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Closing the book and putting it back onto the shelf, the clone slightly grinned in excitement. Once again, the day had been productive.
Even reading the beginning lessons - pure theories- and straight for the past two days, hadn't quelled his enthusiasm.
More and more, fuinjutsu seemed to be out of this world. Despite the fact that he was still practising kanji calligraphy, a feeling was there that this would be a life changing experience - for good.
Halting his thoughts, the clone turned around, taking in the wall clock that indicated just five minutes to six, and stretched a bit. For everyone, the library would close in just five minutes but for him…
"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Five clones appeared around him. "You know what to do."
A series of nods was his answer, and the new clones delved into the books on the shelves. Glancing at them for another moment, the creator turned around and began walking towards the staircase.
Midwalk, he brushed his fingers on the wooden shelves and frowned on seeing the dirt that stuck on the fingertips, while climbing the stairs.
Truly, the state of the basement area was very poor. It was a miracle that the books were okay; people often talked about some insects damaging the books in such conditions.
Still, he shrugged. He hadn't seen anybody - even accidentally - visit the fuinjutsu section in the past two days. All in all, it was the boss' gain.
"See you tomorrow, Daichi-san."
Hearing the greeting, the clone glanced at the receptionist girl and smirked, raising his hand and giving a wave.
Akihiro Daichi… That man was to thank for everything that was happening in his life.
Walking out of the library, the clone simply dispelled.
Naruto smiled, pausing in his breakfast, once again recalling the events from yesterday evening.
Truly, the clones - though his own - had a different way of thinking. The transformed clone's idea of creating more clones before leaving the library was damn awesome!
For everyone, mainly the librarian, Akihiro Diachi entered the library in the morning, stayed till evening, and then left.
Then the library was closed.
But inside, the clones - created by a clone - began their work and continued overnight; in just two days, he had two weeks worth of knowledge!
Kage bunshin is the ultimate jutsu ever!
Definitely! Any other term wouldn't do justice to the benefits of the jutsu.
"Boss, can't I go-"
"No," Replying while pausing his thoughts, the disguised blonde looked at his doppelganger jutting his head out of the bedroom.
"Just a walk-"
"Nope," Naruto shook his head for further emphasis. "I want to test for how long you can live."
"But it's boring~" The clone deflated, hanging his head a bit low.
"I know, but it will be worth it."
Nodding wearily, the clone disappeared back into the room. Naruto sighed. His clones might be different in thinking, but when it came to patience, they were the same as him. Still, he would have the answer he and Haru were looking for.
Can they survive for at least five days?
The elder man's words resurfaced, and the Uzumaki's smile turned to a grin. Well, he didn't know yet.
Nevertheless, their survival was important but not necessary. One way or another he would go to Nami no Kuni. Even if the clones didn't manage to last for the required period, the chain of clones creating clones would also work.
He was confident that during his trip to Nami, using this chain reaction also, the clones could easily manage for a week. Nobody would suspect anything, and he would be able to witness and enjoy, for the first time, the life outside the walls of the village.
Clenching his fist, savoring the feeling of achievement, for a moment, he resumed his meal with renowned fervor. Two days had passed, and Haru-san would be waiting.
He was already a day late.
"Yo! Haru-san," The Uzumaki greeted, entering the tavern, taking in the elder man leaning over the counter, still busy in his documents just like two days ago.
Haru glanced up at the seven year old, nodding once. "You were supposed to come yesterday."
"Ah, well," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly for a bit. "You see, I created several shadow clones the night before yesterday, and remember, I told you about the memory transfer thingy of these clones-"
Haru again nodded, recalling the overflowing excitement and joy from the child's mouth on sharing about the various uses of the jutsu. Even a non-shinobi could see the obvious advantages the jutsu had.
If practiced dearly, and along with that unique henge, the brat could easily walk on some of the most coveted paths of shinobi, be it stealth and assassination, spying and information gathering among others.
"-so they dispelled together yesterday morning and the memory rush was a bit too much to handle; I couldn't just make myself leave the bed.".
The tavern owner deadpanned. "Be careful gaki, otherwise, you would be the only shinobi in history to die from reading books."
Naruto snorted. "So, the documents?"
"Yeah," The elder man placed the receipts and other records under the counter. "But before that, we need to choose an identity for you. A kid, despite everything, leaving the village without a proper guardian would raise questions."
"Then, be my guardian," The seven year old was quick to reply. As Naruto, his guardian was Hokage, but in henge, it could be anyone, right?
"That would only add to our difficulties. Apart from several more documents, a lot of past entries would need to be shown," Haru shook his head. "Nope, that won't work at all."
"Oh," The Uzumaki's face scrunched as he tried to get the facts. Damn it! It was difficult. Some seconds passed, and then, he slowly nodded. "So… I just have to be an adult?"
"Yeah, but with a similar appearance to I; simply, I plan to show you as my cousin, so the appearance… wait, what-"
"Henge no jutsu!"
"-are you, oh," The elder brunette muttered, understanding dawned on his face, as the smoke parted to reveal a man with slightly lighter shade of brown hair and eyes, same height as him, and even sunken cheeks were there.
The blue kimono, like his, only underlined the resemblance. Haru sighed a bit. "You'll be my cousin, not a twin - and that too in everything, even clothes."
Naruto squinted his eyes, slowly took in the appearance of the elder man, then looked at his own clothes before shrugging. "How am I supposed to know? I don't have either."
What? To what 'either' is the brat… oh. A light frown developed on his face as the tavern owner understood the words. Haru, you idiot. An orphan by birth, the child - though smart - wouldn't probably know such nuances of family relations.
No wonder, the words were taken literally. "Okay, do as I say. The hair and eye color is right - brown is normal in the fire country, the height is good, the clothes too; just change the color of the kimono to… um… grey, yeah, grey it is."
A nod was his receipt, and Haru continued. "And add some air to those cheeks; you don't have to be my clone, and lastly, add a goatee - you know what that is?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, the beard - just like old man Hokage's. Why though?"
Ignoring, for the umpteenth time, the thought that there was someone who called the hokage an old man and actually got away with it, the tavern owner also nodded in answer. "Nothing much, it may not even be necessary but just go with it, I will tell you the reason later."
Shrugging, the Uzumaki took some moments to imagine the appearance, then nodded to himself before making the hand seals. "Henge no jutsu!"
Customary smoke appeared and parted, revealing the figure. Only a glance later, and Haru pointed with his finger. "That's perfect. Let's go, we have to make your identity official."
"So, this is the… " Naruto blinked before looking at the man beside him. "What was it again?"
"A gambling house - one of the only two legal in the village. The other is owned by a very rich merchant; for us and even most of the populace of the village, this is the place to try our luck."
"Oh," The Uzumaki, slightly captivated, nodded and directed his attention towards the double story building. Pale yellow in color - the paint in extremely good condition - it was covered in all sorts of banners - the prominent one being that read 'Akira's'.
"Come," Voicing, Haru approached the building, and the disguised seven-year old followed him. A burly tough looking guy was situated outside.
"Where is Yamamoto-san?" Haru asked with clear respect.
"Upstairs."
Nodding to the guard, the tavern owner entered the building, and the Uzumaki followed him inside.
Entering, the disguised blonde took in his surroundings: The interior was the same as outside - all yellow and shiny with lights all over. There were three chabudai tables in each of three rows; above each table, a cup, two dice and a pack of cards were placed.
Towards the other side, a staircase was present leading to the upper floor. But the entire thing was empty! Confused, Naruto looked at the tavern owner beside him. "You said it's only one of the two legal houses… "
"So," A raised eyebrow corroborated the word.
"... Meaning it must be popular," A nod was his answer. "But it's empty."
"The timings are from half past nine in the morning to one or even two in the night; we are an hour early before the people flock to it."
"Oh."
"Follow me," Receiving a nod, Haru began walking towards the stairs.
Climbing the stairs, the duo reached another door guarded by two men. Dipping his head a bit, Haru asked politely. "Yamamoto-san?"
"Inside."
Again nodding, the elder brunette entered the room after opening the door, and Naruto followed him. There was a huge hall before him; various colorful machines of all sorts with a single lever - - as a common feature - were placed alongside the three walls.
Four boys of Kenta's age were working on the machines.
"Haru."
Blinking, the disguised seven year old followed the sharp voice. A man of slightly short stature, having black shiny hair with dark blue eyes, a somewhat rotund face, wearing a white shirt out of which stomach bulge was clearly visible, and black pants came to halt before them.
Haru bowed. "Yamamoto-san, it's good to see you."
Naruto followed the action. Even he could tell that this man was someone important and rich… loaded, yeah, loaded - that was the word used in the red light district.
Yamamoto grunted, still looking at the tavern owner. "What brings you here?"
"A need for a favour, Yamamoto-san."
"Go on."
"Uh… This-," Haru pointed towards a disguised Naruto. "-is my cousin Fuji from Hacho village, and we are here, if you would be kind enough, to forge identity documents for him. Even for the entrance to our village, I had to personally vouch for him and bribe one of the guards at the gate."
Yamamoto flickered his eyes, for a moment, towards the brunette with a goatee before looking back at the man who once worked for him and then had received his blessings to open own tavern. Truly, the man was one of the most loyal he had ever had.
"Hmmm… "
A lady, probably of Haru's age - Naruto observed, approached them, carrying three glasses of water on a tray. Haru picked one, the Uzumaki followed while Yamamoto simply waved her off.
Drinking the water and placing the glass back on the tray, the disguised seven year old resumed his attention on the rich man, taking note of the cigar that had found its way in the man's mouth.
Yamamoto took a drag before releasing the smoke. "Why not in Hacho? It has its own leader and administration."
"Bribe, Yamamoto-san, too much bribe. He's an orphan by birth, had survived doing odd jobs around the fire country and now wants to open a tavern just like me, but on approaching his village, the persons in charge simply refuted any records of his existence."
"Later on, he learnt that money was needed for the purpose, and he had only enough to commence his business," Haru sighed a bit, shaking his head, obviously in sadness.
Outside, Naruto simply looked at Yamamoto, even bowed his head for emphasis, but inside, he was awestruck. He couldn't just believe at all that the soft spoken, kind hearted Haru could be so cunning and convincing.
But then again, the tavern owner lived in the red light district; everyone there was way beyond an average mind. Also, the man had even attended shinobi academy and that too in war times!
"And, why do you think I will do it for free?" Yamamoto took another drag from the cigar. "Unless you are willing to provide for him."
Haru glanced at the disguised Naruto. "Fuji will provide for himself, Yamamoto-san, but in kind," He looked back at the man who was once his boss. "Of course, if you'll allow it."
The black-haired man shifted his vision towards Fuji. "Go on."
"We don't have money, so here's what we'll do… "
Releasing a breath, Naruto crossed his fingers. "Kage bunshin no jutsu," Muttering the words, audible only to him, under his breath. Customary smoke appeared, and two boys of fifteen years stepped out.
The hair, eye color and clothes aside, the boys were almost based on Kenta and Shinki – minus the latter's yellow teeth of course.
"A jutsu? What possible use could they serve, eh, Haru?"
Naruto opened his mouth but a nudge from the tavern owner made him stop.
"As you can see, my cousin picked up a couple of jutsus on his travels; these clones are one of them. What's special about them is their corporeality. Both of them can work for you for the required time period in which your debt will settle."
Yamamoto immediately began observing the clones. Some moments passed, and then he closed his eyes, all the while taking drags from his cigar.
Again some seconds passed, before he directed his vision towards the tavern owner. "Five months; for five months, they will have to work for me."
Haru and Naruto glanced at each other before the former nodded.
"Normally, the cost would have been a hundred thousand ryos, but for you, I am willing to cut it by half. Taking the five thousand ryos I pay to each of my workers, it will be five months in total. This also means that your cousin can't permanently leave the village for the time period."
"We accept, Yamamoto-san," Haru immediately voiced for both him and Naruto. Yamamoto willing to help them was already more than enough. Naruto would have to play one more character for five months. "Also, could it be done in two days?"
"That soon?"
Haru waved his hands, seeing the narrowed eyes of the club owner. "Actually, we have to go to Nami no kuni for a few days to inquire about the delay in receipt of some materials, so I wanted to take him with me."
Yamamoto slowly nodded. "Aoshi!" Another brown haired boy approached and nodded in respect but stayed silent. "Note down their details," He looked back at the clone creator. "Can your clones survive without you in the vicinity?"
Naruto nodded, uncertain, and immediately regretted, seeing Haru's barely perceptible shake of head out of the corner of his eye, but the cat was already out of the bag.
"Then, they start the work tomorrow."
"You shouldn't have said that; this way you could have started the work after returning from Nami," Haru slightly chastised the now seven-year-old brunette as they entered his tavern.
"Yeah, and I realized that immediately but nothing can be done now," Naruto shrugged a bit. "Don't worry though, I will manage," Learning from the library would be postponed, and the clones planned for that would have to compensate for this new situation.
"If you say so," Already knowing the brat always spoke after assessing his level in the waters, Haru didn't feel the need for elaboration. "Alright, ready for work?"
The Uzumaki only nodded.
Two Days Later
"Where is this cousin of yours, Haru?"
"He will be here soon, Kosuke-san," Haru replied, taking in the mustached guy.
"We are getting late."
The tavern owner turned towards the owner of the voice. "A minute or two ain't gonna cost us anything, Satoshi."
Satoshi only huffed, causing Haru to sigh. Both the men were easy to talk to, but the way businesses had declined in the past months was a cause of concern, he couldn't just fault them.
"Sorry, sorry, the door lock wasn't working properly… "
Recognizing the voice, Haru immediately turned around and brightened on seeing the disguised Naruto walking towards them. "Finally!"
"I hope I ain't late," Naruto/Fuji voiced, rubbing the back of his head.
"You barely escaped."
Taking note of the raspy voice, the disguised Uzumaki took in the guy with grey - bordering on white - mustaches, almost bald head with grey hair on sides, a slim and slightly wrinkly face, wearing a pale Kimono, and was looking at him with light expressions. "Sorry again, ah… "
"Kosuke."
"Right, Kosuke-san," Naruto/Fuji dipped his head in greeting.
"Okay enough. We have already gotten our documents checked; it's your turn now, and before you ask, I am Satoshi."
The goatee wielder again nodded at the other man with ordinary brown hair and same colored eyes, tanned face on which stubble was present, and lastly, clad in a rusty beige Kimono.
Then, he ambled towards the shinobis at the gate. Jutting out his documents and placing them on the table, Naruto/Fuji slightly bowed. "Uh… I have to travel to Nami no kuni with those three," He finished while pointing over his shoulder.
The shinobi - having a bandage over his nose, Naruto observed - picked up the documents. "Nakamura Fuji… " Muttering, the guard began rotating the card while scrutinizing it. "Oi Izumo, jot it down."
"Go on," Izumo replied, dipping the pen in the ink before holding it over a wide scroll.
"Nakamura Fuji, resident of... Hacho village," Raising an eyebrow, Kotetsu glanced up at the goatee wielder.
Just rub your goatee for a bit in front of the guards at the gate; it will quell any possibility of you using a henge… Well, it should, right?
Scrunching his left cheek and raising the face a bit, the disguised seven-year-old began rubbing his goatee and then went on to the cheek. The bandage wearing shinobi simply looked down, not even giving a hint whether he noticed the goatee rub or not.
Kotetsu looked at his partner. "Izumo, check for his entry a week ago at eight forty, night time."
The other shinobi, with hair covering one side of his face, simply picked up another scroll, opened it up and began scanning through it. All the while, Naruto couldn't help but pray that Yamamoto had done the work properly.
"It's there: A Nakamura Fuji entered from the east gate at around eight forty in the night for a week after which he would leave for Nami no Kuni - that is today."
Nodding, Kotetsu simply returned the document before standing up and approaching the disguised Uzumaki. Forming a hand seal, he muttered. "Kai!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow as nothing happened, but the shinobi stepped back and nodded.
"Hope you had a good stay," Kotetsu finished with a smile.
"It was amazing, thank you," Bowing deeply, Naruto accepted the document and joined the three older men, sharing a smile with Haru.
"Alright, let's go!" Kosuke declared and began walking towards the gates, and the three began following the oldest man in the group.
"So, tell us about yourself, Fuji-kun," Kosuke asked, smiling at the youngest man of the group, mustache spreading due to the action.
The disguised seven-year-old blinked, directing a bit of a lost gaze at the older man. Didn't Haru-san tell them about him? The tavern owner was supposed to… Nevertheless, now asked, what could he say about himself?
The mustached man snorted, twirling the loops of his mustaches with both the hands. "You are looking at me as if I asked you to teach me how to create a child, ha!"
Satoshi and Haru both chuckled, before the latter nudged his cousin in the arm. "He takes some time to warm up; a bit shy, my cousin is."
Sharing a glance with his supposed cousin and seeing his slight nod, the Uzumaki mentally shrugged. "What do you want to know?" Immediately, he mentally patted himself for a good start.
"Hmmm… like, what do you do in Hacho? Yeah," Kosuke nodded, more to himself.
Taking a moment to organise his thoughts, Naruto/Fuji cleared his throat. "Actually, I only go to the village once in a while; most of the time is spent away in Fire country doing all sorts of jobs, be it cart pulling, loading and unloading, a messenger among others."
"Oh," The oldest man in the group nodded, slightly impressed. "That's quite a diversity. Guess the jobs must have paid well since you are about to open a tavern… "
"Did you already forget, old man?" Satoshi raised an eyebrow at the bald man. "Haru told us Fuji isn't married; one can only spend so much on himself."
So, his cousin did tell them about him, Naruto mused to himself. Well, either the old man was a bit talkative and doing it purposely to pass the time or just wanted to hear it from his own mouth.
"Yeah, yeah, I am just trying to strike a conversation," Kosuke huffed while scratching his head. "Anyway, did you select any place for your tavern?"
"Actually," Haru jumped in just for the sake of it. The seven year old was doing quite well for his age, but it would be better if he cooperated from time to time. "He ain't gonna open it in Konoha, and we are still scouring for a location."
"Something against Konoha?" This time it was the stubble bearing man who asked, squinting his eyes a bit.
Naruto/Fuji simply raised his hands in a placating manner. "Nothing like that. It's just that I am not very fond of living in a shinobi village; nothing against shinobis too, but it can be a bit pressing to deal with them, ya know what I mean."
"Oh I do," The oldest man in the group expressed his agreement, again entering the conversation. "All that work takes toll not only on them but also on the surrounding folks; a difficult life those guys live," He finished shaking his head.
"Moving on, before the old man starts ruining the mood," Satoshi rolled his eyes. "You should go for Tanzaku Gai, that place is a heaven for businesses!"
Tanzaku… Gai? The disguised Uzumaki immediately recalled reading about the place in one of his geography books. It was mentioned as one of the busiest and most expensive places in the entire world, with people of all sorts and occupations flocking to it from everywhere.
"If you want him to just dump his savings in a single go, just say it directly, Satoshi," Haru chuckled a bit. "That place is a pitfall for newbies like him; hell, even you and I will succumb there in some days."
"Yeah. One can't survive there without any lineage, hold or connections… or straight power," Using the thumb and index finger to sweep his mustache, Kosuke released a breath. "Honestly, that place is overrated. I mean, besides gambling, what else does it have?"
"Exactly," The tavern owner nodded towards the bald man.
Satoshi could only huff, crossing his arms. "One day, you'll see, one day."
"Sure," Haru smiled in amusement.
Then, there was silence.
Some moments passed, and Naruto/Fuji mentally sighed in relief. People really talked a lot! Shaking his head a bit, he directed his gaze towards the surroundings, taking in the greenery, the chirping of the birds, and a soothing calmness that was absent in the village.
And then, he realized, in a whole, that he was out of the village for the very first time! A grin threatened to break out of his mouth, but he suppressed it - barely; the lips still twitched at the corners.
He again glanced around. The trees were no different than those present in the forest above Hokage mountain or even in the village, but there was a strange sensation of liberation - the one which was even better than what he experienced in his apartment.
He liked this new feeling a lot, and wanted to embrace it more dearly and closely, and there was only one way for it - the shinobi way. He could already feel his motives, of becoming a shinobi, strengthen, his resolve getting more determined, and his aim getting clearer.
Nothing would stop him in his path!
"Here catch it, Fuji one."
Glancing and taking in the familiar coin flying towards him, Naruto/Fuji grasped it with his left hand, while shaking his head at the new addition to his name. Fuji one and Fuji two were the names given to both him and the other clone respectively.
Truly, this was a new level of creativity! Sighing a bit, the disguised Uzumaki looked at the metal coin in his hand before glancing up at the bandanna-wearing, grinning elder boy. "What's this for, Kenchi?"
"Oh you know damn well!" Kenchi grinned toothily, picking up the ear with his pinky. "I know you have been dying to try the slot machines, don't ya?"
Slot machines - the actual name for the machines with levers - were really fun. Just enter a coin, wait for the machine to confirm it and then pull the lever; if numbers or symbols match, it will be the best time of your life.
For two days, he had been working in Yamamoto's gambling house, and had come to know about various gambling games in practice here. Be it Cho-Han, slot machines or various types of card games - all were really fun to just even watch; just imagine actually playing them!
Unfortunately, they were not allowed to play, but fortunately, they were allowed to test the machines before every evening, and today it seemed, it was his day. The disguised seven year old grinned at the older boy. "Thank you, Kenchi."
The lean boy simply waved him off. "Just win something, alright?" Then, he chuckled. Naruto joined him knowing the only thing they could win out of empty machines was laughter and fun.
Approaching the machine, Naruto/Fuji entered the coin in the slot, waited as the machine lighted once in confirmation, before, with a lopsided grin, pulled the lever down.
Some lights and sounds began flashing, and amidst them, the three rows displaying numbers began moving faster and faster. Some moments passed, and then the first reel started slowing down before halting to show 'seven'.
"Well, that's one-third luck you have."
A hand, following the words, landed on his shoulder making the Uzumaki glance at the grinning boy. "Yeah," Chuckling, he returned his attention towards the machine just in time to see the second reel slowing down, and no later, it halted to show 'seven' again.
"Whoa!" Kenchi exclaimed loudly, pressing his hand on the younger boy's shoulder.
Naruto, meanwhile, stayed glued to the screen where the third reel had also started slowing down before halting to show the last 'seven'. Immediately, the machine started chiming and beeping, lights began flashing more vividly while the words 'winner' flashed on the screen.
"Damn! That's some luck you got there, Fuji one."
The disguised Uzumaki could only nod dumbly, having not expected to win in the very first try. In the last two days, he hadn't seen any customer managing to win even once. Word was there that the last victory had been around six years ago!
A hearty laugh, he recognised as Kenchi's, broke him out of his stupor just in time to see the bandanna-clad boy was pushing him at the next machine. Blinking, he looked at the grinning boy in confusion. "Uh… "
"I decided you will test every machine today, so go on," Kenchi even patted him on the back, again. The boy sure liked to do that.
Shrugging, Naruto/Fuji accepted the coin and again performed the requisite.
"Do it."
The disguised Uzumaki gulped a bit, being pinned under the sharp stare of Yamamoto-san. Though as asked, slowly, he put the coin and pulled the lever before waiting for the sure victory - something he wasn't even aware of till today.
A couple of moments later, three 'sevens' flashed onto the screen, and this time Naruto couldn't even enjoy the moment. Nervously, he looked back at the club owner who had his eyes closed now and was taking drags from his cigar.
Some moments passed like that.
Yamamoto opened his eyes and looked directly at Kenchi. "This was the result in all the twenty two machines?"
"Yup."
"Did you test the machines?"
"Personally."
"What about the other clone?"
"Tested him on five machines before sending him down; the work must go on - as you say it."
Again, the club owner took a drag. "What about other games?"
"Decided to tell you about the machines first."
Yamamoto nodded. "Bring the dice."
The bandanna-clad boy, still grinning, dashed towards the other end and was back in a moment, a cup and two dice in his hand. "Shall I?"
"Do it."
Kenchi put the dice inside the cup and shook it hard, tongue hanging out of his grinning mouth, before nearly slamming it atop the slot machine.
"Fuji, pick one: Cho or Han."
What had he gotten into? Musing while being slightly nervous, the Uzumaki clone looked at the brown bamboo cup for some moments. "Uh… Cho?"
Kenchi picked up the cup, and his face nearly split in two, teeth and tongue on full display. "It's cho, boss."
"Do it, again."
The boy repeated the motion, and the clone Naruto went with 'han' this time. The result was not different.
"That will be all."
Both the boys turned towards the older man who was smirking now, and then he looked at Kenchi. "Not a word of this to anyone."
"You know me, boss," The bandanna-clad boy saluted sharply.
Yamamoto nodded. "Leave us alone."
Nodding, and winking towards Fuji one, the boy left.
Immediately, the club owner, after taking a seat, leveled his gaze at the clone. "I will make you a deal, Fuji. Accept it, and it will be beneficial for both of us."
This was no choice, just pure command - the Uzumaki clone thought in slight anxiety. He also had a clear idea of what the deal was going to be, but unfortunately - and that was ironic - he couldn't just get out of it.
"Clearly, you have an unprecedented amount of luck; work for, no, work with me, and I will make you rich."
As if he couldn't become rich on his own?
"No you can't, and before you ask, I know that's what you are thinking," Yamamoto again smirked.
Wasn't he the one supposed to be lucky at guessing? Still, Naruto couldn't help but ask. "Why do I need you, Yamamoto-san, to get… uh… rich?" He cursed his tongue for hesitating.
The older man gave the clone a one-over. "With your bare clothes and extreme luck, if you ever tried gambling, you'll soon come under the scrutiny of some really influential guy, and trust me, they are actually there and on the hunt for talented people who can't look for themselves."
"In short, either you will bow to them and become their slave or die."
In simple terms, he was weak. The clone clenched his fist. Yet another one of his abilities could prove to be a curse for himself. This was a glaring reminder that he needed to get strong! "And what's stopping you, Yamamoto-san, from doing that?"
The Uzumaki knew he was already treading on thin ice, but fortunately, Yamamoto only knew him as Fuji, and double that, he was only a clone. If needed, he would just dispel himself, and the original would get the memories.
"Nothing, but I think it's destiny that you met me and not some greedy guy, and I prefer to avoid enraging destiny and keep its gifts close to me. I won't deny that I want to become rich through you and even take care of some businesses, but as I said, it will be good for both of us."
"... How?"
Yamamoto clasped his hands under his chin, supporting the elbows on his thighs. "First, obviously, you will become rich… "
Well, he wanted money; that was for sure.
"... and I will help you to stay away from the vultures, and when I say it, I mean that I will help you stand on your own feet, so that you will not even need me."
Okay. That was interesting, to say the least. Invested, the clone began paying rapt attention to each and every word.
"Secondly, with your image, that I will create, will come fame and reputation - both of them are quite necessary in our world. Thirdly, even you know that connections are a must in our world; your image will lead to their development."
All in all, the man wanted to make him stand on his feet because then only it would be beneficial for both of them. The Uzumaki could clearly see the benefit: Yamamoto would be in advantage by being an accomplice of a powerful man who the club owner himself created.
Well, there was nothing to lose. If waters rose to dangerous levels, he would simply dispel, and during the time out of the village, they would clearly think something for Haru-san's escape. Deciding and nodding, the clone voiced. "Very well. So when do we do it?"
Yamamoto grinned - a sharp grin it was. "In two days."
The disguised Uzumaki tilted his head. "Some special occasion?"
"Yeah. Masatsugu Suzuki will come to play a game of Cho-han this Saturday evening; you will defeat him."
"So, that's the personal business."
The club owner nodded. "He is the poorest, relatively of course, yet one of the influential men of the merchant council and is quite expressive of his desire to buy my club. Over the years, he has collected just the right amount of money for the deal, and in some months, he will finalize it."
"One of the senior members will retire, and he will take that place. Despite that, I will still get the money, but your cousin and the entire red light district will be laid waste to."
Those at the merchant council wants to start the 'Red District rehabilitation programme.'
Gasping a bit, the disguised Uzumaki slowly raised his finger. "He is the one… "
Yamamoto smirked. "So you know. Yeah, he's one of them, and with him securing the more powerful seat, he can and will implement the program."
"But-but, how come my victory will prevent that?"
"Those at the merchant council are really greedy guys; they only value those with enough resources, and moreover, his loss will immediately become public and tarnish his reputation among the masses. In the end, he will not be promoted."
Okay, now, this was personal for him too! Haru-san had been helping him ever since he had met the man, and the Red light district had become a home for him too. This was his chance to save that!
Nothing more needed to be said. Nodding once, Naruto/Fuji voiced. "I agree, Yamamoto-san."
"Good," Yamamoto chuckled slowly. "Now come, we must prepare you and set the stage for the occasion."
Naruto could feel the cool winds, and the augmentation in the calmness due to the evening time only added to the thrill that they were close to the sea.
The mere thought nearly made him grin, but once again, he composed himself - that was really arduous. Throughout the day though most of the travel was through forests and alongside a couple of rivers, there were those two tribes he couldn't just forget.
Even now he was surprised that there were groups of people who wandered without any particular destination. Nevertheless, that was a great experience; just talking and sharing lunch with them was enough to give him an everlasting memory.
And most likely by next hour, they would be close to the sea, and for the first time in seven years, he would get to witness the endless waters.
"Okay, stop."
Pausing in his thoughts, the disguised Uzumaki looked quizzically at the oldest man in the group but refrained from speaking.
Yawning, quite heavily, Kosuke stretched a bit before taking in the others. "This is a nice place; we should stop here."
Glancing around, Haru nodded. "Yeah, it is quite peaceful."
Satoshi only shrugged.
Naruto/Fuji blinked. The words were quite clear that they were not going to move forward from this place. But why? He looked towards the horizon and saw the orange hue of the skies. Confused, he could only ask Haru. "Shouldn't we cover more distance?"
The three men looked towards him. "I mean it's still time to night; we can reach close to the sea if not beyond, right?"
"We could, if only we were shinobis."
"Uh… " Not able to understand the words of the stubble bearing man, the disguised seven year old could only scratch his head.
Smiling a bit, Haru patted his cousin. "What Satoshi means is that this is the safest area for us commoners, as Konoha shinobis often patrol around, but beyond this, they start thinning and near the sea, chances increase that a mercenary or rogue shinobi might have taken a refuge for the night."
"So, we will eat and rest here for the night, and in the early morning, resume our trip."
Realization dawning over his face, the Uzumaki nodded a couple of times. Moreover, even if there were a way to proceed, he would have been ruled out by three to one. Shrugging a bit, he sat down with others.
Besides, witnessing the sea waters in the daylight would be a lot better than in the night.
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Next chapter: Nami no Kuni and a unique finding.