Chapter 25: Outwitting the Redhead Once More (Please Vote)

"Boss, your price is outrageous. How could a child possibly have a hundred thousand ryo?" Kushina protested indignantly. This was nothing short of extortion—no student could afford such a sum.

"A child? Nonsense. I have always considered you my customer. At least within these shop walls, you and I are equals. You pay, and I provide goods or services. There's no distinction between young and old here." Karn's words, part praise and part jest, brought Kushina some measure of happiness; apart from Karn, everyone else saw her as just a kid, a brute, a "tomato" and so on. Only this shopkeeper was willing to treat her as an equal adult.

"Even so, a hundred thousand ryo is just too expensive..." Kushina's voice grew weak, her right hand clutching her purse tightly. This gesture made Karn raise an eyebrow—so, she actually had the money.

As it happened, Kushina had recently gone back to ask Tsunade for some funds. At that time, thanks to the great relief in pressure on the Konoha Hospital and the widespread praise for Tsunade's achievements among the medical-nin, Tsunade was in high spirits. Kushina seized the opportunity, presented her with a few pieces of chocolate, and managed to coax two hundred thousand ryo out of her. She had spent some, but there were still a hundred and forty thousand left. Kushina came to Karn's shop intending to order some chocolate and buy a gift suitable for a patient, to visit Nawaki. She hadn’t expected the shopkeeper to demand such a high price the moment she walked in.

"For someone with no income like you, a hundred thousand ryo is indeed steep... However, the gift I’m speaking of is unique in the entire ninja world—a dessert crafted by my own hand. It’s fair to say it’s worth the price." Karn's confidence was unshakable. He was determined to make sure this red-haired girl would be wary of him in the future. As for the cake, Karn had not seen anything like it in the capital of the Land of Fire; it might be a decade or more before it was invented, so there was nothing wrong with calling it one-of-a-kind.

"A one-of-a-kind dessert?" At his words, Kushina’s mouth began to water, and she swallowed with a gulp. She wondered if it was worth spending a hundred thousand ryo for a chance to taste such a unique treat.

"If you’re not interested, I’ll take my leave. There’s plenty of business outside the Land of Fire waiting for me..." With that, Karn turned to head to the back, but before he could take more than a couple of steps, Kushina blocked his way, making up her mind. "Then... I’ll take one, boss."

"A hundred thousand ryo. Pay up first." Karn held out his hand. Although she had agreed, handing over the money was clearly painful for Kushina.

A hundred thousand ryo—nearly all she had left. Slowly, and with great reluctance, Kushina opened her purse and counted out the sum, unable to look as she handed it to Karn. Once Nawaki recovered, she was determined to earn the money back!

"Excellent, the deal is struck. Wait here for a while." Karn took the money and headed into the kitchen, planning to prepare a cake for Kushina before he left.

"Boss, may I watch?" Kushina asked quietly, not out of curiosity, but because she was worried about her money, and a little afraid Karn might run off with it.

"Suit yourself, just don’t get in my way." Karn replied, then took out some ingredients from his dimensional backpack and went to the kitchen.

He had lived alone for a long time, and besides his skills with firearms and study, his only other confidence lay in his cooking. Karn had also put some time into baking. With his learning ability, even Karl would give him a thumbs-up after tasting his food.

Making a cake was no challenge, and the one he prepared was both intricate and beautiful. Kushina was amazed; this was the first time she had ever seen such a lovely dessert, and she immediately took a liking to it.

As for the inscription, Karn only learned it was meant for Nawaki after Kushina mentioned it; the child had been gravely injured but survived.

Once finished, Karn clapped his hands in satisfaction. "With these ingredients and this price, this is the best I can do. If you pay more next time, I could make you a three-tiered cake with custom designs."

"There’s something even better?" Kushina was surprised. To her, this cake was already beautiful. "Boss, how much would a better one cost?"

"Starting at five hundred thousand ryo—the better it is, the higher the price. After all, it’s crafted by my hands. With my skills, isn’t it fair to call me a god of desserts?" Karn’s words could only deceive a naive girl like Kushina. Once his business was established in the area, he wouldn’t have to fill his backpack every time. If Kushina ever paid a million, Karn could bring a five-tiered cake, or, if she had no money, accept other forms of payment.

The Uzumaki Clan—years from now, the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki. When Karn began his biological research, her value would only grow.

But that was some years away.

......

Kushina left, delighted with her cake. It would probably be a few days before she felt the sting of the hundred thousand ryo again. But the bright side was that the cake was so large Nawaki, still recovering, might not finish it, Tsunade was too busy, and Granny Mito didn’t care for sweets, so in the end, it would mostly be hers...

Once Kushina was gone, Karn tidied up, preparing to leave Konoha. He visited the mission desk at the Hokage’s Tower, taking on another B-rank protection mission. He didn’t have to wait long before a squad of chunin was assigned to guard him.

His destination this time was the underground exchange—a rather unsavory place. But if Karn wanted to open casinos elsewhere in the Land of Fire, he needed someone for finance and security.

That meant Kakuzu, the man who once threw shuriken with the First Hokage. Powerful and greedy, he’d make a perfect enforcer and accountant for Karn’s casino. With a monthly cut, he was sure he could persuade Kakuzu.

Once he had Kakuzu, Karn could build his own security force around him.

Upon reaching Kawaki Town, Karn checked on the dessert factory. Natsukawa had nearly finished recruiting staff, though more were still needed, but production could begin.

"Natsukawa, I’m leaving this in your hands. Here’s some money—buy two shops. One will be a dessert shop, the other should be renovated luxuriously for a special purpose. Also, feel free to take in some homeless orphans; I’ll provide for their food, drink, and education."

With that, Karn handed over five million ryo. Aside from the dessert shop, the other, larger place was intended as a casino.

This era had electricity; even slot machines from the twenty-first century would work. With their dazzling variety, such games would quickly be embraced by the gamblers of the ninja world—and they were the fastest way to earn money.

With that capital, Karn could swiftly build his own power base. He also planned to train a cadre of his own; street orphans would be an excellent pool to draw from.