Naruto Card King

The wooden cabin door creaked open.

Haruto Saito rolled up his sleeves, carrying a basin of dirty water as he stepped outside.

 He walked to the back of the cabin, pouring the water into a makeshift drainage ditch, before turning back toward the lake to fetch a fresh basin of water. 

Returning inside, he set the clean water on a wooden rack.

The cabin was small but well-equipped.

It had three rooms—a main hall, a tiny four-square-meter kitchen, and a small bedroom.

When Haruto first arrived, the place had already been cleaned, and all the furniture and daily necessities—tables, chairs, pots, bowls—were prepared.

But…

It was still too dirty.

So, Haruto spent the entire morning cleaning—not just once, not twice, but three full times.

Even the wooden beams shined like new.

Inside the Cabin

Haruto let out a deep breath and looked around.

Everything was now spotless—the entire cabin seemed to glow.

A satisfied smile spread across his face—only to be replaced by a bitter grimace.

"No place to bathe… I need to build one," he muttered, rubbing his chin.

"I'll need pipes, a drainage ditch, and a big wooden tub…"

Sighing, Haruto pulled out the money Shenhe had given him earlier and started counting.

"I haven't eaten yet… I'm starving… The bedding is old—I need a new set… All of this costs money, money, money…"

Total funds: 10 ryō and 40 yen.

Understanding Money

The economy of Konoha in Year 32 was slightly different from the Naruto manga's timeline in Year 60.

But the currency system remained similar—just a matter of purchasing power.

The village used two types of currency: yen and ryō.

100 yen = 1 ryō.

Which meant… Haruto had 1,040 yen in total.

"I need to check the market… At the very least, I need to make sure I can afford food!"

Konoha's Bustling Marketplace

The bustling streets of Konoha's market district were packed with people and shinobi.

It was lunchtime, the peak hour for restaurants and taverns.

Groups of ninja gathered around food stalls, chatting and laughing.

Haruto, now wearing a Konoha ninja uniform, wandered through the streets, carefully studying food prices.

Restaurants displayed small wooden price boards outside their windows:

Hot soup noodles – 10 yen

Beef ramen – 15 yen

Large shrimp noodles – 20 yen

The prices weren't too high, but…

The problem was that Shenhe hadn't given him much money.

Even if Haruto only ate the cheapest soup noodles—three meals a day, every day—he would barely have enough to last a month.

If he wanted to buy clothes or upgrade his cabin, money would be tight.

Cooking at home would be cheaper… but I still need to eat first.

Haruto continued searching for a restaurant.

A-Mu's Eatery – Too dirty!

Yamato Ramen – Too dirty!

Red Flame Tavern – Disgustingly dirty!

His crippling OCD flared up.

Sticky tables? Greasy surfaces? Waiters wiping their sweat with dirty towels?

Haruto would rather starve.

Whispers in the Crowd

"Look! The two-colored eyes!"

"That's him—the Rain ninja defector!"

"Damn it… This guy killed our Konoha ninja—how could they let him join us?!"

Haruto heard the whispers but acted like he didn't.

He kept walking.

This had been going on for half an hour.

It was clear that news about him had already spread across Konoha—and faster than he expected.

But he didn't care.

He was prepared for it.

Besides, ANBU were watching him in secret—his safety wasn't an immediate concern.

The Expensive Restaurant

Finally, Haruto stopped in front of a tall, twelve-story wooden building—

Hyakuya House.

The largest and most luxurious restaurant in the market district.

It looked expensive.

More importantly…

It was clean.

Haruto nodded in satisfaction and stepped inside.

A Harsh Reality Check

"Welcome, sir! Right this way!"

A smiling waiter greeted him enthusiastically.

"Our lobster is top-quality—freshly delivered from the Eastern Sea this morning!"

As he was led to a table, Haruto glanced around.

The first floor was massive—over thirty tables, nearly all filled with ninja.

He took his seat.

"Here's the menu!" the waiter said, handing it over.

Haruto opened it—

And his face darkened.

Teriyaki Beef & Mushroom Ramen – 1 ryō and 50 yen.

He flipped through the pages—

The prices of the main courses were so ridiculous that he had to look away.

He slowly turned to the smiling waiter, his eye twitching.

Is this a freaking scam?!

A bowl of beef ramen here cost TEN TIMES MORE than a regular restaurant?!

Yes, it was high-end.

Yes, it was clean.

Yes, it was filled with ninja.

But…

It was still robbery!

"…I'll have a beef ramen," Haruto said calmly, snapping the menu shut.

After the Meal

Haruto left Hyakuya House, feeling full—but also broke.

He was now down to 8 ryō and 90 yen.

At one point, he considered skipping out on the bill.

If he ran, the ANBU protecting him would step in and pay.

But…

He couldn't afford that humiliation.

An Unexpected Encounter

Outside, the market streets were as busy as ever.

Haruto tried to avoid bumping into people, but sometimes, it was inevitable.

Finally, he reached a less crowded area.

But just then— 

BAM!

A man bumped into him—knocking him off balance.

"Sorry," the man muttered, quickly walking away.

Haruto turned to look—

A tall, thin man in a straw hat with a katana at his waist.

At first glance, he seemed like a wandering samurai. 

But Haruto's eyes focused—

[Name: Unknown]

 [Affiliation: Hidden Rain]

 [Reputation: Hostile]

A Rain ninja?!

Just as Haruto was about to react—

His face suddenly changed.

He felt something in his pocket.

As a magician, Haruto was extremely sensitive to things being planted on him.

He reached inside—

His fingers touched a piece of paper.

A secret message?

But…

If that guy was hostile…

Haruto pulled out the paper—

And his eyes widened in horror.

It was a paper tag.

Brownish-red edges.

Black seal patterns.

And in the center—

One word.

(EXPLODE)

A f*ing explosive tag?!**

The Assassination Begins

At the same time—

Watching from the rooftops, Shenhe's face twisted in shock.

He saw everything.

And now, in the middle of a crowded street—

Haruto Saito was holding an explosive tag.

"STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Shenhe roared, leaping down.

Three other ANBU rushed forward.

Haruto's pupils shrunk.

They really want to kill me?!

Damn it…!