Chapter 21: Three Hundred Thousand Ryo, Not a Single Coin Less

Takuya couldn't help but laugh as he watched the big orange cat curl up in pain, completely losing the will to fight.

Is this guy all bark and no bite?

No, it wasn't that. It was probably just a fluke.

He had just happened to kick the cat's chin, causing it to bite its own tongue. The pain was so intense that it lost the will to fight.

It's like when a man gets hit in the... you know where. Instant loss of fighting spirit.

The only difference here was that the big orange cat had bit its own tongue. All Takuya did was kick its chin.

"Takuya, are you okay?"

Hearing the commotion and the cat's roar, Mikoto rushed over.

By the time she arrived, Takuya had already knocked the big cat out and tied it up with a rope.

"No big deal," Takuya said, standing next to the giant, unconscious orange cat. He patted its back and added, "This must be the culprit that's been attacking the livestock. Our mission reward should go up now, and we could probably sell this guy for a good price too."

That's it?

Mikoto couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief after hearing how the battle went down.

She had been looking forward to honing her combat skills and gaining some experience.

But Takuya had wrapped things up in just a couple of moves.

The fight was straightforward—one kick to the chin, and while the cat was reeling from the pain, he knocked it out cold.

Then he tied it up, and that was it. She hadn't even lifted a finger.

"Mikoto, you don't have a summoning animal yet, do you? How about making a contract with this guy?"

The big orange cat was pretty strong, and since Mikoto didn't have a summoning animal yet, it seemed like a good match.

"No, thanks."

Mikoto shook her head, glancing at the cat that was the size of a small house. "I'd rather stick with the tradition of our Uchiha clan. Summoning ninja cats makes it easier to buy weapons and tools from them later on."

Making a summoning contract with the ninja cats was a tradition in the Uchiha clan.

Most of the skilled Uchiha ninjas had contracts with the ninja cats.

The ninja cats also provided the Uchiha with various tools and scrolls.

As long as you had the money, you could buy whatever you wanted from them, and their prices were often better than what the village's weapon shops offered.

"Alright then, let's sell this guy back in Konoha."

For a D-rank mission, even with a bonus, the most they could expect was a few thousand ryo.

But if they sold this big guy in Konoha, they could easily get three hundred thousand ryo.

Summoning beasts and high-quality chakra weapons always fetched high prices.

Dragging the tightly bound orange cat back to Konoha, Takuya and Mikoto drew quite a bit of attention. Many people quickly stepped aside as they passed.

"That's one big tiger."

"Are those two kids from the village? They're really something, catching such a big tiger."

"Are they taking it back to butcher it for meat?"

"Idiot, a creature like that can be sold as a summoning beast for a lot of money. Is eating all you ever think about?"

The murmurs from passersby made Mikoto feel a bit embarrassed.

She hadn't even arrived in time for the battle, and now Takuya was handling the job of dragging the cat back to Konoha.

It made her feel like she hadn't done much at all.

"Hello, I'm Sanyoro. Are you planning to sell that summoning beast in Konoha?"

The demand for summoning beasts was even greater than Takuya had expected.

Before they even reached the village, a ninja returning from a mission spotted the big orange cat, his eyes lighting up as he quickly approached.

"Three hundred thousand ryo, and it's yours."

Takuya hadn't done any research on the price, but he figured three hundred thousand sounded fair. Anything less, and they wouldn't have a deal.

"Three hundred thousand?"

Sanyoro hesitated, then gave a wry smile. "Could you lower the price a bit? I just bought some new tools, so..."

"Sorry, but that's the price. If you can't afford it, I'll just take it to the village and sell it there."

Good summoning beasts always had buyers, especially among ninjas who had average talent and a low potential for growth.

For them, having a strong summoning beast could greatly enhance their combat abilities.

And in critical situations, it could even save their lives.

Many ninjas liked to use their summoning beasts as decoys to help them escape.

"I'll take it!"

Seeing that Takuya was about to walk away with the orange cat, without even attempting to negotiate, Sanyoro quickly called out.

"I'll pay the three hundred thousand ryo, but I need some time to gather the money. I just got back from a mission, so I'll need a bit to get it together."

"If I'm holding you up, I can help you bring this guy back to the village."

Being a ninja was a dangerous job, but it also paid well.

As long as they weren't lazy and kept their spending in check, most ninjas lived comfortably.

Even a regular C-rank mission could bring in thousands, if not tens of thousands, of ryo.

But being a ninja was also expensive.

That's why many ninjas earned a lot, but also spent a lot, often finding themselves with little savings.

Usually, a ninja's bank balance was a good indicator of their skill level—the stronger the ninja, the more money they earned.

Tsunade was the exception to this rule.

Takuya figured there were few ninjas in the entire world who could earn more money than Tsunade but still end up poorer.

"That's great."

Having someone help was a welcome offer for Takuya.

It had taken a lot of effort to drag the orange cat all the way from the ranch.

"Take a break, kid. I'll handle it from here."

Sanyoro wasn't one to dither. He grabbed the rope and started dragging the cat away.

Though he was eager to form a summoning contract with the orange cat right then and there, he hadn't paid for it yet. Takuya wasn't going to allow that.

Otherwise, he could've saved the effort of dragging the cat back to Konoha.

As they got closer to the village, more and more people started asking about the cat, but Sanyoro sent them all packing.

This summoning beast is mine. The price is set. You guys can buzz off.

Back in Konoha, they made the exchange—money for the cat.

While other students were still waiting for the village's squad assignments, Takuya and Mikoto had already earned themselves a hefty sum of pocket money.