The Days of Being the Richest Man in the Ninja World

Chapter 135. Power of Love

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Orochimaru had been feeling stomach pains lately—he almost wanted to kill that bastard and sell his body for money.

What kind of people were these?!

The so-called hero of Konoha, the darkness of Konoha's ninja world, the leader of Root—had actually gone into business?!

Was he out of his mind?

Of course, Orochimaru didn't really care.

Everyone had their own hobbies.

For example, although he was a ninja, he also enjoyed researching all sorts of strange and curious things.

However…

Deceiving him again and again was crossing the line.

What kind of nonsense was he being asked to research?

Barbecue sauce recipes?

Milk tea formulas?

Absolutely ridiculous!

This was going too far!

And what about Hashirama's cells?

After all this time, he still hadn't seen them.

Did they not plan to research them anymore?

If that bastard wasn't still somewhat useful, Orochimaru would have already had Manda swallow him whole.

Recently, though…

The old man had apparently been caught embezzling public funds and was preparing to step down from the Hokage position to prove his innocence.

Since there wasn't much going on, Orochimaru decided to go out for a stroll and show his face a little.

Orochimaru wasn't truly obsessed with becoming Hokage.

That boring position wasn't enough to make him desperate for it.

However, being Hokage would make his experiments much more convenient.

As for the embezzlement case… Others might find it hard to believe, but as the old man's student, Orochimaru knew very well—honestly, it was entirely possible.

If Hiruzen believed something would benefit Konoha, he had no qualms about misappropriating funds. For example, researching Wood Release—he feared the Uchiha's power and was wary of the Nine-Tails, so he had secretly conducted human experiments behind Tsunade's back.

Later, many members of the Senju clan were also used in those experiments and perished.

When Nawaki died, Tsunade became completely disillusioned with the village, to the point where she refused to return.

Of course…

This time, there was no way the embezzlement was real.

It's not like he would do it for a milk tea shop, right?

The old man couldn't possibly be that stupid.

So, this was most likely a rumor deliberately spread by someone from the Daimyo's office.

Orochimaru licked his lips, narrowed his eyes, and smiled slightly.

Suddenly—

Something stirred inside him, making him pause.

He looked up at the nearby "Yuto Milk Tea" shop and murmured in his soft, eerie voice, "How fascinating…"

Even just passing by, it was enough to make him crave something.

If he hadn't personally analyzed the ingredients and confirmed there was no genjutsu involved, even he might have suspected this shop was adding some indescribable substance to its drinks.

"Maybe… it really is delicious?"

But why couldn't he replicate the exact taste, even after cracking the formula?

What was missing?

Feeling a little thirsty now, Orochimaru decided to just go inside.

Immediately—

The attention of several nearby ninjas was drawn to him.

Well, there was no helping it.

He was one of the Legendary Sannin, after all.

No matter where he went, he attracted attention.

Acknowledging a few ninjas with a slight nod, Orochimaru turned to the server and smiled. "One Strawberry Sundae, please."

As soon as he spoke—

"Hey, even Orochimaru came? I haven't seen you around these past few days!"

"I'm very busy." Orochimaru rolled his eyes, sighing helplessly as he looked at the man with white hair. "Unlike you—dancing around all day."

"Want to join me? Go clubbing tonight! Drinks on me!"

"No… thanks."

"Alright, suit yourself! But it's actually pretty fun." Jiraiya shrugged, then shouted to the server, "The usual! Load it up!"

His tone was bold and confident.

Then—

Lowering his voice, he leaned close to Orochimaru's ear and said, "The old man got busted for embezzling public funds. Did you know that?"

"..."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes, indicating that he had nothing to say.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya kept talking endlessly. After who knows how long, he suddenly sighed with emotion, "I really didn't expect the old man to do something like this! His thinking has become corrupt and degenerate!" He even seemed a little gloating. "Well, in a few days, I'm leaving the village! I don't care anymore. But I do wonder what Yuto has come up with this time—it looks pretty lively over there. I'm really curious!"

As soon as he finished speaking—

"Movies!" Yuto's voice rang out as he walked over to Orochimaru and Jiraiya, smiling. "This is a groundbreaking invention! Of course, we've already opened branches all over the Land of Fire. When we officially launch, Jiraiya-sensei, you can check it out too!"

"Is that so? That's quite fortunate!"

"I thought you'd leave the village as soon as the war ended," Orochimaru said in a sarcastic tone. "I didn't expect you to keep dancing for so long!"

"Hahaha! Everyone's just too enthusiastic~" Jiraiya laughed heartily, unfazed. "Orochimaru, do you want a girlfriend? Do you? If you do, I can introduce one to you! I have plenty of intel on the girls in the village~"

"Not interested! Women would only slow down my research on the ninja world!"

"Boring guy!"

"You could stay, you know! You're giving yourself too much credit—you wouldn't get in my way at all!"

"No thanks! I have my own dreams."

"That boring dream of yours!" Orochimaru retorted sharply. He took a bite of his sundae, and a wave of satisfaction washed over him as the itchy sensation inside him disappeared.

Satisfied, he nodded and looked up at Yuto with a grin. "Uchiha Yuto! How exactly did you make this? I've already cracked most of your formula, but I still can't achieve the same result as you!"

It makes people want to try it again and again!

However—

"Love!" Yuto replied devoutly, without hesitation. "It's all about love! Only love can elevate food to the next level!"

Oh wow, so it was you, you sneaky snake, trying to crack the secret recipe? Danzo going bankrupt... you definitely played a part in that.

Thank you!

He pointed to the "Will of Fire" calligraphy piece on the wall, a gift from the Third Hokage. With a sincere expression, he gazed at it intently. "Back when I was still a student, I pondered over the meaning of Konoha's love! The love of the Third Hokage! The true essence of the Will of Fire! Eventually, due to various reasons, I left the ninja path and ventured into business. Unexpectedly, my business kept growing. I've endured hardships and countless difficulties over the years, but I pushed through—all because of the love in my heart! I understood the love that the Third Hokage spoke of, and it has always guided me forward. That's why I want everyone who tastes my food to feel the love within it, even if just a little. If everyone could share just a bit of love..."

As his words ended—

The crowd erupted in applause!

Boss Yuto's words were profound.

Even Jiraiya was filled with admiration. No wonder Yuto's writing is so good—he really knows how to talk!

Only Orochimaru... upon hearing Yuto's words, his face stiffened slightly before quickly returning to a faint smile. He looked at Yuto with an intrigued expression.

Yeah, right! The power of love?

Don't joke with me!

But he still gave Yuto a meaningful glance and smiled, saying, "Interesting!"

This guy… is definitely not simple!

Then—

He picked up his sundae and turned to leave.

"Orochimaru, that guy…" Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry about that, Yuto! I don't think he was trying to crack your secret recipe on purpose."

"It's fine, I should actually thank him!"

"???"

"Oh, nothing." Yuto pulled out two tickets and handed them to Jiraiya. "Here, Jiraiya-sensei, take these. If you have time, you can check it out—it definitely won't disappoint you. Don't worry, these are special tickets that work anywhere. Plus, you can use them to get a free popcorn and soda~"

"Then… thanks!"

"No need to thank me. Just remember to promote Yuto Milk Tea and Yuto BBQ when you're traveling! Want a standing advertisement board? You can stick it right onto your toad's back!"

"I will! As for the ad board…" Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly. "N-no, no thanks!"

Yeah.

Definitely not needed!

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