quietly from their VIP room. They noted who won what and how much was being spent. The atmosphere in the main hall grew more excited as the night went on.
Finally, the auction reached its end. The beautiful hostess stepped back onto the stage with her usual seductive smile. She spoke in a sweet voice that carried through the entire hall.
"With this we have reached the conclusion of the auction. Thank you for being such pleasant guests. We hope to see you again soon."
She gave another wink to the crowd before continuing. "Our employees would come to collect the payment and give you the items to your VIP rooms and for non-VIP users could collect it from the reception area."
Shota knew this was the moment they had been waiting for. The Root shinobi and their hired help would soon come to the VIP rooms to handle the transactions. That would be the perfect time to strike.
Shota looked at the rest of his Anbu team. They were still in their samurai disguises, sitting or standing around the room. He spoke in a low, steady voice.
"Get ready. It is time to move."
The disguised Anbu nodded silently. They checked their weapons and adjusted their armor slightly. Everyone knew what to do. They had gone over the plan earlier.
--------Author Notes---------
I have decided to increase the number of extra chapters on patreon from 15 to 20. Thankyou.
Y'all can now read the next 20 chapters of the fanfic on my pat*reon.
https://pat*reon.com/Charizard6
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