"Come, let's look at this!" Haruto changed the topic and took out the blueprint of the bridge.
"Huh? What is this?!" Naruto asked in confusion.
He had seen experience cards, scrolls, and even weird items like lip balm, but he had never seen a blueprint-type prop before.
"Haha, that's why I said this thing is very suitable for your mission!" Haruto said casually. "This is a blueprint for constructing a bridge. A bridge built using this blueprint will definitely be strong and durable—no problem even if it's used for hundreds of years!" he added confidently.
"Hmm?" Tazuna, who was wobbling from drunkenness in the back, suddenly perked up after hearing those words. As a bridge-building expert, he was instantly alert.
Even with his decades of experience, he wouldn't dare to boast that any bridge could last centuries, let alone guarantee it. Yet this shopkeeper was claiming something that even Tazuna didn't dare say?
He pushed Sakura and Sasuke aside and stepped forward, snatching the blueprint from Haruto's hands.
"Humph! You're bragging!" Tazuna snorted. "I've been building bridges for many years, and I've never heard of a bridge lasting for hundreds of years!"
"Haha!" Haruto sneered. "That only shows you're short-sighted!"
"Short-sighted?!" Tazuna was enraged. "I'm a famous bridge-building expert in the Land of Waves! How dare you call me that?!"
"Hmph! Bridge-building expert? Please! In my eyes, you're just an apprentice at best," Haruto said nonchalantly.
"What?!" Tazuna was furious. For a professional like him, being called an apprentice was the worst insult imaginable!
Haruto didn't even bother arguing further. "You're so poor you even had to lie to get a C-rank mission, and yet you have money to buy alcohol? Wouldn't it be better to spend it on eggs? At least that's useful."
To Haruto, people like Tazuna weren't even worth wasting breath on.
And in truth, he wasn't wrong. Compared to the bridge-building marvels of the modern world in his previous life—bridges that had stood for thousands of years—Tazuna's experience really was that of an apprentice.
"Hmph!" Tazuna snorted again and turned his attention to the blueprint. He wanted to see just how ridiculous this so-called "century-strong" bridge was.
But when he opened the blueprint and saw the magnificent, elegant design on the scroll, he was stunned.
Was this really something humans could build?
The bridge sketched on the blueprint spanned across two steep riverbanks, with elegant curves and incredible support structures that screamed architectural mastery. And that was just the appearance.
From a professional perspective, it was genius-level design.
"Hmph!" Tazuna forced himself to scoff. "This looks pretty, but I bet it's impossible to actually build. You're just using some flashy picture to bluff these kids."
With that, he dove into the construction steps at the back of the blueprint, expecting it to be impossible to execute.
But the more he read, the more his hands trembled.
The construction method was not only feasible, it was absurdly simple! Even with the limited tools and materials in the Land of Waves, they could easily follow this method.
"How... how is this possible?!" Tazuna murmured in disbelief.
He had never seen such efficient and advanced construction techniques. He had no choice but to admit: this was way beyond him.
"Hmph." Haruto snatched the blueprint back and handed it to Naruto. "And you still had the nerve to bark at me? Frog in a well, thinking you've seen the world!"
Tazuna opened his mouth, wanting to retaliate, but the memory of that majestic bridge held his tongue. He lowered his head in silence.
Naruto, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel giddy. That old man always called him a brat and mocked his dream of becoming Hokage—now he had been totally owned by Haruto!
"Okay, let's take a look at the last thing," Haruto said, drawing a scroll from the final orb of light.
"Ohhh, another scroll-type item!" Naruto said excitedly. "Scrolls are the best!"
That meant it was permanent Ninjutsu—just what he needed to grow stronger.
Behind him, Sasuke clenched his fists tightly.
"Why..." he muttered, teeth gritted.
"Why does Naruto always get the powerful stuff?"
"Why is it never me?!"
Jealousy crept deeper into his heart.
"Hey, boss! What kind of Ninjutsu is it this time?" Naruto asked, eyes sparkling.
"This," Haruto said, smiling proudly, "is the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Oh, damn! I can already tell it's something amazing from the name alone!"
Haruto nodded. "Indeed. This Ninjutsu has the strongest defensive power I've ever seen!"
"Tell me more! Tell me more!" Naruto shouted eagerly.
Haruto raised the scroll and began explaining seriously. "This is an ancient Shaolin martial art technique. When activated, it forms a layer of golden energy over the user's body—almost like armor. Once it's active, your body becomes almost invincible—swords, kunai, fire, water—it won't matter!"
"Unless your opponent's Chakra vastly exceeds your own, they'll never be able to break through your defense."
"That's awesome!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist.
"But!" Haruto's tone suddenly turned serious. "There's a limit."
"A limit?" Sakura asked, blinking.
"Yeah," Haruto continued. "You can only use this Ninjutsu five times in your lifetime."
"Every time you use it, a special mark appears on your palm. Once you've used it five times…"
Haruto paused dramatically.
Sasuke scoffed in the back. "So it's limited? Not so amazing after all."
Kakashi rubbed his forehead with a sigh. He had already seen this face on Haruto before—the same expression he wore whenever he was about to mess with someone.
Naruto scratched his head. "Boss, what happens if I use it more than five times?"
Haruto's face suddenly darkened. "You'll explode."
"...What?" Naruto blinked.
"Yes." Haruto raised both hands and mimicked a bursting sound. "Boom. Pieces everywhere."
"Ahhhhhh!!!" Naruto screamed, hugging the scroll like a bomb.
End of the Chapter.
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