The first thing Ryuku did after parting ways with Choza was head straight back to the Konohagakure Exclusive Bank. Without hesitation, he deposited 2.5 million Ryo into his account, keeping only five hundred thousand Ryo on hand. There was no reason to carry so much cash around, only to risk getting robbed or targeted by a burglar.
Behind the counter, the Chūnin clerk raised an eyebrow at the sudden deposit. She clearly remembered him from earlier, and if not for the Akimichi Clan Seal stamped on his paperwork, she might have suspected him of being a thief—or even called the guards.
With his business at the bank complete, Ryuku left leisurely, stretching his arms and rolling his neck as a satisfied smile spread across his face.
That went rather smoothly... I would've lowered the price if he had refused, but it all worked out in the end. Well, I guess that much is expected from a well-known shinobi clan like the Akimichi...
For his next course of action, Ryuku casually strolled toward the largest ninja weapon shop in the center of the village. He intended to purchase all the items he had listed back at home—most importantly, sealing scrolls and a decent tantō.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived in front of a three-story-tall building with a sign reading Premium Weapon Store. As the name suggested, the place was essentially a medium-sized armory stocked with ninja weaponry. Two ninja guards stood at the entrance, a testament to the store's reputation and the value of its goods.
Though the building wasn't crowded, that didn't mean it lacked customers. Every now and then, someone would walk in, while others exited, showing off their newly acquired weapons as they passed by.
Ryuku also moved inside gradually. Fortunately, the guards didn't seem like the aggressive type. They let him in without any issues.
As he walked further, he noticed various heavy weapons hanging on the walls or displayed inside glass counters for customers to examine. He looked around for a while but didn't find anything he wanted except for some shuriken. Reminding himself to purchase them later, he moved on to the second floor.
Surprisingly, the moment his gaze landed on the weapons upstairs, he immediately walked to an empty counter and ordered the person behind it, "How much for a decent tanto?"
The man, chewing on a piece of dried meat, replied in a casual tone, completely indifferent to Ryuku's age—as if nothing mattered except strict business. "Normal or a special chakra one?"
Right... I totally forgot about that. Chakra weapons are made of chakra-conducting metals, unlike normal ones... How frustrating. I don't even have enough chakra in the first place, so what good would a chakra weapon do for me? And if I'm not wrong, it's probably worth more than what I can afford right now...
"Show me a normal one, please," Ryuku asked, admiring the gallery filled with nothing but beautifully designed swords and tantō.
It didn't take long for the man to pull out a mild white-colored short sword, sharp-edged on one side and blunt on the other—a Tantō!
"This one's pretty good for slashing," the man said, placing the tantō on the counter. "It'll cost you 30,000 Ryo."
"Let me hold it first."
Ryuku examined the short sword up close, even gripping it firmly since the shopkeeper didn't seem to mind. He tested its weight and the feeling he got while slashing. The weapon moved smoothly in his hands, as if it had been custom-designed for him.
It's good... he marveled inwardly.
"Well, that's surprising. The damn thing seems to fit you." The man smirked, lighting a cigarette and taking a few puffs right in front of his customer—only to be met with an annoyed voice from the next counter.
"Smoke your ass off by that window, you fucker! I have weak lungs, for fuck's sake! How many times do I have to tell you?!"
"Ugh, I get it. Stop shouting, you old hag."
Despite his grumbling, the man quietly moved to the corner near the window, leaving his work to the lady.
Ryuku, unsure how to react, simply moved to the next counter—the one with the milf lady.
"I'll take this one," he said, placing the short sword back on the counter. "I also want some sealing scrolls, steel wire, and shuriken. Can you help me with those?"
The lady eyed Ryuku suspiciously before replying, "I can help, but do you have enough money for all that? It'll cost more than you think."
"How much?" he asked, unfazed.
The lady calculated for a few moments before replying with a slight smile, "Around two hundred thousand."
Noticing how she was trying to intimidate him with the price, Ryuku let a small smirk appear on his face.
"It's alright. Please lead the way. I want to check out those sealing scrolls myself."
This time, the lady, though nodding, failed to hide her surprise.
Is he from a famous clan? she couldn't help but wonder.
"Follow me, please. They're on the third floor," she said—this time, with a hint of respect in her tone.
Ryuku followed her lead, and the two of them arrived on the third floor. Unlike the cold weapons downstairs, this small gallery was filled with ninja scrolls, neatly lined up on racks behind the counter.
The lady quickly moved to her spot and retrieved three scrolls from the hidden shelves under the counter.
"These are the sealing scrolls we have in our shop," she explained. "The quality increases from left to right. The cheapest one is worth 50,000 Ryo, the middle one costs 100,000 Ryo, and the last one is 200,000 Ryo."
Ryuku listened silently, not even sparing a glance at the most expensive scroll before making his decision.
"I'll take these two."
"Okay, dear customer," the lady replied with a smile. "The steel wire and shuriken are on the ground floor. I'll have them packed for you!"
"I need to check these scrolls first."
The lady didn't mind and allowed him to inspect them. It was common for shinobi to check for defects before purchasing. But unlike her usual customers—who were all adults—the one standing before her was just a kid.
He's pretty good for his age... she thought, observing Ryuku.
On the other side, Ryuku opened the cheapest scroll, seeing Fūinjutsu for the first time. He didn't dwell on it for long. Passing chakra through the intended section, he effortlessly sealed his tantō inside the scroll. Testing its retrieval, he sent chakra into the scroll again, and with a soft puff, the tantō manifested before him.
Interesting... Probably the miracle of spiritual energy...
Since the chakra consumption was manageable, he repeated the process with the other scroll and confirmed their authenticity.
"They're good."
"Of course," the lady said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest—an action that unintentionally highlighted her well-endowed curves in Ryuku's view. "We take pride in our items. There's no way we'd sell that cheap junk from the streets."
"Well then, let's move on to the ground floor."
A short while later, Ryuku left the building with calm steps, unfazed by the fact that he had just spent 1.9 hundred thousand Ryo. As long as the money was well spent, he didn't mind.
Let's see... The next destination is... the Konoha's library.
****
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