Getting Away with It

Before that, the second volume of Journey to the West had sold more than a hundred copies, earning over 10,000 taels in royalties.

Two months passed.

The royalties had brought in another 60,000 taels.

Selling Special Military Ration Pills had earned him 6 million taels.

His total income came to a little over 6.07 million taels.

During that time, his clan had covered all his living expenses, including the supplementary medicines he used for training.

He had also generously helped Jiraiya and Orochimaru with various training resources, spending around 1.2 million taels.

At the moment, Xian Yu still had 4.8 million taels and a few thousand in change.

In his Space Backpack, he also had one Golden Treasure Chest and one Byakugan Treasure Chest.

Opening the Golden Treasure Chest cost 15,000 diamonds, and the Byakugan Treasure Chest cost 1,500. He couldn't afford either...

And he had already opened both Black Iron Treasure Chests.

The Treasure Chest Radar's minimap hadn't refreshed in the past two months. Xian Yu had no idea when it would refresh—or whether it would at all.

The closest chest outside the village was a Black Iron Treasure Chest, and even that was quite a distance away.

There was still a Bronze Treasure Chest inside the village that he hadn't managed to get: it was in the Hokage Building.

And Xian Yu had clearly been eyeing that Bronze Treasure Chest for quite a while...

"As a Ninja Academy student, how am I supposed to get into the Hokage Building and find that chest? I don't even know what floor or where in the building it spawned. If it appeared next to something important, like the Scroll of Sealing, it'll be even harder to get... Pretty much impossible."

Judging by the opening costs of the Golden, Silver, and Black Iron Treasure Chests, Xian Yu estimated that opening a Bronze Treasure Chest would cost 150 diamonds, or 1.5 million taels.

That was the situation: he had money, but no suitable chests!

There was no doubt that opening chests would help him grow stronger much faster.

"Ugh, I'll just let things take their course. I've been thinking about that Bronze Treasure Chest so much I'm going crazy..." After racking his brain without finding a solution, Xian Yu could only sigh in frustration.

Being born into Danzo's family had given him a great start. There were hardly any serious threats in the early stages, so he could enjoy a long, peaceful period of growth.

A child from another family who stood out too much would attract the interest of the Shinobi World's darkness.

But what about keeping a low profile? Not showing off? If someone couldn't stand out among their peers while young and full of drive, they'd lose the pride of the strong—and likely never amount to much.

Madara Uchiha was a perfect example, after all.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi and that old fox Danzo are only twenty-five or twenty-six right now. They haven't reached their peak yet. They should still be just jōnin, right? At most, elite jōnin. They definitely haven't reached Kage Level. That's why they needed five other companions to form a team of senior advisors. Oh, wait. Now there are three senior advisors and one Hokage aide. Kagami Uchiha is already dead. Speaking of Kagami Uchiha's death, there are plenty of suspicious things about it... He had a rough life, too. Neither side could accept you, huh? Konoha High Command is terrifying."

"Ugh, even if they're only jōnin, I doubt I have the slightest chance of sneaking into the heavily guarded Hokage Building. Forget it. I'm already lucky... I shouldn't get too greedy. Compared with other people starting on hell difficulty, my start is basically 'just playing around' difficulty. I should focus on growing steadily and avoid making waves early on." After wavering again and again, Xian Yu finally sighed.

"You little brat, why aren't you asleep yet? What are you mumbling about?"

The sudden voice behind him startled Xian Yu. When he realized who it was, he snapped, "You old bastard Danzo, are you trying to kill me?! Can't you make a sound when you walk? Don't you know that scaring people half to death can kill them?"

"..."

The air fell silent...

Xian Yu's face went pale. Shit, that just slipped out. I'm done for, I'm dead...

Thump! Sure enough, the next moment, a heavy punch slammed into Xian Yu's stomach. His small body flew across the room and hit the opposite wall, then slowly slid down its smooth surface...

"What did you call me?" Danzo, dressed in Anbu gear and wearing a Red Fox Mask, glared at him with murderous eyes.

"Uh... Daddy... you're back... I missed you so much." Xian Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and put on an innocent, adorable smile, though tears of humiliation welled in his eyes. ┭┮﹏┭┮

"Heh. You little brat, you've gotten bold after two months away. First, tell me what that thing is." Danzo pointed at the miniature Three-Tailed Fox lying on the bed, pretending to be dead.

"Uh... Daddy, it's a Ninja Fox, my summoning beast..."

"Oh? You've gotten pretty capable, signing a contract with a summoning beast and all."

Thump. Another punch sent Xian Yu slamming against the wall. He clung to it as a mouthful of saliva flew out, and a faint crack appeared in the wall...

"Who the hell told you to sign a contract with some random summoning beast?! You little bastard! Don't you know I have a Baku Summoning Scroll?" Danzo ripped off his Red Fox Mask and snarled. "Now tell me, what's the deal with those Special Military Ration Pills?"

Little Xian Yu suddenly sprang to his feet, pointing at the miniature Three-Tailed Fox pretending to be dead on the bed as he wailed, "It was him! It was him! He's the one!"

"He tricked me into signing the Summoning Contract, and he gave me those Special Military Ration Pills, too! He said they'd be good for me... that they'd help me get stronger faster... Daddy... if your hand's still itching, just hit him... don't hit me again, boohoohoo~" Little Xian Yu looked like a child who'd suffered a terrible injustice, worked up as if he had an endless list of grievances.

Bai Xiaoqi's beastly eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.

"Oh? You're done pretending to be dead? Little guy, can you talk? Go on, let's hear it." Danzo's grim expression immediately turned to Bai Xiaoqi.

"Hmph, you scar-faced man. Why are you being so fierce? My Fox Immortal clan of Qingqiu Mountain is every bit as powerful as Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. How dare you compare me to the mere Baku clan?" Bai Xiaoqi jerked his head aside and scoffed.

Thump! Danzo swung a punch, only to stare in shock as his fist passed right through the little fox and smashed into the bed, collapsing it.

"Since you summoned the Baku clan, you should know the reputation of our great Sage Lands, shouldn't you? And you still dare attack me?" The little fox continued floating in the same spot, completely unharmed.

Danzo snorted. "You dare show off a mere illusion in front of me?"

With his snort, everything before him warped.

It was still the same room, and the bed that should have collapsed was perfectly intact.

But the little fox on it had vanished.

Everything he'd seen before had been an illusion.

"You're pretty quick to run." Danzo snorted again. He said nothing more and disappeared with a Body Flicker Technique.

Xian Yu looked at the faint cracks in the wall and twitched his lips. "It's a good thing I've been feeding Bai Xiaoqi Spirit Rice all this time. His illusions have grown a whole level stronger. But that old bastard Danzo's improved way too fast! It looks like even if he hasn't quite reached elite jōnin level, he's not far off. Xiao Qi had the element of surprise, and Danzo still detected and dispelled the illusion that quickly... Whew, but I think I managed to fool him. The Special Military Ration Pills should be behind us now."

It was already late at night. Danzo, who had returned after a long night away, was exhausted and went straight to his room to lie down. He muttered, "I've never heard of a fourth Sage Land called Qingqiu Mountain. Could it be a Sage Land that hasn't emerged yet? Still, that summoning beast knew the names of the Three Great Sage Lands and had such a bold attitude. It must have some background. Sigh, forget it. Let him be."