Scummy Naruto, the Tycoon Who Longed to Spend Money (Skip If You Dislike)

"Question: if your teammate suddenly collapses during a mission, and you go over to ask if they're okay, and they answer that they're fine, what does that mean?"

"It means..." Hinata held a piece of fish, furrowing her brows as she pondered deeply. The orange glow of the setting sun shone over her, making her look even more adorably dazed.

The two were sitting on a picnic blanket, playing a game of questions and answers. Though the game was a little childish, it was just right for a boy and girl who had feelings for each other.

Hinata had also received the God of Shinobi's diary. Naruto told her that he had received it too, then brushed off the topic after only a few words by claiming he could not understand it.

"Um... it means the teammate needs treatment," Hinata answered softly.

"Wrong." Naruto gently tapped Hinata on the head and said in a serious tone, "It means your teammate's airway is clear and hasn't been blocked by blood."

"So that's how it is." Hinata nodded vaguely, thinking Naruto was genuinely teaching her something.

"Then what should you ask them at that point?"

"Where does it hurt?"

"No. You should ask them what one thousand minus seven is."

"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"

"Kiba, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." Hinata's teammate, Kiba Inuzuka, stopped walking and sniffed. "I probably inhaled some pollen nearby."

Kiba Inuzuka's older sister, Hana Inuzuka, walked over and crouched in front of Akamaru to inspect his injured leg. As the only veterinarian in the medical department, Akamaru's minor injury was nothing difficult for her.

"Big Sis, I'm a little concerned about those things that appeared in my mind just now," Kiba Inuzuka asked worriedly.

"Kiba, this involves Danzo of the Konoha High Command. We shouldn't talk about it too much." Hana Inuzuka was already a mature woman, naturally more levelheaded than Kiba.

She had graduated in the same class as Itachi Uchiha. With the Inuzuka Clan's resources behind her, she was now a Chunin of Konoha.

After spending so many years in the medical department, she had heard quite a few secrets, but she had never told outsiders about them in order to avoid trouble.

For instance, back then, Konoha's corpse disposal unit had been stopped outside the Uchiha Clan compound by Root ninja, while the Uchiha Clan's bodies had later been cremated overnight by Root.

There were also some unpleasant rumors, such as Lord Hokage having actually tacitly permitted Root to do such things in order to develop Kekkei Genkai human experiments.

There were many more such rumors and secrets, and it was impossible to tell truth from falsehood. No one knew what was real and what was fake.

Hana Inuzuka did not want her only younger brother to get dragged into this trouble, much less wanted Kiba to do something foolish and catch Root's attention.

That organization had never done anything decent. If Kiba was pulled into it, his life would be ruined.

Kiba did not understand his sister's good intentions. Pressured by her seniority, he could only suppress his curiosity and crouch before his beloved dog, Akamaru.

"Big Sis, how's Akamaru?"

"He's fine."

Similar scenes were playing out all over Konoha. At the training ground, Kakashi looked at Sasuke's gloomy expression, not knowing what to say.

It was getting late, and night had fallen.

Kakashi could only make out Sasuke's vague silhouette standing motionless in the darkness of the training ground. His heart suddenly pounded wildly a few times, and he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Sasuke, don't fall for it. This could be the enemy's Genjutsu."

Sasuke did not answer. He merely stood there without moving, his entire body radiating a chilling resentment. He raised his head to look at Kakashi and asked through gritted teeth.

"Why does Danzo have my clansmen's eyes on his body?"

Kakashi was stunned too. He knew Danzo never did anything decent, but he had not expected him to be that monstrous.

There were too many eyes? Could there be eyes transplanted elsewhere on his body too?

At that thought, a chill crept up Kakashi's spine. Even so, without absolute evidence, he still could not say such things in front of Sasuke.

Pull one radish, and a whole clump of dirt came with it. Danzo was dirty, but he was far from the only dirty one. Based on Kakashi's understanding of Danzo, things would not be so simple.

"Sasuke, calm down."

"Kakashi, how am I supposed to calm down?"

Sizzle~!

The prepared blackfish slid into the wok of hot oil, crackling beside the campfire. The aroma of fried fish immediately spread through the night breeze.

"Naruto, you even brought a wok?" Hinata felt slightly embarrassed.

"Of course I did. For an outdoor meal, naturally you have to come fully equipped!" Naruto pointed at the pile of utensils. "A wok is essential. I'll show you something pretty later."

"What is it?" Hinata froze for a moment, and her face reddened again.

Naruto glanced at Hinata. Seeing her cheeks reddened by the firelight, he revealed a mysterious smile and flipped the blackfish in the wok.

"You'll find out later."

The Konoha building was brightly lit at the moment. Many ninja hurried in and out through the main entrance, their faces filled with tension and unease.

At the High-level Meeting, Hiruzen Sarutobi and several old nobles from his generation stared at Danzo, who sat in his seat, their expressions all somewhat grim.

"Danzo, do you have anything to say?" Utatane Koharu asked sternly.

"I have nothing to say." Danzo folded his arms. "Shouldn't the focus of this matter be that ninjutsu capable of appearing in everyone's minds?"

"If the person behind it can say whatever they want, then the village can only be left passive. Today, they can spread rumors about me; tomorrow, it could be anyone."

"On this matter, I'll reserve judgment. I'll have my subordinates investigate it," Danzo said in a deep voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, Utatane Koharu and the Third Hokage both looked somewhat displeased, yet neither said anything further or continued holding him accountable.

They understood that demanding Danzo prove his innocence on the spot was simply unrealistic. It was not impossible, but it would be more trouble than it was worth.

If they really uncovered something, it would only become awkward. The village still needed Danzo; they could not exactly strip him of his position over this. Besides, Danzo's words did make sense.

Every high-ranking official seated here had secrets of their own to some extent. They simply were not as insane as Danzo. If there really was some omniscient, omnipotent God of Shinobi, perhaps they would be the next ones exposed.

Bang!

Several fireworks shot into the night sky, illuminating Hinata's upturned little face. The gorgeous bursts of light reflected in her pupils.

Joy appeared on Hinata's face as she gazed at the night sky in fascination, feeling incomparable happiness. And all of it was thanks to the person beside her—the boy setting off fireworks nearby.

Naruto had completely forgotten about the God of Shinobi's diary. He had not taken it to heart at all, much less realized what a tremendous stir it had caused in the village.

He jogged over to Hinata and stood beside her. The two of them watched the fireworks rise into the sky, their hearts overflowing with happiness as their inner voices spoke.

This is wonderful! I'm so happy to have Naruto!

This is wonderful! I finally spent some of my money. I'm so happy!

Note: Dear readers, the next five chapters will cover the Little Trumpet storyline. If you do not like it, feel free to skim through it quickly. (Skipping it will affect the plot a tiny bit.) This is groundwork for later chapters.

You can also skip it entirely.

Guide: Chapter 36, One-Tail