When Itou Hirofumi dropped the figure, Sasuke Uchiha's brows furrowed tightly.
A few billion? That was no small amount. Sasuke had inherited the entire Uchiha clan's wealth, including all their properties, but his total net worth was only around ten billion or so. Most of that was tied up in real estate and land—his actual liquid cash was nowhere near that much!
What kind of trouble was Hirofumi in to need that kind of money?
Sasuke clenched his fists and turned to Hirofumi. "Can you tell me what's going on? I've got some money, and if you need it, I can lend it to you. But what's the deal, Hirofumi? I thought we were friends now. Friends face stuff together, right? If you're in some kind of trouble, just say it!"
Naruto Uzumaki, standing nearby, had already realized he couldn't help when he heard the word "billion." But Sasuke's words fired him up, and he nodded furiously. "Yeah, exactly, Hirofumi! What's the problem? You can tell us, and we'll deal with it together! Worst case, I'll go beg Shikamaru or Choji for some cash—or, or I'll ask Gramps Third Hokage!"
Hirofumi fell silent for a moment before his chakra-formed body reappeared in the summoning space. "Madara, do me a favor. Check if anyone's watching us."
Uchiha Madara, lounging in his rocking chair, raised an eyebrow at Hirofumi. "What, you're gonna spill your secrets to these two brats? You sure they won't blab your biggest secret?"
"They won't," Hirofumi said firmly, shaking his head.
"Tch. What a ridiculous thing, friendship," Madara scoffed, his mind drifting to his own past with Hashirama Senju. "Fine. I've checked. The entire Uchiha compound is empty except for you three. Not a single breathing soul. You're safe."
Hirofumi trusted Madara's sensing abilities. There was probably no one in the Hidden Leaf who could hide from him—or match his perception, for that matter.
With that, Hirofumi's figure vanished from the summoning space. Madara, still in his chair, tapped the armrest lightly. "So, what that kid told me before was true, huh? Spending money to bring someone back to life? That's unheard of! Something tied to the underworld... who could pull off something like that? Even with my strength, I'm just a pawn in their game. Is this the work of the legendary Sage? Or something else entirely...?"
Madara knew about Hirofumi's need for money since the summoning space's perception wasn't blocked, confirming the truth of Hirofumi's earlier claims. It gave Madara plenty to think about.
Back in the real world, Hirofumi looked at Sasuke and Naruto sitting beside him. "What I'm about to say might sound totally wild... but Sasuke, Naruto, I need you to trust me. This is my biggest secret. If it got out, it could literally get me killed."
The seriousness in Hirofumi's voice made both Sasuke and Naruto tense up. A secret so dangerous it could cost him his life? And he was willing to share it with them? Their hearts swelled with emotion.
Truthfully, Hirofumi was exaggerating a bit about the "getting killed" part to make it sound more serious. Even if his secret got out, he wasn't too worried—not with Uchiha Madara in his corner. Madara letting him die? Hah! That'd be like slapping Madara's own face! Plus, Hirofumi had noticed a shift in Madara's attitude toward him lately.
Sasuke, more composed than Naruto, stood up, glanced around cautiously, and led them inside, shutting the door tightly. Once they were settled, Hirofumi spoke slowly. "You guys remember that time I suddenly disappeared at the Ninja Academy?"
"Of course!" Naruto blurted, nodding eagerly. "And then—*poof!*—you were back!"
Sasuke nodded too, recalling the incident.
"That's when I gained some... unique abilities," Hirofumi explained. "By spending money, I can boost my strength incredibly fast. That's why I need to borrow money from you, Sasuke."
Sasuke's eyes lit up with understanding. "No wonder you got so strong so quickly. That's how you beat me, isn't it?"
"Exactly," Hirofumi admitted. "But if it was just about getting stronger, I wouldn't be in such a rush to borrow money. I could just earn it over time. There's something else—something way more important. I can't tell you guys what it is yet, but when the time comes, you'll see. And trust me, it's gonna be a huge surprise!"
The surprise Hirofumi was hinting at was his ability to summon Naruto and Sasuke's parents. Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were both Hokage-level powerhouses. Mikoto Uchiha might be a bit weaker, but Fugaku Uchiha, as the former head of the Uchiha clan, was likely Hokage-level too.
Hirofumi often thought about how stacked the Hidden Leaf's roster of elite fighters was. There were so many who could rival a Hokage's strength. It was just a shame that the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura had mismanaged things so badly. Sometimes, Hirofumi wondered—if Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't been Hokage, how terrifyingly powerful would the Hidden Leaf be today?