Chapter 31: So You Two Went on a Date
"Well now, this is a rare sight. We have new customers today."
The newcomer saw Akiyama Makoto and Tenten and showed a seemingly simple and honest smile. "My name is Shimura Taiji. I'm a big fan of this restaurant's food."
"If you two are eating here as well, how about we have a drink together later?"
He squinted, a playful glint seeming to flash in his eyes. "After all, Lord Guy and I have a senior-junior relationship. We can take this opportunity to get closer."
Makoto sized the man up. It seemed he was indeed here to make trouble for the owner on behalf of those two Genin. And compared to those two, who had directly assaulted a civilian, this Chūnin was clearly smarter and more difficult to deal with.
Running up a tab and not paying—even if this matter were brought before the Hokage, the worst that could happen is he'd have to pay the money back. He would face almost no criminal charges. Afterward, he could continue to use similar methods to bully Kawakami Kazune. If the owner didn't have the courage to fight back indefinitely, closing the shop was a rational choice.
Tenten couldn't think as far ahead as Makoto. Once she understood what was happening, she glared at the man and said, "So you're the one who's been eating here every day without paying? You've already pushed the owner to the point where she can't even keep her shop open!"
Shimura Taiji's smile vanished. "Junior, it's true I don't have the money to pay right now, but that's no reason for you to slander me."
"To say that a big restaurant like this is going out of business because of one person's meals is slander."
"The Shimura clan will not acknowledge such slander!"
Tenten's face turned pale with anger. "Does the Shimura clan eat without paying?"
"How dare you! Eating without paying is my personal business. What does it have to do with the Shimura clan?"
Tenten was speechless, seemingly unable to believe that such a shameless person could exist in the world. She could only tentatively look towards Makoto. She didn't expect him to be able to solve the problem, but rather wanted to discuss with him whether they could help the pitiful owner.
Shimura Taiji also stared at Makoto, his eyes full of mockery. He had scolded his two subordinates more than once for being brainless. How hard could it be to handle an ordinary person? They just had to go and get themselves thrown in jail, leaving him with no one to use and unable to take on missions for some time. This debt, naturally, had to be settled with certain people.
"Makoto-kun, Lady Tenten, you should go," the owner's eyes were now completely devoid of light. She said timidly, "I can't keep the shop open anymore. I'm sure Lord Shimura won't hold it against me."
"Really closing? Aww, what a pity. I really love the taste of your barbecue."
"How about this? You transfer the shop to me. I'll find someone to run it. Same deal, it'll be on a tab, and I'll pay you later..."
Tenten couldn't bear it any longer and blurted out, "Shameless!"
"Junior, stay out of adults' business." Taiji cleaned his ear, a look of complete indifference on his face. He was certain he had this widow right where he wanted her. Even if things got escalated to the Hokage's Office, he wasn't afraid.
Makoto had remained silent, thinking about what to do. The most rational decision would be to do nothing. After all, he had no real relationship with the owner; technically, she still owed him wages. More importantly, this Chūnin's surname was Shimura. If he angered him, he might even go to Shimura Danzō with some fabricated complaint.
But this situation reminded him of that night when he was being choked by a Genin. If he just walked away now, what was the point of all his hard work these past few days? No matter how arrogant this guy was, he was just a Chūnin. If it were a one-on-one fight right now, as long as he didn't have any special jutsu, Makoto was very confident he could win. If he became fearful just because of the man's surname, Makoto felt that in the coming years, he might never have the courage to face the terrifying enemies that lay ahead.
"Hey, you two, are you leaving or not?"
"Don't hold up the owner's business, alright?"
Taiji's voice grew impatient. He didn't want to keep up this act; it was tiring.
At this moment, Akiyama Makoto suddenly laughed. The smile seemed gentle, but it sent a sudden chill down Taiji's spine.
"Tenten, did you bring any money?"
"I did! How much do you need?" Tenten took out a ninjutsu scroll. It contained over 200,000 Ryō, including the 150,000 she was going to give to him.
"100,000 Ryō."
"You got it!" Tenten formed a hand seal, summoned 100,000 Ryō, and handed it to Makoto.
He then gave it to the owner. To her astonished expression, he said, "I plan to invest in this shop. I'll take thirty percent of the monthly profits. Do you agree, Ma'am?"
A flicker of hope appeared in the owner's eyes, but it dimmed just as quickly. She glanced fearfully at Taiji, whose face had now become extremely grim.
"Great! An investment is great! That means I can keep eating here, right? Hahaha! Ma'am, hurry up and go buy ingredients, then start cooking."
Seeing the hope in the owner's eyes turn to despair, Makoto said with a smile, "If the business loses money, you won't be held responsible."
"Investing has its risks. I'm well aware of that."
The owner's hand stretched out, trembling, but a cold snort from Taiji made her shrink back again.
Just then, Tenten handed 50,000 Ryō to the owner. "I'll invest 50,000 Ryō too. I only need a five percent share of the profits."
Taiji's gaze sharpened. He was about to do something when a cheerful voice rang out. "Then I'll invest 50,000 Ryō as well."
Everyone turned their heads. Ino walked over to Makoto's side with her hands behind her back and a grin on her face. She looked Makoto and Tenten up and down. "I was looking for you all morning. So you two went on a date..."
"It wasn't a date!" Tenten quickly denied. "I was just taking Makoto-kun to train."
But from her darting eyes, it was likely even Tenten herself didn't believe what she had just said.
"Alright, alright, I don't care what you two were doing, but next time, at least leave a note on the door."
"Makoto-kun, you're a minor celebrity in Konoha now. You should let people know where you've gone."
Makoto understood the hidden meaning in her words. He feigned regret and lightly tapped his forehead. "My mistake, Miss Ino. I'll be more careful in the future."
Hearing the name "Ino," Taiji's expression turned ugly, but he still stood his ground, unmoving.
Hope finally ignited in the owner's eyes. She tremblingly took the money from the three of them, tears welling up. "I will definitely work hard to earn money. Please wait for my good news."
"Good, good, that's the spirit!" Taiji said with a cold face. "Prepare my food. I'm in a good mood today, so I'm going to eat a lot."
With that, Makoto, Tenten, and Ino watched as he and the owner went into the shop.
Only then did Ino say, "This isn't a long-term solution. My name can only stop him from acting recklessly. The issue of him not paying his debt is still difficult to solve."
"Should I file a complaint with the Hokage's Office in my name?" Tenten asked tentatively.
But Makoto shook his head and said with a confident smile, "Leave it to me."
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