After Chi Yu departed, Raiga Kurosuki stretched and groaned, "Jindai, we've been eating like stray dogs for days. We're about to receive two million ryō—how about we treat ourselves to a proper meal?"
Yahiko lit up immediately. "That's more like it! Let's go!"
---
Back in Konoha, Chi Yu returned to his residence, opened a hidden compartment, and withdrew two million ryō from his personal stash. He wrote a note and sealed it in a scroll, then handed it to his summoned beast for delivery to Tanzaku Town.
---
Three days later.
On a bench in Tanzaku Town, three figures lay sprawled out like corpses under the midday sun—Yahiko, Pakura, and Raiga Kurosuki.
Flashback—Three days ago.
Right after Chi Yu left, the trio decided to celebrate the imminent arrival of funds with a feast at a high-end sushi restaurant. The final bill came to 10,000 ryō.
Unfortunately, the total cash they had at the time—including the money Chi Yu had advanced and what Yahiko had on him—was only 11,000 ryō.
With a single meal devouring 10,000 ryō, they were left with a pitiful 1,000 ryō between them.
Upon leaving the restaurant, reality hit hard. The journey from Konoha to Tanzaku typically took two days, three if rushed. Which meant they'd be stuck in town for at least another three days before the summoned beast arrived with the full sum.
The cheapest ramen bowl in Tanzaku cost 100 ryō. At three meals a day for three people, that was 900 ryō per day. With only 1,000 ryō left, they could afford to eat for just one day. Starvation awaited.
In theory, if they shared one bowl per meal and rationed carefully, they might have lasted. But Tanzaku Town was teeming with casinos.
So they gambled it all on one hand, hoping to turn their 1,000 ryō into 100,000.
Predictably, they lost everything.
And now, here they lay—broke, hungry, and humiliated.
Pakura clutched her stomach. "Hey, Jindai, when is the leader's money coming?"
Yahiko groaned. "No clue…"
Raiga grumbled, "Why don't you urge him again?"
"I already did," Yahiko sighed. "He said the summoned beast is on its way and told me not to contact him again. I think he sensed something… and I really don't want to get scolded."
Raiga hung his head in defeat. "To think I was once an Elite Jōnin of Kirigakure... one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen... reduced to this mess. The shame…"
Pakura and Yahiko nodded solemnly.
At that moment, a sharp voice hissed from the ground, "You three look like a bunch of washed-up vagabonds. Are you Lord Chi Yu's companions?"
All three sat up with a start, eyes gleaming ominously, as they focused on the small green snake coiled before them.
The snake shrank back nervously. "W-Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yahiko lunged forward and seized it. "You're Chi Yu's summoned beast, right? Hand over the money!"
The snake wriggled furiously in his grip. "Let go of me, you spiky-haired freeloader!"
Pakura squinted. "Snakes… are edible, right?"
Raiga licked his lips. "Yeah. They taste kinda like chicken."
The snake's beady eyes widened in terror.
"I-I'm here to give you money! If you eat me, you'll lose it!"
They froze. Then, as if struck by divine revelation, they carefully set the snake down, their expressions instantly changing to gentle, apologetic smiles.
"Misunderstanding! A total misunderstanding!" Yahiko chuckled nervously. "Where's the money?"
"Wait."
The snake's belly undulated. "Blegh—"
It coughed up a sticky scroll.
"This is it," the snake wheezed. "The money's in here, you lunatics."
Before any of them could respond, the snake vanished in a puff of smoke, clearly traumatized.
The three stared at the spot where it had disappeared.
"…Did that snake insult us?"
"Yeah," Raiga muttered, "I think it's been insulting us since the moment it got here."
"Rude little thing," Pakura grumbled.
Still, all was forgiven when their eyes landed on the scroll.
Yahiko ignored the goo and cracked the seal. A Tsukuyomi Seal activated, and in an instant, stacks of money unfurled from within.
The three of them burst into idiotic laughter.
But the ruckus had drawn attention. Tanzaku Town was no stranger to petty criminals, and a crowd began forming—eyes glinting at the sight of the cash.
One man reached toward the scattered bills.
Raiga's hand flashed. Drawing the Kiba blades, lightning surged around his body as he slashed forward. The man yelped and jumped back just in time to avoid losing his hand.
"I dare anyone to touch our money," Raiga growled. "I'll make sure you leave with a gravestone."
The crowd immediately scattered, intimidated by Raiga's aura.
Meanwhile, Yahiko and Pakura scrambled to collect every last note.
With their fortune secured, the trio stood tall, radiating confidence.
"Let's go!" Yahiko declared. "And this time, we're really eating like kings!"
---
Konoha.
Uzumaki Kushina sat on a porch bench beside Chi Yu, watching him frown.
"Chi Yu? What's wrong? You look uneasy."
Chi Yu forced a smile. "I don't know… I've got a bad feeling."
Kushina raised a brow. "Is it about your Akatsuki? I thought you said Yahiko and the others were capable. Nothing to worry about, right?"
Chi Yu exhaled. "It's not their strength I'm worried about. It's their spending. Right after I left Tanzaku, Yahiko contacted me—asking when the money would arrive. But I gave them over 8,000 ryō before I left, and told them it should last three or four days. He shouldn't have needed to reach out that quickly."
"You think they burned through the money already?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Chi Yu muttered. "Yahiko's impulsive, and Raiga… well, let's just say Pakura's the only one I somewhat trust with money."
Kushina chuckled softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're probably overthinking it."
"…Maybe."
But deep down, Chi Yu wasn't so sure.
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