"Demonstration?" Minato Namikaze was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed as he quickly glanced out the window, scanning the pedestrians on the street.
"Don't look, I'm not planning to kill anyone!" Haruto Saito tapped the table. Once Minato turned back, Haruto continued seriously, "The Black Armor! I found it through divine guidance and my own calculations. This ability of mine works sporadically—sometimes it's accurate, sometimes it's not. But today, the weather is pleasant, the conditions are just right, and I have a strong feeling. I can make a calculation!"
"Calculate? Calculate what?" Minato asked, looking confused. He couldn't help but glance outside again.
It was already nearing evening, and the sky was dim—where was the "pleasant weather" Haruto was talking about? Minato turned back to look at Haruto, his gaze clearly expressing doubt, as if he was staring at a swindler.
In the restaurant's second-floor dining area, many other patrons—mostly ninjas—overheard their conversation and exchanged amused looks.
"Is Haruto trying to scam children now?"
"He just can't go a day without causing trouble!"
"But seriously, his shamelessness is on another level. He even dares to say something as ridiculous as predicting the future with a straight face."
A bunch of buzzing flies in the background, but Haruto ignored them. He leaned closer to Minato and lowered his voice, "What I'm calculating… is treasure! This ninja world has a long history of wars stretching back thousands of years. Many nations have been destroyed in conflicts, and new ones have risen in their place. Throughout this long history, countless valuable items have been buried for various reasons. That's what I call treasure!"
"So, Lord Haruto… you're saying you can find treasure?" Minato's skepticism was evident in his tone.
"Of course! I already told you—the Black Armor was found this way!" Haruto nodded confidently, sitting back in his chair. "Alright, let's do this: we eat first, and after dinner, I'll take you out to hunt for treasure. Seeing is believing, right? No matter how much I explain, you won't believe me. So, I'll let you witness it firsthand!"
Minato didn't respond immediately. His face showed reluctance, clearly unwilling to go on a treasure hunt with Haruto.
Or rather, he simply didn't believe him and wanted to stay as far away from Haruto as possible.
Soon after, the waiter brought their food. As they ate, Haruto and Minato chatted—mostly Haruto talking and asking questions. He asked about Minato's experiences at the academy, like how he dealt with bullying or how he handled Uzumaki Kushina.
After their meal, the two left the restaurant.
Night had just fallen. The streets were illuminated by bright lanterns, bustling with people, still lively and noisy.
"I need to go home. Otherwise, my family will worry," Minato said, turning to leave.
"Wait." Haruto grabbed Minato's arm and pointed at his face. "Are you going home looking like this? Won't your family ask questions?"
Minato was still bruised and swollen from his earlier fight. His clothes were torn, with his sleeve half ripped off. Anyone who saw him would know he'd been in a brawl.
Minato looked down at himself, suddenly at a loss.
"Come here!" Haruto pulled Minato into a nearby alley, used Healing Palm to mend his visible injuries, and then handed him a stack of money. "Go buy a set of clothes exactly like the ones you're wearing, find a place to wash up, change, and then go home. I'll wait for you at the Hokage Tower entrance in an hour. If you don't show up… I'll go to your house. And if that happens, don't blame me if I say something embarrassing!" Haruto grinned mischievously.
Before Minato could say anything, Haruto vanished in a puff of black smoke.
"Wait—!" Minato called after him, but Haruto was already gone. He looked down at the money in his hand—around 3,000 ryo. It was more than he had ever held before. Coming from a civilian family with parents who ran a small business, Minato had never handled so much money.
Tsunade's Mansion.
Haruto reappeared in the darkened hall. The house was empty—Tsunade hadn't returned yet. He had no idea where she had gone, but it definitely wasn't on a mission. Despite being around the village all day, he hadn't seen her once.
"That damn woman, where did she go?" Haruto muttered. His only reason for returning was to leave a note so no one in Konoha thought he had gone missing.
Since she wasn't around, Haruto thought for a moment, then lit a candle. With a flick of his wrist, a card that only he could see appeared in his hand.
A Treasure Card!
If he consumed this card, a guiding signal would appear in his mind, pointing him to a buried treasure somewhere within 200 kilometers.
The last time he used a Treasure Card, he had found the legendary Black Armor. Even though treasure cards carried a lot of uncertainty, Haruto still held high expectations for them.
"O spirits of the heavens and earth… grant me fortune…" Haruto chanted in a mystical tone before biting down on the card and crushing it.
Crunch!
A signal appeared in his mind!
Northwest—approximately 130 kilometers away!
"That far… what a hassle." Haruto faced northwest, sensing the direction, then pulled out a blank scroll from his inventory. Under the candlelight, he quickly wrote a note.
This message was for Tsunade. While he didn't hold an official position, his current identity was too sensitive. If he left without a word and the village assumed he had gone missing, they might send out search parties, which would cause unnecessary trouble.
Late at night, in front of the Hokage Tower.
Haruto arrived first and waited for a while before seeing a freshly washed, neatly dressed Minato approaching from the corridor on the far side of the square. Haruto had used Minato's schoolyard fight as leverage—he had no choice but to come.
"There you are! So, what excuse did you use with your family?" Haruto grinned, meeting him halfway.
"I told them I was studying at a friend's house," Minato replied, using a well-worn excuse that students had been using for generations.
"Good!" Haruto nodded approvingly. "Alright, let's go."
"Wait, Lord Haruto." Minato pulled out the remaining money from his pocket. "I spent 5 ryo and 8 sen. Here's the rest…"
"Keep it. Stop wasting time, we have a long way to go!" Haruto waved off the money and dragged Minato along. "We need to hurry!"
"Lord Haruto, do I really have to come?"
"Yes!"
Ignoring Minato's complaints, Haruto forcefully dragged him out of Konoha, deep into the forest, heading northwest at high speed.
Four hours later.
Late at night—
Inside Tsunade's mansion.
Tsunade suddenly appeared in the hall. She frowned, scanning her surroundings.
"Where is he?"
Not sensing Haruto's presence, she blurred into motion, dashing upstairs. Moments later, she returned to the hall, her expression puzzled.
"That little brat, where did he run off to?" she muttered, before spotting the open scroll on the table. She stepped closer and read it.
'Had a vision, off to hunt treasure. Will return tomorrow. Don't worry. – Haruto Saito'
"Treasure hunting?!" Tsunade's eyes widened with excitement. Her face lit up. "That brat didn't take me with him? Hmph!"
Unlike everyone else, Tsunade believed in Haruto's abilities. After all, she and Jiraiya had personally witnessed him unearth the legendary Black Armor.
Stuffing the scroll into her robe, she vanished into the night.