manynovel Page 264
Page 264
Under the starry sky, Konoha's future dance king is quietly growing in his own way.
Chapter 284 The Loss of the Opportunity to Become a Millionaire
Leaving the oppressive oasis post station, the caravan continued its journey towards the Land of the Moon.
The desert scenery is monotonous and repetitive, nothing but yellow sand.
However, Konohamaru and his two companions were in high spirits because of the previous battle and Naruto's guidance.
They even began to have the leisure to observe the tightly guarded and covered goods in the caravan.
A few days later, the caravan did not head directly to the planned route.
Instead, they took a small detour and stopped in front of a sizable, colorful cluster of tents.
Loud music, cheers from the crowd, and the growls of wild beasts drifted from afar.
"circus?"
Konohamaru stood on tiptoe, peering curiously into the distance.
The tents were painted with comical clowns, majestic lions, and various exotic animals.
For those who travel long distances in the desert, this place is undoubtedly extremely attractive.
Prince Manyue struggled to get off the carriage again.
Little Prince Guang, unable to contain himself any longer, was the first to rush towards the circus entrance.
His face held a rare excitement and longing that was typical of his age.
Naruto, acting as a bodyguard, naturally led Konohamaru and the other two inside.
The place was bustling with noise, and aerial acrobats were daringly weaving through the air.
The clown riding a unicycle made the audience laugh out loud.
The animal trainer directed the black bear to stomp on a ball, and the lion to jump through a ring of fire...
Behind the glamorous facade lie the actors' sweat-soaked makeup and the untamed wildness in the eyes of beasts.
The Little Prince's gaze remained firmly fixed on a huge iron cage from beginning to end.
Inside the cage, a large saber-toothed tiger with glossy fur and canines like two curved blades paced restlessly.
It let out a deep, intimidating roar, its amber-colored beastly eyes sweeping over the crowd with a cold, savage intensity.
After the performance, Guang grabbed the sleeve of Prince Manyue.
Pointing at the saber-toothed tiger, he said in an unquestionable tone, "Father, I want it."
The full-moon prince wiped his sweat, glanced at the ferocious beast with his small eyes, and then at his son.
There was no sign of embarrassment on his face; he simply nodded.
He beckoned to the circus ringmaster, a man with an exaggerated mustache and dressed in clothes covered in sequins.
"How much did that saber-toothed tiger cost?" Prince Full Moon asked in a casual tone, as if discussing the weather.
The commander was taken aback at first, then his face was filled with a fawning smile as he rubbed his hands together: "Your Highness, you have excellent taste!"
"This is the star attraction of our circus, a rare breed from the northern snowfields. It took us a lot of time to tame it..."
"Just state the price," Manyue interrupted him impatiently.
The commander announced a number that made several guards gasp, hoping to make Man Yue give up.
However, Prince Full Moon didn't even blink, and directly pulled out a gold-embossed checkbook from his pocket.
With a fountain pen inlaid with gemstones, he wrote down a string of numbers that dazzled Naruto.
It was followed by a long string of zeros.
He didn't even count them carefully before tearing them off and handing them to the regimental commander.
"It's mine now. I'll find someone to take care of it and send it to my fleet."
After the full moon prince finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the carriage, as if he had only bought a piece of candy.
Rather than a ferocious beast that could easily tear an adult apart.
The regimental commander held the check, his hands trembling as if he had Parkinson's disease.
His face was contorted with ecstasy, and he thanked the prince repeatedly, almost kneeling down to lick the full moon prince's boots.
Naruto, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon stared in disbelief at the scene.
"This...this person..."
Naruto felt his tongue getting tied: "They're so rich... it's outrageous!"
He worked so hard for so long, and he probably didn't even earn a fraction of what's on that check.
This extravagant spending completely changed his understanding of the word "rich".
Konohamaru's mouth gaped open, unable to close it for a long time: "A...a tiger...you just bought it like that?"
Udon sniffed hard and muttered, "So many zeros... I can't count them all..."
Meng Huang covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Soon after, a huge iron cage, tightly covered with a black cloth, appeared at the end of the caravan, constantly emitting low roars and banging sounds.
The atmosphere in the team seemed to become even more oppressive as a result.
After traveling for several more days, sparse greenery finally appeared on the edge of the desert.
The caravan stopped on the edge of a seemingly prosperous oasis town.
On the edge of the town, there stands a clean and tidy house with its own small yard.
It seemed somewhat out of place with its surroundings.
Prince Manyue straightened his robes, his face bearing an expression that was a mixture of determination and a hint of flattery, and walked alone toward the house.
As the captain of the guard, Naruto signaled Konohamaru and the other two to spread out and guard the perimeter of the courtyard.
He then moved a little closer, ensuring his safety while still being able to faintly hear what was happening inside.
This is a ninja's basic professional quality.
At first, the conversation inside was relatively calm, but soon the volume rose and turned into a heated argument.
A clear and firm female voice rang out, filled with suppressed anger and disappointment: "...Go back! Take your filthy money and go back to your palace!"
"Full moon! You'll never understand! Not everything can be bought with money!"
"I don't want the number on your check, I want a husband! A father! A real home!"
"Instead of receiving a monthly allowance on time and your charity-like visits!"
Full Moon's voice was full of flattery: "...But I've given you everything I could, the best life! The best house! The best servants! I can give you anything you want! What more could you want? Isn't money enough?"
"Not enough! It will never be enough!"
The woman's voice was trembling with tears, yet utterly resolute: "All you care about is your business and your money!"
"You don't care at all how light grows! You don't care at all what I need!"
"In your eyes, everything has a price tag! Including feelings!"
"Get out of here! I don't want to see you again! Unless you throw away that damn checkbook and learn to see us with your heart instead of your money!"
Immediately following was a loud bang as the door was yanked open and slammed shut.
Prince Manyue's face turned ashen, like a defeated rooster, and he could even be described as being "driven out" in a sorry state.
His meticulously styled hair was somewhat disheveled, and his luxurious robe was even dusty, clearly indicating that the process was not pleasant.
He stood there, panting heavily in front of the closed door, but ultimately said nothing.
He stomped his foot angrily and walked towards the convoy with a disheveled look on his face.
Konohamaru, who had been watching closely, whispered to Naruto who was approaching, "Naruto-nii, it seems that guy... can't solve everything with money after all."
Just then, Little Prince Light appeared out of nowhere.
He had clearly heard his parents arguing, and his usual arrogance was gone from his face, replaced by a twisted resentment and confusion.
He saw Naruto and Konohamaru standing together, seemingly whispering to each other, and immediately turned his anger on them.
Hey! You two!
Pointing at Naruto and Konohamaru, he said in a very aggressive tone, "What kind of expressions are those? Are you mocking my father?!"
Naruto and Konohamaru immediately waved their hands as if by reflex.
He gave a slightly embarrassed, professional smile: "No, no, no! Absolutely not! Your Highness, you've misunderstood!"
Guang, however, did not believe it at all. He gritted his teeth, seemingly trying to regain his sense of security and face in the way he knew best.
He raised his head and said in his usual money-grubbing tone, "Hmph! You want money, don't you?"
"I know! Aren't ninjas just risking their lives for money?"
"Listen! If you agree to become my personal subordinates and only take orders from me, I can give you one million taels right now!"
This number made Konohamaru's eyes widen instantly, and his breathing quickened.
Naruto's apologetic smile gradually faded.
He looked at the little boy in front of him who was trying to build a barrier with money to cover up his inner panic and hurt.
His gaze became calm and serious.
He shook his head, his voice not loud, but with an undeniable firmness: "Forget it, little prince."
"Not everything can be bought with money. Loyalty, trust, and human kindness—these things cannot be bought."
The light seemed to have been stepped on, and became even more hysterical.
As if raising the price would refute Naruto's theory: "You think it's not enough? Ten million taels? Fifty million taels?! Is that enough to buy you all?! You couldn't earn that much money in your entire lives!"
Naruto sighed, not angered by the other party's rudeness, but instead felt a pang of pity.
He pointed to the closed door: "Let's stop here, little prince."