Chapter 73. A Rich Man
---
"Take care on the road! Safe travels! A pleasure working with you! Good luck, prosperity, and fortune! Come back anytime—I'll treat you to grilled salamander skewers!"
"He's gone, Brother Yuto!"
"What are you talking about!" After sending away the group of Ame ninjas, Yuto shot a look of disappointment at Nagato, who stood lazily nearby. "At the time, you should've ambushed him, gone all out, and killed him! What's the point of posturing and shouting? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"
"…"
Nagato rolled his eyes in silence.
He was only worried about the two inside.
After all, right after they entered, a cup shattered!
He had assumed Hanzo of the Salamander had thrown ninja ethics to the wind and attacked to kill.
But no—it turned out the cup just randomly fell and broke!
Even he felt wronged.
Yuto's Theory: Don't reason with psychopaths!
He always remembered this.
Who do you think buried the explosive tags everywhere in the ground?
Otherwise…
Should he be so worried?
"Forget it," Yuto sighed, shaking his head as though a parent giving their child a life lesson. "Let's treat this as a lesson. Don't be so naive next time." With an air of exaggerated patience, he continued, "Remember: even though we're now allies, don't trust that guy completely. If there's danger, act first—don't hesitate. And most importantly… never listen to strangers."
"..."
Is this teaching a child?
Nagato rolled his Rinnegan but, after some thought, said plainly, "Are you leaving, Brother Yuto?"
"Now that everything's settled here, it's time for me to head back," Yuto nodded. He had recently received a letter, so he figured it was time to return and take care of his sister-in-law and nephew.
With a sigh, he added, "You all be careful, too. I don't want to hear any stories about some god appearing in the Land of Rain and trying to make the ninja world experience pain."
In a few years, the ninja world would enter another period of peace.
Though with Obito now on a path of no return, he had no idea what the future would be like.
"…" Nagato glanced at Yuto.
Brother Yuto sometimes said the weirdest things.
There is a psychopath here!
Where would there even be a "god" around here once he left?
"You're not staying? Think abou—" Nagato paused, his eyes darting as though catching a sudden bad feeling. He quickly changed his words, "Forget Konoha! Even if you can't do business with the Land of Fire, we'll sell underwear to support you!"
"..."
What did the brat say?
Yuto smacked Nagato's head in anger.
Has he lost it?
Peace was on the horizon. After the wars, all nations would enter recovery, creating the perfect opportunity for him to expand his business into other countries and open new markets.
Did this brat really think the Rinnegan could stop him from becoming the richest man in the ninja world? Dream on!
As for concerns about his business struggling in foreign lands—
Sorry, his success was guaranteed by the system.
He became a rich man thanks to the system.
"Once everything's settled, maybe visiting the Land of Rain will be much easier," Yuto sighed, then added seriously, "Remember, don't forget what I said. If you encounter a psychopath—"
Before he could finish, Nagato turned, expressionless, and ran straight ahead, disappearing from sight.
"???"
Yuto raised a brow, muttering to himself, "Rebellious phase?"
Had the kid grown impatient with his elder's teachings?
Looks like there is some need for discipline!
...
Soon…
Back at the house, Yuto entered the underground lab.
A graceful figure was busy with research. Upon hearing the door, the woman looked up, smiling softly at Yuto. "Did you finish it?"
"It's done. My business will soon expand throughout the Land of Rain. As for the rest, it's up to Yahiko."
"Yahiko and the others are talented. They'll succeed for sure!"
"Success doesn't matter. I just hope no one starts to have a mental breakdown!"
"..."
Kana gave Yuto a sidelong glance, shaking her head at his odd remarks. Yuto-sama sometimes says some weird things. After a brief pause, she asked softly, "Leaving soon?"
"Yeah," Yuto nodded, smiling. "I'll have to trouble you again."
However, after he finished speaking, Kana didn't answer him immediately, saying it wouldn't be a problem or anything. Instead, she fell silent for a moment.
After what seemed like a long minute, she smiled again, her long lashes fluttering as she whispered, "It's time to… check your body."
"All right."
Without hesitation, Yuto began to take off his clothes.
It was just a medical examination, after all—purely professional.
So why was she blushing?
This was serious business!
…
The war continues.
Despite attacks from multiple nations, Konoha managed to hold its ground.
Especially since an event a while ago shocked the entire ninja world.
The Third Raikage of Kumogakure went crazy for reasons unknown, crossed an immense battlefront, and led his forces deep into the Land of Earth.
The result?
Finished.
Reports said the battle was incredibly fierce. Against 30,000 Iwa ninjas, the Third Raikage fought relentlessly for three days and three nights. Ultimately, he died—not from enemy attacks, but from sheer exhaustion.
That's right!
He fought until he literally collapsed from exhaustion!
The sheer power of the Third Raikage was terrifying!
Then, following his death, his son, Ay, succeeded him and became the Fourth Raikage.
The war continues!
...
Meanwhile, at Iwagakure…
Although they managed to defeat the Third Raikage through a war of attrition, the victory came at a steep price.
After all, it was the Third Raikage they faced!
Especially... the cost of explosive tags and kunai had risen significantly. With rising prices and the need to sustain the war effort, tension was running high within Iwagakure.
"If only we had gotten our hands on that 600 million back then!"
"There wasn't 600 million during the Chunin Exams! It rose afterward!"
"Does that even matter? We didn't bring it back anyway!"
"Who could've guessed the value would skyrocket so fast?!"
"Now Konoha has 600 million in reserves. Financially, they're in a much better position than we are. No wonder they're more confident than us!"
"Oh! Konoha's so lucky!"
In the Iwagakure council room, many Iwa ninjas were lamenting and complaining. Had they known the price would increase in value so dramatically, they might have risked everything to seize it back then.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, sat with his hands clasped under his chin, his expression dark and brooding. As he listened to the endless grumbling of the various clans, he let out a long internal sigh.
"What do we do now?"
It seems… His intention to ask for money was seen through!
They are indeed a bunch of old-timers!
As for the daimyo's court—if they asked for more funding, the nobles might just surrender to the enemy first.
Onoki shook his head in regret, abandoning the idea of asking the clans for donations. He began considering other strategies when—
"Perhaps we could try getting funds from someone else?"
A voice suddenly broke the silence.
The council members turned, their gazes sharp and displeased, landing on a lean, wiry Jonin who had spoken out of turn.
A mere Jonin daring to speak so boldly?
Get funds from whom?
Surely, he wasn't suggesting the clans should contribute?
However…
The Jonin, unfazed, smiled confidently and declared, "From Yuto Milk Tea! From Yuto BBQ! This new merchant—maybe we could... obtain funds from him."
The moment the words left his mouth, a woman who had been sitting quietly with her head lowered suddenly looked up, her gaze serious.
Though she quickly lowered her head again, her previously calm expression now carried a faint trace of concern.
"Yuto…"