The next day, spring sunshine poured down in golden waves, and a gentle breeze danced through the air.
During a break from training, Heiyan set aside half an afternoon to check on his shops and handle the accounts.
He stepped out of the alley and turned left at the street entrance. Lining this bustling commercial street were seven or eight shops—all belonging to the Heiyan family.
He made his way straight to Ichiraku Ramen.
In the original *Hokage* (Naruto) storyline, this shop wouldn't open for another ten years. But Heiyan, recalling its future location, bought the property and opened Ichiraku Ramen ahead of schedule.
"How's business?" he asked casually.
Teuchi, dressed in a white chef's coat, straightened up the moment he saw Heiyan arrive and launched right into a serious report.
The legendary "Otsutsuki Teuchi" was currently just a thirteen-year-old boy.
Heiyan had not only appointed Teuchi as manager but also signed a lifetime employment contract with him. With a generous base salary plus performance bonuses, Teuchi worked enthusiastically and remained completely loyal to Heiyan.
"Keep it up."
Heiyan patted Teuchi's shoulder in encouragement before adding, "Rest when you need to. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Yes!"
Upon hearing those words, warmth filled Teuchi's heart.
Truthfully, Heiyan didn't expect Ichiraku Ramen to generate massive profits—after all, it was just a small noodle shop. What interested him most was that the shop served as a kind of "safe house."
In the original *Hokage* storyline, Ichiraku Ramen operated continuously for decades through events like Obito's attack unleashing the Nine-Tails, Konoha's destruction plans, Pain's Shinra Tensei devastation, and even the Fourth Great Ninja War—but always remained untouched and undamaged.
You could even say it was the safest spot in the whole ninja world.
If Konoha ever became engulfed in war, hiding inside Ichiraku Ramen would definitely be the right move.
After leaving the ramen shop, Heiyan continued forward another few dozen meters until reaching a sake tavern.
Outside the izakaya hung two large red lanterns. Above the entrance curtain was a signboard with three bold characters reading You Guqi ("You've Got Spirit").
This izakaya had been around since Konoha was founded but had nearly closed down due to poor management in recent years.
Heiyan talked his father into buying the place and then fixed it up using two key strategies.
First, he invested heavily in secret recipes for grilled meat and special sake. As its reputation grew, they started drawing even picky customers like Tsunade, who soon became a regular.
Second, he boosted its cultural appeal by renaming it You Guqi and promoting its unique "old-school brotherhood" drinking culture. Every Friday night at eight o'clock, they held the "Election of the Bar King for the Night," which drew huge crowds and kept the place lively and packed.
After all, Heiyan used to live in a modern industrial society. He was used to well-developed commercial, entertainment, and cultural sectors. Having lived in that kind of environment for so long, he naturally ended up more creative than most people in the Fire Shadow World.
Now, this izakaya has become one of the main income sources for the Heiyan household.
"Heiyan Young Master, welcome back!"
As soon as Heiyan lifted the curtain and stepped inside, the izakaya's senior manager sprang into action and hurriedly came forward to greet him.
"How's business lately? Has everything been peaceful around here?" Heiyan asked.
"Your blessings have brought us a new sales record this month. However..."
The manager hesitated mid-sentence.
"Continue."
"It's... Recently there've been gangs of ruffians and drunks repeatedly causing trouble at the izakaya. I suspect... they're coming with intentions."
The manager replied cautiously.
"Is that so?"
Heiyan's brow furrowed slightly at the news. He then ordered, "Tonight, prepare a banquet in my name and invite the Uchiha ninjas from the police force. Ask them to put in some extra effort."
"Yes, young master." The manager nodded repeatedly in agreement.
With the Uchiha involved, matters would be easier to handle.
After giving his instructions, Heiyan exited the izakaya and made his way home.
His family operated businesses in Konoha, so naturally they couldn't afford to clash with the police force. For this reason, the Heiyan family had always made an effort to maintain good relations with the Uchiha clan.
These guys might be arrogant and rude, but as the saying goes—when you take someone's money, you carry some responsibility. While benefiting from these arrangements, they also provided protection for Heiyan's establishments.
"Hm?"
Walking along the street, Heiyan suddenly felt alert.
Because he sensed a faint gaze watching him secretly.
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, Heiyan naturally possessed outstanding perception abilities. Ever since awakening Sage Transformation, this ability had become even stronger.
Heiyan discovered that whenever someone stared at him maliciously from hiding, it would cause him an uncomfortable sensation, like his skin being pierced by needles.
Pretending to be casual, he turned his head. The streets were crowded with people going about their business as usual—nothing seemed out of place.
Without revealing his thoughts, Heiyan continued walking home alone, and that prying gaze disappeared only after he entered his villa residence.
Looks like he'd been targeted.
This didn't surprise Heiyan at all.
After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old teenager who alone controlled vast business interests worth hundreds of millions. Plus, there had once been rumors of him nearly dying from illness—it was normal to attract unwanted attention.
Those hooligans causing trouble at the izakaya might well be pawns used by his opponent to test the waters.
Heiyan realized that his life probably wouldn't remain peaceful anymore.
As night descended and lanterns began to glow...
Villagers in Konoha finished their day's work and gathered in groups heading toward the commercial district for entertainment.
You Guqi's izakaya was packed today.
Normally the izakaya's customers were a mixed crowd—ninja, samurai, merchants, travelers, common laborers, constantly coming and going, pushing past each other while shouting.
But tonight, they were hosting a special event called "Uchiha Night."
On the first floor main hall, over a hundred ninja filled the room, all wearing Uchiha's high-collared blue robes, with the red-and-white fan clan symbol clearly displayed on their backs.
They dug into the food and chatted up a storm.
After drinking for some time, most became tipsy, and during conversations, some friction began to arise.
"Yousuke! I heard your squad failed even a B-rank mission, allowing bandits to raid the merchant convoy near the Land of Fire's border. You're really disgracing us Uchiha!"
A tall Uchiha ninja mocked another clan member named Uchiha Yousuke.
"Shut up!"
Uchiha Youji retorted loudly:
"The bandits who attacked the caravan were no ordinary thieves. They were clearly highly trained—elite ninja from other villages disguised as robbers! These bastards dared to act so brazenly, do they really want to provoke Konoha and start a war?"
He desperately tried to justify his own actions.
"Is that true?"
Other Uchiha exclaimed, astonished at first, but their expressions quickly turned into wild excitement.
"What's wrong with war? We've had peace for over a decade—it's time for another great conflict. Only through war can we reshuffle the cards and allow our Uchiha clan to achieve glory, expand our influence, and rise to even greater heights."
"That's right! Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages—Sunagakure excels in Wind Release, Iwagakure in Earth Release, Kumogakure in Lightning Release, Kirigakure in Water Release, and Konoha should naturally be Fire Release. Since the Uchiha have always been known for our Fire Release techniques, we are rightfully Konoha's rulers. Makes perfect sense, right?"
"Totally reasonable!"
"No flaws at all!"
The entire izakaya echoed with the Uchiha's raucous laughter as they all voiced their agreement. One after another, their faces twisted with fanatical glee.
Classic Uchiha move—nothing new here.
Leaning against the second-floor railing of the izakaya, Heiyan looked down on this rowdy group of drunken Uchiha making fools of themselves.
Still, from their conversation, Heiyan picked up some important information: border conflicts between great nations never ceased, and various factions were stirring restlessly. Truly peaceful days were nearing their end.
His train of thought was suddenly broken by an unexpected commotion downstairs.
It turned out the ninja named Uchiha Youji couldn't take his clansmen's ridicule anymore and started fighting someone.
Crash!
They even overturned the dining table, leaving the place in complete disarray.
The other Uchiha simply watched the spectacle with amusement, not one attempting to stop them.
"Oh no, please, sirs, don't fight anymore!"
The owner of the izakaya rushed forward anxiously trying to break up the fight, his face filled with worry. If these men continued like this, who knows how much damage would result.
"Get lost!"
Furious, Uchiha Youji spun around and unleashed a brutal front kick, sending the elderly owner flying backward.
"Are you alright?"
Thankfully, Heiyan intervened just in time, catching the old man before he hit the ground. Then he told the waiters to help the old man downstairs and get him some rest.
Then, he personally stepped in to mediate.
"Please everyone, let's call it quits here on my account," Heiyan said clearly as he approached Youji and the others. Though still young, he belonged to Konoha's upper echelons and was also the izakaya's owner, so his words naturally carried some authority.
Upon hearing this, most of them prepared to gracefully accept the opportunity to back down.
Only Youji remained defiant, completely disregarding Heiyan's presence.
"What do you think you are, demanding that I give you face? Who gives you the right to interfere in Uchiha matters?"
He directly pointed his finger at Heiyan's chest, berating him publicly while throwing a furious tantrum.
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