With a thought from Zhang Yu, the status panel appeared.
[Host: Zhang Yu] [Identity: owner of the Undead Tavern] [Chakra: none] [Kekkei Genkai: none] [Ninjutsu: none] [Taijutsu: rudimentary] [Overall strength: ordinary person, slightly stronger physique] [Gold: 0] [Employees: Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju] [Summons: 0]
Looking at all those entries marked "none," Zhang Yu's mouth twitched.
When other people transmigrated into the world of Naruto, they either awakened special eyes or a Sage Body.
As for him...
He had nothing!
The only thing that made him stronger than an ordinary person was that years of carrying wine jars and wiping tables had made him a little sturdier than the average civilian.
Plainly put, he was just an ordinary, well-built man.
At his level of strength, even running into a Genin on the streets of Konoha would be trouble.
Never mind the monsters who would casually destroy villages and wipe out countries in the future.
Zhang Yu looked at the grayed-out goods in the shop, his desire to grow stronger burning ever brighter.
Rinnegan.
Sage Body.
Wood Release.
Flying Thunder God.
Eight Gates Released Formation.
He couldn't afford any of them yet, and they hadn't been unlocked.
But as long as the tavern got up and running and the missions kept refreshing, one day he too could truly stand at the top of this world.
Madara couldn't see the panel, but he could tell what Zhang Yu was thinking.
"You want to use our fame to help yourself grow stronger."
Zhang Yu nodded.
"That's right."
"I won't deny it."
"I'm too weak right now. Without your protection, any ninja could kill me."
"Since the system gave me this tavern, of course I'm going to make the most of it."
Hashirama, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.
"If that's all, I have no objection."
Madara glanced at him.
Hashirama said seriously, "The boss wanting to grow stronger is better than him wanting to destroy Konoha."
Zhang Yu smiled. "Don't worry. I have no interest in destroying Konoha."
Hashirama hesitated for a moment, then suddenly rubbed his hands together.
"Boss, when you have more summons in the future, could you summon someone for me?"
Zhang Yu looked at him.
"Tobirama?"
Hashirama's eyes lit up at once.
"Yes! My little brother!"
"Tobirama may be a little stubborn, and he doesn't always speak nicely. He's always scowling too, but he's very capable."
"If he could come out too, he'd be a great help to the tavern."
Madara sneered.
"If that white-haired guy came out, the first thing he'd probably do is figure out how to tear this tavern apart."
Hashirama hurriedly said, "Tobirama isn't that kind of person!"
Madara said coolly, "He is."
Hashirama wanted to explain further, but Zhang Yu raised a hand to interrupt him.
"All right. If the opportunity comes up, I'll consider it."
An expectant look immediately appeared on Hashirama's face.
"Really?"
"Really."
Zhang Yu spoke with assurance.
But he knew perfectly well.
He had zero summons right now.
Never mind Tobirama Senju; he couldn't summon even an ordinary undead.
First, he'd keep Hashirama content with an empty promise.
"But the time isn't right yet."
Zhang Yu added.
Hashirama nodded emphatically.
"I understand. You have your own plans, boss."
Madara glanced at Zhang Yu, seemingly seeing through him a little, but said nothing to expose him.
Just then, an impatient voice came from the tavern entrance.
"A new tavern?"
A light-haired ninja walked in.
He wore a Forehead Protector and a somewhat arrogant expression. His chin was raised slightly as he walked, as though entering a little shop like this was doing the owner a favor.
When Zhang Yu got a clear look at his face, his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Mizuki.
A teacher at the Ninja Academy.
He was also the guy who tricked Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals in the original story.
Mizuki glanced around the tavern, his gaze passing over Hashirama and Madara without recognizing either of them.
As far as he was concerned, they were just two employees wearing strange armor.
He walked up to the bar and tapped the menu with his finger.
"Two hundred ryo for a bottle of beer?"
"Boss, are you running a robbery in this dump?"
Zhang Yu's expression didn't change.
"It's the tavern's specialty, and the price is clearly marked."
Mizuki scoffed.
"Specialty?"
"Looks like cheap booze you're passing off on people to me."
"Get me a bottle and put it on my tab for now."
Hashirama frowned.
Before Zhang Yu could speak, Madara had already raised his head.
"Pay."
Mizuki's face darkened.
"You're just a waiter. How dare you talk to me like that?"
He raised a hand and tapped his Forehead Protector.
"Take a good look. I'm a Konoha Ninja."
"A little shop like yours can only stay open in Konoha because the village protects you."
"I'm doing you a favor by coming here for a drink."
At those words, Hashirama's expression soured as well.
He had founded Konoha so children wouldn't have to go to war and civilians could live in peace.
Not so ninjas could use their Forehead Protectors to bully ordinary people.
Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes.
It really was a classic villain's opening.
Mizuki had no idea who was standing in front of him and still thought this was an ordinary tavern.
Zhang Yu was just about to speak when Madara slowly rose to his feet.
He merely looked up at Mizuki.
The next instant, a terrifying wave of killing intent pressed down on him.
The arrogance on Mizuki's face froze on the spot.
He felt as though the tavern before him had vanished.
The tables were gone.
The bar was gone.
Even the lamplight was gone.
In their place were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a battlefield covered in fallen ninjas, and a god of slaughter standing at its center, looking down on all living things.
Mizuki's legs gave out, and he nearly fell to his knees.
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead and streamed along his cheeks.
His throat felt as though a hand had closed around it, making even breathing difficult.
"Y-you..."
Mizuki's teeth chattered, and he couldn't get a complete sentence out.
Hashirama looked at Madara, his voice growing somewhat grave.
"Madara."
Zhang Yu spoke up immediately as well.
"All right, don't scare him to death in the tavern."
Only then did Madara look away.
The killing intent vanished in an instant.
Mizuki collapsed on the floor, drenched as though he'd just been pulled from water, gasping for breath.
There wasn't a trace of arrogance left in his gaze as he looked at Madara, only fear.
In that instant, he had truly thought he was dead.
No.
It was worse than death.
That oppressive feeling was more than a Chunin could bear.
Zhang Yu walked up to him and said calmly, "Still want that drink?"
Mizuki shuddered all over and scrambled toward the door.
"No! I don't want it!"
"I'm leaving right now!"
With that, he couldn't even keep his footing as he fled the tavern in terror, not daring to look back.
The tavern fell quiet again.
Hashirama looked at the entrance and sighed.
"Not every Konoha Ninja these days knows how to respect ordinary people."
Madara sneered.
"That's how ninjas have always been."
Zhang Yu didn't reply.
Because the second after Mizuki fled the tavern, the familiar system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding!] [Key story character detected: Mizuki.] [Main quest triggered.] [Quest name: theft of the Scroll of Seals] [Quest description: the Scroll of Seals is about to be stolen. Host, please dispatch tavern members to retrieve it.] [Quest rewards: 1,000 gold, summons +1.]
Zhang Yu's breath caught.
The Scroll of Seals.
It was finally here.
This was one of Konoha's most important forbidden technique scrolls.
Multiple Shadow Clone, Flying Thunder God, Impure World Reincarnation-so many forbidden techniques were connected to it.