Prodigy Kakashi

After receiving 15,000 ryo in subsidies and 50,000 ryo in wages from the village, Veigar came to a Ninja Tool Shop in the village after work, carrying the enormous sum of 75,000 ryo.

"Welcome. What can I get for you?"

The owner of the Ninja Tool Shop saw Veigar walk in and immediately came over to greet him with keen business sense.

After glancing over the ninja tools around him, Veigar spoke to the shop owner. "Excuse me, how much would it cost for one Ninja Tool Bag and one Substitution Dummy?"

Hearing Veigar's request, the shop owner knew business had come knocking. Veigar was clearly the kind of customer who needed to buy these things immediately.

"The Ninja Tool Bag is 2,000 ryo, and the Substitution Dummy is 6,500 ryo. That makes 8,500 ryo in total."

The shop owner said this with a beaming smile.

"Will you sell them for 4,500 ryo? I don't have that much money."

Veigar stared straight at the shop owner.

Good grief, Veigar had slashed the price all the way down to half the quoted amount.

"Impossible. I'd be selling at a loss for that price."

The shop owner rejected Veigar's offer without a second thought.

"The Ninja Tool Bag usually sells for 1,000 ryo, and the Substitution Dummy for 4,000. In other words, these two items normally cost 5,000 ryo in total."

"And yet you just tried to sell them to me for 8,500 ryo, so you're taking advantage of me because I'm young."

"I'll only pay 4,000 ryo now. You can choose not to sell, but I'll go back to school and advertise your shop for you."

"So, shopkeeper, please choose."

Veigar laid out his argument to the shop owner, then slashed another 500 ryo off the price.

Just as the shop owner was complaining that Veigar might be young, but he was cunning, and that he had only dug a pit for himself, another very childish voice came from inside.

"Shopkeeper, are the ninja tools I ordered ready?"

Veigar and the shop owner both turned toward the shop entrance. A child about as tall as Veigar stood there, wearing a black mask and sporting tousled silver hair. He was the one who had just spoken.

Veigar recognized him at a glance. He was the Super Genius currently studying at the Ninja Academy—Kakashi Hatake.

Veigar had also learned from his classmates that Kakashi Hatake would be taking his Early Graduation exam three days later.

"Hi! Classmate Kakashi, are you here to buy ninja tools too?"

"I..."

Veigar waved at Kakashi Hatake as he spoke, but before he could finish, the shop owner interrupted him.

"They're ready. Please wait a moment."

After speaking to Kakashi Hatake, the shop owner turned to Veigar. "This customer, I'll sell you those two ninja tools."

The shop owner hurriedly said this to Veigar, inwardly troubled.

When he first heard that Veigar wanted to buy the Ninja Tool Bag and Substitution Dummy for 4,000 ryo, he had never considered selling them. Even when Veigar threatened to spread negative publicity about his shop at school, he still had not been afraid.

But when he saw Veigar greet Kakashi Hatake, who had just arrived, the shop owner panicked.

He had mistaken Veigar and Kakashi Hatake for classmates and friends. If Veigar told Kakashi Hatake what had just happened and made him stop visiting the shop, the owner would suffer a huge loss.

Kakashi Hatake was practically a major customer at his Ninja Tool Shop. He had made quite a lot of money from him.

Besides, selling the Ninja Tool Bag and Substitution Dummy for 4,000 ryo would not cause him a loss. He would still be breaking even with a small profit.

"Add three Kunai and ten Shuriken."

Veigar pushed his luck and spoke to the shop owner.

When the shop owner saw that Veigar intended to speak to Kakashi Hatake again, he gritted his teeth and spat out two words through clenched teeth. "Fine."

"Then thank you, shopkeeper."

Veigar quickly took out 4,000 ryo and handed it over.

After seeing Veigar complete the transaction with the shop owner, Kakashi Hatake looked at him arrogantly and asked, "Who are you?"

Veigar turned around and replied with a faint smile. "My name is Vega Koshima. I'm also a new student at the Ninja Academy this year, but I'm in Class 1-3."

"Good luck passing your Graduation Exam in three days."

"And thanks for that just now."

Although Kakashi Hatake was only five years old, as a Super Genius who was about to graduate early from the Ninja Academy, he could roughly guess what had happened even without seeing the beginning.

He also knew that Veigar had used him, so he replied arrogantly, "No need."

At that moment, the shop owner had finished packing all the ninja tools Veigar had bought. When he personally handed them to Veigar, his heart still ached faintly.

He had lost money on this deal.

Kakashi Hatake watched Veigar's departing back with interest. After collecting the ninja tools he had ordered and paying the remaining balance, Kakashi Hatake quietly followed him.

Veigar knew nothing about Kakashi Hatake following him. With his perception, he still could not detect Kakashi Hatake, who was hiding himself.

It was only after Veigar returned home that Kakashi Hatake emerged from the shadows. After glancing at the house where Veigar lived, he turned and left.

In truth, Kakashi Hatake did not know why he had followed Veigar. Perhaps it was Veigar's calm bearing that had made him take notice.

Or perhaps his innate sixth sense had sensed something different about Veigar. Although Veigar seemed ordinary on the surface, he appeared to possess something hidden that even Kakashi Hatake regarded warily.

After returning home, Veigar excitedly took the Substitution Dummy Sealing Scroll from his Ninja Tool Bag. He had made a killing today.

Not only that, but he had also obtained ninja tools of his own, rather than the Kunai and Shuriken provided by the Ninja Academy for practice.

With this Substitution Dummy, Veigar could finally practice the Body Replacement Technique.

Moreover, it was not a one-time consumable. As long as the Substitution Dummy was not destroyed, he could use it repeatedly.

For Veigar, this night was one in which he could practice a new ninjutsu. Since he knew that he could absorb the Source of Life to restore his energy, he was no longer afraid of staying up late.

That meant he could squeeze out more time for cultivation.

"Body Replacement Technique, bang."

"Body Replacement Technique, bang..."

In the darkness of night, the young boy worked hard, freely scattering the sweat of his labor.

Three days later, after arriving at the Ninja Academy in the morning, Veigar and all his classmates, organized by Tomohisa Ishikawa, orderly made their way to the school plaza.

Soon, Kakashi Hatake would take his Early Graduation exam under the watchful eyes of the entire school's teachers and students. If Kakashi Hatake successfully completed the examination, he would become a Genin at the age of five.

He would become the youngest Genin since the end of the Warring States Period, setting a new age record.