Sitting on a well-worn but still clean sofa, Naruto leaned back, his posture relaxed but attentive. One arm rested on the armrest while the other held a cup of tea. He surveyed the room... it was decent, considering the town's circumstances. Across from him, the mayor, an older man with a worn face and thin, gray hair, shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable but trying to maintain composure.
"So, Mr. Naruto..." the mayor began, his voice slightly hesitant, "May I know what valuables you were referring to?"
Naruto took his time, enjoying the calming warmth of the tea as he slowly sipped it. His piercing blue eyes locked onto the mayor's with an unsettling intensity, making the older man shift uncomfortably in his seat.
"Gold..." Naruto replied simply.
The mayor blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the bluntness. "Gold?" he repeated. "How much?"
Naruto set the cup down on the table with deliberate care, his fingers brushing against the porcelain as he willed a large, heavy bar of gold into his hand. The metal gleamed under the light, a perfect, 400-ounce bar of pure gold. The mayor's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This..." Naruto began, "I want to convert this into cash. How much is a 400 oz gold bar worth?"
The mayor's jaw tightened as he looked at the gold. He knew its value. In any normal village, the gold would have fetched around 500,000 ryo. But this town was far from normal, with the civil war taking a heavy toll on the economy. He hesitated, but spoke the truth.
"Normally, this would be worth around 500,000 ryo," the mayor said, his tone heavy with regret. "But… with the war affecting the economy, I can only offer you 400,000 ryo for that bar."
Naruto's expression remained unreadable. He didn't need gold—his inventory was practically filled with it, after all. What he needed was cash, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to help the town.
He paused for a moment, considering the mayor's offer. "How about this..." Naruto spoke again, his voice calm but with a subtle edge, "I'll sell you 40 bars of pure gold for half the price, so you can exchange it for cash in the larger cities. But…" He slid a piece of paper across the table, revealing a detailed drawing of a wolf snarling with sharp, exaggerated fangs. "I want you to build a large platform in the town's center. And on that platform, build a flagpole with this design. It'll be a sign that this town is under my name and protection."
The mayor stared at the drawing for a moment, processing what Naruto was asking. The thought of a powerful, wealthy benefactor taking an interest in his village was a dream come true. If he could strike a deal with this man, it could be the salvation of the town. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded in agreement.
"I… I accept," the mayor said with a resigned but grateful tone. "It will be done, Mr. Uzumaki."
Naruto nodded, his hand slipping into his coat to retrieve a small bag. The mayor's eyes widened as Naruto nonchalantly placed several bundles of cash on the table. "I'll take a few thousand ryo for myself, and the rest..." With a wave of his hand, Naruto made the remaining stacks of money vanish before the mayor's eyes. The mayor gasped, unable to comprehend what he had just seen.
"You know," Naruto said with a smirk, standing up from his seat, "I think we're done here. Take care of the town. I'll be looking forward to seeing that platform."
The mayor bowed deeply, gratitude radiating from his every pore. "Thank you... Thank you so much, Mr. Uzumaki. You have no idea what this means to us."
Naruto waved him off, turning toward the door. "Take care of it, old man." And with that, he left the mayor to his work.
.
It didn't take long for Naruto to find the nearest hotel.
It was a slightly run-down building, with faded signs and creaking wooden floors that hinted at better days gone by. The town was poor, so it was the best place to stay for now, despite its lack of maintenance. The hotel had once been a thriving business, boasting a casino and lavish rooms—but now, it was nothing more than a shadow of its former self.
Naruto entered the hotel, his eyes scanning the low-lit lobby before approaching the reception desk. A man with a scruffy beard and bright eyes looked up, clearly excited by the arrival of a new customer.
"Ahh, another customer!" the man exclaimed, nearly jumping from his seat. "This must be my lucky day!"
Naruto didn't get a chance to ask about the previous guest, as the man quickly introduced to him about the types of rooms available. There was the Standard Room, Joint Room, Deluxe Room, and the Deluxe Suite.
"I'll take the Deluxe Suite," Naruto interrupted, "For 2500 ryo."
The man was eager to accommodate him and quickly handed over the key, but before Naruto could head to his room, he stopped and looked back at the man.
"I'd like to talk to the owner," Naruto said, his tone casual but with a weight that made the man pause.
The receptionist blinked in confusion, scratching the back of his head. "Uhm… well, I may not look like it, but I'm actually the owner of this place."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, having already guessed as much from the man's energetic and somewhat overwhelmed demeanor. "I'd like to invest in your business," Naruto said, his voice measured but firm. "Both the hotel and the casino."
The man gaped at him for a moment, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. "W-what?"
Naruto smiled and offered his hand. "Naruto Uzumaki. A pleasure to meet you."
The man stood frozen for a moment, clearly rattled by this unexpected turn of events. "I-I'm Daichi Aizawa. But, uh—w-wait, you want to invest in my business? I-I mean, I'm really surprised! Why? Why would you want to invest in this place?"
Naruto grinned, his eyes scanning the lobby before turning back to Daichi. "From what I can see, this place used to be great. It has potential. But it's fallen from grace, hasn't it?"
Daichi swallowed hard. "It has, yes. The war and the economy—everything has gone downhill. I… I inherited it from my father. We were one of the most luxurious hotels in the Land of Water, but now..." His voice trailed off in defeat.
Naruto stood up, walking toward the window of the office where Daichi had led him. He gazed out over the city lights, his eyes sharp, as though envisioning the future. "I'll give you 10 million ryo in exchange for 15 percent of your business," he said, voice steady and sure.
Daichi looked like he had just been struck by lightning. "W-what…?"
Naruto turned back to him, a faint smile on his lips. "I want to see this place rise again. I want to help you make it the best hotel in the world. Especially when the civil war is about to finish. Are you in?"
Tears welled up in Daichi's eyes. His mind raced with disbelief and hope. His father's dream, his promise to him, had seemed impossible. But now, with Naruto's offer, it seemed like it might just come true.
This was his second chance.
"Thank you… thank you so much, Naruto-sama!" Daichi exclaimed, his voice trembling as he dropped to his knees, bowing deeply in gratitude.
Naruto snapped his fingers, and several stacks of ryo appeared on the desk before the hotel owner, who looked like he might pass out from shock. "I'll leave the details to you," Naruto said, turning to leave. "I'm going to my room now."
.
Arriving in his suite, Naruto was immediately struck by how clean it was despite the state of the hotel. The room was luxurious, with dark mahogany furniture, plush bedding, and a window that looked out over the town. It was more than he had expected, though he'd been prepared for much worse.
Sighing contentedly, he tossed his coat over a chair and flopped onto the bed. His eyes lingered on the ceiling, and then he spoke aloud, "System, call Alucard for me."
[Calling…]
[Systems connected…]
["What do you want?"]
Naruto chuckled softly. "Sensei, how are you holding up down there?"
["It's fun here! You should try living here sometimes!"]
Naruto snorted. "Yeah, I think I'll pass. What level are you at now?"
["I'm at the 60th level. It may take a little while to reach the bottom."]
Naruto grinned. "At least you're enjoying yourself."
["..."]
"…"
["Still don't want to be a vampire?"]
Naruto snickered. "Nah, I'm good. I prefer my human blood." He leaned back into the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Anyway, I'll keep making progress here. You just focus on whatever crazy antics you're up to in hell."
["Alright, alright… Enjoy yourself. But don't forget to level up your own skills, kid."]
Naruto's smirk grew. "I'm always ready."
And with that, the call ended, leaving Naruto alone in his room. Tomorrow, things would start to change for this town. He could feel it in his gut. The tide was shifting, and he was ready to be the catalyst.