Inside the Golden Egg Shop, Haruto lay lazily behind the counter, staring at the ceiling with boredom.
Ever since the group of Genin left in the morning, not a single customer had visited.
This was probably how things were supposed to be. If Ino hadn't happened to pass by when the store first opened, he might not have gotten any customers at all.
It was her enthusiastic promotion that brought in the other Konoha 12 members, skyrocketing his sales.
Even so, in just two days, he had sold 47 golden eggs, meaning he could obtain a diamond egg every day and a half. That was already an impressive pace.
But watching others smash three eggs at a time while he could only do so every once in a while…
"Tsk, I envy them."
With the sun beginning to set, Haruto got up to close the shop, then headed to the nearby ramen stand for dinner.
By the time he finished his meal, night had completely fallen.
As he walked back toward his shop, he suddenly sensed faint Chakra fluctuations nearby.
"…Heh."
Haruto chuckled but didn't react.
Instead, he kept walking casually, hands in his pockets, humming a random tune.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
A Root ninja hidden in the nearby grass sank into the ground, attempting to pull Haruto underneath.
But…
Haruto casually stomped twice on the ground, and with a dull thud, the Root ninja sank even deeper into the earth.
"…Idiot."
Shaking his head in disappointment, he continued walking toward his shop.
Just as he reached the entrance, a sharp killing intent locked onto him.
Shurikens whistled through the air, cutting through the silence.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Haruto didn't even turn around.
The thrown weapons all embedded themselves into the wooden shop door—completely missing their target.
At that moment, the Root ninjas abandoned stealth.
One by one, masked shinobi in black robes emerged from the shadows, surrounding him.
Their Chakra flared, filling the air with a suffocating murderous aura.
Any ordinary ninja in this situation would have been terrified, unsure of how to react.
But Haruto?
He simply tilted his head in amusement and took a good look at his attackers.
"Hmm… that one's Aburame Torune… and that must be Yamanaka Fū."
Then his eyes narrowed.
"And that guy… I know that mask. So, he's part of Root too, huh?"
It was almost comical—as if he were attending a Hokage fan meet-and-greet, checking out the notable shinobi in attendance.
"Danzo sure wasted no time."
After what happened to his previous Root operatives, it was clear Danzo was trying to eliminate him quickly.
Unfortunately for him…
It was already too late.
The moment stretched into an uneasy silence.
Though the Root ninjas had Haruto completely surrounded, none of them moved.
They were waiting.
For someone's command.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the darkness behind the Root ninjas.
One by one, they parted, creating a path for their leader.
Out of the shadows, Danzo Shimura emerged.
The right half of his body wrapped in bandages, his cane striking against the ground as he walked forward.
His cold, lifeless gaze settled on Haruto.
"Tch. Dramatic."
Haruto smirked inwardly.
Danzo always did love acting like he was some sort of grandmaster.
Danzo finally came to a stop, standing directly in front of Haruto.
He carefully studied the young shopkeeper, his single visible eye narrowing.
"So… you're the owner of this shop?"
Then, as if evaluating a weapon, he muttered:
"You have quite the… interesting aura."
Haruto grinned. "Thinking of smashing some eggs, old man?"
Danzo's expression remained blank, though a slight frown tugged at his lips.
"Why should I?" he said coldly. "Once I capture you, all these eggs will belong to me."
Haruto's grin widened.
"Or, you could submit to Root and willingly offer everything to me."
"Pfft—"
Haruto actually laughed.
"That's your big pitch? Seriously?"
Danzo's eye twitched.
The carefree, mocking tone made it clear—Haruto had no intention of cooperating.
Danzo's grip on his cane tightened.
"You refuse to contribute to Konoha?"
"Hah! Since when do your 'Root' schemes count as Konoha?"
Haruto's smirk faded, replaced by icy disdain.
Danzo's eye darkened, his voice turning cold.
"We are the roots that nourish Konoha from the shadows—"
"Nope. Nope. Nope. Stop right there."
Haruto held up a hand, shaking his head.
"If you start with that 'Konoha's roots' speech, I swear I'll throw up."
Danzo's expression froze.
But Haruto wasn't done.
"You lot have done nothing but rot Konoha from the inside out."
He took a step forward, locking eyes with Danzo.
"The White Fang's death? Orochimaru's defection? The Uchiha massacre? All of it was because of you."
Danzo's features twisted in anger.
"Hmph!" He slammed his cane against the ground. "You will regret this."
The Root ninjas tensed.
The order to attack was imminent.
Haruto rolled his shoulders, feeling the power of the Black King template surging through him.
"Danzo, you really disappoint me."
His casual smirk returned, but his eyes…
Were filled with murderous intent.
Danzo exhaled sharply.
"If you insist on resisting… don't blame me for what happens next."
The Root ninjas tightened their grip on their weapons.
Haruto simply cracked his knuckles.
"Come on, then."
End of the Chapter.
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