Hearing Tsunade casually refuse profit sharing, Ren suddenly found himself unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
How should he put it…
Tsunade's personal wealth was probably enormous.
As the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju and the princess of the Senju Clan, she had inherited not only part of the Senju legacy but likely portions of the Uzumaki Clan's assets as well. On top of that, she was one of Konoha's strongest ninja, a legendary Kage-level powerhouse who had completed countless missions over the years.
And not ordinary missions either.
A-rank.
S-rank.
Battlefield operations.
Medical support contracts.
High-level assassinations.
The amount of money she had earned throughout her life was probably enough to bury ordinary ninja beneath mountains of cash.
However…
There was one small issue.
Most of it had likely already vanished into casino tables.
At this point, Ren was almost certain Tsunade only maintained her luxurious lifestyle because Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya secretly helped cover her debts from time to time. As for the gambling dens willing to lend her money…
Those people probably treated her IOUs like life insurance.
After all, owing Tsunade favor was basically equivalent to owning an extra life.
Still—
Ren looked at her carefully.
"Lady Tsunade," he said slowly, "are you absolutely sure you don't want a share?"
His lips curved slightly.
"It may not seem like much now, but this business could become extremely profitable in the future."
"Tch."
Tsunade waved dismissively.
"How profitable could a sugary drink possibly become?"
She crossed her arms confidently.
"Can it earn two hundred thousand ryo a month?"
Her expression carried complete disdain.
"A measly B-rank mission already pays around that much."
She snorted.
"That amount isn't even enough for me to gamble for a si—"
Suddenly, she coughed awkwardly.
"Cough. Cough."
Clearly, she had almost said "not even enough for one gambling session."
Fortunately, she remembered the two people standing in front of her were still children and forcibly corrected herself before damaging the youth of Konoha even further.
Meanwhile, Ren silently continued the sentence for her inside his head.
Not enough for one night at the casino.
Definitely.
Then he suddenly smiled.
"Lady Tsunade."
"Hm?"
"How about we make a bet?"
The instant the word "bet" entered her ears, Tsunade's eyes visibly lit up.
Her entire posture changed.
"A bet?"
Now she sounded interested.
"What kind of bet?"
Ren calmly raised one finger.
"Six months."
"We'll use six months as the time limit."
"If the monthly net profit of Konoha Raw Cola exceeds two hundred thousand ryo within six months…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Then I win."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly.
"And if you win?"
Ren looked directly at her.
"If I win, you grant me one request."
"Nothing excessive."
"For example…"
He deliberately paused.
"Teaching me one of the secret techniques you know."
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"And if you lose?"
Ren shrugged casually.
"Then you may also make one request of me."
"How about it?"
The courtyard suddenly became quiet.
Even Rin and Shizune subconsciously looked toward Tsunade.
Meanwhile, Tsunade silently calculated the odds inside her head.
Unlike wealthy nobles, she wasn't ignorant about the real value of money.
She knew exactly how businesses in Konoha operated.
Take Ichiraku Ramen, for example.
Or Yakiniku Q.
Those were among the most popular restaurants in the village, yet their monthly revenues only reached several hundred thousand ryo at best.
And that was revenue.
Not profit.
Even with generous estimates, their actual monthly net profits probably barely approached two hundred thousand ryo.
And now this kid wanted to surpass that?
With a sweet drink?
Within six months?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
If Ren had said one or two years, Tsunade might have hesitated slightly.
But six months?
Did he think business was child's play?
Just refining the recipe, finding suppliers, and choosing a proper shop location would already consume massive amounts of time.
Not to mention Mikami Tajima was still recovering from his leg injury.
There was no way they could establish a business empire that quickly.
And if she somehow still lost despite holding such an overwhelming advantage—
Then she might as well swallow the recipe scroll whole.
"Fine!"
Tsunade suddenly slammed her hand against the table.
"I'll take the bet!"
Her eyes gleamed as she looked at Ren, almost like a gambler staring at easy money.
"I won't take advantage of you either."
"I'll start researching the recipe immediately this afternoon."
"Once I improve it, I'll have Shizune deliver the updated formula."
"And if you're not in the village…"
A dangerous grin appeared on her face.
"I'll personally go find your father."
Then she pointed directly at Ren.
"But don't you dare try escaping after you lose."
"Likewise," Ren replied calmly.
Deep inside, however, he was already laughing.
Tsunade had no idea what modern marketing, addictive flavor design, and system-enhanced products could achieve.
This world didn't even have proper carbonated drinks yet.
Once Konoha Raw Cola truly launched…
It would crush the beverage market instantly.
After finishing the discussion, Ren exchanged a few more polite words before preparing to leave.
Meanwhile, Rin had quietly continued chatting with Shizune nearby.
"Then we'll be going now, Big Sister Shizune," Rin said cheerfully. "I'll come visit you and Lady Tsunade again next time!"
Just as they turned around—
Tsunade suddenly spoke again.
"Hey."
Her voice was colder this time.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Both Ren and Rin paused.
"Be careful lately."
Tsunade didn't look at them directly as she spoke.
"And don't die."
Ren's expression immediately sharpened.
Rin looked confused.
"Huh?"
Tsunade frowned slightly.
"I heard the village will be making major military movements soon."
"It may involve future assignments for your generation."
"I don't know the exact details."
Then she waved dismissively.
"When Minato returns, ask him yourselves."
With that, she turned and walked back inside the house while carrying the Raw Cola recipe.
Only Shizune remained behind to escort them out.
Ren and Rin exchanged uneasy glances.
The atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
After leaving the Senju compound, Rin finally spoke softly.
"Yuu-kun…"
"Do you think something big is about to happen?"
"Probably."
Ren's expression became thoughtful.
The war with Sunagakure had only temporarily calmed down. But everyone understood this peace wouldn't last forever.
Kumogakure.
Iwagakure.
Kirigakure.
Any of them could move at any time.
The Third Great Ninja War was far from over.
Still, Ren quickly pushed those thoughts aside for now.
"Let's focus on copying the Mystical Palm Technique first."
He lifted the scroll slightly.
"There's too much content inside."
Then he looked toward Rin.
"Want to come to my house tonight and transcribe it together?"
"If either of us misses something, the other can catch it."
Rin blinked briefly before nodding vigorously.
"Of course!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yuu-kun, we have to work hard!"
"We absolutely must learn the Mystical Palm Technique!"
"And that strength technique Lady Tsunade used earlier…"
Rin clenched her fists excitedly.
"It was amazing!"
Ren chuckled softly.
"Yeah."
Amazing was an understatement.
That thing was practically human-shaped artillery.
Afterward, the two headed toward a ninja tool shop.
They purchased several blank scrolls along with replacement kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags.
Because of the ongoing war, ninja tool prices had remained extremely high for months. Only recently, after Konoha gained an advantage against Sunagakure, had prices finally dropped slightly.
However—
Ren knew this peace wouldn't last.
Sunagakure would eventually counterattack.
And who knew when Kumogakure or Iwagakure might suddenly join the war officially?
Because of that, he took advantage of the lower prices to stockpile extra supplies immediately.
Better prepared than dead.
On the way home—
A familiar loud voice suddenly echoed nearby.
"Rin! Yuu!"
Obito appeared almost out of nowhere.
Ren wasn't surprised at all anymore.
These days, Obito seemed to possess some mysterious ability to locate them no matter where they went.
After realizing he had absolutely zero talent for Medical Ninjutsu, Obito had finally given up trying to enter the Advanced Medical Class.
Instead, he now devoted himself entirely to ninja training.
Or more specifically—
Showing off his training progress in front of Rin.
Unfortunately for him…
Every achievement he proudly described sounded painfully average beside Ren.
Fire Release?
Ren knew more fire techniques than him.
Taijutsu?
Ren had the Eight Gates.
Swordsmanship?
Water Release?
Medical Ninjutsu?
Obito couldn't compare in any category.
Honestly, his current position within Team Minato was becoming increasingly tragic.
Still—
Considering Ren originally obtained the Great Fireball Technique from Obito…
He generously decided not to crush the poor guy's confidence today.
Then, midway through his excited rambling, Obito suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right!"
He scratched his head.
"Have either of you seen Kakashi lately?"
Rin blinked curiously.
"No. Why?"
"I asked him to train with me recently," Obito grumbled angrily, "but he refused."
"He said he's developing a new technique and doesn't have time to play with me."
Obito crossed his arms indignantly.
"That guy seriously treats me like a child sometimes."
"A new technique?"
Rin looked surprised.
But Ren's eyes flickered slightly.
Inside his mind, he already understood.
So…
Kakashi's Chidori was finally about to be born.
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