Kakuzu smiled with confidence at the few puzzled faces staring back.

"Heh heh... of course we can!

Holding a concert in the Hidden Leaf Village is just a trial run — how much we make here doesn't matter.

What matters is how much we can make in other countries, other villages!

When the time comes, we hold a few concerts out there, have the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha sing a few songs at their leisure... heh heh heh heh heh...

Tickets at tens of thousands of ryo each — a million ryo apiece? That's not too steep, is it?!"

Zabuza Momochi couldn't quite follow the logic.

"If tickets cost that much, who's actually going to attend a concert?! And these are Hidden Leaf Village people singing, why would anyone from another village pay to listen? I'd say those guys not showing up to start trouble would already be a win!?"

Kakuzu glanced over at Zabuza.

"Brother, you have absolutely no business sense.

Won't listen?! How dare they not listen?! Don't forget who's doing the singing! Not showing up means disrespect. And disrespect means we take what we're owed by force!"

At that, Hidan, Zabuza Momochi, Haku, Itachi Uchiha, and Kisame Hoshigaki, every East Konoha Company member present, turned to stare at Kakuzu with the same deeply unsettled expression.

Good grief!

So the whole concert idea was just a cover from the start, and the real plan was robbery all along?!

Kakuzu looked back at all those strange faces and glared right back without flinching.

"What's with the looks?! Why are you all looking at me like that?!

Is there something wrong with what I said?! We are simply holding a concert!

Anyone who wants to buy a ticket and attend does so of their own free will! That has nothing to do with us!

It's just that if nobody shows up... I wouldn't presume to speak for the First Hokage, but Madara senior will definitely be furious!

Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..."

After listening to all of that, everyone gave a collective exhausted eye-roll. When you stripped it all away, wasn't this just open robbery?!

Kakuzu waved a hand dismissively.

"Alright! Everyone head back to the company and work out the details for the first concert. The first one we'll hold right here in the Hidden Leaf Village...

Yes, it's a trial run, a chance for everyone to gain some experience. But I, Kakuzu, have never run a losing deal in my life!

Money that should be earned will be earned!

Tickets can be free — these are all Hidden Leaf Village people, after all...

But we can absolutely charge advertising fees!

Heh heh heh heh...

With free admission, the crowd will be massive. And a massive crowd means merchants will want eyeballs on their products. We, as the organizers, put up banners and run their ads for them!

The more they pay, the better the placement. The better the placement, the more people see it!

Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh...

As for how long they want to advertise, or exactly where they want their banner positioned, that all comes down to how much these merchants are willing to hand over!"

When Kakuzu finished, Hidan and Zabuza Momochi and the rest stared at Kakuzu like they were looking at some kind of creature they had never encountered before.

This person was genuinely a money-making genius.

No tickets, and the idea of selling advertising space had already presented itself.

No wonder the Hokage had personally appointed Kakuzu as General Manager of the East Konoha Company.

This talent for squeezing out profit was simply terrifying!

Once the matter was settled, everyone went their separate ways.

---

The next day, Hirofumi Ito was on a date with Ino Yamanaka in a small grove.

"Hirofumi... come try the rice ball I made... here, say ah..."

Ino Yamanaka picked up a delicate little rice ball with her chopsticks and moved to place it into Hirofumi's mouth.

Hirofumi cooperated without hesitation and opened up.

"Mmm, delicious! As expected from you, Ino! I've noticed your cooking keeps getting better lately. Have you been secretly practicing at home this whole time?!"

Ino's face went red the instant he said it, because he was exactly right. Lately, alongside her training, she really had been throwing herself into cooking.

Ever since Boruto Uzumaki had let slip that she was Hirofumi Ito's future wife, Ino had been studying with her mother, learning what it meant to be a proper wife.

There was, it turned out, an overwhelming amount to learn. Beyond housework and cooking, her mother had walked her through all sorts of everyday details about life together.

Some of them had been deeply embarrassing.

For instance: capturing a man's heart through his stomach alone would never be enough, because men, her mother had explained with complete seriousness, were the sort of creatures who wanted stability at home but still craved the thrill of wandering outside.

The only answer was to make sure he simply didn't have the energy to wander.

And how exactly does one accomplish that?

Well. That depends entirely on what you yourself are capable of.

Listening to her mother walk her through these intimate household secrets, Ino had felt like she might actually die of embarrassment.

She had studied every single word with complete seriousness anyway.

Right now, the small grove belonged only to the two of them. The Hokage Guard Platoon, the Konoha 11, knew their Hokage was on a date, so every last one of them had made themselves scarce with admirable tact.

The distance between Hirofumi and Ino had been shrinking steadily.

Hirofumi looked at the stunning woman in front of him and swallowed. Ino caught the slightly heated look in his eyes, and her heart started hammering.

"Hirofumi... why are you looking at me like that..."

"Because my Ino is beautiful. Obviously."

"Am I really that beautiful?"

"Of course."

Hirofumi gently reached out and wrapped his hand around Ino's soft, slender fingers.

"Hirofumi..."

"Ino..."

Closer. And closer still. Staring at Ino's lips, Hirofumi's pulse climbed. Ino seemed to already know what was coming, her eyes drifted shut.

Her breathing had gone slightly uneven. Her long lashes trembled faintly against her cheek.

Hirofumi leaned in. They were close enough now to feel each other's breath.

BANG!

"Boss!"

Kakuzu materialized right beside them.

Ino's eyes flew open like a startled rabbit. She scrambled back from Hirofumi, flushed from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

She had almost kissed Hirofumi just now.

Ino couldn't quite get enough air into her lungs.

And they had nearly been caught doing it.

Hirofumi turned to look at Kakuzu.

The look on his face could have melted steel.

➤ Next: You Have an Idea Too?!

Chapter 222 - You Have an Idea Too?!

He'd almost kissed her just now!

He'd almost pulled it off!

He'd almost gotten to taste just how sweet that adorably flustered little rabbit was!

Damn Kakuzu!

This is all your fault!

You are so dead!

The veins on Hirofumi Ito's forehead bulged. In the heat of the moment his Mangekyō Sharingan had snapped open, and he fixed Kakuzu with a look that could peel paint.

"Kakuzu! You better have a damn good reason for this! Otherwise I don't mind giving you a personal demonstration of what cruelty looks like!"

It was right around then that Kakuzu put two and two together. It seemed like walking in on the boss had come at a very inopportune moment...

"Boss... why don't you just continue? I can come back later?!"

Nearby, Ino Yamanaka climbed to her feet, shyness going absolutely nuclear as she glanced over at Hirofumi Ito...

"Hirofumi...

Don't forget that you're the Hokage of our Hidden Leaf Village. Senior Kakuzu came all the way here, so there must be something important to discuss!

As for our date and everything... there'll be plenty of time for that later!

I... I'll head back first... you and Senior Kakuzu handle your business... I'll make you something delicious tomorrow!"

With that, Ino practically bolted. She left with her lunchbox in one hand and the other pressed over her burning-red cheek.

"Take care, ma'am!"

Kakuzu wasn't even a little ashamed about enjoying every second of it. Even waving after Ino as she fled, hollering "ma'am" at her retreating back...

Hirofumi Ito looked on with profound resignation.

"What the hell do you want?! You crash your boss's date and I'm docking five thousand ryo from your wages!"

Kakuzu went completely blank.

If only there had been a way to know, today of all days should have been skipped, or better yet, that brainless Hidan should have been sent instead. How was anyone supposed to know the boss was on a date with the missus?!

And now a straight five-thousand-ryo cut, just like that!

Damn it all!

Money is literally life!

Ten thousand ryo a month and now half of it gone, wasn't that the same as losing half a life?!

"Boss! I have an idea!"

Hirofumi Ito blinked. For one disorienting instant, it felt like the person standing in front of him wasn't Kakuzu at all, but Orochimaru, Konoha's reigning idea man.

"You have an idea too?!"

Kakuzu nodded so fast as to nearly cause whiplash. The money-making plan had to come out before the boss made that pay cut permanent!

Maybe if the boss liked what he heard, a good mood would make the whole thing disappear...

"Of course, Boss! Our company may have just started up, but the whole point is obviously to make money. Yesterday an idea hit me out of nowhere, so after getting back to the office I talked it over with a few of the employees — we stayed up and put together a full proposal overnight!

This would also be the company's very first money-making plan...

I already wrote everything up, which is why I came to run it by you. The idea: hold a concert!

We do a trial run right here in the Hidden Leaf Village. Free admission — but we collect advertising fees!

And I'm planning to get the First Hokage and the others up on stage to perform!

Then when we take the show to other villages... hehehehehe... if they don't feel like spending money on tickets... hehehehehe... I believe Lord Madara Uchiha will have ten thousand ways to make them change their minds!"

Hirofumi Ito's eyes lit up.

He hadn't expected Kakuzu of all people to have already thought of the advertising revenue angle. Worthy of the company manager personally handpicked for the role, a genuine talent!

"Great idea! I'll go talk to the seniors myself and get them all up on stage to perform!

Venue setup and everything else — that's all on us...

But Kakuzu... the details have to be airtight. Since we're not charging admission, the turnout is going to be massive. With that many people packed into one place, some are definitely going to get thirsty, some are definitely going to get hungry, and some are definitely going to need to use the bathroom!

When that time comes... hehehehehehe..."

A very particular gleam lit up Kakuzu's eyes. Looking at Hirofumi Ito in that moment, it was like witnessing something divine!

"You're incredible, Boss! How did I never think of squeezing money out of those angles before?!

We sell our own food and snacks, and we let outside vendors set up stalls on-site, but they pay stall fees to us!

For the bathrooms, we set up free public facilities...

Except when it comes to the toilet paper... hehehehehehe..."

Hirofumi Ito nodded in deep satisfaction. He had only dropped a hint, and Kakuzu had already mapped out every money-making move that followed. Truly worthy of the name.

"Solid plan. Go start setting it up! I'll personally handle the performer lineup."

Kakuzu didn't leave. Instead, Kakuzu lingered, twisting and squirming, throwing Hirofumi Ito an expression that was equal parts awkward and hopeful.

"Boss... that is... you see... about..."

"You constipated?! Spit it out!"

Kakuzu sidled closer, wearing the most transparent look of envy imaginable.

"Boss... since my plan turned out to be pretty solid... about that five thousand ryo you docked earlier... heh heh heh..."

Hirofumi Ito smiled.

"Oh, so that's what this is about. Relax, I'm not some sweatshop tyrant. The plan is good. Wages stay intact, and on top of that, I'm throwing in a bonus."

Kakuzu perked right up.

"Boss... what bonus?!"

"Hmm... no matter how much this concert pulls in, our company keeps ten percent of the profits!

So if we earn a million ryo, everyone in the company splits a hundred thousand. If we earn ten million, everyone splits a million!

Well? Generous boss or what?! Hehehehehehe..."

"Boss, you are wise! Don't you worry, we're not selling tickets this time, but I will absolutely deliver a grand opening our company can be proud of!"

In that moment, Kakuzu was overflowing with energy.

The more they made, the bigger the cut. Simple math.

Ten percent of the profits... that's one-tenth of everything! If they raked in a billion ryo, wouldn't everyone in the company be splitting a hundred million?!

HOLY SHIT!

It felt like taking flight!

This time, Kakuzu was going to scrape every last ryo out of the ground!

To hell with free public bathrooms, this time it wasn't just toilet paper on the menu. Walking through the door would cost money too!

Hehehehehehe...

➤ Next: Hashirama Senju Wants to Sing "Qiu Fo"