Chapter 65: Volume 2 – Chapter 14: Konoha Unlimited No Responsibility Company

After handing over their spoils at a nearby outpost, Ryūto's team headed south once again to begin their patrol mission.

...

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. The journey had been peaceful, and the four finally arrived at Yugakure, the Village Hidden in Hot Water.

Though called a shinobi village, it was more famously known as "the village that forgot war."

Reiji had been here once before, but didn't stay long. At the time, he'd been on a mission and ended up traveling with the Katō merchant caravan to Konoha.

Now, after seven days of eating in the wind and sleeping under the stars, they finally had a proper place to stay.

As the name implied, Yugakure was full of hot springs—inns, hotels, bathhouses—you name it.

In the entire shinobi world, this place ranked near the top in terms of prosperity.

Hot springs, gambling dens, red light district-style entertainment districts, luxury hotels... this was a money-burning paradise.

It was a favorite destination for daimyō and wealthy elites from all nations.

As they strolled through the streets, Ryūto, Yui Kumakawa, and Kohaku Kamitsuchi all visibly relaxed, the tension finally easing from their shoulders.

Though Yugakure had basically no fighting power, its incident rate was incredibly low.

After all, the guy brushing past you on the street might be the son of a daimyō or a rich tycoon.

In a place like this, even passing gas was risky—you'd better bottle it up and take it home, just to avoid offending someone important.

But as shinobi from Kumogakure, Ryūto and the others had no such concerns.

After all, things worked differently where they came from.

A normal village leader: "What? You hit the Daimyō of the Land of Water? Crap! Lock this guy up!"

The Third Raikage: "What? You hit the Daimyō of the Land of Water? Excellent! Finally, an excuse to cause trouble! Brothers, let's roll!"

...

As dusk settled in, lanterns lit up across the streets.

Reiji, dragging behind the team, suddenly had his eyes drawn to a brightly lit area.

Ahead was a vast, elegant compound with classic architecture. Dozens of ornate lanterns were strung across the outer walls, each one emblazoned with the character "花" (flower).

In front of the wide gate, people and carriages came and went in an endless stream.

Men laughed and joked, arms draped over each other's shoulders, as they made their way into the mysterious estate.

Reiji looked up, a grin slowly curling at the corners of his mouth.

"So this is where the real Hanamichi First District," he muttered to himself.

As he said that, Yui Kumakawa—up ahead—twitched her ears ever so slightly.

...

Soon, the four of them settled into a dingy, no-frills inn that didn't even have a hot spring.

Inside the room, Ryūto gave a stern briefing to the group.

"You've got the day off. Split up and gather intel on your own. We meet back here tomorrow night. And remember—we're still on a mission. Don't get involved in anything unrelated."

With that, he was the first to head out the door.

Seeing this, Reiji got up and followed him out.

Finding a secluded spot, he took a moment to scan his surroundings, then formed a hand seal with one hand—and vanished in an instant.

...

In the next second, Reiji reappeared in a pitch-black basement.

Suddenly, a matte-black kunai pressed against his throat, and a cold—but oddly familiar—voice rang out.

"Don't move. Who are you?"

Reiji slowly raised his hands and asked in a small voice,

"Dog-bro? That you?"

Silence. Then, after a long pause, a candle flared to life, replacing the grim darkness with soft, warm light.

"Don't call me Dog-bro," the voice grumbled as the kunai withdrew.

At the same time, a slightly sulky voice echoed from behind him.

Reiji scratched his head, let out a sheepish laugh, then turned around and threw his arms around Tsuchigami.

"Dog-bro! It's only been a month—don't be a stranger.

Remember that time we slept in the same be—"

Before he could finish, Tsuchigami clamped a hand over his mouth.

The face beneath his mask darkened visibly.

He knew exactly what Reiji was referring to—that time he'd lost control and released the monster inside him.

He'd fallen off a ceiling beam in terror, ended up being hugged by the creature all night, and had nearly wet himself.

Shoving the unpleasant memory aside, Tsuchigami rolled his eyes and grumbled in a muffled tone,

"Do you have any intel?"

"Nope!" Reiji shook his head without hesitation.

"Then why are you here?"

"I missed you."

Tsuchigami nearly choked on air at the sight of Reiji's earnest expression.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, he finally regained composure and asked seriously,

"Alright, what is it?"

"Uh..."

Reiji paused for a moment, then said,

"So, Dog-bro, I've got an idea."

"What kind of idea?" Tsuchigami asked warily.

Having worked with Reiji the longest out of anyone in Konoha, he knew him well.

To put it simply—Reiji himself wasn't dangerous, but the moment some weird thought popped into that head of his, he became very dangerous.

So any "idea" had to be stopped in its tracks.

Reiji, rubbing his chin, paid no mind to Tsuchigami's caution and continued,

"I want to start a company."

"A what now?" Tsuchigami cut in.

"A joint-stock company," Reiji explained.

"Are you broke?" Tsuchigami interrupted again.

"Totally!" Reiji nodded. "That's why I want—"

"How much?" Tsuchigami cut him off for a third time, trying to smother the idea at the source.

Reiji shot him a puzzled look, then started counting on his fingers.

"Not that much... maybe a hundred or two hundred million ryo in startup capital. Want to lend me some?"

At that, Tsuchigami's head shook violently as he backed away in a panic.

What the hell?!

Not much?! One or two hundred million?!

Forget it—just tell me what crazy idea you've got already!

Seeing him freak out, Reiji didn't seem bothered. With a hopeful look in his eyes, he said,

"I want to call the company: Konoha Unlimited No Responsibility Company.

And our goal... is world peace."

Tsuchigami was left speechless.

Unlimited. No responsibility.

"So!" Reiji leaned in again with a persuasive glint in his voice.

"I want to recruit you as our first general manager!"

Tsuchigami didn't even know what a general manager was, but he instinctively shook his head.

"No, absolutely not. I was born in Konoha, I'll die in Konoha. I'm not joining your irresponsible company!"

"It's Konoha Unlimited No Responsibility Company," Reiji corrected with a straight face.

"Besides, it's not even an organization. We won't restrict your movements or force you to stay.

You can leave whenever you want. No strings attached."

Even so, Tsuchigami continued shaking his head.

Seeing that, Reiji let out a dramatic sigh, pulled him in by the shoulder, and said in a conspiratorial tone,

"Dog-bro, don't you want a side hustle?

No offense, but what are you even doing with that monthly ANBU salary? Ten thousand ryo isn't enough for anything! What'll you do when it's time to buy milk for your kid?"

Tsuchigami replied meekly,

"Reiji... I make twenty thousand a month."

What?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi told me it was ten thousand!

That old man even said all ANBU make ten thousand and told me not to complain!

That bastard scammed me!

Hiruzen... Hmph! Danzō Shimura, I'm putting this on your tab too!

Reiji exhaled sharply, trying to smother the fire in his chest, then forced a sleazy salesman grin back onto his face.

"Fine, fine. Let's say twenty thousand's enough to feed your family.

But what about being there for them?

You're in ANBU. Always out on missions, working day and night. Sometimes gone for months.

What about your kids? What if your wife starts cozying up to the guy next door?

Picture it—one slip-up, you die on a mission.

"Next thing you know, some random Old Tanaka's spending your pension, sleeping with your wife, and beating your kids. You cool with that?"

Crushed by Reiji's intensity, Tsuchigami shrank back and muttered,

"Reiji... we don't have anyone named Old Tanaka in our village."