"Ahem." Nawaki couldn't help coughing. "Can anyone really live here?"
One look at the dust told him no one had lived here for a long time.
Hyuga Akira's eye twitched twice as he looked at the single-room interior. If he lived here long enough, he would feel as though his entire life was over.
"I've got to fight monsters and do missions."
He wasn't going to stay here anymore.
Hyuga Akira led Nawaki straight out of the house.
"Come on, I'll take you to rob the rich and help the poor."
Nawaki had even learned to roll his eyes like Hyuga Akira. "And you said you didn't like making trouble for other people."
"But, boss, how are you planning to rob the rich and help the poor?"
Hyuga Akira looked thoughtfully at Nawaki. "Do you have any money?"
Nawaki quietly took two steps back. "Boss, you're not going to rob me to help yourself, are you?"
Hyuga Akira asked speechlessly, "Do I look like that kind of person?"
Nawaki shook his head. "You don't look like that kind of person."
"You are that kind of person."
Chapter 11: Life is hard, so a Hyuga performs for money
"Step right up! Don't miss out!"
On the bustling street, wire wound around Kunai cordoned off an open space. Nawaki held a gong in one hand and a wooden mallet in the other, striking it as he shouted.
Quite a few people were drawn over.
In the middle, Hyuga Akira was planting a red flag.
Written on it were the words:
Genin battles.
"Genin battles? What's this about?"
"Look at those eyes. He's from the Hyuga Clan."
"What are they trying to do?"
The people gathering around talked among themselves, unable to figure out what was going on.
Once a good number of people had gathered,
Nawaki struck the gong with his wooden mallet. Clang! The sound drowned out the crowd's chatter.
Nawaki then looked at Hyuga Akira. It was his turn to perform.
"Ahem." Hyuga Akira cleared his throat. "Friends and neighbors, life is hard, so this Hyuga is performing for money. Due to my family's financial difficulties, I've set up this fighting ring."
He cupped his hands toward the crowd and continued, "Here are the stakes: I'll put up fifty thousand ryo. Anyone who beats me wins fifty thousand ryo."
"Challenging me costs one thousand ryo per attempt. Genin only."
This was the money-making method Hyuga Akira had come up with. Not only could he earn money, but he could also earn experience.
The team captain had to take the initiative to accept missions, but Tsunade clearly wasn't in the mood to take him out of the village on missions for now.
Shinobi couldn't work in other trades, either.
Setting up a fighting ring was the only method he could think of.
He was still confident in himself. Very few people at the Genin level could beat him.
He didn't believe Genin with that kind of ability would have time to give him trouble.
As for Chunin, he had some self-awareness. For now, he was no match for them at all.
Although Chunin offered more experience, he could only look on enviously.
"Really?" Someone was itching to try.
Genin were the most numerous Shinobi in Konoha. Not everyone could become a Chunin.
Many people had spent years languishing as Genin.
"Of course." Hyuga Akira motioned for Nawaki to show them.
Nawaki reluctantly took fifty thousand ryo in banknotes out of his pocket.
Who would believe it?
For the boss to make money, his underling actually had to put up the investment.
This was all his pocket money.
But thinking of Hyuga Akira's undefeated record, he decided to support his boss.
It definitely wasn't because they were splitting the earnings fifty-fifty.
Fifty thousand ryo was a windfall even for a Genin. Soon, someone vaulted over the wire.
It was a young man, who looked at Hyuga Akira eagerly.
Hyuga Akira extended a hand, presenting the bearing of a master.
The young man reached toward his ninja tool pouch.
"Wait." Hyuga Akira suddenly stopped him.
The young man's hand stopped, and he raised an eyebrow. "What? Scared?"
Hyuga Akira shook his head and said slowly, "Naturally, challenges have rules. To prevent serious injuries or deaths, ninja tools and ninjutsu are prohibited. This will be a contest of Taijutsu only."
The young man frowned and sized Hyuga Akira up.
A Taijutsu contest against someone from the Hyuga Clan? Everyone knew the Hyuga Clan specialized in Taijutsu.
Without waiting for the young man to speak, Hyuga Akira said, "Besides, did you really think fifty thousand ryo would be that easy to win?"
The young man thought that made sense. If it were too easy, it would be giving money away. No one was that stupid.
Besides, although the Hyuga Clan specialized in Taijutsu, Hyuga Akira looked like a freshly graduated Genin. His Taijutsu might not be all that impressive.
He took his hand away from his ninja tool pouch, pushed off the ground, and charged toward Hyuga Akira.
"Wait!" Hyuga Akira waved a hand, calling a halt again.
The young man stopped abruptly, nearly crashing into Hyuga Akira. "What is it now?" he asked irritably.
Hyuga Akira rolled his pale eyes. "You haven't paid yet. What are you fighting for?"
"Even if you win, you won't get any money."
The young man gave an embarrassed smile. Nawaki came over too, holding out his hand. "Pay up."
Resigned, the young man took a thousand-ryo banknote out of his pocket and placed it in Hyuga Akira's hand.
Only after Nawaki turned and left, clearing the space, did he raise his fist again to strike Hyuga Akira.
"Wait!!" Hyuga Akira called a halt yet again.
"Will you give it a rest?!" The young man helplessly stopped moving.
The next instant, a palm struck his chest. His eyes widened, and he was about to say something very foul.
Before he could get the words out,
"Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher!"
Bang! The young man flew backward and crashed down outside the wire, his eyes rolling back as he passed out on the spot.
Hyuga Akira watched the notification flash before his eyes with satisfaction.
[Experience: 325]
This man was stronger than those two bandits from last time.
Two more, and he could level up.
Nawaki slapped his forehead as sounds of derision rose from the spectators.
This really was Hyuga Akira's style.
Hyuga Akira wasn't annoyed in the slightest. "Next."
Seeing that no one came forward and a whole group was looking at him with disdain, Hyuga Akira declared self-righteously, "It's called all's fair in war. Don't you get it? What Shinobi fights fair and square?"
"If they fought fair and square, could you even call them Shinobi?"
Seeing Hyuga Akira's attitude, taking pride in it rather than feeling ashamed,
the spectators had something on the tips of their tongues that they simply couldn't get out.
After all, he did have a little bit of a point.
Just then, a figure vaulted over the wire enclosure and landed in front of Hyuga Akira.
"You really are just as shameless as ever," the newcomer said through gritted teeth, a Gunbai emblem on his blue clothes.
"An Uchiha."
"It's actually an Uchiha."
"This should be good."
Hyuga Akira looked helplessly at the newcomer and waved him away. "Shoo, shoo. Go play somewhere else, kid."
"Bastard!!" The newcomer immediately flew into a rage.
Sōsuke Uchiha glared furiously at Hyuga Akira, tossed a thousand-ryo banknote straight at Nawaki, and charged at Hyuga Akira.
Nawaki looked at the banknote that had fallen to the ground, shook his head, and crouched to pick it up.
He knew this person, the perpetual runner-up in Hyuga Akira's year, who had always been kept down by Hyuga Akira.
He always wanted to challenge Hyuga Akira, only to lose every time.
To think he still hadn't given up on that dream after becoming a Shinobi.
After all, dreams were something you only needed to dream about.
Sōsuke Uchiha charged in fast and flew back just as fast, landing right at Nawaki's feet. Such a good sleeper, he fell asleep the moment he hit the ground.
Hyuga Akira looked at the single point of experience flashing before his eyes, his face full of dissatisfaction.
"You're already a Shinobi, and you still haven't improved at all."
Hyuga Akira had already farmed Sosuke Uchiha dry. Unless his strength improved qualitatively, he wouldn't give normal experience again.
"Next."
Hyuga Akira looked around. Now people were starting to hesitate.
One was a seemingly experienced Genin, and the other was a Shinobi from the Uchiha Clan. Both were such good sleepers.
They felt they slept pretty well too, and were a little afraid to step up.
Just as everyone was hesitating,
a figure lightly vaulted over the wire and landed in front of Hyuga Akira.
"I'll give it a try." The newcomer revealed a Byakugan identical to Hyuga Akira's.
The corners of Hyuga Akira's mouth slowly lifted.
"Hizashi Hyuga, you really have time on your hands."
Chapter 12: Who said a sneaky bastard couldn't be strong?
Hizashi Hyuga looked expressionlessly at Hyuga Akira, lowering one hand in front of him and raising the other behind him as he took his stance.
At the same time, veins bulged beside his eyes.
"Byakugan!"
Hyuga Akira likewise made the same movements as Hyuga Akira.
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