One vs. One Thousand

This country is home to only mercenaries, as ninjas are nowhere to be found. While some mercenaries possess chakra, the majority do not.

Currently, the Land of the River serves as the border where neighboring countries are engaged in war. As a result, the caravan's merchants are unwilling to cross the front line to hire ninjas from other regions. The country must rely solely on the mercenary to complete tasks.

However, there are rogue ninjas who pose a significant risk, making it too dangerous for merchants to hire unaffiliated ninjas.

But he was dressed in plain, clean clothes and carried no weapons, unlike the rough-looking mercenaries who usually visited.

He appeared to be a boy who had led a comfortable life, prompting the store owner to assume that he wouldn't last to live in such a war-torn region.

But his desire to commission a new task left the store owner puzzled. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you know about caravans?"

Without missing a beat, Fugaku replied, "Just let me know if there are any caravans hiring men here."

He even slipped a generous 1,000 ryō in the store owner's hand.

It seemed only natural to Fugaku. After all, he had been earning a lot of money lately by eliminating rogue ninjas over the past six months. Money didn't seem to be a problem for him.

The boss was thrilled to take the money, and he happily answered him, "There are many caravans around, but they can't find enough mercenaries because of the ongoing war. They're all stranded in this town."

The store owner couldn't help but wonder why Fugaku didn't look like a typical ninja and why he was so generous with his money. Nevertheless, he didn't care as long as he got paid.

In a world where even the slightest bit of money could mean the difference between life and death, a thousand ryō was a fortune to most people.

Ninjas had to work hard to make enough money to support their families, and only the highest-ranked ones could earn decent money. The lower-ranked ones were like corporate slaves in this world, and living a normal standard of living was even more challenging.

But he didn't have to worry about that. He was from a good clan and had never experienced the struggles that most ninjas faced daily.

He knew that most ninjas had to take on D-level or C-level tasks, which were often menial and paid very little.

C-level tasks were more substantial, but they were also more dangerous. These tasks often involved individuals seeking protection or the delivery of classified documents, with a reward ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 ryō.

Generally, ninjas are tasked with various missions as part of a four-member squad. These tasks can sometimes take up to a week to be completed, and once they are finished, the village commission is deducted from the total payment.

Afterward, the remaining money is divided equally among the members of the squad who completed the task.

Aside from daily expenses and the cost of necessary ninja equipment, it's not always clear how much money a ninja can have left over.

He was fortunate that he didn't need to worry about money; he came from a strong and wealthy clan.

However, his mind was preoccupied with random thoughts as he left the shop, grateful for the information. Fugaku stopped by a nearby store and purchased a cheap katana and a bottle of wine before heading to the caravan site in search of work.

He knew he needed to blend in with the rest of the mercenaries so that he could find a job.

He needed a weapon to appear as a mercenary like the others, but unlike them, he had no scars on his body. Although he could use the Sharingan to cast genjutsu on the guards, he didn't want to cause trouble. He was hoping to find a way to summon beasts, although he didn't know how long it would take to achieve his goal.

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The largest building in the town was filled with people, mainly traders who were stuck there due to the ongoing war.

It was a difficult situation, as there were not enough mercenaries to escort them safely through the dangerous routes. Some of the mercenaries who left never returned, adding to their anxiety.

Despite the circumstances, the traders managed to keep themselves entertained by chatting and joking with each other.

One of the traders remarked, "Hey, did you hear that the Konoha village sent the four ninja clans of Uchiha and Ino-shika-cho this time? The Suna village must be having a hard time!"

Another responded with skepticism, "What do you know? The Suna village has more ninjas than the four clans. Konoha will have to retreat from the Land of the River if they don't send more troops."

"It's not about numbers; it's about strength," said a wealthy, fat businessman, sounding confident. "I heard that a month ago, the Uchiha clan leader defeated a thousand sand ninja by himself!"

"What? How is that possible?" The group was incredulous.

"This is a war; how can one person fight a thousand?"

"Are you lying? Do you think we are fools?"

They thought he was lying. They could not envision a fight where a lone ninja could face a thousand foes.

The businessman seemed unfazed by their disbelief. "Hey, don't believe me if you don't want to. I have a nephew who sells barbecue in a town near the Konoha ninja camp, and he overheard two Konoha ninjas talking about it when they came to his shop."

"Really?" they chorused.

"Of course!" said the businessman, his pride apparent. "Hey, young man, are you here to take a commission?"

The crowd followed his gaze and saw a young man in his twenties enter the door. He had a katana on his waist, indicating that he was a mercenary.

The crowd followed his gaze and saw a young man enter the door, his katana at his waist, indicating he was a mercenary.

When had he ever faced a thousand foes alone? Was he that bored?

He understood that in this world, ninjas and commoners live in different worlds.

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Today Bi-annual Ranking = 33th

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