A Fright

Besides Nonō, there were two other children eligible to attend the Ninja Academy. Karn brought them back to the Food Store with him.

Children from orphanages faced fiercer competition if they wanted to attend the Ninja Academy. Without exceptional talent, they would not even qualify. They generally did not receive the stipends Konoha provided, either, since they were not the children of ninja. The best treatment they could hope for was a tuition waiver.

On top of that, training increased a ninja's appetite, and replacing worn-out kunai and shuriken added up to a considerable expense every year. Yakushi Nonō's two-plus years at the Ninja Academy had already become more than the orphanage could bear. That was why she had insisted on dropping out after learning of its financial difficulties.

As Karn brought them back, he thought that if he had not intervened, Yakushi Nonō might have caught Root's attention and received its financial support.

Once they reached the Food Store, Karn prepared some desserts and tea before telling them, "You can attend school without worrying from now on. Every month, an employee from the Food Store will deliver money for your expenses to the orphanage. If you do well, there will be extra rewards, too."

The other two, slightly younger children were simply delighted to hear this. They were clever, but still lacked experience in dealing with people.

Yakushi Nonō, however, looked puzzled. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "May I ask why you chose to help us, Mr. Karn?"

"I simply see promise in your futures. I believe you'll become strong someday. After you graduate from the Ninja Academy, one of you might become Hokage or Medical Minister. You can repay me then."

When Karn mentioned becoming Hokage, the other two children grew excited and declared that they would become powerful ninja like the Hokage someday. Yakushi Nonō nodded after hearing him out. Although she still did not quite understand, she could not sense anything wrong.

Besides, both she and the orphanage needed Mr. Karn's help. Even if she dropped out of the Ninja Academy, it would not do much to ease the orphanage's burden.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Karn."

Yakushi Nonō stood up and bowed to Karn as she thanked him.

"There's no need to be so formal. If you're interested in Medical Ninjutsu, you can make some time to visit the Karn Pharmacy next door. The manager there, Jie Kang, used to be a Medical Ninja. He might be able to help you."

Karn was very pleased with Yakushi Nonō's behavior. At eight years old, she already showed a level of caution beyond her peers, and she had thought to repay the orphanage by dropping out. To recruit someone like her, he needed to grant her a favor she could never repay. Then, once she had completed her training, she would naturally find it hard to turn him down.

Someone who valued personal bonds would not overlook the help Karn had given her. With Yakushi Nonō's talent, as long as Karn took care of the orphanage's problems, she could devote herself fully to helping him without any worries.

Nonō and the other two did not stay long before leaving. Around then, Kawaki Miwa returned as well. She had just visited the other two orphanages and told their directors that Karn could sponsor eligible orphans to attend school. The good news had delighted them.

After Kawaki Miwa left, the directors of both orphanages expressed their gratitude to Karn.

Supporting orphanages was a good deed, and sponsoring their children's schooling was another. Even the Third Hokage and his people probably could not foresee its impact ten years down the line. Barring any surprises, even the most talented student would only be a Genin upon graduating from the Ninja Academy-and a Genin without any inherited ninjutsu at that.

Still, Karn had always believed that money could solve ninety-nine percent of the problems in the Shinobi World. Even peace could be achieved through money.

The dedicated enforcer for Karn's casino was Kakuzu, who was proficient in ninjutsu of all five chakra natures. He knew at least several dozen techniques. When the time came, Karn could simply buy them from him.

"Miwa, is the third shop ready?"

Kawaki Miwa nodded. "It's all ready, boss. We've also hired all the staff according to your requirements."

"Then get ready to open. Xia Chuan should be delivering the game consoles soon. Keep an eye on things when they arrive," Karn told Kawaki Miwa. After some consideration, he had decided to postpone opening a casino in Konoha. There would not be enough customers, so he would be better off opening one in a bustling town in the Land of Fire.

Tsunade had yet to evolve into a big fat mark, and other ninja were unlikely to develop a gambling habit. An arcade was different. Boss Karn liked making money off children and women.

"Understood, boss."

With that, Kawaki Miwa left to prepare for the arcade's opening.

Karn then began thinking things over carefully again. He had been here for nearly two months and had only opened three shops. That was hardly a fast pace. It was also about time he tried learning ninjutsu. Learning the Three Basic Techniques and the Shadow Clone Technique would be enough. Although he would still be a weakling in the ninja world, once he returned to the Marvel Universe, his ability to stay alive would more than double.

In particular, combining the Transformation Technique with the Shadow Clone Technique would be impossible to see through without extraordinary powers. Not even S.H.I.E.L.D. could do it.

However, it would be best to keep his intention to learn ninjutsu hidden from Konoha. They would be less suspicious of an ordinary person, but that might change if he became a ninja.

I'll find some time to ask Xia Chuan first. If she can't help, I'll ask Kakuzu, Karn thought, making up his mind.

Just then, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Karn wondered who would come over at this hour.

Soon, the door opened, and Kawaki Miwa poked her head inside. Seeing Karn, she smiled and said, "Boss Karn-"

Bang, bang, bang!

Karn immediately pulled out a submachine gun and fired several shots into the floor in front of the door. Then he demanded coldly, "Release the Transformation Technique right now, or I'll-"

"Okay, okay! It's me, Kushina! I just wanted to play a joke on you."

Poof.

"Kawaki Miwa" spoke hurriedly. A cloud of smoke rose around her, revealing Kushina's true appearance.

Those shots had given Kushina quite a fright. Before she could even finish speaking, a strange weapon had appeared in Karn's hands, followed by flashes of fire. Facing its muzzle, she had felt an intense sense of danger.

She cautiously glanced at the holes in the floor. If those shots had hit her, she would have been seriously injured at the very least. This weapon seemed even more powerful than the kunai she threw.

"Oh, it's you, Kushina."

Although Karn breathed a sigh of relief, his expression remained grim. She had really startled him this time. He had thought an enemy had come to his door disguised as Kawaki Miwa, and he had been ready to travel back at any moment.

"Don't you know you can scare someone to death doing that?!"