With a Hidden Dragon and a Young Phoenix Like These, How Could Konoha Not Flourish?

"Fifty million ryo?"

You really earned fifty million ryo!

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore an incredulous expression as he repeatedly confirmed the figure with Danzo.

As the saying goes, you don't fear your brother living in poverty—you fear him driving a Land Rover.

Hiruzen Sarutobi genuinely didn't want Danzo to keep going further down the wrong path. He hoped Danzo could turn things around.

But...

Danzo, how did you become even better off than me?

How are you actually doing this?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi now felt that the world was absurd. Danzo had clearly been about as well-off as he was before, yet now he had suddenly transformed into a rich man.

"That's right, Hiruzen."

"It's only fifty million ryo. It's nothing!"

Shimura Danzō wore a smug, satisfied smile and waved dismissively, appearing completely unconcerned. Inside, he was absolutely elated.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time. Now, it had finally arrived.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, didn't you say before that I wasn't capable of getting involved in the Tulip business?

What about now?

Why aren't you yapping anymore?

Say something!

Look in my eyes!!

Facing the arrogant Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only sit there in glum silence.

"The supply-purchasing mission can be done at any time."

"But right now, the most important thing for me is to seize this opportunity and keep making money."

"So, Hiruzen, do you have any objections?"

Shimura Danzō asked Hiruzen Sarutobi with a hint of teasing.

"You, Danzo, I... I have none."

After holding it in for a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only force the word "none" from his mouth.

"Good. Let's go eat. My treat!"

Shimura Danzō spoke smugly, then strode forward. Hiruzen Sarutobi followed behind with rather heavy steps. Before long, the two of them arrived at a place to eat, one ahead of the other.

They arrived at the restaurant.

Shimura Danzō smoothly booked an entire private room. Then he took the menu and pointed to several of the cheaper dishes, saying to the server, "Don't bring any of these dishes. Bring everything else!"

"Coming right up!"

At Danzo's order, the server left excitedly. Customers this wealthy were rare, and today he had run into a big spender. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on the chair as if he were perched on pins and needles. He knew Danzo was deliberately showing off in front of him, but there was nothing he could do.

Because money was king!

And so, the two began their meal.

Shimura Danzō now had a tremendous appetite and devoured the delicacies before him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, was so miserable that he couldn't eat at all.

The reason was quite simple.

Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi were both companions and competitors. They both wanted to become disciples of Tobirama Senju.

Now, without saying a word, Shimura Danzō had given him one enormous shock!

That was fifty million ryo!

Just thinking about it made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel terribly stifled. Once they returned to the village and Danzo took out the fifty million ryo he had earned, Lord Tobirama would probably view him in a whole new light. He might even accept Shimura Danzō as his disciple outright.

And what about him? He could probably only watch enviously from the side.

At that thought,

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood grew even worse.

This was something he couldn't accept. The two of them had been more or less equal when they set out, but by the time they returned, Danzo had upgraded from a rusty rifle to a cannon. This kind of setback was almost more painful to Hiruzen Sarutobi than death.

When it came to progress, falling one step behind meant falling behind at every step.

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi also turned his thoughts toward the Tulip trade. There was no reason Danzo could do it while he couldn't!

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi still retained some sense. If he were sent to the battlefield with a kunai, he would certainly be familiar with it, but the Tulip business was still too unfamiliar to him.

So he needed a senior to guide him into the field. Even if it was Danzo—even if it was Danzo!

"Danzo, I have a favor to ask. Could you take me along? I really want to improve my understanding of the Tulip business!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with exceptional sincerity. He had never humbled himself so much before someone his own age, but if it was for the sake of becoming Lord Tobirama's disciple, it was all worth it!

"Oh?"

"Hiruzen, you want to get involved in the Tulip business too?"

"Didn't you say before that ninjas should only do what ninjas are supposed to do?"

Faced with Shimura Danzō's teasing, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned somewhat awkward, but he still forced a smile and said that his previous understanding had been too shallow.

"All right. I'll reluctantly guide you a little."

Shimura Danzō didn't make things difficult for Hiruzen Sarutobi and readily agreed to his request.

After all, the two of them had always been companions!

Even as competitors, they were still engaged in healthy competition. As long as Hiruzen honestly admits defeat to me, that's all that matters. I, Danzo, am simply better than you!

Shimura Danzō soon began teaching Hiruzen Sarutobi about trading in the Tulip market.

"Although the price of Tulips has already begun rising steadily, it's still at the bottom. It isn't too late to enter the market now!"

"Hiruzen, after subtracting what you've spent purchasing supplies these past few days, how much of your budget do you have left?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi calculated silently. This time, they had brought eight hundred million ryo. The two of them had each taken half the funds to purchase supplies, and they had already spent more than thirty million ryo on those purchases. That left them with three hundred and seventy million ryo.

"Good. Just round down the odd amount and take out seventy million ryo to buy in!"

"What, seventy million ryo?"

"Danzo, you're not joking, are you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help crying out. He hadn't expected Danzo to be so bold. Seventy million could be considered an odd amount?

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"A massive flow of capital has already entered the Tulip market. If you don't buy in heavily now, are you planning to wait until the price rises and then buy someone else's overpriced holdings?"

"My biggest regret is that I was too timid when I first entered the market. I hesitated and only spent that little money. If someone had guided me from the start, I wouldn't have earned just fifty million ryo."

As Shimura Danzō spoke, regret appeared on his face. He really felt like slapping his thigh now!

Why hadn't he bought more right from the start?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was still hesitating. Seventy million ryo was an astronomical sum to him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was enough to buy his life. It was worth two Asumas!

"Hiruzen, you really don't know what you're afraid of!"

"In this market, only the bold can make money. The timid can only become chives!"

"Especially when they encounter price fluctuations, these people see the price drop a little and wish they could immediately run away at an even lower price. Based on my research into Tulip price trends, I'm telling you: the lower the price, the more you should buy!"

"If there's a major plunge, then you have to bottom-fish and go all-in!"

Hearing these words that he only half understood, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded woodenly, as if he himself were the chive Danzo looked down on.