5 Years Later/
In a training ground that was filled with pits and cracks all over the sandy ground, there stood a very tall, bulky, and shirtless figure at the centre of this place. He had a small tattoo on the left side of his chest.
His hair was a dark pinkish-red. He also had a large diagonal scar across his face. His right eye was red and bloodshot with a yellow pupil, and his left eye was normal. His skin a light shade of ashen.
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Garou's POV/
I looked down at the paper that an obese ninja had delivered to me just a few moments ago.
"Eight zeros and will soon reach the ninth." I muttered to myself with a wide grin as I checked our clan's bank account in the capital of Fire Country, which I was sure was now filled to the brim with money.
"I should slowly buy more gold, some personal equipment, and maybe build my dojo soon." I muttered to myself with a smile.
I looked around me calmly and thought about how time sure flies just like that.
It had already been five years since I dropped out of the academy.
Five years is a long time.
For starters I am now 6.9 feet tall at sixteen years old. My body kept growing and changing as my monster cells spread and my human side kept losing the battle.
The tattoo on my left chest from Mito is fully finished and working exactly as she promised, meaning that now anyone with a Sharingan or any other copying ability will find themselves looking at a blank wall when they try to steal my techniques.
It took her almost 4 years to complete it because the seal had to be calibrated to my constantly changing monster physiology, but now it is done and I do not have to worry about some Uchiha brat stealing my Water Stream after watching me fight once.
And to be honest with you, anybody copying his moves is not an issue. His cheat is not his martial arts, it's his talent.
Nobody can match that.
It is normal that people would attempt to copy his style, but some of the higher level stuff I am using right now is impossible to use even after copying due to not having a body optimized to handle that high level of martial arts.
In GoH for example, not anyone can use Renewal Taekwondo just because they know the moves, it puts immense pressure on oneself and requires a practitioner to train and condition their body specifically to counter it.
Even Gintoki told me this, that even though he copied the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, his body ached a little while using it.
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(A/N: I thank Aadivasi for giving this logical reasoning for the concern of people copying his martial arts and stuff.)
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As for my business...
When I first joined the GMA, I was Iron rank and the bottom of the barrel.
But the GMA saw potential in me because of the location inside Konoha.
Kaneshiro, the Deputy Director of the Eastern Region, became my unofficial sponsor.
He pushed my application through the ranks faster than normal. He connected me with suppliers, shipping companies, and samurai guards who were loyal to the GMA. In exchange, I gave him access to information and let him put some few of his people to work inside my restaurants as guards, servants...etc.
The first expansion was simple. I opened a second restaurant outside the ones I have in the district in a nearby city, then a third. Each one was funded by the profits of the previous one.
And I did not take loans or I did not bring in outside investors. I just reinvested every ryo I made back into the business.
After I had five restaurants in every major city under Konoha's territories and a steady stream of income coming from my district, Kaneshiro helped me apply for Silver rank.
I was already being treated like a Gold rank in the GMA, but for the sake of legality and fairness, I wasn't officially recognised as one.
Then Kaneshiro let me trade across multiple provinces after getting silver rank, which meant I could open restaurants in other cities in Fire Country outside Konoha territories. The first one outside Konoha was in the capital, right in the merchant district.
The Daimyo himself approved of it publicly, which was a publicity stunt that Kaneshiro arranged. After that, the capital location became the most profitable one, and another whole district of the Heavenly Feel is under construction because nobles don't have time to travel to Konoha all the time to taste top quality food and luxuries.
Gold rank came after I had restaurants in every major city in Fire Country.
The GMA gave me VIP treatment, priority shipping, and access to intelligence briefings.
That last one was huge because now I knew which cities were about to have bad harvests, which trade routes were being targeted by bandits, and which nobles were looking to invest in new businesses.
Information is money and opportunities. Just like how Trump uses his influence on the global economy to help his family and friends become rich. Now I can benefit from something like that too, which is how my books started selling like crazy everywhere.
Now I am pushing for Platinum rank, but it will take another five years to get to that because platinum rank is not just about money which I have in abundance. It is about connections, favors, and proving that you are essential to the Shogun's vision which I am still not quite there.
I am still working on it.
But what's important now is that, I am a multi millionaire and pushing to become a billionaire if this keeps going.
I am so fucking rich right now!
When I first started Heaven's Feel, I had no idea it would explode at this magnitude and underestimated this world's background because of what I know through Miller's memories, but five years later I can say with absolute certainty now that it succeeded beyond my wildest dreams because the food district that used to be the Hatake clan compound is now the most popular destination in Konoha.
Tourists come from everywhere and even other countries just to eat there which boosted Konoha's economy as a whole, and the smell of grilled meat and fresh bread and garlic sauce covers the entire area from morning until midnight, so you can imagine how much money flows through those streets every single day.
I may have restaurants in many other places but none of them can produce this level of high quality stuff simply because they don't have Akimichi chefs who are the best in making food right after me.
Also, I gave the Daimyo 10% of my shares as a sign of trust and good faith, and that decision paid off because now he personally protects our business interests in the capital, so anyone who tries to mess with Heaven's Feel has to deal with him first. The amount of money that 10% generates for him warrants his personal decree for both of our interests.
The Ino Shika clans are still my partners, and their loyalty to me and the business has never wavered because they understand that their 2.5% shares each are worth more than anything the village could ever offer them, so they keep their mouths shut and collect their checks every month like the smart businessmen they are.
Anything related to business is also being dealt with by Naras who are now living the millionaire lives with the other two clans, much to the absolute envy of every other clan who are scheming every day so they could get a slice of the pie, but miserably fail.
I found it fun how my actions have diverted the paths of these clans and many people around me. The Ino-shika-cho literally don't give a fuck about the village and the Hokage no more for the most part, especially the Akimichi.
2.5% might be small even though it still generates millions, but the matter wasn't about only money anymore but... jobs.
The Nara and Yamanaka now don't want to risk their lives by becoming a ninja for the village and just apply for a job in Heaven's Feel. The clan members got the priority and almost immediately will get the jobs without any interviews. And the jobs are insanely easy for them with very great salaries.
But that didn't mean they stopped training or become weak. On the contrary, the better life conditions and salaries have created more free time to train and focus on something else instead of stressing for weeks on an obscure mission that have high risks of death.
And above all, the population.
The ino-shika-cho clans had a boom in their population recently with many kids being born that made those clans rejoice in joy much to the jealousy of other clans who couldn't afford being leisure financially and emotionally to have the same experience overall.
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And all these being a reality is thanks to the Shogun.
Back after the First World War, the Shogun saw that the ninja villages were still too powerful with their newfound occupied territories.
Ninjas had armies, they had territory, and they had money from missions, so he did something genius...
Capitalism.
Simply put... control trade, control the world.
The Shogun set up a system where merchants could register, get ranked, and receive protection in exchange for following his rules.
He opened roads, built more infrastructure, standardized weights and measures. He made it easier to move goods across the Land of Fire and the world than ever before. And he made sure that ninjas could not interfere without his permission.
And that was it!
The Shogun did not need to fight the ninjas anymore.
He just made them irrelevant.
Why hire a ninja to protect your caravan when the GMA offers Samurai escorts at half the price? Why pay a ninja village for a mission when you can just trade with a merchant who already has the Shogun's blessing?
So, the Shogun created capitalism.
He did not call it that of course. He called it 'organized trade' or 'the prosperity of the realm.' But the result was the same.
Private property, profit motive, cutthroat competition, and a class of merchants who answered to him first and foremost instead of the Daimyo or the ninja villages.
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And then comes my books I published.
The Art of War and my other book have been in circulation for five years now, and I have to say that the reaction to it exceeded anything I could have predicted because the Samurai started treating it like a religious text while merchants began quoting it in every conversation they entered, treating it like a new cultural idioms.
Even some ninja read it in secret, though they would never admit it publicly because the book's anti ninja themes would get them in trouble with their superiors, so they hide their copies under their pillows most likely.
The ninja villages all around the world have banned my books from being read, especially my other book, but surveillance at this time around isn't as extensive as the 21st century earth where information, history, and books can be censored thoroughly or blurred everywhere. So some people who could read and write were still able to get their hands on it.
I have published all the chapters of Art Of War years ago and that one book only made me known throughout the fire country as a genius strategist and a rising future general among every intellectual.
The book itself is being used as a curriculum that's a must read for every commander or general. And before a promotion, they must recite the Arts Of War word for word before they get promoted.
Even the Daimyo praised the book... though the praise looked half-assed not gonna lie and I don't know why.
Also, Kaneshiro visits me twice a year just to get signed copies for his friends and colleagues in the GMA.
"Should I write another book and plagiarise from Confucius this time?" I muttered to myself.
Besides the Art Of War, I have written another book. And that book... have caused some problems.
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As for Tsunade... she is almost sixteen, and our relationship has grown deeper and more complicated over these five years because she has changed just as much as I have.
The naive girl I first met at the academy is long gone, and she always teases me about how I took advantage of her being naive and seduced her.
Right now though, she always nags me about marriage and kids because she wants to take the next step, but I keep refusing because I am not ready.
She hates that I keep pushing her away, but it can't be helped. I don't want the FBI on my ass.
She still gambles too, but only with me, because I forbade her from doing that shit. What's the point of gambling if you always lose?
I also forbade her from drinking alcohol after I caught her spending Five hundred thousand ryos of my money I gave her on some scamming bullshit when she was drunk.
Even though I don't care about the money, it's more like ethics and I don't want her picking up unhealthy hobbies. Too much luxury will make you numb and unfeeling.
But the most important thing is... she has become insanely beautiful and she is still going upwards.
I can barely control myself and can't wait to try my gear on her mhehe.
And last but not least, I have bought us a house near my district and we spent some privacy time with each other there most of the time.
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Ken, Yuji, and Satoshi graduated from the academy years ago, and they are now chunins and are on missions sometimes, but most times they work at the district or go solve some business matter in other branches.
We still meet up almost every weekend at Heaven's Feel and are addicted to the food, which is another reason to barely go on village missions that doesn't concern the business. Satoshi has gained so much weight that he barely fits through the door of my private dining room.
Ken is still a pervert who makes inappropriate comments about every woman who walks by, but he has gotten better at reading the room and knowing when to shut up before I slap him.
Yuji is still lazy and still complains about everything, but he is also the smartest of the three and the one who gives me the most honest advice when I ask for it, and I plan to make him the CEO of Heaven's Feel.
So, unlike in my life in the OPM world where I was always bullied and looked down upon. In here, I have got these guys by my side and many fans and workers who respect me immensely.
And also Dai who is still my best training partner and my closest friend. And over these five years, I have watched him grow into a kage level powerhouse when he opens his gates.
He could barely maintain the 5th gate before, but now he can open the 6th Gate consistently, and sometimes he can even reach the 7th, though it leaves him bedridden for days afterward and I have to carry him back to his apartment.
His life conditions are so much better now and I think he plans to find and date a girl soon since he has enough money to accommodate having a child.
All these because I have hired Dai as the head of security of my restaurants in Konoha.
I had to nag and repeat offering him the job many times before he accepted.
Now, he maintains the Heaven's Feel safety and sometimes goes to the other restaurants located outside Konoha's walls.
I pay him 2000 Ryo daily, equivalent to a week's worth of money from a C-Rank mission, which is much more than his job is worth just because I can, so why not?
He doesn't even need to go and beg for missions in the Hokage's office anymore.
Because of this, now everyone looks at him with respect and don't dare throw insults at him like before because they know Dai and I are very close, and they are afraid of me.
His importance even made Hiruzen visit him to talk about bullshit stuff but surprisingly, Dai remained solid and didn't fold immediately like he used to do in the past. He just remained respectful to Hiruzen and nothing more.
Guess my talks with Dai have changed him.
Also, because Tsunade askedx I have slightly helped the Senjus get them jobs inside Konoha's territory, but they weren't priority and mostly accepted people loyal to the Damiyo because he had the most shares in the business after the Akimichi, and his people were loyal with less bullshit going on with them.
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As for my parents, except for a few wrinkles on their faces then they are the same.
Gintoki still lays around the house like a depressed samurai who lost his purpose in life. And because of my money, he now lives like a king which made him so much lazier.
As for my mom... I don't know, she looks the same also but there's something off about her which is making me suspicious.
Like, she is more emotional over these five years, crying at random things like reading a book or when looking at a beautiful sunset, and the way I eat my food like I have not seen a meal in weeks.
I think it might be menopause, but I have learned not to ask questions that will only lead to uncomfortable answers. She is also more protective than ever before, glaring at anyone who looks at me wrong until they apologize and walk away, so I guess her maternal instincts and love have sharpened with age.
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As for training...
I train every single day without exception, sometimes with Dai and sometimes alone, because the only way to get stronger is to keep pushing past your limits until your body screams and your bones crack.
I can use Tekkai while moving now. I mastered the Xiaoli Ancient Martial Arts, Hashoken, and the Fist of the North Star, so my monster form is stronger than ever and the time limit has increased to the point where I can stay in Spiral Form for hours.
But you know what else? Fuck that entity who has put a seal on this body!
That Seal is messing with my improvements too much!
I expected to be a Kage at this point but right now, I am still away from reaching it which is totally nonsense!
How can this body be this weak? Am I missing something here or what because I don't remember being this weak!
Or are Ninjas just that strong?
Is it related to me not fighting to the death which can trigger my reactive evolution?
How can I fix this? I don't wanna wait until the second ninja war to participate.
Should I go and explore the world?
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My relationship with the other two future Sannin weirdos was good but not very close.
Orochimaru was just a chill dude who was interested in learning jutsu. But one time I felt as if he was looking at me with slight obsession, which made me extremely annoyed.
But I am a benevolent monster, and it was only one time, so I didn't gouge his eyes out right then and there.
Those two and Tsunade were already low jonin and went out on missions occasionally, which made me worried about Tsunade's safety every single time she left the village.
I once heard that the girls in the academy had some kind of sex education or something like a love trap to gather information out of people, and I was not happy about Tsunade learning anything from that shit.
I have also forbade her from killing. I can't tolerate a senseless killer in my house. If she had to kill anyway then she must kill the worst of scums, no one else.
I am also working on making her a housewife or focus on her clan more than going out on missions for this messed up village.
I even proposed she just become a full-time doctor in the hospital instead of whatever she is doing which made her think about it.
'Am I becoming obsessed and too controlling?' I asked myself, but I just shrugged in disinterest at the topic and smiled at the day she first kissed me because I told her something quite cheesy when we were sitting on a cliff and watching the sunset.
Also, because of the district, I had to create a huge fence around my training ground so no could enter and start eating their things here because this place had some quite nice spots to take a rest and eat. I only brought my friends or Tsunade here to spend time.
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I looked down at myself where my pants were torn again. I need come up with a solution for it by buying some chakra fabrics and telling a smith to create a good flexible outfit for me.
"Maybe I can ask to upgrade the outfit by applying some rare metals to make it stronger. I have enough money to buy more than half of Konoha, so something as simple as a cloth should be easy, right?" I said to myself. Then my sight caught the black tattoo engraved on my left chest, which made me smirk.
Mito talked about some science bull crap behind the seals that even my IT degree inherited from Miller couldn't understand a single thing. So I just shut down my brain at what she said and nodded absentmindedly the entire time she talked.
The only thing I understood was that some invincible barrier around me scanned the strong brain waves of any individual that had the intention to copy anything from me, and that the seal worked on a tiny bit of nature energy in the air. It surprised me that she could pull off something like this.
As for Kurama, when I was in front of her, I could feel him but couldn't go and talk to him like the previous time. I suspected it was Mito's doing to prevent me from meeting him.
'I think I should visit Teuchi. I haven't seen him all these time, and I am curious about what he is up to now.' I thought as I remembered Teuchi.
I planned to help him out again 5 years ago like Dai but then I thought I helped the dude enough and I should let him do his own stuff his own way and learn something from it.
I can't keep babysitting everyone.
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I slowly made my way back home through the Heaven's Feel district to see what's up while I am at it.
The Heaven's Feel district was busy as always and it has become a hub for anything related to food and luxury, and we were constantly working on how to make it better. Crowds of people shuffling between food stalls, and the smell of grilled meat and fried dough hanging in the air.
"Oh, it's Young Master Garou!" I suddenly heard a pedestrian say.
For a second, I was about to cut his head off in annoyance for jinxing this, but I quickly calmed myself down and spared his life.
'Dude, I am not into being face slapped, so stop turning this into a xianxia chung ching world or whatever it's called.' I thought as I moved away quickly from that guy who called me a young master.
"It's really him!"
"He is the one who created all those delicious dishes!"
"Really?!"
"Yes, I heard he is a genius among geniuses. A hidden general known throughout the fire country among every scholar and people of power."
"But that's not what I heard. I heard he is a failure who can't become a ninja even though he is becoming his own clan head."
"Look man, that's not true at all. He isn't a failure. Garou-sama is one of the richest people that exist in the fire country right now. Do you think he needs to be a ninja when he can just literally make a slave out of them with just money?"
"Well yeah, I heard that too. He is respected in Konoha and even the Fire Country."
"Even then, do you think he is weak? Just look at that height and muscles, man. It's unreal."
"I heard he is 10 feet tall."
"That's unfair."
"Though, he looks scary as hell. I don't feel so good in his presence."
I heard the whispers and the last one was probably from Danzo's people as some diss talk about me went on after that, but I wasn't fazed because I simply didn't care. This village was known for their toxic mouths, and you cannot control what everyone says.
This ain't that 21th century world where those little hat rats controlled even what you breathed in the air.
I ignored the people who bowed to me and made way for me to pass.
I was walking through the main road, heading toward my home, then I noticed a commotion near the central fountain.
A man was standing on a wooden crate, waving his arms and shouting at a gathering crowd of about fifty people that I recognised some of them as my workers. He wore ragged brown pants and a stained shirt, his face was red from yelling, and his eyes had that wild look that came from believing your own bullshit a little too much.
"Brothers and sisters! Look around you and look at this large district! Look at the food, the wealth, the luxury! Who built this?! Who cooks your meals?! Who cleans your tables?! And who stands in the hot kitchens for twelve hours a day while the owner sits in his private room counting his money?!" The man shouted. And it was 9 hours not twelve but whatever.
Also, that was enough to know that either he was from Root, Hiruzen's faction, or just some nutjob. Him being from Root makes more sense though, because it's not the first time I have seen this guy say his bullshit here.
The crowd murmured and some people nodded ( who were not my employees ) while most looked uncomfortable. A few of my employees were glancing around nervously, probably hoping I would not show up.
The agitator pointed at the Heaven's Feel sign hanging above the nearest restaurant.
"Garou, that is the name you see everywhere nowadays! But do you know how he got rich? He exploited you that's how! He took the value of your labor and kept it for himself which is theft!"
I stopped walking and crossed my arms. I haven't bothered to engage in this bullshit before but today, I feel philosophical.
People near noticed me easily because of my appearance and height and started backing away quickly, creating a small empty circle around me like I was a plague carrier.
The agitator was too busy ranting to see me yet.
The rant went on, "Under this new system of making money, the worker produces everything but receives nothing! The owner produces nothing but receives everything! That man Garou does not cook your food! Garou does not wash your dishes! He does not sweep your floors! And yet he has more money than you could even imagine in your wildest dreams! He has all that money while you struggle to feed your children!" It seems he didn't dare say the Shogun's name who created the system. The Shogun is the red line, even in ninja villages. Any slander is a certain death sentence.
There were some Samurais here already listening, and were barely restraining themselves to cut the man's throat.
Most just stood there and looked at the man awkwardly and nervously. Not knowing to get away or not.
Finally, I had enough of his bullshit and started walking toward the crate, and the crowd parted. Someone whispered "it's him" and the agitator finally looked my way, then his face immediately went from red to white in about two seconds, and I saw his hand start shaking.
"Youuu..." He said nervously, his voice suddenly much quieter.
"What's up." I stopped in front of the crate, looking down at him. He was short and skinny, maybe five foot five, and I was 6.9 feet of muscle. The height difference was comical.
"You got something to say about my business, or are you just gonna stand there looking like you shit your pants?" I narrowed my eyes at him which made him flinch.
The crowd laughed nervously.
"I... I am not afraid of you." He tried hard to look confident.
"Yeah sure. Now go on, what were you trying to say?" I said boredly as I put a finger in my ears.
He tried hard to hide his shaking hands, "Y...your intimidation tactics will not silenc–"
"Don't waste my time, I am just asking what you are saying about my business so I can decide whether to ignore you or throw you out." I interrupted him and glanced at the security guards, the Samurais, standing near the entrance of the nearest restaurant. They were watching me, eagerly waiting for a signal. "So talk. What is your name?"
He puffed out his chest, suddenly more condident, "My name is Kenji. I am a carpenter."
"You said I exploit my workers and you said I take the value of their labor and keep it for myself, right? Then you said I do not cook or clean or sweep. Tell me then, what do you think a fair wage would be for a Heaven's Feel employee?"
He blinked, "A fair wage would be the full value of what they produce."
"And what is the full value of what they produce?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
He hesitated. "That is... that is not something I can calculate on the spot."
"Then let me help you... How many of you work for me? Raise your hands." I turned to face the crowd, raising my voice so everyone could hear.
About 20 hands went up from cooks, servers, dishwashers, security guards, maintenance staff. They were on their rest time, so that's why they were standing here not working, and I recognized most of them.
"Okay, You, what is your name?" I pointed at a woman in a server's uniform near the front
"Yuki, sir." She replied, a little nervous.
"Yuki, how much do you make per day?" I asked.
"Four hundred ryo, sir. Plus meals and tips." She glanced at the agitator, then back at me.
"And before you worked for me, what did you do?" I asked again.
"I was a farmer, sir. My family grew rice for the village. We made about a hundred ryo per day, split between 4 children." She replied pitifully.
I looked at Kenji with a bored smile, "You hear that? Four hundred ryo per day, plus meals and tips. That is four times what she made as a farmer. And before you say that I am underpaying her because I am rich, let me ask you this... How much does a carpenter make in Konoha?" I asked.
Kenji frowned, "About a hundred and fifty ryo per day."
"So you make less than my servers and yet you are here telling them they are being exploited. Hehh, Maybe you should apply for a job, we are hiring." I mocked him with a smirk which made his face go red.
The crowd laughed again, louder and more genuine this time.
"But you are missing the point here! The issue is not individual wages but the system itself! You own the means of production, the restaurants, the recipes, the land... but the workers own nothing! They have no power, no control, and no share in the profits! At some point, the gap between the owner and their employees will become very immense, and what happens if the owner changes their mind at some point and is a bad person?!" The dude cried.
"They have a share in the profits. They get paid, and that is their share. Also, the GMA has already made a standard of how to treat the working class, so no worries." I replied nonchalantly.
"But a wage is not a share! A wage is a transaction! You give them money, they give you labor, and you keep the surplus value for yourself and that is exploitation!" He cried again which made me annoyed.
"Okay, let me explain something to you dumbass... when I started Heaven's Feel, I had nothing. No money, barely some lands, and no connections. I invented the recipes myself, in my own kitchen, with my own hands, and I negotiated with the Akimichi clan, the Nara clan, and the Yamanaka clan. Then I signed contracts and took huge risks with them by investing in this shit." I replied with a frown as I stepped closer to him.
"The workers you are so worried about? They did not take those risks, and they did not perfect the shawarma. They did not negotiate with the GMA and the Daimyo's advisors or fight off ninja assassins sent by jealous competitors. They showed up, did their jobs, and went home... and they got paid for it. Paid better than anywhere else in Konoha and I dare say, the entire fire country." He opened his mouth to respond, but I kept going and pointed at my Heaven's Feel sign.
"My workers? They can quit anytime and they can work anywhere else. They can also save their money, start their own businesses, send their kids to school, buy houses, and live their lives. The village does not own them, and I do not own them. They own themselves."
"So now you came here talking about bullshit, saying you want me to give my restaurants to the workers and let them run the business collectively then split the profits equally among everyone?" I finished with a question which made a glint appear in his eye.
Okay, if I wasn't sure, then I am sure now that this fucker is sent by Root.
"Yes! That is exactly what I want. The village should own the means of production!" He replied.
Okay, this fucker just went from the people to the village and it seems I was the only one to notice that change.
"Hey, Yuki! You want to own a restaurant?" I turned to her as I asked.
Yuki looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I... I do not know, sir. I am a server. I do not know how to run a business."
"It is okay, you can learn. What about you Tanaka? You want to own a restaurant?" I asked another tired looking dude working for me.
"Sir, I just wash dishes. I do not know anything about management or recipes or suppliers." He replied with a shake of his head.
I turned my head and looked back at the carpenter, "See? My employees do not want to own the means of production. They want to do their jobs, get paid, and go home. They do not want the stress of running a business and they do not want the risk of bankruptcy. They also do not want to compete with other restaurants or negotiate with suppliers or deal with the GMA. They simply want a paycheck and I give them a fucking good one!" I said then I narrowed my eyes.
"And now, I am not a ninja enslaved to you people, so you think you can attack me without consequences? Who do you think you are to come here and spout bullshit on my turf?" I stepped forward which made him fearfully get off the crate and back away.
"Now, you have two choices... you can leave peacefully, go back to your carpentry, and never mention my name again. Or you can stay, keep spreading your bullshit, and I will have your ass handed to you before I arrest you." I threatened as I glanced at the security guards who had moved closer.
I have forbidden the Uchiha police to step in here, and hired people only from Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and very few Samurais much to the other clans dissatisfaction. I only trusted those to protect my stuff since they were the only ones with shares in the business.
The Uchiha only stood outside the district and didn't trespass because these lands were still owned by the Hatakes and was once a clan compound, so you follow rules made by the owners.
Kenji looked at the crowd, which was now mostly watching him with indifference. He looked at me, and I saw the fight drain out of his eyes and slowly left with dissatisfaction.
My employees went back to work and the district returned to its normal chaos.
I stood there for a moment, watching Kenji disappear into the crowd, and I thought about what he said.
"Communism in a military dictatorship village? What are those rats planning to do?" I muttered as my mind went to Hiruzen and Danzo.
Kenji was not entirely wrong because the system was unfair. Capitalism was like that. I may treat my workers good, but most who owned businesses weren't like that and exploited the working class a lot.
The GMA was aware of this flaw after I told Kaneshiro who in turn told his superiors that informed the Shogun who immediately created a standard and rules on how to treat your workers, which gave me some plus and accelerated my progress to get my Platinum rank.
But even with that, the GMA wasn't omniscient and most still didn't care about those rules secretly and did whatever they wanted. Especially the higher ranked businessmen.
So, the bare minimum I can do is to give my own workers good enough wages and not be a stingy asshole.
Finally, I went back home.
The End.
[We aren't back fully yet, but sometimes I will release chapters like this so the fic doesn't look dead.]