"Ah???"
Sasuke looked utterly confused. He had no idea why Fuyuki was holding out his hand. Wasn't he supposed to teach him a secret technique?
"We're not related, so why would I teach you for free? Are you expecting the love of an uncle, or are you planning to marry into the Hyuga Clan?" Fuyuki said, completely unapologetic.
If they really wanted to stretch the definition of family, Sasuke and Naruto could both call Fuyuki uncle.
After all, he was the Sage of Six Paths' peer. The Sage's sons, Indra and Asura, should rightfully have called Fuyuki their uncle—albeit a distant one. But Fuyuki had no desire to suddenly gain two nephews his own age.
Neither of those nephews was an easy one to deal with. Nieces would have been another matter.
With the Uchiha Clan wiped out, everything in the Uchiha Clan Compound automatically belonged to Sasuke. Even a single coin found there was his. The Konoha High Command hadn't coveted a single thing from the Uchiha—not their money, not their land. Only Danzo had secretly gotten his hands on quite a few three-tomoe Sharingan.
So, just because Sasuke usually ate rice balls, don't assume he was poor. He was just too lazy to cook, and spent the time he saved training. He'd inherited the entire fortune the Uchiha Clan had built up.
Better to give that money to Fuyuki than let it be confiscated by Konoha when Sasuke defected. At least Fuyuki would teach him how to get stronger!
"How much?" Sasuke frowned. A bad feeling welled up inside him. Fuyuki knew about the Uchiha's blood feud, so he was sure the guy would slash him with an exorbitant teaching fee!
"100,000 ryo!" Fuyuki held up both hands to make a ten.
"Why is it so cheap?" Sasuke looked astonished. Was Fuyuki even part of the Hyuga Clan? Why was he haggling with him over a measly 100,000 ryo? That was only the reward for a B-Rank Mission.
"Teaching you costs 100,000 ryo. This isn't a one-time thing, so you'd better be ready to sell some land!" Fuyuki mimicked Sasuke's pose, folding his arms and speaking coldly.
"Heh. The Uchiha Clan's wealth isn't something a Hyuga heir like you can get your hands on!" Sasuke gave a sneer even colder than Fuyuki's and glared at him provocatively.
Naruto wore an utterly baffled expression. He couldn't keep up with the two rich kids at all.
A bowl of Ichiraku Ramen with all the toppings cost only 60!
Whenever he bought a few extra swimsuit magazines and ninja tools, Naruto had to catch fish in the river to eat. Now he was watching two rich kids casually toss around tuition fees of 100,000 ryo. His mind, so accustomed to poverty, couldn't process it.
Were they gods or something? Why were they so rich???
Naruto fell into deep thought.
"Come find me next to the Uchiha Clan Compound tomorrow. Remember to bring enough money! Hmph, Uchiha!" Fuyuki sneered.
"Hmph, you Hyuga..." Sasuke sneered. "If I don't get stronger, just you wait!"
"I wanna do it too..." Naruto said timidly.
Early the next morning, Sasuke stood in front of a building taller than the Hokage Office Building, looking utterly baffled.
Before the Uchiha went down, he used to come play around here with that man. How had the forest vanished overnight, replaced by a gigantic estate? And was that absurdly huge building in the center really okay? Was Lord Hokage not going to come and tear it down?
Or maybe some Lightning Release ninja would blast it to pieces!
"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto greeted him casually.
"Dead last!" Sasuke said coldly.
"Please, come inside. Young Master Fuyuki is waiting for you both in the private room on the top floor."
Hyuga Natsumi emerged from the central tower with a smile and led them into the lobby. The two boys gaped at the stylish, luxurious decor. Fuyuki had built the place like a five-star hotel from his previous life. Materials in the Naruto world were cheap; labor was the real expense.
From the outside, it looked like a stone tower. Inside, it was dazzlingly lavish, with gold-plated ornaments everywhere. Every walkway was covered in a brown patterned carpet, and the walls were lined with portraits of beautiful women that looked elegant—but each had only cost a few thousand ryo to commission.
Sasuke and Naruto couldn't handle the sight. Their faces flushed, and they quickly lowered their heads, afraid to look.
After climbing the spacious spiral staircase, Naruto and Sasuke finally reached the top floor. Fuyuki was lounging on a beanbag made of green slime, leisurely reading a book with a black cover. It was nothing like the scene Sasuke had imagined, with Fuyuki training desperately.
The place had everything for eating, drinking, and having fun—but not a single piece of training equipment in sight.
Sasuke seriously doubted how Fuyuki planned to make him stronger. Was his secret to getting strong really just eating, drinking, and having fun, then sitting on a beanbag reading Liu Bei?
"Sorry, I'm not feeling well, so I'm too lazy to get up. You two can try this for free for two days. You'll see what training is really like. After that, it's 100,000 ryo per day, no discounts."
"Try to haggle with me, and I'll break your legs!"
Fuyuki pointed at two plastic pools. "There. I've prepared medicinal baths for you. As long as you can stay in them, you don't need to do anything or even think. You'll get stronger. But first, a warning: I can only strengthen your hardware. I can't do anything about your software."
By hardware, he meant their physical fitness. He could summon Yin-Yang Spirits to nourish the human body, letting others enjoy a weaker version of the benefits of Yin-Yang Release.
But there was nothing he could do about software. Fuyuki didn't have much combat experience himself. When he fought, he either relied on the insight granted by his Byakugan or simply overwhelmed his opponent with superior strength.
"Sasuke, get into the black pool. Naruto, get into the green one. Don't mix them up," Fuyuki warned.
"What happens if we get them wrong?" Naruto asked curiously.
Sasuke turned his gaze to Fuyuki, hoping to find out what the consequences would be.
Fuyuki was silent for a moment. "I don't know. But theoretically, you'd mutate. Sasuke might turn into a purple skeleton, and Naruto might become a golden fox."
"Why would I be a golden-haired fox?" Naruto eyed Fuyuki suspiciously, sure he was hinting at something, though he didn't understand what.
"Would you rather turn into a golden-haired Great Fox, or a golden-haired Persian cat?" Fuyuki activated his Byakugan, glanced at Naruto in his shorts, and let out a cold laugh.
"You..." Naruto choked on his words. Sasuke grew wary.
"Get in!" Fuyuki ignored them and went back to the book in his hands.
It wasn't actually a book!
More precisely, it was a ledger. Every day's expenses and earnings went into it, but the pages were currently covered in red. Every available space was filled with deficits.
Yesterday, he'd only meant to pay them a visit, but he hadn't expected to trick them into becoming two powerful batteries so easily.
Sasuke paying in cash would help him cover his financial deficits.
The Hot Spring Resort hadn't taken off yet, so it was only natural to be losing money. But Fuyuki didn't want to keep asking his family for money. He'd had enough of the Hyuga Clan's finances. Wasn't it just a few tens of millions? They'd acted like it was a matter of life and death.
The Uchiha Clan's cash would go toward the losses.
Naruto's chakra would go toward the losses.
The Hot Spring Resort specialized in hot springs for beauty and healing. For the springs to have such miraculous properties, he needed to summon a large number of Yang-Attribute Lesser Spirits and toss them into the water to make it rich in Yang-Style Chakra.
Fuyuki wasn't about to supply the chakra for summoning the Summoned Beasts himself. He didn't have enough chakra as it was.
If he didn't have enough for himself, how could he give any away?!
So, capturing someone from the Uzumaki Clan was an excellent choice, especially since Naruto had the Great Fox, too!
With two big spenders on board, Fuyuki believed the hardships of launching the Hot Spring Hotel would be nothing in the face of their spending—no, not "nothing." That sounded too arrogant. They were only Sasuke and Naruto right now, not Indra and Asura. Let's call it manageable!
Three chapters today. Please vote.
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