The Transaction Begins
Not long after, Shirō successfully modified the magic barrier he had designed earlier. In truth, he hadn't changed much—only adjusted the positions of a few nodes—so the modification was completed quickly.
Afterward, Shirō began secretly setting up the barrier.
According to the intelligence he had gathered, although the Star Hidden Village was secluded, its shinobi would occasionally leave to resupply materials. He still needed to proceed with caution.
To be honest, Shirō had never understood what the Star Ninja had been thinking when they chose to build their village inside a canyon filled with poisonous mist.
Yes, it provided safety—a natural defense that saved them a great deal of manpower.
But they were still a ninja village. They relied on missions for their livelihood. If your village was built in such a desolate place, who would come all this way to commission work?
If not for the Bear Country Daimyō's support, Hoshigakure would have collapsed long ago. What Shirō found even more baffling was that this shortsighted site selection had been made from the very beginning.
After so many years of development, they should have understood the drawbacks of this location. Yet they still refused to relocate.
Stubborn to the extreme.
One could only say that, in the original timeline, their ability to persist until Naruto's arrival had been entirely due to the Land of Bears' continued backing.
For Shirō, however, this was bad news.
It meant they were likely to be inflexible, making the chances of them agreeing to his transaction even slimmer.
After all, the Star was of immense importance to them. There was no way they would give it up easily.
Moreover, judging by their so-called "Star Shadow," there was a high probability that he would simply be robbed.
It had to be said—this was the largest magic barrier Shirō had ever constructed. Even the one around his workshop didn't compare. Although the precision was lower due to the scale, the overall workload was far greater.
Shirō spent a full two days completing the barrier. Afterward, he flew high into the sky, using Clairvoyance to monitor for returning Star Ninja while allowing himself some rest.
By the time his stamina and精神 had fully recovered, he still hadn't seen anyone return. Instead, two more shinobi had left the village.
After some thought, Shirō decided it was time to act.
Better sooner than later.
If a few were missed, so be it. How long would he have to wait for everyone to return?
With that in mind, Shirō guided the giant bird downward toward the canyon. At the same time, a faint glow swept over his body, and a robe appeared—black, patterned with red clouds.
As the bird descended to a certain height, Shirō leapt off directly.
Simultaneously, a helmet manifested on his head—the Helmet of Concealment.
Aside from masking his presence and information, it also helped block the poisonous mist that lingered above the canyon. The helmet possessed a degree of resistance to toxins; at the very least, this level of poison wouldn't affect him. Combined with his rapid descent, Shirō passed through the mist without issue.
"Enemy attack!"
As Shirō fell, the guarding Star Ninja finally noticed him. An alarm was raised, and four shinobi leapt up, rushing toward him.
Shirō remained completely calm.
It wasn't arrogance. In his assessment, anyone in this village who couldn't use the Peacock Technique simply wasn't enough to face him head-on.
The four attackers were sent flying back the moment they closed in.
Hoshigakure was small, but its vigilance was high. As soon as Shirō landed, more Star Ninja surrounded him. Shortly afterward, a middle-aged shinobi stepped forward.
After examining Shirō's attire, he asked cautiously,
"May I ask who you are? Why have you trespassed into the Star Hidden Village?"
He didn't act rashly. From the brief exchange earlier, it was clear this opponent was no ordinary enemy—and he didn't seem openly hostile. The four shinobi who had attacked had suffered only superficial injuries.
If conflict could be avoided, he preferred it that way. After all, the Star Hidden Village was a minor shinobi settlement and couldn't withstand major upheaval.
"Haha. My name is Tobi," Shirō replied lightly. "Relax. I have no ill intentions. I'm here to make a transaction with your village."
"A transaction?"
"My offer is five thousand ryō, plus one C-rank ninjutsu from each of the five elemental attributes. Can you make that decision?"
"Really?"
"You're lying, right? How could something like this happen to our village?"
"Could he be trying to deceive us?"
"He doesn't look like it. What would he gain from tricking us?"
"Exactly. He has no reason to."
Shirō's words fell like a massive stone into a calm lake, instantly stirring waves among the Star Ninja.
"Quiet!"
The middle-aged shinobi barked, restoring order. He then bowed slightly to Shirō.
"Please wait a moment, honored guest. I cannot decide this matter on my own. Allow me to inform Star Shadow-sama."
"Star Shadow?" Shirō chuckled. "Very well—but try to be quick."
"Understood."
With that, the man turned and left.
He had clearly heard the disdain in Shirō's tone, but he was one of the few rational figures in Hoshigakure. Even he knew that calling themselves a 'Kage' was excessive.
So he said nothing.
That was their own doing—who had told them to insist on using such a title?
More importantly, he already had a strong suspicion of what Shirō wanted.
The Star Hidden Village possessed only one thing that outsiders would covet.
He had no time to worry about pride.
If the other party truly had their sights set on the Star, then preparations had to be made.
After all, shinobi rarely bound themselves with moral constraints.
As he walked, he considered how to persuade the stubborn elders. If possible, he personally believed they should hand over the Star directly.
The Peacock Technique was undeniably powerful, but over the years he had begun to notice its severe side effects. Relying on it endlessly was not a sustainable path.
Unfortunately, he lacked the authority to make that decision.
He could only hope that the elders would be clear-headed this time.
If the other party truly knew about the Star and still dared to barge in so openly, then it meant they didn't place Hoshigakure in their eyes at all.
One wrong move—and the village could be wiped out.
Just as he reached the front of a house, a voice sounded from within.
"Rong Yi. What is his objective?"
"Star Shadow-sama, the visitor wishes to conduct a transaction. Judging by his offer, his target is most likely the 'Star.'"
"Hmph! How presumptuous! Bring him here. Also, gather manpower. If he truly seeks the Star, then we'll show him that the Star Hidden Village is not to be trifled with!"
"But Star Shadow-sama—"
"Enough. It's decided. Go call him."
"But—"
"Go!"
"Yes, Star Shadow-sama."
Rong Yi acknowledged and turned back the way he had come.
At this moment, he truly felt that perhaps the previous generation had been wrong.
Those natural barriers didn't merely block enemies.
They also blocked their vision.
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