Naruto: Clan Simulation and Bloodline Evolution from Scratch

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*****

Although Sarutobi Asuma would one day become one of Konoha's top elite jōnin, a true pillar of the village in both strength and character, in his youth he was known as a rebellious troublemaker.

It was only after spending several years among the Twelve Guardian Ninja that his temperament began to settle.

So, someone bold enough to argue openly with the Third Hokage—how could he possibly respect someone like Danzo, the so-called Shadow of the Leaf?

Let alone Shimura Taiji in front of them now, who was nothing more than a stray dog raised by the Shimura clan.

"Huh? Why so quiet? Don't tell me you're broke?"

Asuma laughed mercilessly, then pulled out his wallet and waved it.

"If you don't have the money, I can pay it for you—and go to Danzo personally to collect."

"Our two families go way back—our elders were close friends. We ought to strengthen our bond too."

Asuma's words sounded polite, but everyone could see that he was intentionally putting the Shimura clan to shame.

Maybe he wouldn't confront Danzo directly, but he would absolutely take this opportunity to privately mock him in front of the Third Hokage.

Beads of sweat formed on Shimura Taiji's forehead.

Might Guy alone had already made him feel pressured. Now there was also Kurenai Yuhi and Sarutobi Asuma, and even Asuma was siding with Ximen Zhen.

Wasn't this guy just a civilian orphan? How did he suddenly have such powerful connections?

Ximen Zhen simply smiled at Taiji.

It was true that he didn't yet know many of Konoha's jōnin and chūnin, but over the past few days, he had built relationships with nearly a hundred of the village's elderly residents.

And among elders, gossip spreads faster than wildfire—what one old person knows can reach dozens more by the next day.

More importantly, in Konoha, how many elders who live to sixty or seventy don't have ninja children or grandchildren?

This entire situation was something Ximen Zhen had largely anticipated.

The only thing he hadn't expected was the arrival of Sarutobi Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi.

"Ximen Zhen, do you really want to disgrace the Shimura clan?"

Realizing that nearly everyone here was out of his league, Taiji could only glare viciously at Ximen Zhen—the one he perceived as the easiest to bully.

"I never said I wouldn't pay," he growled. "It's just inconvenient for me to take on missions right now."

"Once I complete a B-rank mission, what's fifty thousand ryo? Even 150,000 wouldn't be a problem!"

"If you can't even tolerate this, what kind of shop are you running?"

Sarutobi Asuma frowned and was about to respond, but Kurenai subtly motioned for him to stop.

Seeing his confusion, Kurenai whispered, "Let's see if he can resolve it on his own first."

Though Asuma didn't expect any repayment, a favor from a jōnin was a heavy burden for an ordinary person. It could easily make young people arrogant and overconfident.

In Kurenai's view, if Ximen Zhen couldn't resolve this himself, then maybe it was better if the shop didn't continue operating—at least for his own safety.

"Not at all, Chūnin-dono," Ximen Zhen said calmly.

"I merely borrowed your name to show how much you love our shop."

"If I really wanted to make you repay your debt, I would've paraded this around town and had someone nail a banner to your clan's front gate… but I would never do such a thing."

"Please, feel free to continue running a tab at our shop. I guarantee I will never ask you for repayment—but I ask that you allow us to keep this scroll displayed."

"Of course, if you still feel dissatisfied…"

Ximen Zhen picked up a brush. In full view of the crowd, he blacked out the words "Running Tab" and added,

"There, now you don't have to be angry, right?"

Someone couldn't help but chuckle.

Sure, Ximen Zhen had covered up the words, but with dozens of people as witnesses, who would forget this incident?

By tomorrow, word would spread across Konoha that even the Shimura clan couldn't afford a meal.

Blotting out the words now was just a show of goodwill.

As for Shimura Taiji's pride? Ximen Zhen clearly had no intention of preserving it.

And even if he had—would Taiji really forgive him?

All Ximen Zhen was trying to do was keep this matter confined to a personal grudge between the two of them.

If the Shimura clan still chose to hold a grudge, then Ximen Zhen would simply face it head-on.

Taiji's face turned green, then purple, as the chakra in his body began to surge chaotically.

Thanks to his sensing ability, Ximen Zhen picked up on this immediately. He knew that if not for the people present, Taiji might have already lost control.

He was no better than those two genin from before.

"Fine. Very well," Taiji finally said, letting go of his clenched fists.

"I'll be back in one week to repay the debt. For now, take down that scroll and destroy it!"

"Of course."

Ximen Zhen glanced at Tenten, who immediately understood. She leapt onto the wall, unrolled the scroll, and tossed it into the air. Then, with a few quick slashes of her kunai, the scroll scattered into a shower of white paper.

In the culture of the ninja world, white wasn't considered unlucky. On the contrary, it symbolized purity and sanctity.

The fluttering white scraps delighted the nearby children, who began to cheer.

Seizing the moment, Ximen Zhen addressed the crowd.

"Thank you all for your love and support for our humble little shop. I apologize for the unpleasantness just now. As a co-owner, I take full responsibility."

"To show our gratitude, I hereby announce that every table here today will receive a complimentary plate of beef. I hope you all enjoy your meals!"

Now even the adults applauded. No one spared a glance at Shimura Taiji anymore.

He had been about to say something harsh, but now he only felt like a clown. With his face dark as soot, he slinked away silently—though not before throwing Ximen Zhen a venomous glare.

Ximen Zhen couldn't see his expression, but he could still sense the chaotic chakra lingering in his wake.

Looks like a violent conflict is inevitable...

But next time they meet, Ximen Zhen won't be at his current level anymore.

From there, the barbecue shop's business proceeded smoothly.

For the first time that afternoon, Ximen Zhen didn't listen to the elderly telling stories. Instead, he stayed busy at the shop well into the night.

After closing, the proprietress insisted on tallying the day's revenue.

To their surprise, even after all the giveaways and promotions, the shop had still made over 20,000 ryo in net profit.

And thanks to the pre-paid membership promotion, they now had a cash flow of 130,000 ryo.

Ximen Zhen, however, wasn't surprised.

The kitchen only needed to handle preparation and marination—there was no need for a master chef.

And since barbecue always pairs well with drinks, as long as they had enough customers, profitability wasn't an issue.

Of course, he also knew this level of profit couldn't be sustained. Even ninja families couldn't eat barbecue every day.

But that didn't matter to Ximen Zhen.

Everything that had happened over these past two days was just the conclusion of an earlier incident. Now, his focus needed to return to training—and writing.

And most importantly…

It was time to begin Ino's simulation.

(End of Chapter)