"What? You want two hundred thousand ryo a month?!" Sakura stared in disbelief at the portly, greasy middle-aged man standing before her.
She was inside the shop Shizune-senpai had mentioned. By sheer luck, Sakura had arrived just as the landlord was clearing out the belongings left behind by the previous tenant.
The greasy man's plump face featured a pair of small, sleazy, triangular eyes that roamed up and down Sakura's form. He chuckled unctuously. "That's right, two hundred thousand ryo. Quite a bargain, wouldn't you say?"
Sakura felt a wave of revulsion as his invasive gaze lingered on her. She finally understood, viscerally, how unpleasant it felt for a girl to be subjected to such objectifying scrutiny. The constant battles and rigorous training under Tsunade had subtly altered Sakura's aura. While she had been cute before, it was the innocent cuteness of a child. Now, tempered by three years of guidance and several intense fights since returning to the village, she radiated a striking, spirited energy. Combined with her shoulder-length hair and refined features, her every smile and frown had become unconsciously captivating – though Sakura herself remained oblivious to this transformation.
Mentally, she ran the numbers again. To guarantee the freshness of the Ise beef, she planned to have Chief Soga ship live cattle directly to Konoha, where they would be slaughtered on-site for sale. An Ise cow weighed around a thousand kilograms, with a meat yield of roughly forty-five percent, meaning about 450 kilograms of sellable beef per head. The going rate for Ise beef was 300 ryo per kilogram. By that calculation, one cow could potentially bring in 135,000 ryo. Adding in the value of organs, bones, and other miscellaneous parts, selling one cow for over 140,000 ryo seemed feasible. Yet, this rent was 200,000 ryo per month – more than the profit from a single cow, which she hadn't even paid for yet! On top of that, she'd need funds for renovations…
"That's far too expensive!" Sakura shook her head firmly. "After renting, I still need to renovate and purchase inventory. If the rent takes up that much capital, I won't be able to proceed with anything else."
"Now, now, you can't look at it that way," the greasy landlord simpered. "This is a prime commercial district in the village! No matter what kind of shop you open here, you're guaranteed not to lose money. See that Yakiniku Q across the street? It only opened a few months ago, and its business is absolutely booming!"
Sakura's lip twitched as she glanced past the man at the faded sign of the failed 'Washoku BBQ' restaurant still hanging above the shop entrance. What a blatant liar, she thought dryly. If profit was guaranteed, how did this place go under?
"Regardless, it's still too expensive," Sakura persisted, deciding to negotiate. "Can you lower the price? If you can make it cheaper, I'm prepared to sign a three-year lease right now." She genuinely wanted this location. Not only was the shop spacious, but it also had a backyard of about fifty square meters, complete with a wooden shed built by the previous owner for storage.
Since she planned on slaughtering live cattle, she needed a space to temporarily hold the animals. Her initial thought had been to find a place on the outskirts of the village, but this shop perfectly matched her requirements. It had two floors, with the ground level covering roughly 150 square meters, plus the crucial backyard – ideal for holding the cattle awaiting slaughter.
Sakura had already visualized the layout for the ground floor: a slaughtering area enclosed by glass walls, allowing customers to witness the process and be assured of the meat's freshness. Adjacent cleaning and packaging rooms would also feature glass walls. Finally, display shelves would showcase the cuts for customers to choose from. As for the second floor, she hadn't yet decided on its purpose.
The greasy landlord stroked his small mustache, his brow furrowed as he continued to eye Sakura calculatingly. "Well… it's not entirely out of the question," he drawled. "I could rent it to you for one hundred thousand ryo. However… you'll have to agree to one little thing for me."
"What thing?" Sakura asked warily. Half price, just like that? Something's definitely wrong here. This pervert surely wasn't proposing anything decent.
"Little miss, how old are you?" the landlord leered, dodging the question about his condition.
"Does that have anything to do with your condition?" Sakura retorted, frowning, not answering his question.
Seeing her frown, the landlord's heart suddenly hammered in his chest, heat rushing to his face. So adorable! He stared at Sakura, his voice trembling slightly. "N-No… no relation."
"Then just spit it out. What is it you want me to agree to?" Sakura demanded impatiently.
"Oof!" The landlord hastily clamped a hand over his nose, but blood still seeped through his fingers. Wiping it away clumsily, he grinned lewdly. "Come over to my place… five times a month… stay the night! Do that, and I'll lower the rent to one hundred thousand."
Sakura's eyes turned glacial. Because she wasn't on active duty, just working shifts at the hospital, she hadn't bothered wearing her forehead protector. And truth be told, not that many people actually knew she was the Fifth Hokage's disciple – mostly just the shinobi she interacted with regularly.
Despite being the Hokage's apprentice, Sakura hadn't yet accomplished any major public feats for the village. Consequently, her renown within Konoha wasn't particularly high. Even among shinobi, let alone civilians, not everyone knew who she was. Fame wasn't built on apprenticeship alone; it required tangible contributions and achievements recognized by the village. Her takedown of Hanzo, a world-shaking event, had been deliberately kept quiet by Tsunade due to its potential impact on international relations, known only to a select few.
This disgusting pig in front of her clearly mistook her for some helpless, unarmed little girl. Heh, she thought coldly. Hitting on me? Asking me for that? He's practically begging to die!
"Alright," Sakura said, her eyes narrowing into crescents as she offered a chilling smile. "I accept your terms! But… I have a condition of my own."
The landlord was ecstatic. "Anything! Name your price!" he agreed readily.
"Give me this shop, free and clear," Sakura said, her smile turning deceptively sweet, momentarily stunning the man. "Do that, and I'll happily spend every night with you!"
She fought down the violent urge to tear him limb from limb right then and there. Secure the shop first, she told herself. This was Konoha, after all. She was the Hokage's disciple. Even if she disposed of him discreetly, it could still cause trouble for Tsunade-sensei. Besides, Konoha had laws and prisons; murder, even seemingly justified, had consequences.
The landlord's euphoric expression slowly curdled, his small eyes narrowing into sinister slits. "Trying to play little tricks on me, are you? Let me tell you something, girlie. My younger brother is a Konoha Jonin! If you cross me, you'll face consequences you won't like! I've changed my mind. The condition stays the same, and the rent stays the same! And you will agree, or I guarantee you won't be able to rent any shop in this entire village!"
Sakura's smile vanished completely. "Who is your brother?" she asked, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Hmph! My brother is the esteemed Konoha Jonin, Ryuta!" the landlord boasted. "Now, pay up! And don't forget to come find me tonight. My bed is very warm!" He leered, reaching out with a fat, greasy hand towards Sakura's face. In the past, merely mentioning his brother's name had always made civilians comply meekly. Initially, he'd felt some trepidation using the threat, but over time, it had become second nature.
"Ryuta?" Sakura shook her head slightly. "Never heard of him." She raised her own palm, aiming it directly at the man's approaching hand. An arm-thick beam of blinding white Storm Release erupted from her palm. In a flash of light, the landlord's right hand disintegrated into nothing but fine ash. The intense heat instantly cauterized the stump at his wrist, leaving a charred, bloodless surface.
It happened so blindingly fast that the landlord stared dumbly at the space where his hand had been moments before, seemingly unable to process its disappearance. A heartbeat later, bloodcurdling screams tore through the silence of the long-abandoned barbecue shop.
"AAAAHHHHHH— MY HAND~~~~~ AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he shrieked in terror and agony, repeatedly clutching the cauterized end of his right wrist with his left hand, his face twisting into a mask of pure horror.
Listening to his agonized cries, Sakura felt not a shred of guilt. Instead, the burning rage within her began to subside, replaced by a chilling sense of satisfaction. She stepped forward and kicked the man, who was now kneeling and doubled over in pain, sending him sprawling onto his back. Sakura stood over him, looking down imperiously.
"So," she asked, her voice deceptively sweet, accompanied by a small smile, "are you going to rent me this shop, or not?"
"Y-You… you're a ninja!" the landlord stammered, his voice trembling uncontrollably – no longer from lustful excitement, but from sheer terror. He pointed a shaking left finger at Sakura. "You… I won't let you get away with this! Just you wait… My brother is a Jonin! You've offended the Tanii clan! You damn Genin! Just wait until they throw you in prison!" Seeing her youth, he instinctively assumed she was only a Genin.
"Tanii clan?" Sakura paused, cocking her head. She was familiar with Konoha's prominent clans, but 'Tanii'? The name didn't ring any bells.
The landlord glared up at her, his beady eyes filled with venom, though his voice still quivered with fear. "Even… even if you apologize now… it's too late! The Tanii clan won't let you off!"
Sakura scoffed softly at his pathetic attempt at bravado while clearly terrified. She raised her right hand again, this time aiming at his remaining left hand. Another flash of white light, and his left hand vanished just like the right.
This time, there was no scream. The landlord's eyes simply rolled back in his head, and he passed out cold.
Looking down at the man, now devoid of both hands, Sakura felt no remorse, no cruelty. Instead, a disturbing sense of pleasure surged through her. This feels… amazing. The raw power, the absolute control… she found the sensation dangerously addictive.
She delivered another kick, sending the unconscious man sliding into a corner. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Then he saw that his left arm now mirrored his right – ending in a cauterized stump. "AAAHHH!" he screamed again, before promptly fainting once more.
Sakura watched him with unnerving amusement. She performed a simple Water Bullet Jutsu, splashing cold water onto his face and forcing him awake yet again.
Perhaps numbed by the repeated trauma, the landlord didn't faint this time. He just stared blankly at his two handless wrists, his expression utterly broken. "J-Just… kill me," he mumbled, his spirit completely crushed.
"Want to die?" A cold smirk touched Sakura's lips. "It's not going to be that easy. Come on now, first, you're going to confess everything. There'll be plenty of time for dying later."
The landlord's eyes remained dull and lifeless. "I… I have nothing to confess."
"You've used this disgusting routine to trick countless girls, haven't you? Exploited countless people?" Sakura's gaze turned sharp and accusing. "Tell me everything you've done. Every single detail."
The landlord's pupils constricted, a flicker of panic crossing his face. He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to speak.
"Still not talking?" Sakura raised her right hand yet again, aiming it lower this time, towards his right foot. "I'll count to three. If you don't start talking by then, you can say goodbye to your right foot."
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
Seeing the greasy man remain stubbornly silent, a flash of anger ignited in Sakura's eyes. The Storm Release laser shot from her hand, striking his right foot. Instantly, it too was gone, vaporized into ash.
The man's face contorted in agony, but surprisingly, he didn't scream like before. Sakura found this unexpected, and a strange feeling crept into her mind. Why is he so determined to keep quiet? His earlier panic proved he's done this sort of thing repeatedly. Is there some hidden reason he's protecting? Some secret he won't reveal?
Sakura raised her hand one final time, aiming it pointedly between the man's legs. "Same deal. Count of three. Still not talking? Then you can say goodbye to your 'little brother'."