Naruto: Imitation Ninja

Just as Xing Liu was thoroughly immersed in his daydreams, a voice from outside the door abruptly interrupted him...

"Xing Liu, how much longer are you planning to stay in your room? Aren't you coming out to see your new door?"

Eh? Didn't my door get broken today by Tsunade?

Since when did a new door appear?

Confused, Xing Liu walked out of the neighboring Minato household and quickly returned to his own home, which was only a two-to-three-minute walk away.

"What the heck is this?!"

On his way back, Xing Liu had been thinking about how to renovate his door, but upon returning home, he found that the door, which had been lying on the ground earlier, was now back in its original place. Moreover, the layout inside the room was completely different from what he remembered...

If the current layout could be considered something resembling a real, livable home, the previous room could easily be compared to a doghouse.

The new layout not only had basic furniture but also included several shelves, tables, and other pieces of furniture for storing miscellaneous items...

By contrast, the old room had nothing but a bed, with perhaps a few sofas in the living room as decoration.

"Well, what do you think? This layout is what Minato and I spent a whole day arranging for you. Isn't it much better than the place you were living in before?"

Kushina, who had been directing the placement of furniture, rushed over as soon as she noticed Xing Liu standing in the doorway, staring in astonishment. She eagerly began introducing the newly furnished home she and Minato had prepared for him.

"It is quite beautiful, but is it really suitable for a grown man like me to live in such a well-prepared apartment? And besides, these furniture and the labor must not have been cheap, right?"

No matter which world one is in, custom-made furniture and hired labor are always expensive.

Before he returned home, Xing Liu had only been considering quickly copying the original door with some wood. He certainly hadn't planned on going all out like Kushina and Minato, purchasing so many pieces of furniture and hiring so much help.

Moreover, they had already gifted him an entirely new set of furniture when he moved into his new home, so it didn't seem right to let them spend even more money on renovations now.

"Aiyoo! Money is meant to be spent, isn't it? Don't you remember, your older brother is the famous Fourth Hokage? The businesspeople are all eager to please him and would never think of accepting money from him!"

Kushina understood what Xing Liu was worried about—she knew he was concerned about how much money they had spent on the renovations. But in reality, neither she nor Minato had actually spent a single yen.

Not to mention that Minato, as the Fourth Hokage, was in the position where businesspeople would gladly offer him favors, and he would refuse to accept any money. After all, if a little money could earn them support from the Hokage, it would be well worth it for their future business.

On top of that, they had helped renovate the home of Xing Liu, one of the village's strongest fighters. Gaining the favor of these two would be far more valuable in the long run than the immediate short-term profits.

"Ah, indeed, merchants always prioritize profit..." Xing Liu couldn't help but think. In his old world, he had encountered many businessmen who used small favors and kindness to curry favor with those in power.

Rather than relying on simple transactions, they would take the opportunity to build relationships by offering small gifts and favors. The best merchants didn't openly make it obvious they were flattering someone. Instead, they made sure you knew they were flattering you but made it impossible for you to refuse their help.

"You see, you're our 100,000th customer, so of course, I can't accept your money. I can just give these things away and buy a new set."

This was one of the most extreme methods some businessmen used. Some were even more clever and managed to sell you something while making you happily praise them for their good salesmanship. Of course, only a few could pull off such a trick.

If everyone could do this, wouldn't the world descend into chaos?

(Cough... I might have gotten a bit carried away there. Just enjoy it as a joke; this kind of thing would never happen in real life.)

As Xing Liu continued to mentally berate the unscrupulous merchants, the workers who had been hired to move the furniture were finishing up, placing everything in the designated spots. After handing the delivery receipts to Minato for signing, the workers gradually began to leave.

Once all the workers had left, Xing Liu and Kushina, standing outside, couldn't wait any longer and rushed inside to admire the new furniture in the house.

"Well, your older brother and sister-in-law treated you pretty well, huh?"

"Here we are, still using the old furniture in our house that's been with us for so many years, while you get all-new furniture in just a five-year-old room..." Minato said with a thoughtful smile, then walked over and casually put his arm around Xing Liu's shoulder. "I heard from your sister-in-law that you've got your eye on one of the girls at the gambling house?"

"You're too shy to say anything, huh?"

Tch! No wonder I felt like I was being watched all day today. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, so I didn't pay much attention.

But now that Minato himself is bringing it up, it must be true that I've been followed.

"Hey! Why'd you stop talking all of a sudden? If you really can't say it, your older brother and sister-in-law can take care of it for you… Here in Konoha, our reputation still holds some weight."

Kushina, who was standing beside them, added, "I wouldn't be against you liking these two girls. From what I saw today, they seem to be quite fond of you. After all, they wouldn't cling to you all day if they weren't interested."

Xing Liu was completely taken aback by the couple. He had only recently developed feelings for Saki and the others, but from the way these two were talking, it felt as if his marriage had already been decided.

"Hey, can you two calm down for a minute?"

"Even if I do have feelings for them, isn't it still too early to act on them? It's not something that can happen overnight..."

"So, this isn't something we need to rush..."

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