"Haha, Boss Peter, please stop joking with me. If any of your store's items were placed outside, people would fight over them. So don't tease me," A Fei said with a hearty laugh.
He thought Peter was joking, so he didn't take his offer seriously.
Peter's mouth twitched when he heard that. His original plan was to get out, find a job in a factory, and then work his way into becoming a middleman like A Fei to earn money. But now, A Fei had misunderstood him completely and didn't even consider the suggestion.
"Well, if the boss doesn't want to accept it, then I guess I can't force it," Peter thought, sighing inwardly.
"Hehe..." Peter smiled awkwardly.
Although it felt like he had just missed the opportunity to earn hundreds of millions in a month, there was nothing he could do. He could only look for other ways to accumulate his starting capital once he got out.
A Fei, meanwhile, sighed and furrowed his brows slightly. His face carried a trace of worry as he said, "Boss Peter, the ninja world isn't peaceful right now—especially for businessmen like us..."
He shook his head, looking troubled and helpless.
Peter was immediately intrigued. He leaned forward and asked curiously, "Oh? Boss A Fei, what do you mean by that?"
But A Fei didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at the cigarettes on the table. After a moment, he picked one up and stuck it between his lips.
The White Zetsu standing silently behind him quickly stepped forward, pulled out a lighter, and respectfully lit the cigarette for him.
A Fei took a deep drag, slowly exhaled a thick ring of smoke, and his expression turned serious and heavy.
The atmosphere shifted. Peter grew even more curious. What could make A Fei, usually so carefree, suddenly so solemn?
After a long silence, A Fei finally spoke. "Boss Peter, you don't understand. It's easy for businessmen like us to make money—but it's hard to keep it..."
He stubbed out the cigarette angrily and slammed his hand on the table. "Damn it! Uchiha Obito kidnapped another Uchiha from who knows where, and the two of them have nothing better to do than hang around the downstairs of our company every day!"
Peter's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Every time I see them, I get nervous," A Fei continued. "I'm always afraid my hard-earned money is going to be stolen! And guess what? I was right to worry! Despite all my precautions, that Uchiha brat cast a genjutsu on me, and I ended up ordering someone to open the space-sealing barrier that was protecting the vault!"
Peter was stunned.
This wasn't just a robbery—it was a carefully orchestrated, chakra-powered heist!
"This sealing barrier was custom-made by Orochimaru himself. I paid a fortune for it. I even invited a few elders from the Uzumaki clan and had them revived through Edo Tensei just to help create it!"
Peter's jaw dropped.
"That seal was supposed to block all space-based jutsu—to prevent Obito's Kamui and Black Zetsu's sneaking around," A Fei explained, gritting his teeth. "But who would've thought there'd be another damn Uchiha hiding in the shadows using genjutsu?!"
He grew more furious as he recalled the scene.
"That brat disabled the vault's seal like it was nothing! Do you know how much was in that vault, Peter?! Over ten billion ryo!! And they took all of it!"
A Fei was practically shaking with rage now. "Damn it! They think I'm still the same A Fei as before?! I've already mobilized all members of the Akatsuki! Anyone who captures Obito will be rewarded with 2 billion ryo!"
Peter swallowed hard. Two billion? That was... a lot.
But then he shook his head.
If Obito earned money, he'd just end up spending it on Peter's goods anyway. There was no need to make things difficult for someone like that.
"Ah..." Peter sighed to himself. The adult world really isn't easy.
Obito was risking his life just to make money. If one day, both Obito and Shisui were caught, they'd probably meet a tragic end...
Peter quietly poured a cup of tea and handed it to A Fei.
"Boss A Fei, calm down. Just be more careful next time."
A Fei took the tea and drank it in one gulp.
He laughed loudly. "Haha, honestly, I'm fine. It's Black Zetsu who's truly miserable!"
Peter blinked. "Oh?"
"Haha! Obito and Black Zetsu had a falling out. So now, Obito robs Black Zetsu every day. No, forget 'robs'—it's daylight looting!"
Peter stared in disbelief.
"Black Zetsu, afraid of losing more, started staying in the vault 24/7 to keep guard. But Obito? He waited for the perfect opportunity. All the Akatsuki members had left the company. No guards. No fighters."
"And then Obito walked straight through the front door like he owned the place and used Kamui to start sucking all the cash into his pocket dimension right in front of Black Zetsu!"
Peter burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all.
"Black Zetsu's face turned pitch black on the spot. He was probably so shocked he couldn't even move!"
Peter could already picture it.
Black Zetsu on his knees, completely helpless, watching as Obito calmly pocketed all the money. He probably even clung to Obito's leg and begged him to stop—but Obito just kicked him away like a fly.
Then he probably collapsed on the ground, watching his life savings vanish.
"And that's not all!" A Fei chuckled. "When the other Akatsuki thugs came back, not only had Black Zetsu's money been cleaned out, but the company building—he just finished renovating it—had been trashed by Obito!"
At this point, even Kakuzu, sitting nearby, was grinning from ear to ear.
"Sure, I was heartbroken when Obito robbed me too," Kakuzu said. "But after seeing Black Zetsu in an even worse state, I couldn't help but feel a little better."
Peter couldn't help but agree. It really was true what they say—happiness comes from watching others suffer worse than you.
---
After hearing A Fei's explanation, Peter sighed. Black Zetsu really had it rough.
But wasn't this exactly what a hot-blooded anime was supposed to be like?
It was all right—it was right!
The behind-the-scenes boss, Black Zetsu, had suffered since childhood. He went through countless hardships, endured inhuman torture, and held on to his ambitions through pure grit and unshakable will.
He didn't give up. He did whatever it took to move forward. No matter how dark or twisted the path became, he stayed the course. And in the end?
He was still defeated by the protagonists.
The same protagonists who spouted lofty ideals and emotional speeches about friendship, dreams, and bonds.
It was always the same.
The villain suffers in silence for thousands of years, working toward a nearly impossible goal—only to be thwarted by a bunch of teens with speeches and glowing power-ups.
Sure, the lives of the heroes weren't easy either. They had their own tragedies. But they were blessed with protagonist halos. They'd always find someone to save them, guide them, and help them achieve their dreams.
And then there was Black Zetsu.
Even when he finally chose a straightforward path—one without elaborate conspiracies or ancient puppet-mastering—he still ran into nothing but setbacks.
Peter sighed again. Life just wasn't fair.
He could only hope that one day, Black Zetsu would finally achieve his dream.
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