Every morning, a long line formed in an alley in the Uchiha Clan Compound.
The line included ninja dressed in Uchiha Clan Uniforms, women holding children, and even a few white-haired elders. They all had just one destination—Uchiha Rìtiān's ice cream stall.
"Hey, hey, slow down! One at a time!" Uchiha Rìtiān stood behind his little cart with a homemade ice cream scoop in hand, busily serving customers.
Beside him, Itachi helped collect payments with a look of exasperation. "Could you stop smearing ice cream on the customers' faces every single time?"
"Whoops, my mistake!" Uchiha Rìtiān chuckled and handed a scoop of chocolate ice cream to Uchiha Daisuke in front of him. "Daisuke, here's your double scoop! I'm in a good mood today, so I gave you an extra half scoop!"
The corner of Daisuke's mouth twitched as he took the ice cream. Ever since Uchiha Rìtiān had thrashed him last time, he had become a regular here, ostensibly to "observe the enemy." In reality, he ate three or four scoops every visit.
Just then, a dark figure flashed past the mouth of the alley and quickly vanished again.
Uchiha Rìtiān's Sharingan shifted slightly, but he pretended not to have seen anything and continued selling ice cream.
[Ding! Detected that the Host is being watched by an unidentified individual. Choice triggered!] [Option one: pretend not to notice and continue selling ice cream in the Clan Grounds. Reward: chakra refinement efficiency increased by 5%.] [Option two: take the initiative, catch the observer, and question them. Reward: basic taijutsu +1.] [Option three: expand your business onto Konoha Main Street and earn money openly. Rewards: business talent +1, Business License obtained (special item).]
Uchiha Rìtiān's eyes lit up. A Business License? That's good stuff! You need a license signed by the Hokage to do business in Konoha.
I choose three! Uchiha Rìtiān said silently.
[Ding! Selection successful! Business License delivered to System Space!]
Uchiha Rìtiān was delighted. The little market within the Clan Grounds had long since ceased to satisfy him. It was time to expand across all of Konoha!
That very evening, Uchiha Rìtiān pulled Itachi aside to discuss opening a shop.
"You want to open a shop on Konoha Main Street?" Itachi frowned. "Does Father know?"
"Oh, come on, I'm already five! What's wrong with running a little business?" Uchiha Rìtiān waved a hand. "Besides, I'm bringing honor to the Uchiha Clan! In the future, everyone in Konoha will be eating our Uchiha ice cream. Think of the prestige!"
The corner of Itachi's mouth twitched. Somehow, he could not refute that logic.
"Besides," Uchiha Rìtiān lowered his voice, "someone was watching our ice cream stall today. Probably someone from the Konoha High Command. Rather than sneaking around, we might as well open a shop out in the open and let them look all they want."
Itachi fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "That makes sense."
The next day, Uchiha Rìtiān took his Business License to Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku looked at the license bearing the Hokage's seal, then at his son, who was only five, and was overcome with mixed feelings. Other people's five-year-olds were still playing in the mud, while his five-year-old son was already about to open a shop on the main street?
"Take Itachi with you." In the end, that was all Fugaku said.
Three days later, a little shop named "Uchiha Ice Cream" officially opened in the busiest stretch of Konoha Main Street.
On opening day, Uchiha Rìtiān held a big promotion-free samples for the first hundred customers! Word spread from person to person, and a long line soon formed outside the shop.
"Wow, so this is ice cream? It's so good!" A little girl with a ponytail licked her strawberry ice cream, her eyes lighting up.
Uchiha Rìtiān stood behind the counter, smiling so broadly that his eyes narrowed to slits. He wore a miniature Uchiha Clan Uniform, with a little badge on his chest that read "Manager."
Itachi stood beside him collecting payments, his face expressionless but his movements brisk.
A fat man from the Akimichi Clan squeezed forward and skeptically bought a vanilla ice cream. One bite made his eyes go round. "Delicious! Absolutely delicious! Give me twenty more!"
Business was so outrageously good that they sold out of their prepared ingredients in half a day.
Just then, an elderly voice came from beyond the crowd. "Make way. Let this old man try this legendary ice cream too."
Everyone turned to see a white-haired old man in a bamboo hat standing there, accompanied by an ANBU member.
Uchiha Rìtiān took a closer look. Holy crap, the Third Hokage?! What's this old man doing here?
The Third Hokage removed his hat, revealing a kindly face, and smiled at Uchiha Rìtiān. "Young man, are you the owner of this shop?"
Thoughts raced through Uchiha Rìtiān's mind. The Third has come in person. Is he here to test me? Or does he just want ice cream? Whatever, the customer is king!
"Yes, I am! What flavor would you like, Grandpa?" Uchiha Rìtiān gave him an innocent smile. "If this is your first visit, I recommend classic vanilla. It's perfect for all ages!"
The Third Hokage laughed heartily. "All right, vanilla it is!"
Uchiha Rìtiān quickly scooped one and handed it over. The Third took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up. "Mmm! Delicious! Cool and refreshing, sweet without being cloying. This really is good!"
When the people around them saw that even Lord Hokage praised the ice cream, they bought it with even greater enthusiasm.
As the Third ate his ice cream, he studied Uchiha Rìtiān with a smile. "Young man, what's your name?"
"My name is Uchiha Rìtiān!" Uchiha Rìtiān answered loudly, then leaned closer and whispered, "Grandpa, you're Lord Hokage, aren't you? I recognize you! There's a carving of you on Hokage Rock, but you look much better in person!"
The Third burst into laughter. "You little rascal, what a sweet talker!"
He glanced at Itachi beside him, then nodded thoughtfully. "The children of the Uchiha Clan really are extraordinary."
With that, the Third bought a few more ice creams, saying he would take them back for others to try, then left with the ANBU member.
Watching the Third walk away, Uchiha Rìtiān muttered inwardly, This old man said he came for ice cream, but he was actually here to gather intelligence, wasn't he? Still, he was not afraid. After all, he was just a five-year-old selling ice cream.
After the Third left, business at the ice cream shop grew even better. Ice cream that even Lord Hokage came to eat? They simply had to try it!
At the end of the day, Uchiha Rìtiān tallied the accounts. He had earned more than he would in a week of selling in the Clan Grounds!
"We're rich! We're rich!" Clutching his money pouch, Uchiha Rìtiān grinned from ear to ear.
Itachi dampened his excitement from beside him. "Don't celebrate too soon. The Konoha High Command has already noticed you."
"So what if they have?" Uchiha Rìtiān waved a hand dismissively. "I'm a five-year-old selling ice cream. What could they possibly do to me?"
Just as Uchiha Rìtiān was about to close up for the day, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
[Ding! Detected that the Konoha High Command has taken an interest in the Host. Hidden mission triggered!] [Mission name: Konoha's Little Tycoon] [Mission requirement: make the ice cream shop the most profitable shop in Konoha within three months.] [Mission reward: random Kekkei Genkai fragment x1.]
Uchiha Rìtiān's eyes lit up. A random Kekkei Genkai fragment? That's good stuff!
"Don't worry, system. I accept this mission!" Uchiha Rìtiān rubbed his hands together eagerly. "The most profitable shop in Konoha? Piece of cake!"
What Uchiha Rìtiān did not know, however, was that somewhere beyond his sight, a pair of Byakugan eyes was watching his ice cream shop from far away.
"Uchiha Rìtiān? Interesting..." a cool voice murmured.
The next day, no sooner had Uchiha Rìtiān opened his ice cream shop than a group of uninvited guests arrived.
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