Chapter 262. Wait For Me!
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The upheaval within the Twelve Guardian Ninja didn't cause much of a stir online. It seemed to have been deliberately suppressed, so the available information was quite limited—just enough for people to sigh and remark:
"Workplace politics in the city... It's not easy!"
Meanwhile.
This was one of the Five Great Nations, which had yet to be fully connected to the internet—the Land of Earth.
Inside Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of Both Scales, the oldest Kage still in power among the Five Great Ninja Villages, sat with his hands clasped under his chin, frowning as he studied the intelligence report before him.
After a brief silence.
He looked up, his expression stern as he addressed the Iwa ninja standing before him. "Has the situation been fully investigated?"
"Not yet, Tsuchikage-sama," the Iwa ninja replied with a wry smile. "The one who commissioned the task was a villager from a certain rural area. He said that a group of people arrived in their village a few years ago, and their parents were deceived into investing all their family savings—tens of thousands of ryo—into some kind of financial scheme. They were promised a 40% return on their investment within a year."
"Did they receive it?"
"Yes, they did get 40% of their principal back, so more people started investing even larger sums."
"So you still haven't determined if it's a scam or not?"
"Yes. They have, so far, fulfilled the agreement." The Iwa ninja nodded, then continued with a bitter smile, "After further investigation, it turns out that many of the people who invested in the first batch made a fortune. The company, [RootTalks Finance], has now entered its fifth and final batch of investments here in the Land of Earth. Over ten thousand people have already joined, believing this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Plus…"
He paused.
"They never force anyone to invest—it's all voluntary. Their staff is incredibly friendly, often helping villagers with farm work. If you visit their homes, they even give you a fish as a gift."
"That doesn't sound like a scam at all." Onoki raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, why did someone commission an investigation from us?"
While this seemed like a purely civilian financial matter with no involvement from ninjas, someone had still formally commissioned Iwagakure to look into it—so naturally, as ninja, they had to take the request seriously.
"I heard that some people have their doubts. In addition, many parents have become obsessed with this scheme, and some elders are so caught up in the dream of getting rich that they've completely neglected their families. This has caused quite a stir, and their children feel uneasy about their parents handing over their money so easily. So, they hope Iwagakure will investigate it."
The Iwa ninja adjusted his glasses and added thoughtfully, "Maybe it's because the staff are too polite and persuasive—they help out around the village, they're respectful, and they make the elders feel valued. The children, on the other hand, feel pushed aside. That's probably why they're upset."
"What about the investigation team we sent?"
"No significant findings yet. But…" The Iwa ninja hesitated before continuing, "The next scheduled profit distribution is in less than a month. The people who haven't received their full principal back were told that their money is currently 'generating more money.' Because of this, they claim they can't release the funds right now. If we wait until then, we might get some answers."
"One month?" Onoki nodded, then waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. Let the team handle the mission as they see fit."
It was just a C-rank mission—if it weren't for the sheer number of complaints reaching his desk, he wouldn't have even bothered looking into it.
"Now go down and carry out the mission!"
"Yes!"
The Iwa ninja bowed and was about to leave when—
"Wait."
Onoki seemed to have thought of something and asked again, "What's the name of that company again?"
"[RootTalks Finance]." The Iwa ninja paused for a moment before asking, "Do you have any other instructions, Tsuchikage-sama?"
Onoki waved his hand again, signaling him to leave.
The Iwa ninja respectfully bowed, stepped out, and closed the door behind him.
A moment later.
As he walked through the corridors of the Tsuchikage's building, he sighed, shaking his head.
Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small investment certificate embossed with the words [RootTalks Finance]. Staring at it, he muttered under his breath, "Could this really be a scam?"
…
"We are not scammers!"
Danzo looked down at his [partners], his expression serious.
"As long as we don't see ourselves as scammers, others won't see us as scammers! So, we are not scammers!"
As soon as he finished speaking—
"That's right! We are not scammers!"
"We're doing this for our families!"
"Ever since I started following Danzo-sensei, I struck it rich! In just one year, I made over 10 million, bought my own house and car! Thank you, Danzo-sensei, for giving me this opportunity!"
"It's all for our families—how can we be called scammers?"
"…"
Danzo-sensei looked at his students with satisfaction, nodding approvingly. "Very good! It seems everyone has matured!"
Having said this, he knocked on the blackboard. "Now, let's go over the past year's achievements! Listen carefully!"
"Yes, sir!"
All the White Zetsus immediately sat up straight and listened attentively.
Next—
Danzo-sensei analyzed the growth and achievements of [RootTalks Finance] over the past year, as well as the objectives for the future and the importance of maintaining secrecy.
"We are at the most critical stage now," Danzo-sensei said, his voice full of gravity. "From today onwards, everyone must be cautious! Careful, cautious, and even more careful!"
"Yes!"
"Alright, class dismissed! In the meantime, we can scam… ahem… if there are any more… potential members interested in joining our family, you can relax the conditions a little. Remember—we are not scammers!"
"Understood!"
"What a great group of students!" Danzo-sensei nodded in approval, watching his students—now employees—march off with enthusiasm, ready to "serve their families."
A wave of emotion swept over him.
He never expected that—
After leaving the village… so much would happen.
Even the debt collectors who had once come after him were now his business partners.
Letting out a long sigh, he turned to one of his [partners], his expression turning serious. "What's the situation?"
"Some people are beginning to have doubts and have even gone to Iwagakure to request an investigation," one of the White Zetsus reported earnestly. "Fortunately, we detected it in time, so they haven't found anything yet. Plus, since the next profit distribution is coming up soon, most people are just waiting to see what happens."
"That's good!" Danzo nodded. "It's about time to retreat! If we stay any longer… Iwagakure will start catching on."
At this point, his lips curled into a cold smirk. "Iwagakure… will learn from this experience."
Times have changed!
A bunch of old fools!
How laughable!
Even though he hadn't been online for over two years, he was still aware of the changes happening outside. Gripping his cane, he tapped it lightly against the floor, let out a sigh, and gazed silently out the window at the vast, blue sky.
After a while—
He murmured softly, "It's time to go back."
The Land of Fire…
That was his true battlefield.
Everything here had just been a small experiment—it was never going to last.
But the Land of Fire… was filled with opportunities!
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Danzo's lips. There was something nostalgic about it. Under his breath, he muttered, "Hiruzen… I'm coming back."
Wait for me!
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