"Really? Naruto, you'll pay for the rest of the money?"
Tenten's eyes widened with disbelief as she stared at Naruto, who stood before her, hands behind his head and a bright grin on his face.
"Of course," Naruto said, his trademark smile glowing with confidence.
"No matter how much the difference is?" Tenten asked again, just to be sure.
Naruto nodded, crossing his arms proudly. "Yup. No matter how much it is — I'll cover it. Think of it as me investing in a friend's dream."
Neji, standing beside them with his usual calm demeanor, added, "Tenten, Naruto has already said it. You can choose any location in Konoha that you like. Once you decide, buy it. Naruto will cover whatever amount remains — and in return, he'll be considered a shareholder."
Tenten blinked in surprise, then turned to Naruto suspiciously. "Hold on… Naruto, where exactly did you get all this money? I remember you were practically broke growing up. Don't tell me Hinata's been giving you an allowance?"
Naruto made a face and threw his hands in the air. "Hey! You really think I'm that kind of guy? I was poor, yeah, but that was ages ago! And besides, Neji's here — ask him if Hinata's ever given me any money!"
Tenten turned to Neji, who sighed lightly and nodded. "It's true. Naruto does have money — and it didn't come from Hinata."
Satisfied, Tenten smiled brightly. "Fine, fine! I won't ask where it came from. What matters is that I can finally open my own shop."
To her, it didn't matter who the investor was — what mattered was that it was Naruto Uzumaki, a trusted comrade and friend. It felt far better to accept help from someone she knew than from some faceless investor.
"Alright, Naruto," she said seriously. "Let's make this clear. When doing business, everything must be transparent. We'll divide the shares based on the total investment, and you'll receive profit according to your percentage. That way, everything's fair. Agreed?"
Naruto waved a hand casually. "No problem! I'm not in it for the money anyway."
Truthfully, to Naruto, this investment was nothing. If his current wealth — inherited from the Akatsuki's financial reserves after their fall — were converted into explosive tags, it would amount to hundreds of billions of ryō worth.
A small shop in Konoha? That was pocket change.
Tenten beamed. The fact that Naruto agreed so easily made her even more excited. Finally, her long-held dream of opening a ninja tools shop was becoming reality.
That same day, Tenten dragged both Naruto and Neji around the village to check potential store locations. She had already scouted a few earlier but couldn't afford them at the time. Now that she had the funds, she wanted the best spot available.
Eventually, the trio stopped in front of a bustling section near the entrance of Konoha's main commercial street — the eighth shop from the end.
"Here it is!" Tenten said, pointing enthusiastically. "This is the one I want!"
Naruto looked up and smiled knowingly. He remembered this spot. In his past life, Tenten's ninja tools shop had been located right here. No matter how much things changed, some parts of destiny seemed unshakable.
"Let's go check it out!" Naruto said, stepping forward beside her.
The shop's owner, a cheerful middle-aged man, greeted them warmly. "Ah, welcome! You've got a good eye! This location's a prime one — perfect for any kind of business!"
He brought out the paperwork and offered Tenten a chair.
Neji looked around thoughtfully and asked, "If the location is this good, why are you transferring it?"
The owner chuckled, looking over at Naruto. "It's all thanks to Lord Naruto here."
Naruto blinked. "Me?"
The man nodded, laughing. "Of course! Lord Naruto ended the Great Ninja War and brought peace to all the nations. Trade between countries is booming now. My son's started a trading company across borders, and I'm going to help him. I don't have the time to manage this place anymore."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly. "Heh, I didn't do it alone. Everyone helped."
The man continued proudly, "Now that roads are safe and every major nation's connected by peace, there's real opportunity out there! No more rogue bandits or blocked routes. Even the sea trade is guarded by Mist-nin now — my son's already making a fortune."
Hearing that, Naruto's chest swelled with quiet satisfaction.
That was exactly the kind of world he'd dreamed of — one where people could live, trade, and laugh without fear.
"Alright then," said the owner, laying the documents down. "Here's the transfer contract. After we go to Konoha Bank and complete the payment, I'll give you the property deed."
Tenten nodded eagerly. "Yes! Let's go right now!"
The group followed the man to Konoha Bank. Inside, Naruto handed his card to the clerk with a grin, while Tenten counted her savings carefully. Neji stood beside them, arms crossed, occasionally glancing at Naruto's amused smile.
Once the transaction was complete, the owner handed Tenten a rolled-up deed. "Everything's done! I'll post a notice tonight about closing the liquor shop, and tomorrow we'll move out. You can come collect the keys the day after."
Tenten clutched the deed tightly, her hands trembling with joy. "Thank you so much! I can't believe it—I finally have my own shop!"
Overcome with excitement, she jumped up and down, her twin buns bouncing with her. Then, without thinking, she threw herself at Neji and hugged him tightly.
"Hahaha! Neji, I did it! I'm so happy!"
Neji froze on the spot, his face instantly turning scarlet. His arms hovered awkwardly in the air before he gently patted her back. "Tenten… don't do that… Naruto is still here."
Naruto laughed and waved his hands. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll take my leave. Pretend I'm not even here!"
As he turned to go, Tenten called out, "Wait! Naruto! Come have dinner with us later! I still need to thank you properly!"
Naruto grinned and waved over his shoulder. "No need! If you really want to thank someone, thank Neji — he's the one who told me to help you!"
And with that, he disappeared down the street, leaving the two Hyūga and Tenten behind.
Tenten watched him leave, her heart full of gratitude. "He really is something," she murmured.
Neji nodded. "That's Naruto for you."
But as the moment settled, Neji suddenly realized Tenten was still holding onto him. He looked down, her arms still around his waist, her eyes bright with happiness. His face reddened again, and he gently cleared his throat.
"Tenten… maybe you should… let go now?"
"Oh! Right!" Tenten blushed furiously and jumped back, laughing nervously. "S-sorry!"
Naruto, walking away down the main road, smiled faintly to himself.
He remembered vividly — in his previous life, long after his children were born, Tenten had remained single. She ran her weapon shop alone, cheerful on the outside but solitary within. Many tried to match her with someone, even Might Guy once asked Lee to pursue her. But Lee had simply smiled sadly and said, "Tenten doesn't like me. The person she loved isn't here anymore."
That person, Naruto knew, was Neji Hyūga.
Tenten had loved Neji all along — admired his calm strength, his quiet resolve, his tragic fate. She never got to tell him before he died in the war.
Now, in this reborn world, things were different. Neji was alive. Tenten was laughing again — holding his arm, her eyes sparkling like before.
Naruto's steps slowed as he looked up at the Hokage Rock. A soft wind brushed his face.
This time, he thought, Neji's story won't end in regret.
And maybe, just maybe… Konoha would one day have a new little Hyūga running around — a child with Tenten's energy and Neji's eyes.
Naruto grinned. "Yeah… that'd be perfect."
He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward home, the evening light stretching behind him as the village of Konoha buzzed with laughter and new beginnings.
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