Chapter 164. Failure is Not an Option
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A few days later.
The network infrastructure was complete, and the Akatsuki base had finally gotten internet access.
Kana, Yahiko, and the others curiously gathered around, watching as Yuto fiddled with the computer. Even the old-timer Hanzo came. The atmosphere… reminded Yuto of the time he played DNF at an internet cafe, with a bunch of people staring at him from behind.
Of course, Hanzo remained skeptical. A few metal boxes and some strange-looking devices could enable long-distance communication?
Impossible.
If that were true, why would ninjas still rely on hawks and dogs for messages?
Still—he was curious.
Though Hanzo didn't completely trust this Uchiha, he couldn't exactly argue when Yahiko and Nagato were on board with it.
What was he supposed to do—challenge Yuto to a fight?
Yuto, eager to expand his business, patiently explained everything. Along the way, he helped Kana create a [Nin-Nin] account and added her to his friend list.
"Click here. Even if I'm in Konoha, we can still chat or send messages."
"That's amazing!" Kana's eyes lit up with curiosity.
Seeing their own names appear on Yuto's friend list, everyone else was even more shocked!
But—
"Kid! Is this real?" Having lived for decades, Hanzo remained skeptical. Staring at the computer, he muttered, "It's that simple?"
"Why would I make it complicated if it's for everyone to use?" Yuto replied casually.
Just as he finished speaking—
Ding Ding!
A message popped up.
Slightly surprised, Yuto glanced at the flashing profile picture.
Suzune?
He clicked it open—
[Yuto, can you access the internet there?]
You could tell she sounded excited.
Yuto thought for a moment and replied: [Yeah! We've set up the network here. In a few days, Kirigakure will have it too!]
[That's great! Now, even if Yuto leaves the village, I can still contact you from Konoha! Also, did you know? Orochimaru-sama has defected.]
[Yes, I got the news. I'm sorry to bother you over there in Konoha!]
They chatted briefly. It seemed like Suzune had been quite bored since Yuto left.
Before ending the conversation, he sent a final message: [I'll be back as soon as possible.]
Just as he was about to turn back and continue his demonstration—
Ding Ding!
Another message.
Nono?
Yuto was stunned, then chatted for a bit. Finally, he said the same sentence: [I'll be back as soon as possible.] Then he finally looked up—only to see everyone staring at him like hawks.
"So it really works?" Hanzo, now convinced, mumbled in awe and said blankly, "Unbelievable!"
However—
Yahiko and Konan exchanged a knowing smirk, while Kana's eyes gleamed with something a little more... unsettling.
"Yuto-sama." Kana smiled sweetly, her eyes narrowing. "Who were you chatting with just now?"
"…Ordinary friends!" Yuto responded seriously, without any hesitation. "A secretary and some ordinary friends in the village, nothing more."
And then, before anyone could press further, he quickly changed the topic. "Oh, and by the way! You can also watch movies and play games here! Especially this one! At the start, always pick Uchiha! It unlocks an exclusive dungeon, can raise Tailed Beasts! You can get a paralyzing Nine-Tails, high drop rates, high EXP, and effortlessly reach 10 million combat power!"
As he played, his Supreme VIP title flashed, drawing instant attention. The whole network was shouting that the big boss had arrived, and even Hanzo watched with interest.
"And there's even a 'Landlord' card game! You get 2,000 beans for free at the start! You can play as much as you want—even high-stakes rounds with hundreds of thousands of coins!"
"Interesting." Hanzo gave it a shot. "Huh? You don't even need to wait for players—it auto-matches instantly? Hmm? I ran out of beans. What's this 'Recharge' window?"
"Oh, that's for player enjoyment!" Yuto said smoothly, subtly luring him in. "First-time recharge gives double the amount! And if you buy a computer now, you get a year of free internet—plus a 2% discount! I'm practically losing money here. Interested?"
"Wait, I have to pay for this?"
"What kind of question is that? Even a trip to the Great Sword costs money! And this is a cutting-edge tech product!"
"Great Sword?"
"It's red light—" Suddenly, a chill ran down Yuto's spine. "It's a hotel! A place to eat!"
He turned around and looked at the smiling Kana, then quickly said with a grin, "Anyway, how about a movie? Even though we don't have cinemas here yet, we can watch one here!"
He hurriedly set up a temporary screen. "Let's watch a movie!"
At the same time, he wondered if anyone in Konoha had started making movies yet.
…
"Danzo!"
"Hiruzen!"
The two old comrades exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes conveying everything without words.
Time passed—how long, they weren't sure.
Finally, Mitokado Homura, who had also arrived, sighed in exasperation. "Can we start now?"
The bond between Hiruzen and Danzo was really deep!
Whenever they were together, everything else seemed to fade into the background, leaving them as the center of attention!
Hearing Homura's remark, both men snapped out of their thoughts.
Danzo let out a faint chuckle, though his aged face had only grown darker and more ominous over the years. His smiles always carried a certain chill. "Come on, let's sit and talk! I've already had some Yuto Milk Tea ordered. We can discuss this while we drink!"
His expression then turned serious. "This time, the three of us will act together! Failure is not an option!"
"What exactly are you planning this time?" Hiruzen frowned, still visibly worried. "We don't have that much money left!"
"As for the money issue, I'll take care of it!" Danzo waved off his concern, then sighed, looking at Hiruzen with disappointment. "Hiruzen, your vision is still too small!"
"Just tell me what you're planning first!"
Seeing no point in delaying further, Danzo reached into his robes and pulled out a flyer. "This time, what I am going to do is..." He slapped it down on the table. "This!"
"This…" Hiruzen was stunned. Looking at the flyer, he immediately recognized it—a promotional poster that had popped up when he went online some time ago.
He lifted his gaze to Danzo. "You… want to make a movie?"
"That's right! Since we couldn't compete with that Uchiha brat in milk tea and barbecue, this time we'll make movies!" Danzo smirked, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He spoke confidently. "As long as we have enough people, we can use ninjutsu to replace all the expensive effects. We have a huge advantage—especially you, Hiruzen! You've mastered all five nature transformations!"
His voice brimmed with enthusiasm. "Once our movie hits the theaters, I don't believe we will lose so much this time!"
"It's a good idea indeed, but…" Hiruzen hesitated and said, "That filming equipment is very expensive!"
"I'll handle that! In the early stage, we can just rent it!"
"But we don't know how to film!"
"I already bought books on the subject. We'll learn as we go!"
"So you've already planned everything out…" Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. After a moment, he nodded. "Fine. But… what kind of movie are we making?"
Danzo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he and Homura exchanged a mysterious grin, both staring at Hiruzen with a meaningful smile.
"…???" Hiruzen looked at them in confusion.
Before he could press further—
"Alright, enough teasing Hiruzen!" Danzo burst into laughter, then turned to Homura. "Homura, is the script I asked you to write finished?"
"It's finished." Homura adjusted his glasses with a calm smile. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a notebook and placed it on the table. "Take a look. I guarantee you'll be impressed! This is my finest work!"
Intrigued, both Hiruzen and Danzo leaned in, eager to see what was written inside…
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