"Ōnoki, don't publicize this too much. The fewer people who know, the better. Understand?" Mu said, fixing Ōnoki with a piercing stare.
"Understood, Master!" Ōnoki nodded excitedly.
"So, how much money did you bring with you from Iwagakure this time?" Mu asked, his gaze shifting to Ōnoki.
"I brought Iwagakure's entire nest egg with me. About ten billion ryō in total," Ōnoki said with a helpless, bitter smile.
"Ten billion ryō?!" At that number, Mu's eyes instantly turned bloodshot and scarlet, as though he had put on Sharingan contact lenses.
"Yes. Those ten billion ryō are all the spare funds Iwagakure will have over the next five years," Ōnoki said with a bitter smile, oblivious to his master's strange reaction.
"And we're staying here in Konoha for a month. Master, I didn't dare even think of bringing more, and I couldn't have managed it anyway. These ten billion are all we have."
"Ōnoki, do you trust your master?" Mu regained his composure and looked at his dear disciple, asking with an exceedingly strange smile beneath his bandages.
"Master! You're the one I trust!" Ōnoki shouted, slapping the table.
"My dear disciple, didn't I just tell you about that way to make money? I've thought it over. To avoid any slipups or mistakes, and most importantly, to keep from drawing attention, we should work separately," Mu said, tapping the table.
"Well... Master..." Ōnoki hesitated.
"What, you still don't trust your master? Do you think I'd swindle you out of your money or something? I'm right here in Konoha, and we're planning this together. Just give me half—five billion. I don't want any more than that. It's only five billion; that's hardly enough to tempt me. Give me the five billion, and we'll fight on two fronts. Then won't the entire Shinobi