dmims Chapter 42 Dessert Shop
Chapter 42 Dessert Shop
in the afternoon.
Konoha Police Force, Third Division.
Sosuke brought a box of gold bars and two boxes of freshly produced purified water.
This is a special edition purified water bottle—the kind with the Uchiha clan crest printed on the bottle.
They gave me plenty of face.
The guards at the gate saw Sosuke but did not stop him.
"Mr. Sosuke, the captain is at the training ground."
"train?"
"Yes, the situation has been tense lately, and the captain is training the new recruits."
Sosuke carried two cases of water to the training ground in the backyard.
Before even entering, I could hear a dense series of whooshing sounds.
shhhhh--
That was the sound of a shuriken tearing through the air.
Sosuke entered the dojo.
Dozens of young Uchiha clan members, dressed in dark blue training uniforms, are practicing throwing.
And in the center of the field.
Uchiha Sōji held a kunai in his hand.
From all sides, six members of his tribe threw shuriken at him in turn.
"put!"
Six shuriken shot in from a blind spot.
The chief priest did not move.
Until the shuriken was within a meter of him.
when!when!when!
His wrist turned into a blur.
The kunai seemed to have eyes, precisely deflecting six shuriken in mid-air.
Even more terrifying.
The shuriken that was knocked away did not land on the ground.
Instead, it changed trajectory and shot towards the feet of the six throwers.
Knock knock knock.
Six shuriken were neatly embedded an inch in front of the six men's toes.
The audience was silent.
Sosuke stood at the doorway, his pupils slightly contracted.
This is the Uchiha's shurikenjutsu.
No steel wire is needed.
It relies solely on dynamic vision and skillful wrist movements to alter the trajectory through impact.
"Clap clap clap".
Sosuke put down the box and clapped.
"Wonderful."
Soji looked at Sosuke, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
"It's you."
The chief priest carefully collected the bitter herbs.
"What's the matter?"
"Delivering goods. Two hundred bottles of the special edition."
Sosuke pointed to the box.
"In addition, I have another request."
"explain."
Soji wiped his sweat and walked over to Sosuke's side.
"I would like to ask the Uchiha craftsmen to help me modify the Fuma Shuriken."
Sosuke didn't beat around the bush.
"I want to modify the catapult mechanism."
He briefly explained his needs.
Soji looked at Sosuke with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"You want to build a 'bursting windmill'?"
"You know what that thing is?"
"That's something we already did back in the Warring States period," Zongsi scoffed. "It's very simple."
"If you're willing to pay, I can get you some modified versions of the 'Second Generation Mechanical Shuriken'."
"That was designed by the clan to deal with the Senju clan. The structure was simplified, making it easy to detonate."
"How much?" Sosuke asked.
Zongsi held up two fingers.
"Twenty thousand taels each. This includes modification costs and technical guidance."
"In addition, I want you to open another shop next to our Uchiha clan's territory."
"What are you doing?"
"Selling dumplings."
Sosuke was taken aback.
"Dumplings?"
"Yes." Zong Si coughed somewhat awkwardly. "The elders in the clan like to eat sweets. But recently, that old shop closed down because of the war."
"You're a businessman; you have channels to get sugar and glutinous rice."
"Supply special goods to us Uchiha. Not just water, but also desserts."
Sousuke looked at the aloof Uchiha captain.
Suddenly I realized that these red-eyed guys also have a cute side.
You could even say that some of it is... true.
They are human too; they love sweets and are afraid of getting hurt.
It's just that it's been wrapped up too tightly by that arrogant shell.
"no problem."
Zongsuke agreed immediately.
"The dessert shop will open soon."
"make a deal."
Soji was in a good mood.
"The Wind Demon's Shuriken. Come back in three days to collect it."
"Also, since you're interested in mechanical shuriken..."
Soji pulled a small scroll from his pocket and tossed it to Sosuke.
"Take a look. This is a basic guide to 'Shurikenjutsu'. It's not some secret technique, but it's better than those common ones out there."
"Consider it... a deposit for the dessert shop."
Sosuke took the scroll.
If you get the treasure.
This is what he needs.
The techniques accumulated by the Uchiha clan over hundreds of years, even just the basics, were enough for him to digest for a long time.
This deal was incredibly profitable.
Back to the West Street warehouse.
Sosuke took out the scroll that Soji had given him.
"Uchiha Sou's Shūsha Techniques".
The paper on the scroll was slightly yellowed and had a faint, cool sandalwood scent.
That's a type of incense commonly used within the Uchiha clan.
The opening sentence is:
Throwing is an extension of will. If the mind is distracted, the blade will inevitably miss its mark.
This is the Uchiha clan.
Their understanding of the shuriken has long transcended the scope of a throwing weapon.
Sosuke studied it carefully.
This guide doesn't record any fancy ninjutsu; it focuses more on torque, wind resistance, and the breakdown of tiny points of force exertion in the finger joints.
The Uchiha clan believes that advanced shurikenjutsu should not follow a straight line, but rather a "circle".
All parabolas, arcs, and spirals are essentially large circles enclosing smaller circles.
By varying the speed at which the fingers flick, different directions of spin force are applied to the shuriken.
This reminded Sosuke of his baseball pitching skills from his previous life.
Straightball, slider, and forkball.
But the Uchiha went a step further, using the collision of multiple shuriken in mid-air to achieve secondary or even tertiary changes of direction.
"It's not just about the feel, but also the sense of space."
Sosuke took out a glass marble and rolled it rapidly between his fingers.
He mentioned the "finger root force method" in the simulation of the reel.
When an ordinary person throws, they use the strength of their entire wrist.
The Uchiha throwing technique, in addition to this, also incorporates the "flick" of the fingertips at that instant.
Sosuke stood up, holding an ordinary shuriken in his hand.
A slight movement of the fingertips.
The sword flew out, tracing an extremely thin arc.
The landing point was off by three centimeters.
But these three centimeters were the result of Sosuke's active control.
"interesting."
Sosuke's lips curled up slightly.
This experience is not only about killing techniques, but also about the ultimate training in muscle micro-management.
He watched it all night long.
He didn't put away the scroll until dawn, and rubbed his sore eyes.
Now, it's time to fulfill our promise.
Dessert shop.
This seemingly unproductive move was the perfect prelude to his establishment of a foothold in the Uchiha clan.
Sousuke summoned Takaya Jiro.
The fat man wore a more extravagant fur coat today, which was particularly eye-catching.
"Uncle, I want to open a shop."
Sosuke got straight to the point.
"Open a shop? Great! I'll make you a big storefront!" Takaya Jiro slapped his thigh excitedly.
He now has an inexplicable confidence in Sousuke's business acumen.
"No, the store location is chosen next to the Uchiha clan's territory."
Takaya Jiro's smile froze instantly.
"where?"
"Uchiha clan territory," Sousuke repeated, "that main road connecting the commercial district and the clan territory, 'Red Fan Street'."
"this……"
Takaya Jiro wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"That's an isolated island in Konoha. Who, besides the Uchiha, would dare eat there?"
"The local sheriffs are already in a good mood if they don't charge a stall fee when they see that it's an outsider running a shop."
Sosuke handed Takaya Jiro a list.
"I've taken care of the security issue; this is Captain Munechika's decision."
What I need now are supplies.
Takaya Jiro took the list, glanced at it, and frowned.
"Top-grade glutinous rice flour, 200 jin (100 kg)."
"One hundred catties of refined red beans."
"The most crucial thing is... the white sugar, fifty catties?"
Takaya Jiro raised his head, his eyes showing difficulty.
"Sosuke, glutinous rice and red beans are easy to find; the merchant guild has them in their warehouse."
"But white sugar... that stuff is now as valuable as gold bars."
"Most of the sugar production areas are in the north. Now the area around Yuyin Village has been turned into a paste, and the trade routes have long been cut off."
"Most of the sugar in the Land of Fire is now supplied to hospitals for making energy supplements."
"Or perhaps it's the nobles of those powerful prefectures enjoying it."
In this era of low productivity, sweetness is an extremely luxurious sensory experience.
When war breaks out, sweetness becomes taboo.
"Can't get it?" Sosuke asked.
"Outrageously expensive." Takaya Jiro gestured a number, "A pound of white sugar is already being sold for five thousand taels on the black market."
"And it's not even in stock yet."
Five thousand taels per catty.
Fifty catties is equivalent to two hundred and fifty thousand taels.
This doesn't even include shipping and grease trap fees.
"I have money." Sosuke patted the gold bars on the table.
"It's not about the money," Takaya Jiro said in a low voice. "With the ongoing war, no one who has candy wants to sell it. Candy can not only be eaten, but it can also be used to treat external wounds and prevent infection."
Sosuke remained silent for two seconds.
There are things money can't buy.
The allocation of resources, in addition to money, is also subject to the interplay of war, geopolitics, and psychological expectations.
"Go and contact the smugglers in the land of rivers."
Sousuke analyzed calmly.
"Although Amegakure is ruined, there are still plenty of trade routes in the Land of Rivers."
"We exchange purified water concentrate for their sugar. One bottle of concentrate can be exchanged for five kilograms of sugar."
Takaya Jiro's eyes lit up.
"Bartering?"
"Yes. Clean water is better for treating wounds than sugar."
"Okay! I'll get on it right away!"