Katō Ninja Tool Shop.
It had been years since Rinjin and Rii last visited this familiar storefront.
The once-bustling shop, lively and crowded during Rinjin's time, now sat eerily quiet.
Behind the counter, Uncle Ippongi was still dozing off, just like the old days. His head rested on his treasured counter, snoring peacefully.
Rinjin walked into the shop and approached the counter, a playful smirk on his face. He knocked twice on the countertop.
"Knock, knock!"
The sound startled Ippongi awake, making him jolt upright. He wiped the drool from his mouth in a flurry before squinting to see who it was.
"Rin... Rinjin!" Ippongi exclaimed with delight as he hurriedly came out from behind the counter and gave Rinjin a hearty slap on the shoulder.
"You little rascal, you've grown taller than me!"
"Uncle Ippongi!" Rii greeted sweetly from the side.
Ippongi's face lit up even more as he reached out to pat Rii on the head.
"This girl is growing prettier by the day!"
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Ippongi slapped his forehead and tugged on Rinjin's sleeve.
"Come, come, come! Let's go home and have a meal together!"
Rinjin chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"Uncle, let's talk about food later. I came here today because I have something to discuss—I'd like to buy a house from you."
Hearing this, Ippongi's eyes widened in shock.
This kid, after all these years, is now buying his own house?!
"How big of a house are you looking for?"
"Not too big. Something in the range of 30 to 40 million ryō will do."
"..."
Ippongi was momentarily stunned.
Well, aren't you something, kid? Flexing on me without even trying.
Realizing that one of his unsold properties was finally about to be off his hands, Ippongi didn't waste another second. He closed up the shop and set off with Rinjin.
As they walked, Rinjin glanced at Ippongi casually and asked, "Uncle, how's business these days?"
At the question, Ippongi's chubby face drooped, and he let out a long sigh.
"Not great. Ever since you stopped working with me, business has been going downhill."
In truth, Ippongi enjoyed talking shop with Rinjin.
His wife, Anko Katō, didn't understand much about business, and his son, Dan Katō, was too busy dreaming about becoming Hokage.
Rinjin, on the other hand, was someone he could chat with about business matters he found interesting.
Thinking of this, Ippongi's eyes suddenly gleamed. He leaned in close to Rinjin, as if sharing a secret, and whispered:
"But, let me tell you, Uncle here has found a great business opportunity recently."
"What kind of business?" Rinjin asked, intrigued.
"Steel. Raw steel!"
With a mysterious air, Ippongi quickly scanned their surroundings to make sure no one was listening before continuing:
"Raw steel. For the past three years, the price of raw steel has been incredibly stable—or rather, steadily increasing.
Every so often, the price goes up a little, and it's never dropped.
Over the past year, I've made a decent profit just by trading steel.
And I've even stocked up an entire warehouse! I'm just waiting for the right moment to sell."
The more Ippongi talked, the more excited he became, his grin growing wider and wider.
"And you know what? I've heard that several daimyō of smaller nations are also investing in this business. Even the wealthy folks in the Land of Hot Water are hoarding steel.
After all, the price is rock solid!"
"You're impressive, Uncle! Spotting such a lucrative opportunity!" Rinjin praised.
Well, well, you've even ventured into futures trading now.
As they chatted, the enthusiastic Ippongi led Rinjin to a somewhat secluded property. He pulled out a long string of keys, found the right one, and unlocked the gate.
"Rinjin, this is the largest property I own, and it's also the largest one in the area!"
Nodding, Rinjin took a quick tour of the property.
It was indeed spacious, designed in a traditional Japanese style. The backyard alone exceeded 1,000 tsubo (approximately 3,300 square meters), and with the buildings included, the total area was over 3,000 tsubo.
"How much is it, Uncle?"
Hearing the question, Ippongi pulled out a small notebook, flipped through it carefully, and then looked up.
"Uh... 22 million ryō!"
Just as Rinjin was about to agree, Ippongi waved his hand generously and said, "Since we know each other, let's make it 21.95 million ryō!"
Heh, might as well say you're giving it to me for free!
Rinjin chuckled to himself and immediately nodded in agreement.
Afterward, Rinjin summoned a shadow clone to fetch the money, and the two completed the paperwork for the property.
Bidding farewell to Ippongi, Rinjin led Rii into their new home.
Standing in front of the traditional-style building, Rinjin patted Rii's head and smiled.
"From now on, this will be our home."
Hearing this, Rii, who had been holding back her excitement, suddenly jumped up with joy, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Rinjin.
Although Anko Katō had always been kind to her, and the Senju Clan's mansion was spacious and grand, nothing could compare to having a place to truly call her own.
"Big brother! You're so good to me. I'm so touched.
From now on, I'll take care of you in your old age and even gild your tombstone!"
Rinjin froze, speechless.
What the—?! Where's my heart medication?!
It took him a while to recover. Finally, he muttered in a low voice:
"What about your little gang? How are they doing now?"
"You mean Mameko and the others?" Rii blinked her big eyes innocently.
Rinjin nodded.
Immediately, Rii perked up, puffing out her chest with pride.
"Don't worry, big brother. I've trained them well. They're ready to unite and help you become Hokage at any time!"
Hearing this, Rinjin was utterly speechless. He tilted his head back to look at the sky.
This girl must be seriously ill!
What happened? Who on earth taught her to be this unreliable?!
Rii's mom, please come down and take your daughter back!
With a long sigh, Rinjin cast a weary glance at Rii.
"Fine, whatever you say. Go call them over—I need to talk to them."
"Got it!" Rii saluted enthusiastically and dashed off, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
About an hour later, Rii returned with a large group of people in tow.
Meanwhile, Rinjin sat on the veranda, his hand covering his forehead, exuding a low-pressure aura.
"Big brother! Mameko and the others are here!"
Rii bounded over to Rinjin, cheerful as ever.
Behind her, Mameko and the other children who had once followed Rinjin to Konoha stood nervously, their eyes filled with awe and respect for him.
Many of these orphans were now adults and had left the orphanage.
However, their lives had not gone well—or rather, they had no way to live well.
The orphanage had taught them survival skills, but these skills fell short in the face of fierce market competition.
Moreover, the continuous influx of orphans reaching adulthood had only added to their financial burdens.
Although many of them were skilled in ninjutsu—Mameko, for instance, had reached Chūnin-level proficiency—they refused to sell their abilities to Konoha. After all, everything they knew had been taught by Rii.
After briefly learning about their situation, Rinjin couldn't help but think that this group was almost too honest for their own good.
It seems like orphans in the original story were all pretty straightforward too. Kids like Haku and Kimimaro were practically stubborn in their purity.
With this thought, Rinjin furrowed his brow slightly and began to speak.
"Here's the deal—I recently started a company called Konoha Unlimited Liability Company.
I'm looking to hire some employees, and I wanted to ask if any of you are interested..."
Before he could finish, the group erupted into a chorus of enthusiastic responses.
"President Rinjin! I'll follow you anywhere!"
"Me too! As long as I have food to eat, I'm in!"
"President! Just tell us what to do—through fire or water, we'll follow you!"
Standing beside Rinjin, Rii puffed out her chest proudly, as if to say, See, big brother? My gang is loyal, aren't they?
Rinjin wasn't sure about their loyalty, but he was definitely feeling a headache coming on.
*I was thinking of starting a legitimate business where we could all work together, build something meaningful, and enjoy the beauty of youth.
But now, it's turned into some shady organization, and they're even calling me 'President.'*
Pinching the bridge of his nose to suppress the urge to lash out, Rinjin straightened his face and spoke sternly.
"From now on, when I'm speaking, no one interrupts!"
The group immediately stood at attention, their expressions serious, as if they were soldiers awaiting orders from their commander.
Seeing this, Rinjin felt another wave of exhaustion wash over him.
"Let me make this brief. I've started a company. It's a nine-to-five job, five days a week, with decent pay and benefits.
You'll need to undergo training, and loyalty to the company is a must.
Who's in favor? Who's against?"
When no one responded, Rinjin repeated himself.
"Who's in favor? Who's against?"
Still, no one spoke.
At that moment, Rii tiptoed over to Rinjin and whispered, "Big brother, you haven't given them permission to speak yet."
Rinjin shot her a tired look and said weakly, "You can speak now."
"I'm in favor!" they shouted in unison, their voices loud and resolute, as if making a solemn vow to their leader.
Rinjin was utterly defeated. He waved them off, telling them to leave.
Then, slowly rising to his feet, he clasped his hands behind his back and trudged away, shaking his head so hard it might have fallen off.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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