Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 137 "Not for Sale"

The platinum color scheme contrasts sharply with the dark and gloomy atmosphere of Orochimaru's base. Here, even in an underground passage leading to the auction house, the architects have gone to great lengths to imbue every wall, ceiling, light, and everything in sight with a sense of grandeur and extravagance.

Sasuke couldn't describe how he felt when he entered this place.

They weren't the only ones in the passage, but everyone wore a different mask and a different robe, concealing all information that could identify them. The attire was carefully chosen; the material of the mask and the embellishments of the robe all conveyed their "status." Sasuke didn't want to waste his brain remembering such useless details, so he only remembered the three categories of people distinguished by the material of their masks.

Bronze, silver, and gold represent three tiers, and even Orochimaru, in his capacity, only received the middle tier, silver.

Orochimaru was a top-tier ninja, and the vast majority of his experiments aimed for immortality. While forbidden techniques like the Reanimation Jutsu, requiring chakra, were indeed impossible for ordinary people to use, even a small byproduct of his research could drive wealthy individuals and politicians around the world into a frenzy. After gaining endless power and wealth, who wouldn't want to slow aging and prolong their life of pleasure? Yet even this wasn't enough for Orochimaru to penetrate the true inner circle; it was almost a reflection of the widespread suppression faced by ninjas.

Sasuke didn't think about any of that. His face, hidden behind his mask, was completely black, and he decisively refused the damned "service" without even looking down. The beautiful woman who led them to the private room was impeccably polite and courteous. After being refused, she simply bowed and left the room, her smile never wavering. Sasuke had met many people—good, bad, normal, and insane—but he had never seen a puppet. The woman who had just left was like a marionette, showing no trace of self.

This place is absolutely terrible; he shouldn't have embarked on this journey out of mere curiosity.

Sasuke, annoyed, dismissed his own thoughts from just a day ago—studying maps and figuring out where to take that idiot on a trip. His Uchiha instincts were kicking in; he already sensed what was about to happen.

An auction, a silent contest among the wealthy.

The initial auction items were fairly standard, mostly antiques and gemstones, but as the auction progressed, the items crossed the line, with even whole people considered "normal" items. Those sold at this auction house had all undergone "education," and once they pledged allegiance, they were lifelong servants. Sasuke couldn't see Kabuto's expression as he commanded Karin to sense things, but Karin's voice was filled with utter disgust. However, this disgust didn't affect her work; the children on the platform, aside from their good looks, had no value to be exploited by ninjas.

Sasuke couldn't understand the frenzied bidding of the crowd. Beauty and ugliness made no difference to him; there were only a handful of people in this world worth his attention. He had no interest in the heated bidding and even considered leaving early. Then, an exhibit was brought to the stage—again, a person, but this person had striking red hair, and even the uninterested Karin looked up.

"This item is the most special; it comes from the royal bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, a legendary clan known for its longevity. As is customary, this item is 'not for sale,' and we will only auction off five nights of his life!"

……what?

Sasuke thought he'd misheard, but the tears glistening beneath Karin's mask and the restless crowd relentlessly whipped him. Uzumaki… the same surname as Naruto… Could it be that the guy who grew up all alone actually has family?

The boy under the spotlight was a remarkably exquisite exhibit. He had a slender figure, gorgeous clothes, meticulously styled long hair, and a delicate, handsome face. His hair was a vibrant color, like a blooming rose, adorning his plain robes, making him breathtakingly beautiful.

Many were going crazy for it; people were shouting, arguing, and the bidding prices were skyrocketing. But some of the same descendants were shocked and pained by this "feast," seeing only the boy's empty, lifeless eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you want to do?"

Kabuto's sudden voice stopped Sasuke from reaching for his wrist, his bright red Sharingan revealing his extreme displeasure.

"Don't forget what Karin said about the number and strength of the guards here. You don't have the ability to rescue him. Even if you did, it wouldn't change anything."

"He'll come back here sooner or later, as long as these people aren't all dead."

At that moment, Sasuke genuinely wanted to shove the Kusanagi sword into his head. He listened intently to the final bids, observing the five private rooms through the curtain, but unfortunately, his Sharingan lacked the ability to penetrate walls, preventing him from seeing what was happening in the rooms above. Suddenly, he missed a certain incredibly stupid idiot. If that guy were here too, they could easily track down those five bastards, and then they could quietly send the boy out of the city, to any corner of the world, to a place where he would never fall back into prison.

Perception... wait, isn't there something already available?

The red light in Sasuke's eyes went out. He walked towards the door as if giving up and said, "Boring, I'm going back."

Karin sniffed and followed, Kabuto silently trailing behind, glancing at the stage just before the doors closed. That was the source of the auction house's booming business, an annual event that had been a regular occurrence in at least the three times he'd been there. He'd once asked Orochimaru why he didn't go for the most useful item, but the master only smiled without answering, his face turning cold as he looked towards the display stand.

He suddenly realized that the ninjas' end was nigh.

"Karin, did you memorize that person's chakra?" The moment they returned to the inn, Sasuke approached the only sensory user.

Karin was stunned. Of course she knew who Sasuke was talking about, but she was a little unsure why he asked that question.

"What do you want to do?"

Sasuke gave her a strange look and said, "Saving people. Don't you want to?"

"...Why?" Karin couldn't ignore her own fluttering heart—or rather, the flutter stemmed from the possibility of rescuing a member of her clan. But she didn't understand why Sasuke would do this; he had only met that person once.

Sasuke frowned, thought for a moment, and then decided to tell the truth: "He is a member of the Uzumaki clan."

"Just because of that?"

“I have a friend whose surname is Whirlpool, and he has no relatives. That person might be… I need to go and rescue him.”

Karin saw a pair of clean and determined eyes. He was so pure because he knew the importance of blood ties and wanted to save his friend's family.

At that moment, she was genuinely tempted.

"Okay, I'll help you."