"Yoichi, is this ring truly valuable? I've never seen you take such interest in something like this before," Sakura asked with a probing smile, hoping to glean more information.
However, Yoichi responded with a casual grin, "Sakura, we haven't interacted much, so that statement doesn't carry much weight coming from you. If Ino had said it, I might agree. The ring simply piques my interest, so I'm willing to pay for it. If you want to keep it for your research, I won't insist."
Ino again... What's going on between them?
Though she and Ino were childhood friends, hearing Yoichi praise Ino repeatedly made Sakura feel a twinge of discomfort.
"I'm just curious," Sakura replied, then added, "What would you be willing to exchange for it?"
Yoichi pretended to ponder for a moment before saying, "Two hundred million ryō, plus five Tier 4 secret medicines and two Tier 5 ones."
"Two hundred million ryō? And secret medicines too?"
Sakura's mouth fell open in shock. She felt she must have misheard, so she asked him to repeat it. When Yoichi confirmed, she didn't know how to respond.
Since the Fourth Great Ninja War ended, the Land of Fire's funding for Konoha had significantly decreased, with the annual budget barely reaching one or two hundred million ryō. Compared to before the war, Konoha had scaled down its ninja forces—a collective decision by the Five Great Nations.
Two hundred million ryō was equivalent to Konoha's entire annual budget. Sakura couldn't decide such a matter on her own, especially with the inclusion of rare secret medicines.
"Yoichi, I'll need to discuss this with Naruto. Please wait a moment," she said, arranging for someone to escort Yoichi while she sought out Naruto. On her way, she stopped by the barrier division to fetch Ino.
...
In the Hokage's office, Sakura recounted the events to Naruto and the others.
"Two hundred million ryō and that many secret medicines? I remember Tier 3 medicines are already impossible to buy with money. A Tier 5 medicine can allow a genin to take on multiple jonin in direct combat. Is this guy that wealthy?" Ino said, stroking her chin in amazement. She then turned to Sakura and asked, "But what does this have to do with me? Why did you drag me here?"
"You're his friend. You should know him well, so I brought you here for insight," Sakura replied.
"Friend? I don't know him that well," Ino said defensively, though her cheeks betrayed a hint of embarrassment.
Sakura leaned closer, her tone suspicious. "But he said you're a rare gem in the ninja world—both beautiful and kind."
"I don't know why he'd say that!" Ino retorted, trying to hide her flustered state. She thought to herself, This guy just says whatever he wants. If I don't keep things under wraps, people will start suspecting us.
"Did he ask you anything about Konoha?" Shikamaru interjected, his tone cautious. While he trusted Ino's loyalty, he was wary of Yoichi's potential to extract information.
"No, we rarely meet, and we never discuss village matters," Ino replied, a hint of irritation in her voice.
"Are you sure? Maybe you revealed something without realizing it," Shikamaru pressed.
"Shikamaru!" Ino snapped, her expression stern. "Are you questioning me?"
"Apologies, Ino. I just don't trust that guy, not you," Shikamaru quickly apologized, realizing he had overstepped. He and Ino had been comrades for over two decades, and his words had indeed been harsh.
"Good. I've never divulged any village secrets. Before taking over the barrier system, I was just managing my family's flower shop," Ino said firmly after a moment of silence.
Sensing the tension, Naruto interjected to change the subject. "Let's not dwell on this. Ino's trustworthy. Let's focus on the ring. If Yoichi's willing to pay such a high price, it must be a treasure from the beast. Any discoveries?"
Sakura shook her head. "Nothing so far. The engravings on it don't match anything from the ninja world."
"Let me use Sage Mode to sense it," Naruto said, activating his Sage Mode and examining the ring closely. After a while, he set it down, shaking his head. "There's nothing unusual. It's just an ordinary ring."
Shikamaru and Ino also examined it, with Ino even employing her sensory jutsu, but they found nothing. Considering Naruto's Sage Mode was among the strongest sensory abilities in the ninja world, their lack of findings suggested the ring was unremarkable.
After the group exchanged puzzled looks, Shikamaru suggested, "Should we have Sasuke take a look?"
Naruto shook his head. "His sensory abilities aren't as strong as mine. But you're right—we should call Hanabi. Byakugan might detect something."
When Hanabi arrived and learned of the situation, she activated her Byakugan and meticulously inspected the ring, even probing it with chakra.
"This is just an ordinary ring. Why call me for this?" Hanabi said with a shrug, unable to detect anything special.
The group fell silent, unsure what to do next.
Sakura finally asked, "Should I go back and reject his offer?"
"Sell it," Naruto decided after some thought. "The village could use the money. If you hadn't mentioned this, I was planning to negotiate funding with the daimyo."
Konoha's recent expenditures had exceeded its budget due to a series of unexpected events. The money and medicines from Yoichi would help alleviate these issues and aid affected civilians.
"Fine by me," Shikamaru agreed, reluctantly admitting it was the practical choice. "Selling the ring is better than keeping it unused in the village."
"Alright, Sakura, it's up to you now," Naruto said. "You can decide which medicines to take in exchange."
"Understood. But..." Sakura paused, then turned to Ino. "Ino, come with me."
"Huh? Why me? It's just a ring sale," Ino protested.
"You're his friend, and your input will be helpful when choosing the medicines. Let's go, Ino."
"Fine," Ino sighed, realizing further refusal might arouse suspicion.
Back at the underground facility housing the beast's corpse, Yoichi was examining the dragon-lion's remains. Judging by its energy levels, it was roughly equivalent to Godzilla, but it had been weakened after childbirth.
Its core, a sixth-tier magic core, was suitable for crafting high-grade pills. However, without sufficient complementary materials in the ninja world, it would likely end up stored indefinitely.
When Sakura returned, Yoichi asked, "Well, do we have a deal?"
"Yes, Konoha is willing to sell you the ring," Sakura replied, handing it over.
Yoichi suspected they had tried various methods to uncover the ring's secrets but had likely missed the one critical step—binding it with blood. This high-grade storage ring had a mental imprint left by the dragon-lion, preventing ordinary discovery.
Accepting the ring with a smile, Yoichi said, "Thank you. The money and medicines are ready whenever you want to collect them. Shall we head to my shop now?"
"Maybe later or tomorrow. I have other matters to attend to," Sakura said.
"Understood. As for the beast's body..."
"I've taken a small sample for research. Its parts might be useful for crafting medicines," Yoichi said, excusing himself.
After leaving the facility, Yoichi headed back to his apothecary, eager to explore the ring's contents. However, upon arrival, he sensed a familiar presence.
Realizing who it was, Yoichi made his way to the third floor. Pushing open the door, he deflected a sudden attack and grabbed Temari by the waist, pulling her into his arms.
Taking in her scent, Yoichi smirked and said, "Lady Temari, coming so soon? You've surprised me."
"Bastard," Temari muttered angrily, her failed ambush fueling her frustration. "Remove this seal immediately, or I'll make you regret it!"
"Visit me every day, and it'll be gone in five days. Today only counts as one, Lady Temari," Yoichi said with a grin, carrying her toward the bathroom.
The sound of rustling clothes soon gave way to the rush of water and muffled gasps.
(End of Chapter)
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