Chapter 6: This Stall, Not Worth Keeping
Haruko did not expect that he had only wanted to pick up a side hustle when he had no missions, but ended up accidentally turning it into his main job.
In just three days, the food stall's business exploded far beyond Haruko's imagination.
On the first day, thanks to the "shill" Young Lady Hinata, plus the unique taste, it sold out quickly.
On the second day, those who had tasted the sweetness spread the word, and the line stretched directly to the street corner.
On the third day, even people from outside the Village came after hearing the news, just to get a taste of those pan-fried dumplings that were said to make people "ascend to heaven."
Those steaming hot pan-fried dumplings, fragrant skewers, and sweet, thirst-quenching mung bean soup attracted customers like a magnet.
In the blink of an eye, over a week had passed. The amount of ingredients prepared each day had increased, yet it was still in short supply.
This allowed his daily net profit to easily exceed 10,000 ryo, sometimes even reaching 20,000 ryo, which was practically comparable to completing a B-rank mission.
But the cost was that he was busy almost non-stop from morning till night every day.
He squinted his eyes, peeked through his fingers at the glaring sunlight outside the window, and reluctantly got out of bed.
These days, he slept until the sun was high up, yet felt more tired with each passing day.
He yawned and slowly walked toward the washbasin. In the mirror, his eyes were bloodshot, and the color of his pupils seemed to have deepened a little.
'Damn! Isn't this just continuing the rat race in a different place?"
He stood in front of the faucet, letting the cold water wash over his hands, his brows furrowed.
These past few days, he could clearly feel that his body was showing signs of exhaustion because it hadn't received sufficient relaxation and nourishment from Natural Energy for a long time.
You see, he could only automatically absorb Natural Energy when his body and mind were in a state of extreme relaxation.
Now, let alone extreme relaxation, he couldn't even rest properly.
Moreover, as business became increasingly booming, his intuition told him that trouble might be coming.
It was a feeling of being watched.
From the second day of opening, he could feel some ill-intentioned gazes lingering on his food stall, sometimes overtly and sometimes covertly, and they were becoming more frequent.
'Do they think my little stall is too profitable and are jealous? Or... did I touch some rules that shouldn't be touched?"
He knew clearly that in a society like Konoha where Ninja were dominant, a food stall that suddenly appeared and made a fortune daily, while also using some "strange" Ninjutsu, would definitely attract attention.
'So annoying!"
While thinking this, he began to skillfully prepare today's ingredients.
Just as he opened the stall and was about to light the fire to heat the pan, the corner of his eye caught two figures wearing the Konoha Military Police Force uniforms walking towards his stall.
'What was bound to come has come."
Haruko sighed inwardly, but on the surface, he maintained that "lazy and laid-back" business smile.
Two Uchiha Military Police Force members walked up to the stall with serious expressions, exuding an imposing aura without even needing to be angry.
As soon as they stood still, the customers waiting in line fell silent, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Hello, I am Uchiha Takumi of the Konoha Military Police Force." One of them, who had a square face, said in a low and powerful voice, "This is Uchiha Kazama. We received a report that your food stall is operating without a license and is illegally occupying public space."
'Bullshit! Never mind the license, this land belongs to Old Man Teuchi. These two are just here to stir up trouble!"
Haruko cursed in his heart, but kept a polite smile on his face.
His smile remained unchanged, his attitude sincere: "Officers, look at my stall, I specifically set it up to the side and left enough space for pedestrians. Besides, I only open for those few hours during lunch and dinner. Good business can also boost the popularity of this street, which is also contributing to the prosperity of Konoha!"
He spoke flattering words, but inwardly he was secretly pondering: 'Who could it be? A jealous competitor? A certain clan wanting a slice of the pie? Or perhaps the Konoha higher-ups?"
The onlookers heard this and began to whisper among themselves.
"I don't think I've ever heard that you need a license to set up a food stall in Konoha?"
"These pan-fried dumplings are so delicious, it would be a shame if they closed down."
"Are these Military Police Force people jealous?"
Takumi and Kazama's faces darkened when they heard these discussions.
They didn't want to get a bad reputation for bullying others with their authority.
Just then, a cold, clear voice came from behind the crowd.
"Takumi, Kazama."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Uchiha Itachi, dressed in casual clothes, walking over slowly.
Uchiha Itachi walked up to the stall, first nodded slightly to Haruko, and then looked at the two police officers.
"Uchiha Itachi." Takumi and Kazama immediately put away their previous seriousness and greeted him.
Uchiha Itachi was the recognized genius of the Uchiha Clan and also the son of the clan leader; his status was not low.
"What are you doing?" Uchiha Itachi's voice was calm, but it carried an unquestionable power.
"We received a report saying that Haruko's stall is suspected of operating without a license and is illegally occupying the road..." Takumi hurriedly explained.
Uchiha Itachi's gaze fell on Haruko again, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes, but more of an understanding and relaxation.
"Oh? Operating without a license?" Uchiha Itachi repeated it lightly, then looked at Takumi again, "Konoha's commercial management regulations do not have explicit provisions for mobile vendors. As long as it doesn't affect the Village's order or endanger public safety, there's no need to blow things out of proportion, right?"
He paused, his tone becoming somewhat profound: "As for occupying the road... this area should belong to the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, it doesn't count as a public area."
"Moreover, Haruko's pan-fried dumplings and skewers do taste quite good, and it can be considered adding a bit of scenery to the Village. Takumi, Kazama, you don't need to be too serious about this."
Uchiha Itachi's words undoubtedly bailed Haruko out.
Haruko felt a bit surprised by Uchiha Itachi's support.
'These hotheads were just being used as pawns. But Uchiha Itachi..."
The problem still had to be solved. Seeing that the two were already having trouble backing down, Haruko quickly offered them a way out.
"You two are just doing your duty. If you don't mind, please try my snacks. Thank you to the Military Police Force for always maintaining order in Konoha." As he said this, Haruko handed over two portions of pan-fried dumplings and a handful of skewers.
Seeing Haruko act like this, Takumi and Kazama couldn't say anything else, so they accepted the snacks and left. The tense atmosphere of the crowd also dissipated along with them.
"Thanks, Uchiha Itachi. You really helped a lot. What would you like? It's on me."
"It was nothing. Then I'll have an order of pan-fried dumplings."
Uchiha Itachi nodded and sat calmly at the bar.
Haruko looked at his figure, but his heart didn't feel much lighter.
He sighed deeply and rubbed his aching waist.
'This was just a test. I don't know what kind of trick they'll pull next time. The most troublesome thing is that I still haven't figured out who is behind this."
He looked at his food stall, his eyes filled with disdain.
'No matter which side they are from, the goal is to make me close down. Anyway, I don't want to do this anymore. There's not much cost in setting up the stall, so I'll just let it go."
While frying the dumplings, he calculated in his heart.
'This isn't the only way to make money. I'll find an easier business next time."
Haruko's food stall, decision to close.