A surge in income

"Business looks good. Has it been this crowded lately, Xia Chuan?"

Karn took a look around the casino. Quite a few carriages were parked outside, and once he went in, he found it packed. A gambling table that would normally have been crowded with ten people now had at least twenty gathered around it. The casino was so noisy that anything said a little too quietly was almost impossible to hear.

Business was booming, with daily takings of over four hundred thousand ryo. Since the sums were so large, Xia Chuan handled almost all the accounts herself, without letting anyone else touch them.

"Buy all the houses behind us and on both sides. Convert some into VIP rooms and expand the premises while you're at it. Spend the casino's takings every two weeks. Xia Chuan, I'll leave you a plan in a moment. Follow it, using this casino's profits as a starting point to gradually expand throughout Kawaki Town."

"Oh, and keep twenty percent aside as operating funds."

Karn gave Xia Chuan his instructions. Money from the Shinobi World had no value to him. Unless he could turn it into resources and influence, it was no different from wastepaper.

The casino had only recently opened, but its novel games and rarely seen gambling machines had already opened the eyes of the Shinobi World's gamblers. Before long, though, others would begin copying the games in Karn's casino.

Aside from the gambling machines, the Shinobi World's casino owners would probably copy everything. If their greed got the better of them, they might even hire people to steal the machines. However, the gambling machines Karn had bought required keys. Even if someone stole them, they would stop working after a while.

Xia Chuan nodded, then asked, "Understood, boss. But what about the casino in Tanzaku Town..."

"Leave it for now. We have too few people who are both capable and trustworthy. Xia Chuan, is there anyone you'd recommend?"

Karn put the question to Xia Chuan. Although people in the Shinobi World took their promises seriously, he still had to guard against turncoats. A single casino brought in over ten million ryo a month. If he put someone he didn't trust in charge, the losses could be enormous.

His business hadn't expanded very far yet. With only Kawaki Town and Konoha to worry about, Karn could still keep an eye on things. But once it gradually spread elsewhere, he wouldn't have time to run from place to place.

He was grooming Xia Chuan now, and she was worth both his investment and his trust. But making her travel back and forth would exhaust her too, not to mention put her in considerable danger.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Chuan said, "Boss, Miwa and Nanami are both fairly capable. Nanami in particular is even a little better at arithmetic than I am..."

"Those two... All right. I'll ask them when I get back, if they're willing to leave Konoha."

Kawaki Miwa and Ota Nanami. Ota Nanami apparently belonged to the Senju Clan, but she had no talent as a ninja, so she had concealed her original name and married a commoner ninja.

However, both Ota Nanami and Kawaki Miwa had families. Not everyone could be as decisive as Xia Chuan. If they wanted to stay closer to home every day, Karn couldn't very well force them.

"Oh, boss, someone came from the capital of the Land of Fire looking for you. I think he was from Spring Beauty Bookstore. He said he had something to deliver and had to hand it to you in person."

Suddenly remembering, Xia Chuan hurried to tell Karn. This had happened three days earlier. Since she hadn't been sure whether Karn would come to Kawaki Town, she had directed the man to Konoha.

"He should be waiting for you in Konoha now. Apparently, he has to see you."

"Got it. It should be about publishing the new books. Looks like I'll have to head back."

After speaking, Karn worked out the timing in his head. Those three novels should have been published and on sale for a while now. Spring Beauty Bookstore had also taken his advice and interspersed plenty of provocative illustrations throughout them. The man looking for him was probably delivering sample copies and his earnings, as well as requesting the second volumes of all three books.

After making arrangements for Kawaki Town, Karn set off for Konoha without delay.

On the road, Karn quietly resolved to set aside more time in the future and focus on developing his influence outside Konoha.

If he acquired a position recognized by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, even the Third Hokage would have to treat him courteously. Danzo might be displeased, but assassination was about the only thing he was good at. He called himself Konoha's root, but in reality, he was just a bloodstained blade used for dirty work.

Once he returned to Konoha, Karn heard from Kawaki Miwa that Spring Beauty Bookstore had sent someone to find him. He promptly asked her to fetch the man.

While he waited for the representative from Spring Beauty Bookstore, Pepper Potts, whom Karn had fooled many times before, came by again. When she entered and spotted Karn sitting at the table, she walked over with a delighted expression.

"Boss, you're finally back after being away for so long."

"I have a lot of business to attend to, after all. Besides, the Shinobi World is enormous. Most of my time is spent on the road."

Karn spoke helplessly. His approach to Kushina was neither to initiate contact nor turn her away, unless the Konoha High Command intervened. After all, she was close to Tsunade and would become a master of Sealing Jutsu. She had considerable value.

"You get to travel all over the Shinobi World? That sounds so nice..."

"Don't envy me. It's actually exhausting. Anyway, the game shop next door opened recently. Since you're a longtime customer, I'll let you play for free for a day. Today only."

Karn still had things to handle, so he wanted to send Kushina away. But after hearing his offer, she shook her head and said,

"No thanks. I'm not interested in that. Can you let me eat whatever I want in the store instead?"

Without a second thought, Karn replied, "Three hundred thousand ryo, and you can eat whatever you want for a day. You'd be Karn Food Store's only all-you-can-eat dessert customer."

"That's too expensive!" Kushina's face fell as soon as she heard the price. Then she complained indignantly, "Boss, you took my wallet last time, and you wouldn't even treat me to barbecue..."

"Let me correct you there. You were clearly happy eating ramen. You wouldn't necessarily have been any happier eating barbecue. That was the choice your heart made."

Karn's sophistry left Kushina conflicted. She did prefer ramen to barbecue, but she'd wanted barbecue to get at least some of her money's worth back. Now that Karn had put it that way, she found herself torn between her money and the happiness of eating ramen.

Before Kushina could agonize over it for long, however, Kawaki Miwa brought in the man from Spring Beauty Bookstore.

"Mr. Karn, I've finally caught you!"

As soon as the man from Spring Beauty Bookstore came in and saw Karn, he hurried forward excitedly. He had thought he would have to wait a month or two, since Karn always disappeared for that long.

If he really had to wait that long, the second volumes would be seriously delayed. By now, Karn's three books were a treasure trove for Spring Beauty Bookstore.

"Let's talk inside."

Karn smiled, then led the man toward the room farther inside.

There will be a time skip of a few years in both the Shinobi World and the Marvel Universe. I won't go into detail about the parts focused mainly on building up his influence, or it'll just turn into a tedious chronicle.

And while I'm here, please vote!