In the northern regions of the Land of Fire, a luxurious carriage meandered down the official highway with a rhythmic clatter-clatter.
Following behind was a massive entourage of guards and attendants leading a long line of pack animals laden with supplies; it looked less like a travel party and more like a colossal merchant caravan.
"I remember when he first arrived in Konoha, he was alone with just two Sand escorts. Now, he's..."
The Sand shinobi who had initially escorted him to the Leaf had already returned to their village, officially handing the mission over to the Leaf's jurisdiction.
After a period of negotiation, the Third Hokage had finalized the composition of the escort team.
However, on the very first day after Lop Nur set out with his three-man cell, the distinguished guest began to complain. He took great offense at the idea of traveling on foot and lodged a vehement protest.
"I am not a ninja. How could you possibly expect me to go sprinting through forests like a madman?"
As the team leader, Hatake Kakashi scratched his head. He had originally been assigned to the Seven-Tails mission along with Uchiha Kaede and Uchiha Itachi, but he had been abruptly recalled for the sole purpose of guarding this wealthy scion.
"Then... should we rent you a carriage?"
Kakashi had matured significantly over the years. He had intentionally avoided renting a carriage at first, perhaps as a small test of his client's true temperament.
"Let's head to the capital of the Land of Fire first," Lop Nur suggested.
The capital was along their route, so Kakashi agreed without much thought. However, the moment they arrived in the most prosperous city of the Land of Fire, Lop Nur began to cause a massive scene.
As a high-paying client on an official mission, Lop Nur entered the city with the swagger of a multi-billionaire. He immediately purchased three entire streets of shops with cold, hard cash to "expand his business interests."
The sight of a merchant buying three streets on the spot was unprecedented. The local officials were dumbfounded, and Kakashi's team was equally stunned.
These Leaf ninja had grown up during the lean years of the Third Great Ninja War; they were accustomed to empty pockets and tight budgets.
When had they ever witnessed such a display of "god-tier" wealth?
Kurenai Yuhi actually blushed at the sheer scale of the spending, while Asuma Sarutobi found himself liking Lop Nur even less.
The arrival of such a "God-tier" merchant even alerted the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
In a rare exception, the Daimyo dispatched a small honorary guard to protect the guest and gifted Lop Nur a carriage that bore the official insignia of the Daimyo's household.
Along with it came a small army of servants and attendants for Lop Nur to command.
This series of high-profile moves made the mission significantly more difficult for the Leaf ninja.
To ensure the mission's success, the Third Hokage had appointed Kakashi as the Jonin leader, with Asuma and Kurenai—both elite Chunin—serving under him.
Following the stop at the capital, the pressure on the trio spiked. Lop Nur acted as if his money were infinite, flaunting his wealth at every turn.
He even spent a fortune to hire a traveling theater troupe to perform during his meals, spending his days drinking fine wine and listening to music.
Though they had escorted merchants and officials before, they had never met a client who sought the spotlight so aggressively. It was as if he wanted the entire world to know his exact location.
Lop Nur seemed in no hurry to reach the Land of Frost. He embraced the "buy-buy-buy" lifestyle, stopping at every town in the Land of Fire to purchase land and local specialties.
This massive caravan was a nightmare for the ninja. Protecting one person was easy, but a caravan of this size kept them in a constant state of high alert.
Intelligence suggested that Lop Nur had enemies back in the Land of Wind. Specifically, the Kitajima family saw the Roran Chamber of Commerce as a major threat to their interests and was likely to dispatch assassins.
Yet, Lop Nur remained unbothered, currently touring a trade town in the north to scout more real estate.
Beyond buying land, he was busy headhunting famous chefs from the Land of Fire, offering them lucrative contracts to work in the Land of Wind.
The culinary masters of the central continent possessed techniques far beyond those of the desert, and Lop Nur wanted that expertise.
His daily routine consisted of three elaborate meals, afternoon tea, and midnight snacks, accompanied by various musical performances.
He even brought out a projector—a Sand invention—to play "literary romantic films" from the Land of Wind.
These films were "literary" in the sense that they were dense with dialogue and poetic metaphors. They were, frankly, quite dry.
Even the "spicier" scenes were handled with such high-brow poetic imagery that Asuma and Kurenai lost interest almost immediately.
Surprisingly, Kakashi and Lop Nur shared a similar taste in these films. Every time a movie was screened, the "closet pervert" teenager would sit beside the nobleman to appreciate the art.
"I didn't expect to find someone with the same interests as me these days," Lop Nur remarked.
"These film discs are incredibly expensive in the Leaf," Kakashi replied, his tone becoming increasingly world-weary. "Usually, I have to rent them because the mission pay is too low. Watching them with you is a nice perk."
For some reason, Lop Nur felt a sudden urge to hang Kakashi up and give him a good thrashing. After a few years, the kid had become far too much of a cynical "old-timer."
"Hehe. I must say, I'm surprised, Mr. Kakashi. You're so young and already a Jonin."
Being called young and talented was usually a compliment, but since the praise came from the Land of Wind, Kakashi didn't feel particularly proud. "The Kazekage of your country was already the leader of his village when he was my age."
"He is an exception..."
Lop Nur spoke without a hint of a blush. Praising oneself was always a delightful experience, and he hoped Kakashi would continue. However, Kakashi's reaction remained flat.
"That guy is indeed a monster."
Fifteen dishes, three types of dessert, a specialty soup, and a platter of fruit were laid out on a large white cloth. Lop Nur smiled as he enjoyed his meal and his movie, looking every bit like he had won at life.
A mission that was supposed to take ten days was looking like it would take a month at this rate.
"This guy takes two hours just to eat! Then there's tea and snacks... we only spend a few hours a day actually moving! When are we ever going to finish this mission?" Asuma complained.
"Asuma, calm down. Let's just treat it as a vacation," Kurenai said, sipping an iced drink provided by Lop Nur. She wasn't in a hurry anymore; experiencing the lifestyle of the ultra-rich was a fascinating change of pace.
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