After school, Naruto said goodbye to Hinata with a smile.
Instead of returning home, he followed a secluded path toward the Uchiha compound at the edge of Konoha.
Unlike the Hyūga compound near the village center, the Uchiha clan’s territory was situated on Konoha’s farthest outskirts.
Although the compound covered an area equivalent to dozens of soccer fields and appeared extraordinarily grand, its remote location was actually evidence of the clan’s exclusion.
“Could a house like this…
sell for a lot of money?”
Naruto knocked on the front door.
It creaked open, revealing a beautiful woman dressed in a kimono.
“Are you Naruto Uzumaki?”
Mikoto Uchiha asked gently.
Although her voice was warm, she couldn’t help smiling bitterly as she looked at the boy before her.
She had only just learned what her two wonderful sons had done.
One had gambled away his older brother, while the other had gambled away their family home.
None of the men had possessed the courage to face Naruto.
After passing the responsibility back and forth, they had ultimately pushed the task of receiving him onto her.
Naruto smiled politely.
“Aunt Mikoto, I’m Naruto Uzumaki.
It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
Mikoto was speechless.
If you weren’t here to take our house, I would genuinely like you.
Mikoto led Naruto into the living room.
Quite a few people were already gathered inside.
There was Fugaku Uchiha, whose expression was pitch-black.
Shisui, Itachi, and Sasuke sat with their heads lowered like three ostriches.
There were also the Uchiha clansmen whose houses Shisui and Itachi had gambled away.
…
When Naruto entered, the corners of every Uchiha clansman’s mouth began twitching in perfect unison.
Damn it!
You actually came!
Couldn’t you at least wait a couple of days?!
Are you really going to throw us out and make us sleep on the streets?!
The Uchiha clansmen silently turned toward Fugaku.
Their gazes conveyed a single message.
You’re the head of the Uchiha clan!
Hurry up and think of something!
Fugaku’s expression darkened further.
He glared fiercely at the three ostriches before turning toward Naruto and coughing lightly.
“Naruto, are you truly that eager to move in?”
Naruto chuckled.
“This place is beautiful and impressive. Get faster updates on g.com.
It’s so much better than my house that I want to move in as soon as possible.”
Fugaku was speechless.
The room descended into an awkward silence.
Mikoto smiled bitterly before walking over to Naruto.
She crouched in front of him, gently ruffled his hair, and said warmly, “Naruto, we’re terribly sorry.
Everything happened so suddenly that your uncle and I haven’t had time to prepare.”
“Could you please wait a little longer?”
Fugaku’s face burned with embarrassment as he listened to his wife plead on his behalf.
He was a grown man, yet he had forced his wife to beg for more time.
How humiliating!
Far too humiliating!
Naruto gave her a gentle smile and nodded.
“All right!”
“Since you asked, Aunt Mikoto, I’ll wait a while.”
“But…
when will you give me the 200 million ryō?”
Fugaku was speechless.
Shisui was speechless.
Itachi was speechless.
…
All three simultaneously looked at Mikoto with pleading eyes.
Mikoto smiled bitterly once again.
With no other choice, she replied gently, “Naruto, that is an enormous amount of money.
Could you give us more time for that as well?”
Naruto shook his head inwardly.
Just as he had expected.
The Uchiha clan was broke as hell.
Then again, most shinobi were broke.
They could never save any money because they spent everything as soon as they earned it.
Fortunately, Naruto had never planned to collect the entire debt from the Uchiha clan.
He retrieved a book from his ninja pouch and smiled.
“I can waive the remaining 160 million ryō.”
“However, Shisui-nii-san and Itachi-nii-san will have to help promote this book I wrote.”
“If you can sell 500,000 copies within approximately ten years, I’ll forgive the debt.”
Shisui’s and Itachi’s eyes lit up.
“All right!”
“Leave it to us!”
Mikoto picked up the book in surprise and glanced at its title.
“Taimanin?
What a lovely title.”
“I never imagined you were talented enough to write a book at such a young age, Naruto.”
“Let me see how well you wrote it.”
She opened the book.
Mikoto fell silent.
Her face grew redder with every page until it was completely crimson.
“Mmph!”
Mikoto covered her mouth, unable to continue reading.
With her face burning red, she hurried out of the living room.
Fugaku looked bewildered.
Shisui and Itachi were equally confused.
Why had their mother reacted that way to a book written by such an angelic child?
Shisui picked up the book and began reading.
Itachi immediately leaned closer.
“…”
Shisui fell silent.
Itachi fell silent.
“This…”
“This is…”
Their mouths went dry.
The book in Shisui’s hands suddenly seemed like a hot potato.
Continuing to hold it felt wrong, but throwing it away felt equally inappropriate.
What the hell?!
How could a six-year-old brat write something this explicit?!
Even Icha Icha Paradise looked tame compared to this!
Could this genuinely have been written by a six-year-old child?!
Itachi’s expression darkened.
When he remembered that his mother had also read the book, his face turned even darker.
Naruto paid them no attention.
He collected the 40 million ryō and left without a care in the world.
…
After Naruto departed, Shisui and Itachi slumped lifelessly in their chairs.
“We’re finished!”
“We’re dead!”