Naruto's figure flashed, appearing in front of Sasuke. He draped an arm over Sasuke's shoulder, just like in Shippuden when Sasuke did the same to him, and whispered in his ear.
"Nothing much. Just wanted to borrow a little money."
With Naruto leaning on him, Sasuke's face actually turned a bit red.
Naruto was startled and quickly let go.
'Wait, why are you blushing like a teapot?!'
Sasuke also realized something was off, so he immediately straightened his face and coldly shifted the topic."How much do you need?"
Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he gestured for Sasuke to follow.
"Tch." Sasuke clicked his tongue, but still obediently walked along.
Leaving the Third Training Ground, Naruto headed straight for the ninja tools shop.
Sasuke walked beside him, glancing around with a puzzled expression."Naruto, if I remember right, today's your birthday, isn't it?"
Reminded by Sasuke, Naruto realized—it really was his ninth birthday today.
But the village felt… different.
Normally, on his birthday, if Naruto walked through the streets, he'd be met with insults, or even have things thrown at him.
Yet today, all the villagers hurried past. Aside from the malice that still flashed in their eyes, none dared make a move.
Naruto walked in thought. The only people who could make Konoha behave this way were those two old geezers.
If it was Hiruzen Sarutobi's decision, that was one thing.
But if it was Danzo, then it was definitely a plot.
A sense of wariness rose in Naruto's heart.'Looks like I'll have to find a chance to get rid of that old rat Danzo…'
Having someone like him lurking in the shadows, ready to bite at any moment, was downright disgusting.
Soon, Naruto arrived at the ninja tools shop where he'd bought his gear before.
But today, standing behind the counter wasn't Tenten, but rather a tall, well-proportioned woman with her hair tied in a bun. Despite her mature charm, her features leaned toward the cute side, with an air of sharp competence between her brows.
Seeing Naruto bring him to a shop, Sasuke was confused."Naruto, what exactly are you trying to do? My time is valuable!"
"I know you're in a hurry, but relax."
Naruto's casual tone made Sasuke both irritated and helpless.
At the counter, Naruto asked,"Hello, do you take custom orders for specially-shaped kunai?"
The shopkeeper smiled knowingly."Yes, you can sketch it out, or describe what you want. I'll do my best to meet your request."
Naruto took a sheet of paper and a pen, picturing the design in his head.
After thinking for a while, he decided on the three-pronged kunai used by Minato Namikaze.
As a master of the Flying Thunder God, Minato had his kunai forged in that special shape.
Naruto figured that besides looking cool, there had to be a good reason for it.
Focusing on the memory of Minato's kunai, Naruto drew it on the paper.
When he finished, the shopkeeper glanced at it and chuckled."This shape… isn't this the special kunai of the Fourth Hokage?"
"Speaking of which, we still have a batch of them in storage. The Fourth paid a deposit but never came to collect them…"
She stopped mid-sentence, staring at Naruto's blond hair and blue eyes.
"Oh? Then can I buy that batch?" Naruto asked eagerly.
The shopkeeper considered, then nodded gracefully."No problem. If you're sure, I'll have them brought out from the warehouse."
Naruto didn't hesitate to agree.
Sasuke couldn't sit still anymore."Hey, hey, hey! Naruto! That's the Fourth Hokage's kunai! You didn't even ask how many there are or how much they cost. Don't tell me you brought me here just so I'd pay for them?!"
Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder with a grin."As expected of an Uchiha—sharp mind. You guessed it right away."
Though pleased at the praise, Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
A few minutes later, a clerk carried over a large wooden box.
The shopkeeper opened it—not a batch of kunai inside, but a massive scroll.
Naruto quickly realized: of course, this was a storage scroll.
Sealing weapons into a scroll not only made them easy to carry, but also prevented rust.
The shopkeeper laid it out, forming a hand seal.
Poof!
Smoke burst out from the scroll, and another wooden box appeared in its center.
This nesting-doll trick left Naruto secretly impressed.
Opening the second box, they finally saw the familiar three-pronged kunai.
Naruto's eyes flashed as he activated the Transparent World, peering into the box.
By his estimation, there were about three hundred kunai inside.
The shopkeeper gazed at the long-stored weapons, a flicker of emotion in her eyes.
Such an exceptional man, cut down so young for the sake of Konoha. And his son… treated so cruelly by the very village he died to protect.
She sighed inwardly, full of regret.
"These kunai have all been fine-tuned. Each one contains a small amount of chakra-conducting metal. Not much, but in battle it can make all the difference."
Naruto's face lit up with joy.
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock."What?! Chakra-conducting metal in every single one? That's at least three hundred pieces—do you have any idea how much that costs?!"
The shopkeeper smiled warmly."Normally, the price would be several tens of millions of ryō. But since I like this young man, and the Fourth already paid a thirty-million deposit, I'll treat that as a discount for you."
"You mean… we still have to pay thirty million?!" Sasuke felt like bolting on the spot.
This wasn't borrowing money—it was highway robbery!
Seeing his reaction, Naruto clapped his shoulder with serious eyes."Sasuke, what's more important—money or strength? Money exists to be spent on the edge of the blade. And right now… isn't this the time?"
Sasuke's gaze wavered.
He couldn't deny the logic.
Money meant nothing compared to the strength he needed—to kill that man.
In the end, Sasuke went home, got the money, and paid the bill for Naruto.
Naruto happily pocketed several dozen of the special kunai.
After giving Sasuke a pep talk, he returned home with his haul.
Forming the hand seal for Shadow Clone Jutsu, he split off multiple clones.
They began inscribing the Flying Thunder God formula onto the kunai.
The process drained a lot of chakra. Even Naruto felt the strain after marking so many.
By the time all three hundred kunai were inscribed, his clones vanished, leaving Naruto panting in fatigue.
Half his chakra reserves were gone.
If Kakashi had to do this, it would've taken him over a month…