"Boss, long time no see!" Ah Fei exclaimed as he strode confidently into the store.
Peter, the owner of the shop, was completely stunned by what he saw. Ah Fei was dressed in a sharp black suit, his eyes hidden behind a pair of reflective sunglasses. A thick cigar dangled from the corner of his mouth, and several jade rings sparkled on his fingers.
But that wasn't all.
What made Peter nearly drop the teacup in his hand was the absurdly thick gold chain around Ah Fei's neck—at least as thick as a grown man's thumb. The sheer audacity of it glimmered under the store's lights. It looked like something that would cost millions of taels.
And behind him…
A long line of White Zetsu clones stood silently, each one dressed exactly like Ah Fei. Black suits, sunglasses, cigars, the whole ensemble. They looked like a scene straight out of a gangster movie.
Peter's jaw dropped. He swallowed hard. "Oh my god…"
Had Ah Fei truly made it big?
Peter had lived through a lot in the ninja world, but never had he seen something so outrageous. That necklace alone could probably pay off the mortgage of every house in the village. And the White Zetsu entourage? That was just too much.
Ah Fei turned to his subordinates and said with authority, "Why haven't you greeted Boss Peter yet?"
The clones immediately bowed in unison. "Hello, Master Peter!" they echoed respectfully.
Peter felt like his soul left his body for a second. "Master?!" he muttered under his breath.
These White Zetsu weren't just anyone. They were the same group that had previously followed Black Zetsu. After resigning from that company, they had found their way to Ah Fei. Back then, Ah Fei was in a dark place—betrayed by other White Zetsu, filled with self-doubt, and seemingly down for the count.
But everything changed when this group joined him.
Their loyalty reignited a fire in Ah Fei's heart. He made a vow: anyone who followed him would never regret it. He'd give them a better life—no matter the cost.
That's when he came up with a bold idea.
Ah Fei launched a massive campaign to promote the mysterious "little blue pill" from Peter's shop. To spread the word, he gave away more than half the inventory as free samples. Although it was a loss at first, the risk paid off. The ninja world couldn't get enough of the pill.
It quickly went viral.
But Ah Fei wasn't satisfied.
He knew the current price was too high for the average shinobi. He wanted to make the pill accessible to everyone, rich or poor. So, he did something bold—he hired the one and only Orochimaru to develop a more affordable version of Peter's pill.
It was a risky move, but Orochimaru was a genius, the undisputed number one scientist in the ninja world. After examining the original formula, it didn't take long for him to develop a budget version. Of course, the cheaper pill was less potent, but it was cheap—really cheap.
The base cost was just 100 taels.
Ah Fei sold it for 1,000 taels—a modest 1,000% markup.
Thanks to this "small profits, quick turnover" model, Ah Fei's business exploded. The demand was astronomical. Within weeks, he had made enough money to start his own company: Ninja World First Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Under his direction, Orochimaru continued research and development. Soon, the pills came in four tiers:
Basic tier
Cost: 100 taels
Selling price: 1,000 taels
Intermediate tier
Cost: 1,000 taels
Selling price: 5,000 taels
Advanced tier
Cost: 5,000 taels
Selling price: 10,000 taels
Top-tier (made by Peter)
Cost: 10,000 taels
Selling price: 23,000 taels
Because of the affordable pricing and proven effectiveness, the little blue pill quickly became a household name. Nobles, shinobi, merchants—even the elderly—all wanted it. It was a universal success.
In less than a year, Ah Fei's company was worth tens of billions.
Peter's version of the pill, while pricey, remained unmatched in quality. It was adored by high-level shinobi and powerful clan leaders. These people didn't mind spending a bit more for top-shelf quality.
In fact, all the pills that Ah Fei had previously bought from Peter had been sold out within weeks.
So now, here he was—back again to restock.
Peter blinked, speechless as the entire group filled his store. He couldn't help but think, Wait a second… isn't Ah Fei just a middleman? Since when did he turn into a gang boss?!
Ah Fei noticed the suspicious look on Peter's face. With a smug smile, he said, "Boss Peter, don't get the wrong idea. We're a legitimate company."
Peter's mouth twitched slightly. "Legitimate company? Really?" he thought to himself. "Is there a legitimate company that dresses like this? Calls me Master? Marches in like they're about to start a turf war?"
But before he could voice his doubts, something else caught his attention.
Among the group of suited White Zetsu, Peter noticed a man with striking orange hair and Rinnegan eyes.
Peter's pupils shrank. "Nagato?!" he gasped. "Didn't your legs recover? Why do you still need the Tendo Path? And why are you here with these guys?!"
Indeed, standing there in silence, blending in with the clones, was none other than Tendo Pain.
The leader of the Akatsuki.
The wielder of the legendary Rinnegan.
And now... a bodyguard?
Pain simply nodded at Peter in acknowledgment, not saying a word.
Peter couldn't believe it. "What is happening here?" he muttered.
Ah Fei grinned. "Boss Peter, my bodyguards are not allowed to speak unless I give them permission."
Peter's eyes twitched. He looked from Ah Fei to Pain, then back again, completely dumbfounded.
Was this still the ninja world he knew?
Nagato, a godlike figure, reduced to being Ah Fei's bodyguard? This had to be a joke.
"Pain," Ah Fei said, giving the go-ahead. "Explain it to the boss."
Pain bowed slightly. "As you can see, I am now serving as one of Ah Fei's personal bodyguards. I also control several of the other Pain bodies to perform the same duty."
Peter's mouth hung open. For a moment, he couldn't find any words. Who could have imagined that the wielder of the Rinnegan would be out here… working part-time?!
He finally snapped out of it and gave Pain a big thumbs-up. "You know what? That's impressive. There's no shame in earning your keep. Good for you, man!"
Curious, Peter leaned forward. "So, uh… how much does Ah Fei pay you every month?"
That was the million-tael question. He had to know how much money it took to hire someone like Nagato. Was it 50 million? Maybe 80?
Pain glanced at Ah Fei, clearly waiting for permission.
Peter narrowed his eyes. That look... there's no way it's a small number.
Ah Fei chuckled. "Go ahead. There's nothing to hide."
Pain nodded. "I receive a basic salary of 300 million taels per month. Additionally, I get bonuses for significant contributions, such as protecting the boss from danger."
Peter almost fell off his chair. "Three hundred million taels?!" he cried out.
That number was insane. He thought maybe the salary would be in the range of 70 or 80 million at most. But 300 million?
He rubbed his hands eagerly. "Boss Ah Fei, I don't suppose you need one more bodyguard? I'll do it for half that!"
Ah Fei laughed heartily, but Pain remained composed.
To be honest, Pain hadn't been thrilled at first. He was the leader of Akatsuki. The owner of the Rinnegan. A man who had once aspired to become the god of the ninja world. Becoming a bodyguard for a White Zetsu? It was humiliating.
But money talks.
Ah Fei had looked him in the eye and said, "I'm offering 300 million. You can take it—or I'll find someone else."
Nagato had paused for all of three seconds before nodding.
Because the truth was simple: ideals are nice, but food, shelter, and top-tier gear still cost money. Even a Rinnegan wielder had bills to pay.
Now, he was on duty 24/7. Rain or shine. Threat or no threat. He was Ah Fei's shadow, his guardian, his last line of defense.
And truth be told, the paycheck wasn't bad.
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