Chapter 426: A mission from a thousand years ago, the story of getting rich

"Kakuzu, I advise you to stay away from those two, otherwise you'll regret it."

Chomei's sharp voice sounded in his mind. Kakuzu, who was trying to build a good relationship with the two newcomers, was stunned for a moment and immediately stopped his deliberate flattery.

Little did he know, it was this act of pulling back from the brink that successfully saved the lives of one person and one beast.

"That... I have a mission here, let's chat next time we meet."

Upholding the principle of "listen to the beast, eat your fill," Kakuzu nodded to Senju Tobirama, who was brewing a killing move, and left this place of right and wrong in a hurry.

"Oh my, why did he leave? This guy with the pointed head doesn't look like a bad person~"

Senju Hashirama laughed and waved goodbye to Kakuzu, then turned his head with a look of regret. Senju Tobirama curled his lips coldly.

"Consider it him escaping with his life."

"Tobirama, you've inflated."

Shaking his head, Senju Hashirama had a look of solemnity on his face. Although his strength was now halved, he could still perceive a terrifying aura from Kakuzu.

If Senju Tobirama really fought the other party one-on-one, he might not last long and would eventually have to rely on the Flying Thunder God to flee in a panic.

"He is the rogue ninja Kakuzu of the Land of Waterfalls, and also the Seven-Tails Knight."

"Ah? He is the guy Madara said had good strength?"

Senju Hashirama had heard his best friend talk about his impressions of other Tailed Beast Knights during tea and after meals. Even Uchiha Madara, who was always arrogant, praised the Seven-Tails Knight.

He evaluated the other party as a knight who knew how to protect.

"That's right, but he's definitely not your match, Big Brother."

It turned out that Senju Tobirama was so arrogant because his Big Brother was present, which was why he dared to speak loudly to Kakuzu.

It was a classic case of "the dog relies on the master's power."

"Hard to say, my strength is not what it used to be."

"That's still not something any cat or dog can touch."

"Alright, alright, making money is the priority."

After enjoying Senju Tobirama's commercial flattery, the satisfied Senju Hashirama waved his hand, and the two flashed into the Exchange Shop, dumping the mission items from the storage scroll onto the counter, waiting for the staff to audit them.

"Please wait a moment, the two of you."

The staff naturally wouldn't fail to recognize this newcomer combination that had been in the limelight recently. After all, the two's characteristics were so obvious: one was ruthless and spoke little and was short, and the other was tall and liked to laugh foolishly with a super loud voice.

Because the "Black and White Double Evil" that Senju Tobirama had casually named had already been registered by a mysterious person with black and white hair, the official Exchange Shop randomly matched them with a nickname that fit their characteristics very well.

【The Brainless and the Unhappy】

Earlier when handing in the mission, Senju Tobirama heard this nickname and was so angry he almost flipped the Exchange Shop's latrine.

Fortunately, Senju Hashirama made a move in time to suppress his furious younger brother, which prevented the nickname "TFboy" from falling on their heads.

Among the mission items on the counter, besides the corpses most common in the Exchange Shop, there were also some scattered little gadgets. Some people issued black market missions not to take lives, but also ordinary missions like finding lost items or the whereabouts of people.

"Hello, it has been counted. After deducting the service management fee, the total bounty and mission remuneration is 6.805472 billion ryo."

Soon, another staff member came out with a storage scroll. After Senju Tobirama took it, he opened it for the first time. Over a hundred briefcases were neatly stacked together. He nodded with satisfaction immediately.

Moving his fingers, Senju Tobirama said to his brother beside him.

"Big Brother, I'll count the reward first, you go see if there are any new missions."

"Hehe, leave it to me!"

Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~

While Senju Tobirama turned into a heartless money-counting machine, Senju Hashirama curiously took the bounty mission list from the staff member's hand.

The ones in Senju Hashirama's hands were nothing more than some bounty missions for murder and revenge, which made him lose interest.

Until he saw a yellowed missing person notice, his eyes were filled with a sense of novelty, and he raised his hand to pull out this mission.

"Can this also be accepted?"

"It can be accepted, it's just..."

Seeing the missing person notice in Senju Hashirama's hand, the staff member frowned slightly.

"Just what?"

Seeing the staff member's hesitant look, Senju Hashirama's curiosity was instantly hooked.

"This mission has existed since the establishment of the Exchange Shop. Someone once reserved a large sum of money as a reward, but after so many years, this mission is still hanging on the list."

"As long as there is a reward, we'll take it."

It was just a mission to find someone. Even if they couldn't find them, they wouldn't lose anything.

"But..."

"Is there any problem?"

Senju Hashirama, who had already started screening other missions, raised his head in confusion, looking at the staff member who was hesitant.

"Brainless-sama, this mission is a bit spooky."

Perhaps due to the certain affinity Senju Hashirama carried, this Exchange Shop staff member couldn't bear it, so he quietly reminded him.

"Spooky?"

Senju Hashirama narrowed his eyes, knowing that this mission was not simple.

"Take a look at the release time of this mission."

Hearing this, Senju Hashirama turned over the yellowed missing person notice and saw an unfamiliar time mark in the bottom right corner.

【Year 478 of the Ancestral Country Calendar】

"Ancestral Country? Never heard of such a country?"

Senju Hashirama's knowledge reserve wasn't low, but he really hadn't heard of any country called the Ancestral Country in the ninja world now.

"The Ancestral Country, isn't that the country that perished more than a thousand years ago?"

On the other side, Senju Tobirama, who finished counting money with god-like speed, saw his Big Brother secretly whispering to the staff. Driven by curiosity, he leaned over and happened to hear the words "Ancestral Country."

"I didn't expect Unhappy-sama to be a scholar, actually knowing the Ancestral Country."

If it weren't for the admiration in the staff member's eyes not being fake, Senju Tobirama would have sent him to see the Old Ancestor of the Six Paths long ago.

"If it's as you say, this mission was originally issued in the Ancestral Country a thousand years ago?"

Senju Hashirama's little hand shook in fright, and the yellowed missing person notice fell onto the counter. The gazes of the three fell squarely on the portrait of the mission target.

It was a middle-aged man with a plain face. Judging by his attire, he should be a wandering monk popular many years ago.

Besides that, there were no other obvious characteristics.

Furthermore, the description of the mission target below was sparse, and more of it was a self-description by the mission initiator, the most eye-catching of which was:

"At thirteen, I met a divine monk by chance and heard the Sanskrit sound. At sixty-three, I met him again, the divine monk's face remained the same, I sought him, but never saw him again."

"Another idiot seeking immortality."

After reading the content of this missing person notice, a look of disdain hung on Senju Tobirama's face.

The person who issued this mission met the same monk in his youth and old age, only to find that his whole life had passed, yet the other party was still the same as when they first met. He wanted to seek the method of immortality, but as soon as the monk heard it, he slipped away.

That was why this mission initiator spent a huge sum of money to issue this missing person notice, just to find this immortal monk and learn the method of immortality.

As a result, the mission initiator died without seeing the monk again, but before he died, he specifically told his descendants to find this immortal monk and learn the method of immortality.

As a result, a thousand years had passed, the person was dead, but the mission remained.

"Why are you accepting such an expired mission?"

Senju Tobirama rolled his eyes at his Big Brother and threw the missing person notice to the staff member.

"And you guys, why don't you burn such waste paper? Keeping it for Qingming?"

A thousand years had passed. No matter how good that monk was at maintaining his youth, he was destined to have turned into a pile of yellow earth.

"Oh my! Hoo~"

The staff member, who took the missing person notice in a flurry, had his expression gradually become strange. After taking a deep breath, he whispered.

"Two lords, this mission has not expired."

"Ha?"

The Senju brothers were stunned. What kind of mission had such a long shelf life, not expiring even after a thousand years?

"Because fifty-two years ago, there was still a record of witnessing this mission target."

The staff member's voice wasn't loud, but it stirred up a monstrous wave in the hearts of the Senju brothers.

"Is it possible that someone can really live for a thousand years? It's not like they are a turtle."

Senju Hashirama couldn't help but mutter to himself, and Senju Tobirama beside him also had a solemn face, full of thought.

Suddenly, the two seemed to have been electrocuted, raising their heads in unison to look at each other, a flash of realization flowing in their eyes.

"It seems, it's not impossible."

"Haha, it seems we thought of the same thing."

Looking at his younger brother's pained expression, Senju Hashirama laughed.

Asking for the missing person notice again, in the blurry portrait, the two finally found what they wanted.

"Sure enough, I said it, how could that curly-haired guy develop such a magical technique."

Pointing at the diamond-shaped mark on the monk's chin in the portrait, Sen

"So, this mission is real?"

"If the eyewitness records from fifty-two years ago are true, then this monk who has lived for a thousand years might truly exist in some corner of the Ninja World."

Solemnly putting away the missing person notice, Senju Tobirama, a researcher with intense curiosity, was destined never to let such a rare research subject go.

A living, thousand-year-old antique.

"We accept!"

Konoha.

With the upcoming Hokage election, the entire Uchiha clan grounds were a scene of bustling activity. Every Uchiha clansman knew clearly that their clan leader taking office as the Second Hokage was a done deal, so popping champagne halfway through the process was not excessive at all.

Among the celebrating Uchiha clansmen, one youth stood out as out of place. Unlike the other clansmen who were laughing and joking in small groups, he was holding a small notebook, writing and calculating incessantly, his delicate brows furrowed high.

"Must not miss this great opportunity to make money."

Fifteen-year-old Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou, although noble as the grandson of the former clan leader and son of the current deputy clan leader, had not developed an arrogant or domineering personality.

Not only that, his mind was much more delicate than the average Uchiha clansman; he wouldn't glare with red eyes to scare people at every turn.

"Lord Uchiha Fuyou, what brings you back to the clan today?"

A sharp-eyed clansman spotted Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou and immediately walked up with a smile to greet him.

"I'm here to discuss something with my father. You all enjoy yourselves."

Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou also nodded and responded with a smile, looking every bit the humble young gentleman.

Inside the clan leader's office, Uchiha Izuna was discussing the matter of this year's clan dividends with Uchiha Madara.

"Big Brother, the recent finances are a bit tight."

Due to two new forces settling in Konoha, the pie originally divided between the Uchiha and Senju had been torn into three pieces.

For those ninja clans just scraping by, it had no impact, but for a towering tree like the Uchiha, it was a significant blow.

"What do you mean?"

Uchiha Madara, who never concerned himself with finances and simply reached out to his cousin whenever he needed money, frowned slightly.

He was about to become Hokage, and the future of the Uchiha clan was destined to be handed to this kid Izuna. Yet, at this critical juncture of the New Year, he was being told there was no money?

Wasn't this just asking for a beating?

"It's because the Land of Waves and the Land of Whirlpools are engaging in a price war with us, eating away at a significant portion of our market share."

Uchiha Izuna, under the pressure of his older brother's might, had no choice but to shift the blame for his own poor leadership onto the two countries that had just settled in Konoha.

"Especially that Land of Waves; they are truly shameless. Whatever we sell, they sell too. They've even stolen the Uchiha family's traditional crafts, imitating them so perfectly that even the elders in the clan can't tell the real from the fake."

Speaking of the Land of Waves, Uchiha Izuna was full of anger. Their Uchiha clan specialized in making cat-themed crafts and merchandise, but the Land of Waves' "Windy Street" had the exact same items, and they looked even more exquisite than theirs.

"Is this true?"

Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes. Although there was no such thing as intellectual property rights yet, the Land of Waves' undisguised plagiarism had indeed touched the Uchiha clan's bottom line. As one of the people in power in Konoha, he had to do something to set the record straight.

"Absolutely true!"

Knock, knock, knock~

"Come in."

"Greetings, Uncle. Greetings, Father."

Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou, who pushed the door open and entered, saw Uchiha Madara sitting in the main seat, a flash of admiration crossing his eyes.

"It's Uchiha Fuyou. Do you have any questions about your training lately? Uncle happens to have some time, so I can answer them for you."

Looking at his eldest nephew, who had become a dragon among men, Uchiha Madara nodded with satisfaction.

He had seen the name Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou at the mission hall quite often; despite his young age, he had already completed many high-difficulty missions and was hailed by many as a genius.

"Thank you, Uncle. If I have any questions, I will definitely come to you first."

Nodding with a smile, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou shifted his gaze to his father, his face filled with excitement.

"Father, I have a great idea this time—"

"Stop! Don't talk about your 'ways to make money' again. Training hard is what you need to be doing right now."

Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou's enthusiasm hadn't even risen before it was extinguished by Uchiha Izuna's frown.

Looking at his son, who was gradually going astray, Uchiha Izuna rubbed his temples with a headache.

Uchiha Fuyou was good in every way, but he didn't know when the boy had started to love making money. He even had quite a knack for it; several of his investments had yielded significant returns, much to the delight of his mother, Mieko.

But in Uchiha Izuna's view, this was simply neglecting his proper work. The future of the Uchiha clan was very likely to be handed to Uchiha Fuyou; if he neglected his training now, how would he support the entire clan later?

Not to mention that most of the Uchiha clan was still dreaming of a hereditary Hokage.

"Uncle taking office is such a great opportunity! If we don't seize it, it would be a huge pity!"

Seeing his father being stubborn, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou showed anxiety on his face. Uchiha Madara, hearing that it concerned his own inauguration as Hokage, asked curiously.

"Izuna, shut up for a moment. Uchiha Fuyou, you tell me."

"Big Brother!"

"Does my word no longer count?"

"Uchiha Fuyou, tell your uncle clearly and truthfully. Do not add any embellishments."

Facing his older brother's cold gaze, Uchiha Izuna felt a tightening in his gut and had no choice but to compromise.

"Uncle, you are about to become the Second Hokage. As long as we do some preliminary promotion, many tourists will definitely come to Konoha during the inauguration ceremony."

Hearing this, Uchiha Madara nodded in deep agreement.

His name was already a household word, known to everyone.

The low-key Darkness of the Ninja World.

The mysterious Nine-Tails Knight.

And now, add Second Hokage to that. With these layers of buffs, many curious ordinary people would naturally want to come and catch a glimpse of his noble presence.

The Land of Fire was already the most populous and prosperous of the Five Great Nations. With the New Year approaching, everyone had money and time, so they would naturally take this opportunity to visit Konoha.

"These people definitely won't come for nothing. If we don't make them spend heavily, how can we live up to Konoha's warm hospitality?"

As he spoke, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou's eyes shone with golden light, filled with a desire for banknotes.

"At that time, we can have the First Hokage call his son and daughter-in-law back. The title of Princess of the Land of Fire also has significant appeal. Of course, if we could invite the Daimyo to attend the ceremony, that would be even better~"

"You kid, you have quite a lot of clever ideas. But how is our Uchiha clan going to make money?"

"That's simple. Have the clan produce a batch of merchandise themed around you, including cheering fans, dolls, figurines, toy ninja tools, limited-edition goods, and so on and so forth..."

"These things should be easy to copy, right?"

Hearing this, Uchiha Izuna frowned. These products would definitely sell out, but with the craftsmanship of those guys in the Land of Waves, they would have them perfectly imitated within three minutes.

"As long as it's branded by Uncle, no one will dare to copy it."

The Hokage has portrait rights, after all.

"Uchiha Fuyou, this is a good idea. Izuna, leave this matter to you. I want to see the clan's dividends double this year."

After thinking about it briefly, Uchiha Madara felt his eldest nephew's plan was feasible, so he instructed Uchiha Izuna to cooperate fully, striving to let all clansmen receive big red envelopes and have a good New Year.

"Actually, there is another way to earn even more."

Seeing his plan receive preliminary approval, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou let out a long sigh of relief. With a flicker in his eyes, he spoke again.

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"If the previous plan succeeds, our clan will naturally make a fortune. But our production capacity is limited after all; we only have so many workshops and personnel, so we are destined to be unable to handle an endless stream of tourists."

"And according to your meaning?"

"It would be best if we had an extra massive labor force."

Imagining the scene of himself establishing an underground black-hearted factory, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou shook his head and spoke slowly.

"If not, then we can only cooperate for mutual benefit."

"You mean..."

Uchiha Izuna's pupils constricted. He couldn't believe that his fifteen-year-old son had such a vision.

"That's right. I want to unite with the Land of Waves' Chamber of Commerce. If there's money to be made, we should make it together."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Shaking his head like a rattle, Uchiha Izuna declared it impossible. He knew better than anyone that those guys from the Land of Waves were very difficult to get along with.

When people from the Uchiha clan met people from the Land of Waves on the street, the other party would deliberately avoid them, as if they were disgusted by the Uchiha.

"How do you know if you don't try? No one turns away money."

"You talk a good game. Then I'll leave the task of negotiating the cooperation to you, kid."

Looking at his son, who was a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, Uchiha Izuna reached out his hand in frustration.

Hmph! I don't believe you can persuade those guys from the Land of Waves. When you come back crying and calling for your daddy, I will definitely make sure to mock you properly.

"Izuna! This isn't appropriate, is it? How old is Uchiha Fuyou?"

"There's nothing inappropriate about it. At his age, I was already pitting my wits against the White-Haired one."

On the principled issue of educating his children, Uchiha Izuna was uncharacteristically firm for once. He did not blindly follow his older brother's words and resolutely let Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou go to negotiate cooperation with the Land of Waves.

"No problem, I definitely won't let Father and Uncle down!"

With the opportunity to get rich right before his eyes, how could Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou let it go easily? He stepped forward and swore to accept the mission, his eyes filled with deep determination.

After leaving the clan grounds, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou kept his head down, calculating costs and benefits in his little notebook. If his plan really succeeded, the Uchiha wouldn't have to worry about food and expenses for at least a few years.

"Phew... I think I might have promised too much."

After the excitement, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou calmed down, and a sense of worry suddenly arose in his heart.

Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou had never dealt with people from the Land of Waves. Going to negotiate cooperation rashly now, as a stranger, the other party would likely ignore a little brat like him, unless he could find an introducer.

"Yo~ Isn't this Uchiha Fuyou? Haven't seen you in a few days, you've grown taller~"

"Great-Uncle!"

Hearing the voice that couldn't be more familiar, the muscle memory Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou had formed in his early years began to take effect.

Thud!

"Nephew is here to wish you an early Happy New Year. May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your life as long as the pines on Mount Tai, may you live a hundred—"

"Stop, stop, stop! You don't need that part!"

Watching Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou skillfully bow down, Uchiha Gin nodded with great satisfaction and quickly stopped the blessing that sounded more like a curse.

Scrambling to his feet, Uchiha Uchiha Fuyou dusted himself off, smiled, and took the gold brick Uchiha Gin handed him. His eyes lingered on the other man for a moment, and he suddenly remembered a rumor from the streets.

"Great-Uncle, everyone says you have wild connections. Are you familiar with the people from the Land of Waves?" (End of chapter)