The dim glow of candlelight flickered inside the psychic space, casting eerie shadows across the walls. Sitting across from Uchiha Madara, Shouta Kazuki swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes gleaming with undisguised amusement.
Madara, on the other hand, was deep in thought. If this kid truly possessed the ability to summon the dead for a price, then with enough money, he could bring back anyone. That meant he could once again face off against Senju Hashirama. No… it wouldn't just be a battle—this time, he would be victorious.
But there was a problem. This brat had no money. Not even a single silver tael.
And there was no way for Madara to be sure if Shouta was deceiving him. If he foolishly went along with this scheme, helped this kid acquire the necessary wealth, and in the end, it turned out to be nothing but a scam, wouldn't that be the greatest humiliation of all?
Just as Madara was brooding over these thoughts, Shouta suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a knowing tone.
"Madara, what's on your mind? Let me guess… you're thinking about Senju Hashirama, aren't you?"
Madara's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly scoffed, attempting to maintain his usual arrogance.
"Hah! What nonsense are you spouting?! Me, thinking about that idiot? What a joke! That's the biggest joke I've heard today!" He crossed his arms, but the slight redness in his cheeks betrayed his embarrassment.
Shouta smirked, his expression teasing.
"Come on, just admit it. You were totally thinking about him."
"Tch! Shut up, brat!" Madara turned away, trying to hide his irritation.
Shouta, however, wasn't done yet. He suddenly put on an exaggeratedly obsequious expression, rubbing his hands together in front of him like a merchant about to strike a deal. His face was all smiles, but his eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Madara, my dear, dear friend… let's discuss something, shall we?"
Madara glanced at him with narrowed eyes.
"Hmm? What are you up to now, brat?"
"It's simple! You help me make money, and in return, I'll help you bring back Senju Hashirama! Sounds like a fair deal, right? You get what you want, I get what I want—it's a win-win situation!"
Madara stared at him, unimpressed. Then he laughed—a deep, mocking laugh.
"Haha… And tell me, why exactly should I help you get money? What guarantee do I have that you're not just feeding me lies?"
Shouta feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart.
"Madara, Madara… why would I lie to you? It's not like you're some pretty young lady I'm trying to scam. What do you have that I would want to deceive you for?"
Madara's eye twitched.
"You insolent brat! I am Uchiha Madara! Do you think I'm not worth lying to?!"
"Hah! If I were going to scam someone, wouldn't I pick two rich and beautiful ladies instead of a grumpy old man?" Shouta grinned.
Madara exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "You're really something else… But still, how can I know if you're telling the truth?"
Shouta shrugged. "Fine, fine. If you don't believe me, that's your choice. No need to force it. I'll just go borrow money from Uchiha Sasuke. Once I have the funds, I'll use my ability, and then you'll see for yourself. Once you believe me, we can discuss working together."
With that, Shouta dispersed his chakra, exiting the psychic space and leaving Madara alone in the villa.
Madara sat in silence, his expression unreadable.
Was this brat really telling the truth?
If this ability was real… if it truly worked as the kid described… then he could resurrect anyone.
His brother, Izuna…
That fool, Hashirama…
Shouta had mentioned before that he was currently bound to the souls of Konoha, which raised a question—would Izuna even qualify? He had died before Konoha's founding, but his remains had been buried there. Would that be enough to count as a Konoha soul?
Madara clenched his fist.
Thinking about all this now was pointless. He needed to see proof.
And if it turned out to be true… then earning money was a small price to pay. After all, he could always steal it.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Shouta Kazuki was juggling two conversations at once—one with Madara in the psychic space, and another with the twelve young shinobi he had been dining with.
Yamanaka Ino, seated next to him, was still sneaking pieces of food onto his plate.
As the evening went on, the gathering began to wind down. The plates had been cleared, the cups emptied, and the night sky stretched above them in a blanket of deep blue.
"Hinata, it's getting late," Neji said as he stood up. "We should be heading home."
Hinata nodded obediently. "I know, brother."
Seeing Neji prepare to leave, Tenten and Lee also said their farewells. One by one, the others followed suit, each heading off in their own direction.
Ino, however, hesitated before leaving. She turned to Shouta.
"Are you coming with us?" she asked.
Shouta waved her off. "Nah, I'll stay a bit longer."
In the end, only three people remained—Shouta, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto.
The three of them sat in the quiet courtyard of Sasuke's house, gazing up at the night sky.
For Sasuke, this was the most at peace he had felt since the massacre of his clan.
Maybe it was because these two idiots were still here with him. Maybe it was because, for once, there was no tension, no battles, no expectations. Just quiet companionship.
Especially when he and Naruto got into their usual petty arguments…
"Shouta," Sasuke finally spoke. "You look like you have something on your mind."
Shouta blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Sasuke to be so perceptive.
"Well… yeah, actually."
Sasuke leaned forward. "Go on, then. Say it. It's not like you to be hesitant."
Shouta scratched the back of his head, feeling a little awkward.
"Uh… well… I need to borrow some money."
Sasuke frowned slightly. "You? Borrow money?"
Shouta had never been short on cash before. He was always the type to spend freely, as if money was never an issue. So why now?
Naruto, on the other hand, didn't hesitate at all. He immediately pulled out his small frog-shaped wallet and emptied its contents onto the ground.
"Shouta, how much do you need? I don't have much, but you can take all of it!"
Shouta looked at the scattered silver coins and felt genuinely touched.
"Thanks, Naruto… but, uh, the amount I need is a bit more than that."
Sasuke's frown deepened. "How much are we talking about?"
Shouta took a deep breath.
"The more, the better. If I had 120 million silver taels, it still wouldn't be enough. And if I had 580 million, I'd still want more."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!?!" Naruto nearly fell over in shock. "Shouta, are you crazy?! What could you possibly need that much money for?!"