Naruto: The Ninja World's Life Buyer

Chapter 44 Dessert Shop

The renovated shop exudes a refreshing woody scent.

Because of its proximity to the Uchiha clan's territory, the architectural style of Red Fan Street is mostly understated and dignified.

The tables and chairs that Sosuke chose were dark brown, looked sturdy, and had no fancy carvings.

This sense of heaviness actually drew a second glance from several passing Uchiha patrol members.

That's their preferred aesthetic.

Jin and Maki were busy giving it a final wash.

The two children cherish this life and hardly communicate while working.

Ren was chopping wood in the backyard.

Maki, behind the counter, folded a clean rag into a neat square.

The shop was renovated, but there was no smoke or fire.

Residents of Hongshan Street would always peek inside when they passed by.

Several Uchiha brats were squatting under the telephone pole across the street.

"When exactly is this shop opening?" a kid asked.

No one answered him.

Sosuke was sitting at a newly painted square table.

The glass marble in my hand spun around and around on my fingertips.

He was waiting for white sugar.

"Sousuke! Sousuke!"

It was Takaya Jiro's voice.

Sosuke walked out of the store, the glass marble in his hand tracing a final, graceful arc between his fingertips before disappearing into his sleeve.

Takaya Jiro's carriage was parked at the door.

The fat man looked as if he had been pulled out of the water; he was soaking wet.

"Got it! Fifty catties! Top-grade white sugar!"

He pointed to several oil paper packages on the carriage.

Sosuke stepped forward and personally unwrapped a layer of oiled paper.

A pure, sweet fragrance, extremely rare in this era, instantly penetrated his sense of smell.

That was refined white sugar through multiple processes; in the ninja world, it was a luxury among luxury goods.

Sosuke grabbed a small pinch and rubbed it between his fingertips.

The particles are uniform, dry, and free of impurities.

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle."

Sosuke gestured to Jin to carry the wooden barrel into the cellar.

Takaya Jiro wiped away his sweat and said in a low voice, "The original liquid... needs to be increased by another 20%. This time, we spent a lot of money bribing the border outposts to transport this sugar."

"no problem."

After seeing Takaya Jiro off, Sosuke looked at the supplies piled up in the cellar.

White sugar, red beans, and glutinous rice flour.

Everything is ready, except for someone who can turn these expensive materials into works of art.

The Uchiha clan is extremely picky about food.

In their eyes, those poorly made desserts were cheap stuff for ninjas to fill their stomachs.

True elites pursue the ultimate in deliciousness.

"Jin, Maki, come out with me."

Sosuke put on a long robe.

The three of them walked through Red Fan Street and headed towards the center of the village.

Deep in a secluded alley, there is an old shop that is already locked.

The signboard has faded, but the three characters "Ganweichu" are still faintly visible.

That used to be the most famous old-established dessert shop.

The boss was called Hubu, and he was an eccentric old man.

Since the trade routes were cut off and the sugar supply ran out, he closed his shop and reportedly spent his days at home drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

Sosuke knocked on the dilapidated wooden door.

"Get out! Close the door!"

A hoarse roar came from inside the room, accompanied by the sound of porcelain shattering on the ground.

Sosuke stood at the door, his voice calm: "Mr. Tobe, I'm not here to buy dumplings, I'm here to deliver candy."

The room was silent for three seconds.

The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached.

The door was suddenly flung open, and an old man with disheveled hair and a strong smell of alcohol poked his head out.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Sosuke's face.

"Give away candy? In the Land of Fire right now, apart from the Daimyo's Mansion, who dares to say they have candy?"

Sosuke didn't say anything, but took out a small cloth bag from his pocket.

He opened the cloth bag.

Inside was a small pinch of snow-white, crystal-clear white sugar, as white as salt.

The old man from the Ministry of Revenue's pupils suddenly contracted.

With trembling hands, he pinched up a little and put it in his mouth.

That long-lost, pure sweetness exploded on the tip of my tongue.

"This is... pure white sugar."

The old man sobered up halfway instantly. He looked at Sosuke and asked, "What do you want?"

"I've opened a new shop on Red Fan Street." Sosuke looked him in the eyes. "I'd like to invite you back to oversee things."

"I'm old, my hands tremble," the old man from the Ministry of Revenue sneered.

"Are you afraid of running out of good ingredients and ruining your culinary skills?"

Sosuke knew that these kinds of craftsmen were the most arrogant.

"I have the best glutinous rice flour, the best red beans, and fifty catties of this kind of white sugar."

"If you'd like, everything in this room can be moved to my new shop."

The old man from the Ministry of Revenue fell silent.

He glanced back at the dark and damp ancestral home.

For a craftsman who has spent his whole life making desserts, not having the ingredients is worse than death.

"What about the wages?" he asked.

"You get 20% of the profits, and you can just focus on making desserts for the rest."

The old man no longer hesitated.

He turned around, picked up the apron he had used for thirty years, and tied it tightly around his waist.

"Move things!"

……

In the afternoon, the shops on Hongshan Street became lively.

The dessert shop has opened, and its name is a time-honored brand from the Ministry of Revenue: 【甘味处】.

A sweet, cloying aroma filled the air.

That's the taste of fermented glutinous rice mixed with red bean paste and refined white sugar.

The Minister of Revenue stood behind the counter and changed into a white chef's uniform.

He is kneading dough.

In his hands, the glutinous rice flour seemed to come alive, being kneaded into round balls.

This is not an ordinary dumpling.

In order to cater to the tastes of the Uchiha clan, Sousuke specifically requested that the Ministry of Revenue make adjustments.

People from the Uchiha clan experience high levels of mental stress, have a cold and yin-like chakra, and often suffer from hypoglycemia.

Therefore, they have a sweet tooth.

And it's that kind of extreme, lethal amount of sweetness.

The Ministry of Revenue threw the dough into the boiling water.

Cook until done, remove from the water, and rinse with cold water.

Then pour on a thick, dark brown sauce.

This is a secret sauce.

"It smells so good."

The first guest has arrived.

It is Uchiha Sōji.

He wasn't wearing the guard uniform, but only a loose blue robe.

"Captain Souji."

Sosuke brought out a plate of freshly made dumplings.

"Try it. Freshly baked dumplings."

Zongsi sat down.

He picked up a skewer and took a bite.

Soft and chewy.

Teeth springy.

Most importantly, the sweet taste that hits you right in the head instantly soothes your nerves and calms your anxiety.

Zongsi narrowed his eyes.

"good."

He finished the skewer in a few bites.

"It's very sweet."

"I'm glad you like it."

Sosuke wiped his hands.

"Is everything ready?"

Sōji put down the bamboo stick, took out a sealing scroll from his pocket, and threw it on the table.

"They're all inside."

Zongsi lowered his voice.

"All ten Fuma Shuriken have been modified according to your requirements."

"in addition……"

He glanced around to make sure no one was there.

"I had the craftsmen add a little seasoning to the axle."

"Seasonings?"

"A specialty of Iwagakure Village: Explosive Clay."

Sosuke's pupils constricted slightly.

Exploding clay.

That's something more advanced than a regular detonating tag.

It is highly malleable and powerful.

"How did you get this?"

"We caught a few Iwagakure spies last time, and this is what we found during our search," Sōji sneered. "Those mud-playing guys, that's all they have to offer."

"Clay was filled into the gaps in the shaft."

No fuse is needed.

"If the impact is strong enough, or if the chakra is overloaded instantly, it will explode."

"This thing is three times more powerful than an explosive tag."

"Be careful, don't blow yourself up."

Sosuke picked up the scroll.

heavy.

Thank you.

"This is a separate price." Zong Si pointed to the dumplings on the table. "From now on, send five boxes of these dumplings to my house every day."

"no problem."

Sousuke put away the scroll.

At this time, other Uchiha clan members began to pass by one after another.

Smelling the aroma and seeing Captain Souji enjoying his meal, they all curiously gathered around.

"Captain, is this the newly opened one?"

"Hmm. It tastes good; it's run by family."

Souji's simple statement is the best GG.

"One of our own".

These three words are worth a fortune in the xenophobic Uchiha clan.

In no time, the shop was full.

A group of Uchiha, who usually have stern faces and keep strangers at bay, are now eating skewers without any regard for their image, with sauce on their lips, and discussing which flavor is sweeter.

Sosuke observed from behind the counter.

This group of people are not all crazy as the rumors in the village suggest.

They included both the old and the young.

There were elderly people who had lost an arm while on a mission, and there were also teenagers who had just opened their eyes.

They gathered together, cursing the Hokage's office for its unfair treatment and complaining about the villagers' cold treatment.

This is an isolated group.

Sosuke, through sugar, infiltrated this group.