NOVEL WEB Chapter 130: Chapter 130. This was an Accident
Chapter 130. This was an Accident
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"Hiruzen! Trust me!"
"..."
It's precisely because I trusted you that I'm in this situation now.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was grim, and the hand holding the smoking pipe was even shaking a little.
They had already lost nearly tens of millions in just three days.
Wouldn't that money be better spent elsewhere?
How much longer could he sustain with the wealth he had embezzle—uh, painstakingly worked hard to save up?
So.
Hiruzen set down his smoking pipe, looked seriously at the extremely sour-faced Danzo across from him, and said with deep sincerity, "Danzo! We need to cut our losses while we can!"
"It's just a small accident!" Danzo, however, shook his head, his expression still dark as he stared at Hiruzen. "I just didn't investigate it thoroughly this time."
Who would've thought… that after the promotional discounts ended, those people would run straight back to Yuto BBQ?!
What's so great about that place?!
Everything Yuto BBQ has, Root BBQ has too!
And everything Yuto BBQ lacks—Root BBQ has that as well!
And how could the Third Hokage be inferior to some random Uchiha pervert?!
Why?
Danzo clasped his hands together, resting them under his chin, his face shadowed with deep thought. "After careful observation, I realized—we may have made things too flashy! It's just barbecue! Why complicate it with a ninja theme? It's a waste of money and only alienates the common folk!"
Ordinary people already have some level of distrust toward ninjas!
Perhaps…
"That must be it!" His eyes sharpened, gleaming with a so-called wisdom. "This isn't my fault! And it's not your fault either, Hiruzen! We just made things too complicated!"
"...I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not." Hiruzen muttered, glancing at Danzo's intense, almost crazed expression.
He decided not to say it.
Instead, he furrowed his brows, thinking deeply before speaking, "Maybe you're right! But I still believe we should cut our losses! Sell the stores! If you really want to continue, let's just keep one or two as a trial run!"
"Too small! Too small! Too small-minded!"
"This is called being cautious!"
"You've grown weak, Hiruzen! You'll never make big money thinking like this!"
"I don't care about making big money!"
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
"I am the Hokage, Danzo!"
"You really want to give up?" Danzo roared, eyes filled with disappointment as he stared at Hiruzen.
"Do you want people to laugh at us?! We even stole the barbecue sauce, and we still can't beat them?!"
The room fell silent.
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
That advertisement…
Damn it!
Yeah, it was definitely him!
If they failed now, it really would be embarrassing!
[I should've never let Danzo put my face on those ads!]
Back then, Danzo had sworn up and down that this would work, and as a close friend, Hiruzen had no choice but to trust him.
However—
Seeing Hiruzen hesitate, Danzo's lips curled into a smile, his tone carrying a hint of scheming persuasion.
"You and me! Your reputation, my wisdom—how could we possibly fail? This… is just an accident, Hiruzen!"
The Light of Konoha and the Darkness of Konoha!
The two of them working together—how could they possibly lose?
Impossible!
"Think back to that time! When our sensei entrusted the Hokage's position to you in a time of crisis. Back then, how many clans in the village opposed us? Outside, the great ninja villages were waiting to strike! We were surrounded by internal strife and external threats, you came to me! You asked for my help! And I agreed! We joined forces! And in the end—"
Danzo spread his arms wide, lifting his chin with confidence, his voice filled with passion.
"We succeeded! We built this great ninja village together! The problems we face now are nothing but small problems!"
As soon as the words fell, Hiruzen silently picked up the smoking pipe beside him, but his hand trembled so much that he almost poked it into his nose.
He looked at Danzo in front of him.
And once again, his mind drifted back to that day…
It was drizzling.
Their teacher, in his final moments, entrusted the position of Hokage to him.
Even with Mito-sama's support, everything was just as Danzo had said…
Internal and external crises!
Countless people were waiting to see them fail.
In the end, he turned to Danzo, grasped his hand tightly, and shouted, "Help me!"
Danzo… without hesitation, simply replied, "Alright!"
And so, they… succeeded!
Just as Danzo said—how could the Light of Konoha and the Darkness of Konoha possibly fail?
This time, it really might just be an accident!
"Don't give up! Just like last time, don't give up!" Danzo spoke earnestly. "Trust me! And trust yourself! Give me your trust, and I will give you the blue sky!"
"How do you plan to proceed this time?" Hiruzen's eyes sharpened, exuding the aura of a true ninja, as he lifted his gaze to Danzo. "Continue running the BBQ business?"
"No! That is a disgrace! Any industry that doesn't make money is a useless industry!" Danzo sneered. "This failure is already irreversible! Trying to salvage it would only mean more losses!"
As someone who lived in the shadows, he knew when to cut his losses without hesitation.
"So, there's no need for us to continue with it!"
"Then what do you plan to do this time?"
"Do you remember what that Uchiha brat started with? Last time was a lesson! A valuable lesson! We rushed in without proper investigation—that was not the way of a ninja!" Danzo's eyes gleamed with insight, his voice low but full of confidence. "This time! I have already done a thorough investigation! I am ready to copy directly! No more nonsense!"
His words fell.
Hiruzen trembled slightly, realizing that Danzo was right!
The failure of the BBQ restaurant must have been due to its lack of clear direction!
It wasn't their fault!
It was a lack of intelligence!
So—
"Danzo!"
"Hiruzen!"
"I'm counting on you!"
"Leave it to me!"
At this moment,
The two of them looked at each other for once, and it seemed that they only had each other in their eyes!
This was their bond!
A deep and unwavering bond!
…
Today,
It was no longer drizzling like the previous times.
Of course,
The weather didn't matter to Orochimaru.
At this moment,
His mood was quite good.
[So, it's finally happening, Danzo!]
Orochimaru licked his lips as he followed the Root ninja to a secret laboratory.
A few days ago, he had been played for a fool, which left him somewhat displeased, but as long as he could research Hashirama's cells and uncover the secrets of the ninja world, that was enough!
As for the rest…
He had no interest at all!
After arriving at the lab, he quietly waited for Hashirama's cells to appear.
Then—
Just like last time, a group of Root ninja cautiously carried in a box.
But Orochimaru was certain this time wouldn't be like last time.
This time!
The Hashirama cells were finally coming!
And the Root ninja didn't keep him waiting long. After carefully placing the box down, they slowly opened it.
"It's really exciting!" Orochimaru, filled with anticipation, licked his lips, his eyes burning with an intense gaze as he stared at the box.
Suddenly.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
He silently stared at the familiar-looking cups in front of him—especially the four characters printed on them: [Yuto Milk Tea]
[I heard… that Shimura Danzo is worth a billion?]
…
Another month passed in the blink of an eye.
The former [Root BBQ] had been remodeled into [Root Milk Tea], with its decor, atmosphere, and even its menu looking almost identical to [Yuto Milk Tea].
Of course,
There were still some differences.
For example, the advertisement board outside the shop.
An old man.
The Third Hokage himself, wearing a confident smile, held a [Root Milk Tea] in his left hand while giving a thumbs-up with his right.
Next to him, a line of familiar text:
[Even the Hokage says this milk tea is delicious!]
Immediately,
Curious crowds began to gather once again.
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