After eating the breakfast his mother had prepared for him, Sora Uchiha tucked his wallet away and wandered onto the streets of Konoha.
The clouds of war had now completely dispersed over the village. Konoha appeared peaceful and tranquil on the surface, but within the ranks of the ninja, a huge storm was already brewing.
As a result, weapons in the tool shops cost almost twice as much as usual. For the shopkeepers, it was like money falling from the sky. One year of business now brought in more than five years had before.
At that moment, Sora Uchiha lifted the curtain and entered a weapons shop.
The shopkeeper was a middle-aged old hand. When he saw a customer come in, he immediately stood up, clasped his hands together, and greeted him with great enthusiasm.
"Welcome..." He cut himself off halfway through, then leaned out and looked toward the entrance several times. After confirming there was no one else there and that the only customer was the little kid in front of him, he sat back down and waved him away. "Shoo, shoo. This is a proper establishment. We don't welcome minors."
Sora Uchiha's mouth twitched. Sometimes he was tired of being a kid; it made everything inconvenient. Just like now—he couldn't even buy something without the shopkeeper looking down on him.
Without wasting words, he took out his bills and slapped them onto the counter. The sound of money left the shopkeeper dumbfounded. He sprang to his feet and stared fixedly at the stack. Years of business experience let him judge its value in an instant.
At least two hundred thousand ryo.
So he demonstrated the meaning of changing faces in a flash. He clapped his hands together, and his expression shifted from disdain to fawning.
"Ah, young man, this is a respectable establishment. We treat everyone equally. Minors? We especially welcome minors!"
Truthfully, Sora Uchiha felt like slapping the money straight into the shopkeeper's face. But his good upbringing kept him from giving in to the urge. He sighed.
"Do you have Explosive Tags?"
Now that he had a Kusanagi Sword, Shuriken, and Kunai, he naturally needed Explosive Tags too. They were common and didn't have many restrictions, so he didn't want to trouble the clan head; he could just buy them himself.
"Of course! We absolutely do!" The shopkeeper slapped the counter and immediately took a sheet of Explosive Tags out of the cabinet behind him.
"Four thousand ryo each, young man. How many would you like?"
Sora Uchiha frowned slightly. "Four thousand ryo? That's expensive."
"Ah, young man, you know how it is. The fighting's intense these days, and one-use talismans with the destructive power of Explosive Tags are in high demand. They used to cost two thousand ryo each, but as the war's grown more intense, the price has naturally gone up."
As he spoke, the shopkeeper slapped his chest. "I'm not bragging—you can ask around. My Explosive Tags are the cheapest in Konoha."
Sora Uchiha didn't believe a word of the shopkeeper's sales pitch. Claims like "I'm the cheapest in town" were usually lies, though even if another shop was cheaper, it wouldn't be by much.
He decided not to bother looking elsewhere and nodded. "Fine. Pack them up for me."
"Pack them up? Are you using all that money to buy Explosive Tags?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Yeah."
"Good grief, young man, that stack of money's worth at least two hundred thousand ryo. Ordinary people wouldn't need that many Explosive Tags!" the shopkeeper exclaimed.
Sora Uchiha's expression remained blank. "Do you ask customers what they're going to do with the things they buy?"
The shopkeeper laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, sorry. I'll pack them up right away."
Then, right in front of Sora Uchiha, he counted out the money. It came to two hundred and twenty thousand ryo, enough for fifty-five Explosive Tags.
Watching years of saved pocket money turn into fifty-five sheets of "paper," Sora Uchiha couldn't help feeling a little pained. But he didn't regret it. One Explosive Tag was no less powerful than an A-rank ninjutsu, and it could save his life at a crucial moment.
Still, he couldn't help thinking of that rich woman in Naruto who had six hundred billion Explosive Tags. The thought nearly made him drool.
"Young man, do you need any Shuriken? They're not expensive—just seventy ryo each." The shopkeeper packed the Explosive Tags and asked.
"No need." Sora Uchiha shook his head. Then he thought of something, lowered the Sword Box from his shoulder, and took out a specially made Shuriken.
"Shopkeeper, could you tell me how much this Shuriken is worth?"
"Shuriken? They're all the same price..." The shopkeeper took it without much interest. The moment he touched it, a chill ran from the blade into his palm. His expression changed.
He took a handkerchief and laid it on the table, then carefully set the Shuriken on top. Turning around, he pulled a magnifying glass from who knew where and examined it, exclaiming as he went.
"Good grief! This is incredible..."
After a while, he put down the magnifying glass and grew serious. "Young man, this Shuriken is something special. It can store Chakra. Forgive my limited knowledge, but I truly can't judge its value. Still, if you want to sell it, I'd be willing to buy it for twenty thousand ryo."
"Oh." Sora Uchiha replied casually, took the Shuriken back, and put it in the Sword Box. He'd only suddenly gotten curious about the value of the specially made Shuriken; he hadn't meant to sell it.
Still, at twenty thousand ryo each, he was honestly surprised. There had to be at least thirty or forty of them in his Sword Box, not to mention the more valuable specially made Kunai and that priceless Kusanagi Sword.
Thinking about it, was he a millionaire after all?
His mood lifted. The money he'd just spent no longer hurt so much. He put away the Explosive Tags and left the weapons shop.
"Caw—caw—"
As soon as he stepped outside, Sora Uchiha heard a crow calling. He looked up and saw a pitch-black crow staring at him.
For some reason, he suddenly understood what Kazuki Utsuki had meant when he said someone would notify him about a mission. This was the notification.
He smacked his lips. "The Anbu really are different. Even the way they give out missions is unusual."
Without hesitation, he found a secluded corner and changed into the clothes and mask he'd stored in his Sword Box.
Before long, a figure rushed out of the alley...
"Monkey, what's the mission?"
Following the crow, Sora Uchiha arrived in a forest near Konoha. He spotted the Anbu members in the distance right away. There were three of them, including himself. Seeing Monkey, whose face he recognized, he asked.
"Wait a bit. There's one more person who hasn't arrived."
Sora Uchiha said nothing and stood quietly to the side, waiting. During a mission, it was best not to talk if he could help it.
He was a cool and aloof Anbu member. ㄟ(▔,▔)ㄏ
Before long, the last person arrived.
Only then did Sora Uchiha realize that the squad leader, Shinnosuke, wasn't there. So this mission wasn't all that dangerous?
Monkey looked around at everyone present, then slowly began. "This mission is a rescue operation. The location is..."
The rescue didn't go smoothly. One of the enemy ninja was a very skilled Water Release Chunin. Sora Uchiha had to put in a great deal of effort to kill him, and in return, his arm was injured.
If no one else had been there, he could have used Uchiha's Glory to kill the enemy instantly. But it was best not to let others know about his trump card.
Fortunately, the mission ended well, and the rescue was completed successfully.
By the time he returned home, it was already the next day. Sora Uchiha didn't even greet anyone. He hurriedly washed up, then collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
When he woke up again, it was the following day.
Before you continue