"Is it really not true?"
The little girl's gaze swept back and forth between Nojuro Ryun and Tenten's faces. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to say something, Ryun quickly spoke up.
"Not right now, but it's hard to say about the future."
The little girl's words were choked back. She glared at Ryun angrily.
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Tenten also seemed shocked by Ryun's words. A hint of pink flushed her cheeks.
The elderly people not far away chuckled heartily. Watching the young people act out a youth comedy made them feel a couple of years younger.
"Come with me."
Ryun signaled for Tenten to follow him into the house. As they walked, he said, "This little girl insists on being my girlfriend in the future. I only said what I did just now to brush her off. I hope you don't mind."
Although in the simulations, Ryun and Tenten had already been husband and wife for two lifetimes, in reality, they had only just met recently. Ryun knew to keep appropriate boundaries.
Once inside the house, Ryun brought out Tenten's favorite barley tea and senbei rice crackers.
Only then did Tenten react belatedly. "It's fine. Children speak without thinking."
"But on your end, how did such big changes happen in these past few days?"
"It's all thanks to you, for giving me the chance to meet the Hokage."
Ryun briefly recounted what had happened over the past two days. However, he changed the story from him actively seeking an audience with the Hokage to the Hokage showing concern and care for a Konoha citizen harmed by rogue ninja. This unintentionally raised Tenten's importance in the matter.
Tenten laughed a little sheepishly. "I just took you to the hospital. You thanking me like this makes me feel embarrassed..."
"If you're embarrassed, then just come visit often. That way we'll be even."
Tenten was taken aback. She tapped her forehead with a finger, thinking for a few seconds. "Something feels off about that... Did you get it backwards?"
"Shouldn't I be the one inviting you to my house to play? Also, you gave me this..."
Tenten took out the design diagram for Ryun's fragmentation kunai. She then got up to close the door and windows, her expression turning serious and stern.
"Although I don't know how you suddenly came up with the idea to design this kind of ninja tool, are you really planning to just give it directly to me?"
"Is that not okay?"
"Do you have any idea of its value? In the future, if my family turns it into an exclusive business, do you know how much money my family could make?"
Ryun actually hadn't considered this question, but in the simulations, he already had the answer. So he spoke directly. "In peacetime, the gross profit would be about 100 million ryo per year. In wartime, it could probably surge to around 500 million ryo."
"That's right, it's... wait, how much?"
The expression on Tenten's face gradually turned to stone. How come Ryun's calculation result had an extra digit compared to hers?
"Judging by your reaction, you probably calculated it as if it were a regular kunai, right? The fragmentation kunai has better killing effect, but this comes at the cost of it being non-reusable."
"So its rate of consumption would be three to five times that of a regular kunai. The gross profit from selling it would naturally increase accordingly."
Tenten looked blank. Then she stretched out her ten fingers, quickly bending and extending them to calculate. Finally, she realized with astonishment that Ryun's calculation result was the correct one.
In fact, Ryun's calculation was already very conservative, because this thing could also be sold abroad. However, that was business that couldn't be openly discussed.
"This... this 100 million ryo... You're really just handing it over to us, just like that? Without any reluctance?"
Tenten's lips trembled slightly. She looked at Ryun, her eyes shining, but she couldn't understand why Ryun would be so generous.
Ryun refilled Tenten's teacup, speaking calmly. "Although it's a business with 100 million ryo in gross profit, doing this business well would require at least several hundred to a thousand people. You'd also have to face scrutiny from the Hokage's office and pressure from other villages trying to steal the information."
"Not to mention, once the scale becomes large, all sorts of characters would come to seek favors or skim profits. Your family would be lucky to net 20 million ryo in profit."
The fragmentation kunai might seem highly profitable, but it was only one link in the manufacturing chain. Tenten's family couldn't operate outside Konoha and become stateless arms tycoons, so the net profit naturally wouldn't be that high.
Furthermore, Ryun assumed he would become Tenten's family's son-in-law, so why bother about exactly how much money Tenten's family made?
What was Tenten's would be his.
Tenten calmed down considerably, realizing this future business indeed had many troubles, troubles that couldn't possibly be solved by Ryun alone.
"And also," Ryun continued, "if I didn't give it to you, or gave it to someone else, I might not only earn zero money, I might even lose my head."
"By giving it to you, at the very least you'd let me live as a wealthy man, right?"
Ryun smiled as he looked at Tenten, saying seriously, "Tenten, you are a kind and beautiful girl. I trust you."
Tenten looked at Ryun's smiling face and suddenly felt her heart slowly melting.
Almost no words remained in her mind, only the phrase where Ryun praised her as beautiful.
Seeing the corners of her mouth begin to lift into a smile, Tenten finally reacted. She pinched her own cheek, leaving a red mark.
"This matter is extremely significant. I need to go back and discuss it with my parents first."
Ryun pretended not to see the red mark on Tenten's face, acting surprised. "You mean you brought this design diagram back to me without first discussing it with your parents?"
"That's right. I had to ask if you were just acting on a whim. If I had given it directly to my parents, I probably wouldn't have been able to get it back."
"See, that's why I trust you. Compared to huge profits, you care more about my thoughts, don't you?"
Faced with Ryun's praise once again, Tenten lowered her head, wringing her hands, almost dying of embarrassment.
But strangely, Ryun's praise also made her very happy, as if she really was such a kind and excellent person.
"Oh, I heard you're writing a book. Can I take a look?"
As the atmosphere in the room gradually grew a bit awkward, Tenten stiffly changed the subject.
Ryun didn't point it out. Instead, he confidently took out his book for Tenten to read.
As a result, Tenten became engrossed after reading for a while. It was as if she had returned to the Warring States Era, personally experiencing the oppression and hope of the ninja of that time.
It wasn't until her stomach growled that Tenten realized it was dark outside. She hurriedly said, "Ah, I need to go back!"
"Won't you stay for dinner?"
"No, no, no, that would be too much trouble for you... I'll go back first to discuss the ninja tool matter with my parents. Can I come again tomorrow?"
"Of course. The door to my home is always open for you."
Holding the scroll happily, Tenten walked out of the room. By the time she left Ryun's house, the smile on her face could hardly be restrained anymore.
She felt strongly that coming to Ryun's house today was the best decision she had made all year.
"Wow, isn't this Tenten!"
A pleasant female voice came. Ino, acting familiar, hooked her arm through Tenten's.
She had been observing from outside for quite a while. Tenten and Ryun talking behind closed doors for so long, there must be something fishy going on.
Ino, about to go on a mission, must gather intelligence properly!
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