Chapter 31:
Upon closer inspection, Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto both appeared to be two rich ladies in their own right.
Uchiha Mikoto's background was well known. The Uchiha clan had been a powerful family dating back to the Warring States period, with an impressive legacy. Mikoto was the only direct descendant of the clan's elder, putting her in a prestigious position. Among the younger generation, only Uchiha Fugaku's son could rival her in status. Consequently, the resources Mikoto could access were considerable. Her elder's personal wealth alone—accumulated over years of missions—was enough to support her for a lifetime. And, of course, the Uchiha clan's inheritance added to her wealth.
However, when compared to Uzumaki Kushina, Mikoto's riches seemed modest.
Kushina, the last princess of the fallen Whirlpool Country and the only surviving ninja from the now-destroyed Whirlpool Village, possessed a far more valuable identity. Before the destruction of her homeland, the village had entrusted her with its most precious assets—both its vast collection of ninjutsu and its remaining wealth, all of which Kushina was supposed to bring to Konoha. While much of it ended up in Konoha's hands, the rights to these inheritances still rested with Kushina. Technically, Konoha had no say in how she used them.
Moreover, Kushina's connection to Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the former Hokage and one of Konoha's top power figures, further elevated her status. Before Mito's passing, Kushina had been considered the leading lady of Konoha.
Yet, despite this, Kushina had been bullied in the ninja school, which she attributed to her low-key nature. She never wanted to involve her grandmother, and as a result, her classmates saw her as just another ordinary student, with the exception of Naoki Asakawa, who knew her true identity.
"Naoki-kun, if you want to buy ninja tools, make sure you buy good ones," Mikoto advised softly. "If you don't find anything you like, Naoki-kun could go to Cat Village, where our clan has a contract for ninja tools."
"And if you're short on money, I can lend you some first. You can pay me back after you become a ninja." Mikoto continued, though she didn't openly admit that she knew full well that she could afford to lend more than a mere pittance.
"Yes, Naoki, if you're going to buy ninja tools, it's better to go for something durable. It would be bad if something went wrong during a battle," Kushina added.
Despite her reluctance to tap into the resources her clan left her, Kushina wanted to ensure that Naoki had the best tools. She didn't like the idea of him getting hurt due to cheap equipment. But more than that, she valued Naoki more than the unfamiliar Konoha Village and was willing to offer help if necessary.
Still, Asakawa Naoki had no intention of living off anyone's charity. "No, I'll take a look around a bit more," he said, shaking his head.
Naoki wasn't one to use others' money unless he absolutely had to. Even in his previous life, where finances were much tighter, he had always been frugal. This mindset hadn't changed after his rebirth.
The owner of the ninja tool store nearby chuckled at the situation. A boy, still in ninja school, had two girls competing to offer him financial help. It was amusing, but Naoki was a good-looking guy, so perhaps he would have been treated similarly in his youth. But the store owner didn't take Mikoto or Kushina's offers seriously. After all, how much could two young girls, who looked no older than ten, have in their pockets?
Little did he know, both girls could buy his entire shop if they so desired.
"Let's try more shops," Naoki suggested, making his way down the street of ninja tool vendors. After visiting a few more stores, Naoki still couldn't bring himself to spend on a flying sword made of chakra metal, even though some shops offered lower prices. The cheapest came in at over 250,000 ryo, but even then, the chakra metal's ability to channel chakra was subpar.
Not satisfied with the quality, Naoki kept searching, feeling increasingly disappointed. That was when his eyes landed on a small, modest stall at the end of the street, far removed from the glitzy shops. Unlike the pristine, brand-new weapons of the other stores, the goods here were placed haphazardly on the ground. The weapons appeared battered: blades were chipped, hilts were missing, and some swords had broken entirely.
"Hey there, kid. Want to take a look? These are high-end goods that go for hundreds of thousands of ryo at the fancy stores. But here, you can get them for a fraction of the price!" the vendor, a middle-aged man with a sharp glint in his eyes, called out.
"These weapons are all picked from the battlefield, but they're quality items. Sure, they look a little rough now, but with some work, they'll be just like new—magical even!"
Naoki exchanged a glance with Mikoto and Kushina. Both girls seemed skeptical, worried that he might fall for the old scam.
Even the owner of a nearby shop couldn't help but chime in. "Kid, don't listen to that guy. His stuff's not from any battlefield. They're just cheap, discarded training tools."
But Naoki, ever careful, wasn't about to fall for any easy scams. In his previous life, he had encountered far worse tricks. But this time, his situation was different—he couldn't afford the high-end options, so he decided to take a chance.
"I'll check it out," Naoki said, heading towards the stall.
The vendor's eyes gleamed as he eagerly led Naoki through his wares. "The most expensive item here is only 90,000 ryo," he added.
Naoki was meticulous in his inspection, testing each item by injecting chakra into it. Most of the items were unremarkable, their metal unable to conduct chakra. But when he tested a large sword, his mana flowed smoothly into its core, bypassing the broken outer layer.
This sword had chakra metal hidden within it. Though it was small in quantity, the metal's purity was remarkably high—worth millions of ryo on the market.
Naoki's face remained calm, though inwardly, he felt a surge of excitement. He continued to check the other weapons, eventually picking up a nearly ruined katana. He turned to the vendor and asked, "How much for this sword and the katana?"
The vendor began to spin a tale about the katana's origins, claiming it was once owned by a Hokage, but Naoki interrupted before he could finish.
"90,000 ryo for both, take it or leave it," he said, his tone firm.
Kushina and Mikoto were both ready to intervene, but before they could say anything, the vendor agreed. "Alright, alright, 90,000 ryo for the two of them," he said, smiling as he accepted the offer.
Naoki handed over the money and, with the two swords in hand, walked off with a quiet sense of triumph. After leaving the crowded commercial street, they made their way to a quieter area just as the sun began to set.
The two girls looked at him in confusion, but Naoki merely smiled and raised the swords. With one swift motion, he struck the large sword against the katana. The latter, despite its worn-down state, cut clean through the former, revealing the gleaming chakra metal inside.
"This is chakra metal," Mikoto said, her eyes widening. "And it's highly pure. This metal alone is worth millions of ryo—maybe tens of millions."
Naoki had truly struck gold.
Kushina, beaming with admiration, couldn't help but exclaim, "You're amazing, Naoki-kun."
Mikoto, equally impressed, nodded. "Naoki-kun, you really know how to make the best out of any situation."
Naoki grinned. "Well, I guess I'll treat you both to a midnight snack."
"Yay!" the two girls said in unison, their faces lit up with genuine happiness. There was no envy in their smiles, only pride for Naoki's success.
*******
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