Chapter 62: The Filthy Rich Uchiha! The Filthy Rich Uchiha Sasuke!
"Sasuke, can we talk about something?"
Two large round wooden tubs were placed in the center of the living room. Naruto popped his head out of one and knocked on the side of Uchiha Sasuke's tub.
"What is it?"
"We're running low on medicinal herbs at home..."
"What does that have to do with me? I don't even know which medicinal herbs are needed!"
Uchiha Sasuke's tone was as provocative as ever. Aside from being abrasive, his manner was extremely irritating—he was a natural at starting fires.
Naruto had long expected this and continued to persuade him with a lingering smile, even beckoning to the Little Nine-Tails, who had been looking for a chance to slip away.
Seeing this, the Little Nine-Tails reluctantly jumped onto Naruto's desk, picked through a pile of scrap paper, and grabbed a relatively clean sheet in its mouth before hopping over to the edge of Naruto's tub.
"Here, this is the formula for the first stage of the Medicinal Bath. Just purchase them according to this."
"You're actually giving such a secret to me?!"
Uchiha Sasuke was somewhat incredulous. A Medicinal Bath with such extraordinary effects fell under the category of a Family secret technique. Naruto giving it to him so casually made it hard for Uchiha Sasuke not to overthink.
"You, you're not that old but you've got too many thoughts. To put it bluntly, your overthinking has reached a Realm where it's become a chronic problem!"
Naruto saw right through Uchiha Sasuke's thoughts. "If I tell you to take it, just take it. Given our current relationship, except for being of the opposite sex, everything else is shared between us!"
"Idiot!"
Uchiha Sasuke's face suddenly turned red, whether because of the 'opposite sex' mention or Naruto's ambiguous phrasing.
Fortunately, after a brief internal struggle, Uchiha Sasuke took the Medicinal Bath formula from Naruto and began to skim through it.
"I see. How many portions do you need?" Uchiha Sasuke asked without looking up after finishing.
Naruto naturally knew how deep the Uchiha's pockets were, so he stated the amount he needed without a second thought.
"Got it. It should be ready by tomorrow," Uchiha Sasuke said, still maintaining a calm and indifferent demeanor.
"Aren't you even a little surprised?" Naruto felt a bit slighted. "I'm asking for five years' worth of Medicinal Bath supplies all at once!"
"Is that a lot?"
Uchiha Sasuke looked up. His previously low mood lifted, and he somewhat arrogantly wiped away the fine sweat on his forehead caused by the Medicinal Bath.
"What a damn tycoon!" Naruto muttered under his breath, quite annoyed by Uchiha Sasuke's unintentional display of wealth.
His own monthly allowance was barely enough even with careful planning, yet here was Uchiha Sasuke, who had absolutely no concept of money. This gave Naruto a sudden urge to strike the rich and redistribute the land.
"How much money do you actually have left in your house?"
Hearing Naruto's question, Uchiha Sasuke froze for a moment, then slowly shook his head, indicating he wasn't very sure either.
"There must be a rough estimate!" Naruto became interested. While money wasn't everything in the Ninja World, being without it was certainly impossible. "Tell me about it, I'll help you calculate!"
"What are you trying to do?!"
Uchiha Sasuke was clearly wary. Although the Uchiha had been massacred except for him and Uchiha Itachi, the Family's resources were still there and hadn't been lost much during the catastrophe.
This could be seen as the Konoha higher-ups not wanting to go too far, or perhaps not daring to. After all, Uchiha Itachi was still wandering outside, and if they truly stripped the Uchiha of everything, it would inevitably cause panic among other families.
This was much like the military strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one open. By leaving the Uchiha some hope, the surviving Uchiha Itachi wouldn't be driven to desperation, and other families wouldn't be too alarmed. This move was very much in the style of a politician.
After all, the Uchiha's assets were all within Konoha. They could be taken at any time; there was no rush.
"I'm helping you settle your accounts. Otherwise, you won't even know your own Family's worth, and something might go wrong later when you're seeking revenge!"
As soon as Uchiha Sasuke heard the word 'revenge,' his body instinctively tensed up. However, instead of exploding, he suddenly calmed down and stared at Naruto with his pitch-black eyes, unmoving.
After a long while, Uchiha Sasuke looked away and began to roughly list his Family's assets while Naruto watched with gritted teeth.
"The Land Deeds are about this thick..." Uchiha Sasuke gestured with both hands held high.
"I don't know the exact number of Shops, but one-third of the most prosperous street in Konohabelongs to my Family."
"As for the Banknotes... they're about as thick as the Land Deeds, and they're all in the highest denominations."
"Regarding various Ninja tools... there's a secret room specifically for storing them. I don't know the exact quantity, but the room is nearly full..."
"And the various records of the Family, those are also kept in a dedicated secret room."
"Um... that's about it..." Uchiha Sasuke finally finished his tally. Looking up, he saw Naruto and was startled.
"Bro! You're my bro!" Naruto's eyes were now filled with money signs. "Why would you even want to be a Ninja? Just stay home and be a wealthy man! Marry a hundred wives and continue the UchihaBloodline—how great would that be!"
"Bastard! Idiot! Mentally challenged child!" Uchiha Sasuke cursed angrily. "You're absolutely unreasonable!"
"Alright, alright, it was just a joke."
Naruto quickly returned to normal. Without any hesitation, he stood up from the wooden tub, grabbed the towel draped over the edge, and began to dry himself.
"All these properties belong to you alone now. Do you have any plans for the future?"
"I... haven't thought about it..."
Uchiha Sasuke hesitated for a moment, then cast aside his shame. Following Naruto's lead, he also stood up naked from the tub, grabbed a towel, and quickly dried himself off.
"Take my advice..." Naruto began to offer suggestions. "Take a careful inventory of your properties and find someone trustworthy to help manage them. They will be useful in the future."
"It's just me..." Uchiha Sasuke's mood began to fluctuate again. "Aside from bringing me endless nightmares, the things in my house are of no use to me anymore."
Naruto shook his head, strongly disagreeing with Uchiha Sasuke's perspective. This guy had been born with a silver spoon for too long and had forgotten what money truly represented in the Ninja World.
"Here!" Naruto picked up a book from the desk and tossed it to Uchiha Sasuke. "Read this 'Brief History of Konoha's Wars'. I think you'll find many interesting things in it."
Naruto's actions left Uchiha Sasuke confused, but the moment he caught the book, he saw the words 'Top Secret' printed on the title page!
"This book... how did you get it?!"
"I took it from Hokage Grandpa's house!" Narutolooked around, then suddenly bit his finger and slammed both palms onto the floor.
The pitch-black formula unique to Sealing Jutsubegan to spread from Naruto's palms. Soon, a large Sealing Jutsu formation, modified from the Four Symbols Seal, took shape. While blocking external observation, it created a large-scale illusion that could pass for the real thing.
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