Naruto:Uchiha Sasuke The Richest Man

"Ah! Why is it always like this?" Naruto wailed when he returned and found out Sasuke had already finished sparring with Kiba. He looked as though he had lost his favorite toy, his entire body drooping with disappointment.

"I really wanted to fight..."

Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto. Fight? Maybe when your stomach stops growling, he thought, shaking his head. The last thing he wanted was for Naruto to accidentally tap into the Nine-Tails' power and things to spiral out of control during a simple spar.

After the fight, everyone's true combat abilities became clearer. Sasuke could easily hold his own against Kiba without using his Sharingan or sword techniques, even with Kiba's recent improvements.

If anyone else had taken Kiba's place, the result would have likely been worse. Even Pig, Deer, and Butterfly might have a chance if they coordinated perfectly, but...

Shikamaru cast a tired glance at Ino, who was chatting animatedly with Sasuke, and sighed.

In the afternoon, the group played several small games, laughing and joking until evening, when they finally parted ways.

Sasuke and Chika headed home, with Hatsuka quietly following behind. They stopped for some snacks along the way, and once they reached home, Sasuke began to teach Chika how to refine chakra.

Chakra refining is the process of extracting both spiritual and physical energy from the body, combining them, and converting them into chakra. There's a common misconception that chakra is directly formed by mixing physical and mental energy. In truth, when these energies are combined, they first turn into stamina, which can be used for taijutsu or further refined into chakra. This conversion is crucial, and many ninja academy students struggle with it for years after enrolling.

Fortunately, Chika was talented. After half a month of teaching, she had learned to refine chakra, though her success rate was still inconsistent, and she couldn't maintain focus while doing it. Any distraction led to failure.

But a ninja must refine chakra instinctively while in motion, especially during combat. Mastering this instinct is key to becoming a true ninja.

After a while of practice, Sasuke noticed Chika was barely able to keep her eyes open. He arranged for her to sleep.

Once Chika was sound asleep, Sasuke took a food box and headed to the roof.

Hatsuka was sitting on the rooftop, staring at the bright moon in a daze. When she saw Sasuke approach, she looked surprised.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Sasuke didn't respond immediately. He set down the food box and laid out some snacks, a bottle of sake, and a bottle of juice.

"Want something to eat?" he asked, gesturing toward the snacks. He took a sip of juice and then asked, "How did you feel today?"

Hatsuka frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What else? I'm talking about your fight with the ANBU."

"You saw it?"

"I didn't need to see it. I could feel it," Sasuke replied.

Hatsuka fell silent for a moment, her voice tinged with frustration. "I didn't use ninjutsu."

"So? Did the ANBU use ninjutsu either?" Sasuke countered.

Hatsuka couldn't argue with that. She hadn't used ninjutsu, but neither had the ANBU. Even without it, she'd been easily outclassed, which was enough to highlight the gap in their abilities.

"Are you here to mock me?" Hatsuka's eyes reddened as she turned toward Sasuke. She wasn't feeling sad—she was frustrated and ashamed.

"I don't have time for that kind of nonsense," Sasuke said, leaning back against the slope of the roof.

"Then what's your point?" Hatsuka asked, glaring at him.

"It's simple. You're frustrated because you were beaten by an ANBU much younger than you. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't even land a hit, and your taijutsu was completely read. You were one of the Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninjas, but here in Konoha, you're starting to feel insignificant..."

"Enough!" Hatsuka shouted, standing abruptly. She lowered her head, her face hidden in the shadows.

"If you came here to humiliate me, then I'm done. If you think I'm beneath you, I'll leave—tomorrow, no, tonight! Right now!" she said, turning to leave.

"So, do you want to get stronger?" Sasuke's calm voice drifted from behind her.

Hatsuka froze in her tracks.

"I can't really understand the frustration, the self-doubt, or the feelings of inferiority because I'm a genius. I learn quickly, and I come from the strongest ninja clan. But you're different. Aside from the Daimyo's financial backing, you have nothing. You're not young anymore—how many years can you maintain your peak strength? At your current level, you'd be considered at best a chunin in Konoha, maybe not even a special jounin..."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Hatsuka's voice was cold.

"Isn't it obvious? Let me be blunt. Do you want to be my dog?" Sasuke paused to let the words sink in. "Follow my commands, live if I tell you to live, die if I tell you to die. Harsh, yes. But in return, I'll give you everything you need—ninjutsu, secret techniques, money, medicines, chakra metal. If you need a powerful teacher, I can arrange that too."

"And don't worry about the Daimyo. If he really wanted to, he could easily replace you. Serving me doesn't mean you can't continue protecting him. There's no conflict."

Sasuke stood up and walked past her, carrying his juice bottle. "Think about it. There's no shame in being a dog to the Uchiha. Plenty of people would jump at the chance, but I don't choose just anyone."

As he was about to descend from the roof, he added, "I need a few people who can distress items. Find them for me tomorrow."

With that, he disappeared into the house.

Hatsuka stood on the roof for a long time, a breeze finally snapping her out of her daze. She sighed, then returned to the roof's edge, grabbing the bottle of sake and taking a long swig.

The next morning, as soon as Sasuke came downstairs, he found three frightened middle-aged men standing in the courtyard.

After calling over a maid for an explanation, he learned they had been brought in by Hatsuka early that morning. Judging by their appearances, it was clear they had been dragged out of bed.

Sasuke waved them over, asking each what they were skilled in. He was pleased with the results—one was an expert in distressing porcelain, another in distressing clothing, and the third in distressing wood. Together, they covered all the basics of day-to-day life.

Satisfied, Sasuke gave each of them a task and, to set them at ease, advanced each of them 10,000 ryo.

Upon seeing the money and hearing his purpose, the three men visibly relaxed and assured him they would complete the job.

After sending them away, Sasuke headed back upstairs to wake up Chika.

(End of chapter).