Konoha Drunkard

"Excuse me... I'd like to trouble Lord Shikaku to introduce me to Lord Shanks," Takikage said, wiping his sweat. As for bounty missions, he'd have to be crazy to do that. If he issued one, it might attract Kakuzu first, not someone else. Their village didn't have anyone to deal with Kakuzu right now; the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was already half-dead. They couldn't possibly unleash the Seven-Tails. After thinking it over, Konoha's reputation was still the most reliable.

“Lord Takikage must be tired from your journey. Why don’t you go and rest for a while? I’ll introduce you to my father-in-law tonight,” said Chongtianpao. He hadn’t even spoken to his father-in-law yet. His son-in-law had done him such a big favor, so it wouldn’t be too much for him to do his son-in-law a small favor in return, right?

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Lord Shikaku." Takikage wiped his sweat and followed the Anbu with his underlings.

"Shikoku! Shikaku, you're amazing!" After Takikage left, Minato voiced everyone's thoughts. He was incredibly powerful. In just a short while, he helped that bastard Shanks swindle a huge deal. Shanks' daughter really made the right choice in choosing him! They were also quite pleased. They had always disliked Takikage's behavior, and it was good that he had tricked them this time.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were also darting around. While he was happy that Shanks had tricked Onoki, that bastard was wrong—it was the Five-Tails! Wouldn't it be better if it were in Konoha? Why sell it back? He was such a money-grubber. Hiruzen planned to be there tonight when they were haggling over the price. Even if they couldn't get the Seven-Tails, getting Shanks to part with some of it to help the village would be good. His family was small; they didn't need that much money. Besides, the Uzumaki clan didn't rely on him anymore.

"My ultimate goal is to have my father-in-law as the chief examiner. I hope he'll agree to be the chief examiner because of the big business I helped him swindle. But then all this joint exam will be for nothing," Chongtianpao said helplessly.

"........."

The three giants plus Minato stared in shock at the rocket launcher. It turned out that was just the tip of the iceberg; the real target was right there. But this act of even tricking his father-in-law... it was just too satisfying!

476. Fighting tailed beasts is exhausting.

"Haha! My good son-in-law! I knew I hadn't misjudged you! When you were still very young, I saw your extraordinary nature at a glance! When you were flirting with Lingling, everyone disagreed, but I was the one who went against the grain and agreed to your relationship. You really know me well!" When Skyrocket and the others came to tell Shanks, Shanks couldn't stop laughing when he heard that his son-in-law had helped him swindle a big deal.

"You were the one who disagreed back then..." Everyone stared speechlessly at Shanks, who kept laughing. Back then, when they heard that Linlin had been flirted with by Shikaku, you were clearly the one who reacted the most strongly!

“Father-in-law, how much you can cut tonight is your business, but since I’ve helped you swindle such a huge amount, shouldn’t you do me a small favor?” said Chongtianpao.

"No problem! He's just an examiner, a piece of cake! I'm an expert at bargaining, tonight I'll show you the ultimate bargaining skills! My reputation as a financial tycoon isn't for nothing." Shanks proudly patted his chest.

"Ahem! Ahem! Let's put the bargaining aside for now. I just heard Shikaku say that you swindled 100 billion yen from Onoki by using the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, is that true?" Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice to interrupt.

"Tch! So that's why three of you four giants showed up. Turns out he was here to confront me. That's right, to be precise, it's not 100 billion, it's 280 billion, but Kakuzu and I split it equally, so I got 140 billion." Shanks pouted.

"1...140 billion? Where's the money?" Hiruzen Sarutobi clutched his chest, pointing at Shanks repeatedly, almost speechless. It turned out there was more than 100 billion, an extra 40 billion. That bastard had swindled so much money from them without their knowledge.

"Of course it's all gone. With so many people in the family, if everyone gets a share and I spend a little myself, it's all gone. It's only a few billion, why are you getting so excited?" Shanks pouted as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"You...you, don't you know the current state of the village? You've swindled so much money, can't you do something to help the village?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi really wanted to beat this bastard up. It turned out this bastard was the biggest spendthrift. He used to think it was Tsunade and Garp!

"Holy crap! Are you even being reasonable? I worked so hard to get this money, and you all have so much money in your families, why don't you contribute to the village, but instead make me contribute to the village!" Shanks was so angry at Hiruzen Sarutobi's words that he laughed. It turns out that moral blackmail also exists in the Naruto world.

“Alas! We are different. Our clan’s money has to support a large number of clansmen. It seems like a lot of money, but in reality, there’s not much in each person’s hands. Since the village was rebuilt, it has mostly been maintained by the funds given by the daimyo. In the last two years, the population has continued to increase, and even the money given by the daimyo is insignificant. Now, only some clans with surplus money are able to keep going. Among them, the Hatake clan has a relatively small population, so for the past year, the Hatake clan and the Hyuga clan have been helping to support it. I estimate that the two clans won’t be able to hold on for much longer, and it will take at least three or four years for the village’s economy to fully recover.” Koharu Utatane sighed and explained.

"Alright, alright, Sister Xiaochun, if you keep going, I'll become a sinner for all eternity. Tell me, what exactly do you want?" Shanks said helplessly. He knew these three old men coming together was never good news; they were never this enthusiastic before. He needed to talk to his good buddies sometime. Why do something as foolish as donating to the village? If the village is short of money, why not just ask the Daimyo? These past few times, Konoha has been able to take on several enemies at once, giving the Daimyo a lot of face in front of other Daimyo. It's only right that he contributes more money. Instead of letting the Daimyo squander his money, he should sponsor Konoha more. These guys are just too shy to complain to the Daimyo about being poor, so they come here to play cards.

"We don't care how much you can swindle from Takikage, but you have to donate half of it to the village," said Mitokado Homura, the soy sauce customer, with a serious expression.

"puff!"

"Half...half? Dude, are you kidding me? Do you think I'm some kind of rich man? Do you know how hard it is for me to earn money?!" Shanks spat out his drink at Mitokado Homura's words. These three old bastards really don't treat his money like money.

"Your family doesn't need that much, and the things you brought from the Uchiha clan last time are enough for your expenses. You don't want the village to continue like this, do you? Sigh! Seeing those villagers starving and cold, it breaks my heart. Some of the children are so thin and pale; I don't even know if they'll be able to become ninjas in the future." Hiruzen Sarutobi, the old actor, was itching to perform again, looking utterly heartbroken. Anyone who didn't know better would think he'd been cheated on...

"You could run for Best Actor this year! Half is definitely not enough, that's too much. Even if I'm good at ripping people off, I can't rip them off that much. Takikage isn't stupid; he was just helping them seal it, not capturing the Seven-Tails when it escaped. If you sent someone to kill the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki and let the Seven-Tails escape, that would be more likely. I could probably rip him off 70-80 billion, and then we could split it in half." Shanks shook his head. Splitting it in half was impossible. He estimated he could rip Takikage off around 30 billion, anything more than that. Takikage isn't brainless... but it seems he really is. Everyone in the ninja world knows that Kakuzu and Shanks are sworn brothers, and Takikage actually begged him to help them seal the Seven-Tails. What else could that be but brainlessness?

"...Then name a price, but it can't be too low. The village is so big, with so many people, it won't do any good if it's too low." Koharu gave him a disapproving look, thinking, "This guy is so greedy."

"...30/70 split, the village gets 30% and I get 70%, that's my bottom line, no more! I can't work for nothing, fighting tailed beasts is exhausting!" Shanks stroked his chin, thought for a while, and said through gritted teeth.

“Three-seven is too little. If you take that much, Tsunade and Garp will just gamble it away. It’s better to use it for village construction so you can get more credit on the monument. It’s a 40/60 split!” Hiruzen Sarutobi said, puffing on his pipe.

"Why don't you say that to the Daimyo? The three of you together are worth 160, are you trying to scam me?" Shanks glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi. He didn't care about superficial things like the monument to merit. If his merits were really engraved, they would be longer than Hiruzen Sarutobi's. Compared to those superficial things, having money is the most practical thing. With money in your pocket, you won't panic.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. We haven't even talked to Takikage yet, and we don't even know how much he'll rip us off. There's no point in arguing anymore. Let's talk about the profit sharing after we talk to Takikage later," Haruko interrupted Shanks, having received a glare from her teacher.

477. The son-in-law went to release the tailed beast.

"Lady Haruko, whose side are you on?"

Shanks is definitely not afraid of his wife; on the contrary, he respects women. Since Haruko-sama has spoken, Shanks can only nod in agreement, but he still mutters a complaint under his breath.

"Alright, we have so much money but nowhere to spend it. The village is in a difficult situation right now, so why don't you help the village? The first generation of the Senju clan has already donated it all." Haruko gave him a Tsurugi-like look, and her eyes made a 180-degree turn around the soft flesh on his waist.

"Fine, fine! You're the head of the household, I'll listen to you, okay?" Shanks' waist was twisted in excruciating pain, and he dared not use Armament Haki for fear of hurting Haruko's delicate hands...

...........

"Lord Shanks! It's been so many years, but you still look as dashing as ever!" Shanks had just finished dinner when he arrived with the Three Giants of Konoha and Takikage. The Three Giants were clearly there to keep an eye on things, since Shanks, that bastard, never told them the truth. They couldn't rest easy without keeping an eye on them. When Takikage entered and saw Shanks, he rushed up like a son seeing his long-lost father and tightly held Shanks' hands for a long time.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! This... Lord Takikage, I'm not that kind of person. Could you please let go of my hand? My wife is right here. It would be bad if this caused a misunderstanding. Besides... have we met before?" Takikage's hand strength was clearly well-practiced, and Shanks had to exert a lot of effort to break free.

"Haha, I was too excited. Lord Shanks might not remember, but I was with the previous Dragon Kage when you were beating up the Seven-Tails in our village. I was just a child then, so it's not surprising you don't remember. Your heroic figure as you beat up the Seven-Tails back then was like a god descending to earth, and I still remember it vividly. Today, I'm finally able to see you again!" Takikage was practically praising Shanks to the skies like a fan.

"Really? Am I that brave? I didn't know that. Tell me again how I defeated the Seven-Tails back then. It's been too long. I don't remember!" He usually felt quite proud of being praised by others, but now that a village Kage was praising him, it was quite enjoyable.

"Cough cough...!"

When Xiaochun turned to the next room, she saw that this bastard was acting recklessly again. She coughed to remind him that important matters were more important and that there would be other time to listen to his nonsense.

"Uh...! You can tell me about what happened back then another time... But let's get down to business first. My son-in-law said your village is due to replace the Jinchuriki again? I'm not exaggerating, sealing a Jinchuriki is a very dangerous thing. You heard about the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha back then, right? It was during the Jinchuriki replacement that the Nine-Tails accidentally broke free. You didn't see the scene! ... It was terrifying. Although I defeated the Nine-Tails by myself in the end, the village was destroyed. Do you know how much money Konoha spent rebuilding, and how much compensation we received? It'll scare you to death if I tell you, a whopping 500 billion! Our Konoha economy still hasn't recovered! So, you have to be careful when sealing the Tailed Beast. By the way, does your village have someone who can handle the Seven-Tails now?" The first secret to bargaining is to exaggerate the severity of the situation, ideally making the other party sweat. That's half the battle won.

So just exaggerate Shanks's abilities to the extreme, and make Takikage even more afraid.

"To be honest, Lord Shanks, although our village has developed somewhat over the past few decades, we are still not strong enough to deal with the Seven-Tails. That's why I've come to see you, Lord Shanks, hoping you can help me out of the long-standing friendship between our two villages." Takikage was stunned by Shanks' words. The news of the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha had spread throughout the ninja world. How could he, as the Takikage, not know about it? He just hadn't expected Konoha's reconstruction to be so extravagant—five hundred billion! That's equivalent to ten years of their income as the Takikage.

"Hey! If you had come to me two years earlier, I would have come to help you without hesitation, just because you're my fan. But I retired from the ninja world two years ago. If you ask me to come back, wouldn't the ninja world laugh at me and say that I, Shanks, am a fickle person who goes back on my word?" Shanks looked troubled.

"Well... I just heard from Lord Shanks that your village's economy is rather constrained after the reconstruction. Our Takigakure is willing to contribute... 200 billion to help your village alleviate its economic pressure. I wonder if Lord Shanks could step out of retirement and help us with this?" Takigakure hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"...Son-in-law, go release the Nine-Tails, Lord Takikage. I'll give your village 100 billion kyats, will you help us suppress the Nine-Tails once? I, Shanks, have been in the ninja world for so long, is my reputation only worth 20 billion kyats? Or do you think tailed beasts are dolls, so easy to manipulate? I'm only talking to you for so long out of consideration for our two villages, otherwise I would have kicked you out long ago." Hearing this number, even the fans didn't give him any face. Is Shanks' reputation only worth that little bit of money?

"No, no, no! Lord Shanks, I misspoke, but Takigakure is just a small village. Our economic strength can't compare to yours. 200 billion is really our limit." Takigakure started complaining about being poor again. They had the money, but it was only for sealing the Seven-Tails. Besides, hiring Shanks was just an insurance policy. What if the sealing process went smoothly and the Seven-Tails didn't go berserk? Wouldn't those billions have been wasted?

"Lord Takikage, do you know what I've been doing these past two days since I retired? I've been studying economics! You might be able to fool that uncultured Onoki with that excuse, but Takikage hasn't had any wars for years, and with Konoha protecting us, businessmen invest well over 20 billion yen there every year. Do you really think I, Shanks, am a brute? Since Lord Takikage doesn't want to, then forget it. Although Konoha's economy is tight, 20 billion yen is nothing to us. Lord Takikage, please leave." Shanks waved his hand, as if to dismiss him.

"No, Lord Shanks, why don't you name your price?" Takikage certainly wouldn't just leave like this. He was afraid of the worst-case scenario. Even with Konoha's perfect sealing techniques, the Nine-Tails had broken free. If the Seven-Tails were in their village, it would be too much for them. Their village didn't have a powerful figure like Shanks who could handle the Seven-Tails. In that case, it wouldn't just be a matter of rebuilding; it could even mean the destruction of the village. He wouldn't have the face to face the two generations of Takikage after that.

"...Seeing as you're genuinely concerned for your village, I'll give you a friendly price: 600 billion. If anything goes wrong during the sealing process, I guarantee the Seven-Tails won't cause the slightest damage to your village. Furthermore, I'll also help you train the Seven-Tails for free, so the Jinchuriki can better control its abilities. You know, sealing a Tailed Beast isn't the hardest part; controlling its abilities is. The Sand Village is plagued by sandstorms because this generation's Jinchuriki can't control the One-Tail's power. And if anything unexpected happens to your Jinchuriki in the future, I'll provide free after-sales service. How about that? Is that price fair?" Shanks raised an eyebrow.

478. The Functions of Danzo

It wasn't that he wanted to charge such a high price; he originally planned to swindle him out of two or three hundred billion. However, upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's greedy eyes, he had no choice but to become a ruthless businessman. To be honest, among all the tailed beasts, the Seven-Tails, that coward, was the easiest to deal with. As long as he went over and scared it a little, reminding it of the painful lesson it learned back then, the Seven-Tails wouldn't dare to act recklessly. As for the other tailed beasts, they were all very stubborn, and he had to scare them into submission.

"What?! Lord Shanks, isn't 6...600 billion a bit too much?!" Takikage was startled by Shanks's outrageous statement, and sweat poured down his forehead.

"How much? Believe it or not, if Rasa knew about this package, he'd come to Konoha begging me for money. I'm only giving you this price because of the friendship between our two villages and because you're my fan. Otherwise, I could sell two or three tailed beasts for more than that with just 600 billion. You're not a Jinchuriki, so you don't know how difficult it is to control a tailed beast. Go ask around, besides me, who else dares to guarantee they can train a tailed beast? I can't cheat you out of Konoha's reputation, can I? In short, 600 billion is a steal. You can do whatever you want with it. If you've decided, pay half as a deposit first, and the other half after it's done."

The three giants of Konoha were speechless, stunned by Shanks. This bastard actually dared to speak, and judging from Takikage's expression, he was genuinely tempted. Shanks' actions had shattered their worldview—600 billion! They were all tempted to send someone to kill the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. If they killed the Jinchuriki and let the Seven-Tails escape, wouldn't they be able to swindle even more...? Ultimately, their moral compass stopped them from having such evil thoughts. They were the embodiment of justice; how could they do such a thing? These kinds of things usually only happened to villains like Onoki or Danzo. However, thinking of Danzo's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi had a flash of inspiration—perhaps there was still room for maneuver... Takikage still had to stay in Konoha until the Chunin Exams were over. The Chunin Exams lasted two or three months, and it was hard to predict what might happen in those two or three months.

Since we're already in a mess, might as well go all the way. After all, these bastards dared to assassinate their first leader back then...

Upon realizing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately gave Shanks a look.

"We have something to discuss later, so let's send Takikage away first."

Shanks received a look from Hiruzen Sarutobi, and in his eyes, Shanks saw the word "conspiracy."

"Roger that!"

"Lord Takikage, why don't you go back and think it over first? Anyway, there's the Chunin Exams coming up, so I think you'll have enough time to make a decision in the next two or three months." Shanks wanted to see what kind of tricks Hiruzen Sarutobi was up to this time. After all, he was Tobirama Senju's student, so how could he not know what he was doing? He even knew all the tricks of that unfilial disciple Danzo. Hiruzen Sarutobi managed to outmaneuver Danzo for decades, so his skills were quite profound.

Minato watched as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shanks exchanged glances, then looked at the rocket launcher with a puzzled expression.

Chongtianpao sighed inwardly. Minato was a decent Hokage, though a bit naive. He knew there was more to the story when he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanging glances with his father-in-law; his father had often told him that the Third Hokage's methods were far more sophisticated than Danzo's.

"Well then, Lord Shanks, I'll head back now. I'll give you an answer once I've thought it through." Rather than agonizing over it here, it's better to go back and discuss it with his people. Although Takigakure has become quite wealthy recently, they can't just squander money like that. It's better to think things through carefully.

.......

"So, what's your plan, old man? Now that you're all on your own, what's it going to be?" Shanks asked Hiruzen Sarutobi directly after Takikage left.

"...Cough! I saw that Takikage seemed tempted just now, but whenever I think about how Takikage dared to assassinate the First Hokage back then, I feel a lump in my throat. It's really uncomfortable. I was unwilling to help them back then, but we still had to keep the promise the First Hokage made. But now it's different. The promise was fulfilled back then, and I think it's time to vent my anger."

"The Third Hokage is right, but is there any other way?" Only the simple-minded Minato believed this excuse. Seeing Minato's righteous indignation, everyone rolled their eyes. No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi liked you so much. You're the easiest to fool.

"There is a way, though it's a bit underhanded, but in order to avenge the First Hokage, I have to do it even if it's underhanded." Hiruzen Sarutobi's acting skills are truly impeccable. If you didn't know his true character, you would be influenced by him. Minato is one such person who has been deceived by Hiruzen Sarutobi's facade for over a decade.

"Just hurry up and say it, stop dawdling. We already know who you are." Shanks and Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him with disdain.

"Ahem...ahem! It's like this, everyone saw how tempted Takigakure was just now, which means that coming up with 600 billion isn't a difficult task for Takigakure. I was thinking, if they can spend 600 billion to buy an insurance policy, then what if their Seven-Tails goes berserk? How much do you think they'd be willing to spend to assess it? As long as someone releases the Seven-Tails, given the resentment of a tailed beast that's been imprisoned for decades, they probably won't be at ease until they turn Takigakure upside down." Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly.

“It’s a good idea, but who should do it? Wouldn’t it be too obvious if we sent someone to do it?” Minato said.

"Hehe, don't worry, someone will naturally go back, and we'll make sure Takikage doesn't suspect us." Hiruzen Sarutobi said confidently. Although his good friend Danzo couldn't outwit him, he still respected his ability to get things done. It was best to leave this matter to his good friend. As for the Root of Konoha, when there's trouble, of course you have to go to Danzo. His good friend is really good at these kinds of things!

"......"

Shanks truly feels sorry for his older brother Danzo. What kind of taste did he have to make a best friend like Hiruzen Sarutobi?! No wonder he's been tricked for decades...

Seeing Minato's bewildered expression, Skyrocket whispered something in his ear. After listening, Minato looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in shock. "Old foxes are indeed shrewder!" he thought. "That explains why Danzo has been causing so much trouble in Konoha all these years, yet these three giants have always protected him. I used to think it was because of camaraderie, but it turns out Danzo has this other side to him."

481. You are the legitimate successor.

After discussing it, everyone decided that Hiruzen Sarutobi would inform Danzo and have him send his suicide squad to impersonate the ANBU of another village to carry out the attack. At this point, Takigakure's only high-level combat force consisted of the Jonin. They weren't going to raid the village; they were just going to release the Tailed Beasts. Even if the Jinchuriki were being looked after, the strength of Takigakure's Jonin was still no match for Danzo's Root. After all, Root had no emotions.

Hiruzen Sarutobi went to Root to find Danzo that morning. The two discussed things for a long time in a small hut. Sinister laughter could be heard from inside the hut, making Yamanaka Higanbana, who was guarding outside, tremble with fear. These two sly guys were up to their old tricks again.

"Hiruzen, bring Tsurune here." Sure enough, after Hiruzen Sarutobi left with a smile, Danzo's reputation emanated from the house.

......

"Torone, take some men disguised as Iwa ninja and go to Takigakure to find the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki and kill him," Danzo said grimly after Torone arrived.

Initially, Danzo was unwilling. When there were benefits to be had, he wasn't considered, but now that a dirty trick was needed, he was the first person thought of. No wonder he was reluctant... However, after his best friend recounted his affair with the three old Uchiha brothers and promised that the Hokage faction would turn a blind eye, Danzo had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree. Those who haven't encountered the Mangekyou Sharingan wouldn't know its power, and Danzo, having encountered it many times, knew its potential. Therefore, compared to reputation, the Sharingan was more important, especially since he hadn't fulfilled his promise to his brother Hanzo...

"Lord Danzo, what... what is the Third Hokage up to? He just invited Takikage over, and now he's gone to kill their Seven-Tails Jinchuriki." Only Yamanaka Hio, whose tongue didn't have the curse mark, dared to ask such a question. Aburame Torune, after receiving the order, went to gather his underlings; he wouldn't dare ask such a question, because the curse mark on his tongue was still there.

"Hmph! Takigakure has indeed gotten a bit too arrogant these past few years. It's good to curb their arrogance," Danzo said grimly to his underlings.

Ultimately, it all boils down to his best friend Hiruzen Sarutobi being jealous of Takigakure. Konoha's resources have been almost completely depleted after several one-against-many attacks. In addition, the Nine-Tails' attack on the village forced reconstruction, wiping out Konoha's wealth accumulated over the years. Meanwhile, Takigakure, Konoha's number one ally, has been developing rapidly over the years and is now showing off its wealth in front of its leader. How could his best friend not be envious?

.......

Meanwhile, as Danzo's right-hand man, Toriyama, led the Root organization to Takigakure, the Joint Chunin Exams officially began. Although he had promised his son-in-law that he would be the chief examiner, he was only a figurehead. At most, he would show his face in front of audiences from various countries during the final round of the exam and speak on behalf of the Hokage. The task of proctoring the exams was not his responsibility.

"Garp, calm down. It's just a written exam. Your great-uncle is the examiner, what are you afraid of? Do you think he'd dare not let you pass? Just show me the power of the Senju clan in the second round." Outside the exam hall, Tsunade patted Garp's shoulder with an air of authority. This joint Chunin Exam was a major event for the village. Many parents and teachers from Konoha came to see the candidates off. Garp was dragged along by Minato to be a candidate, and as his parents, they were no exception. Not only did Haruko and her parents come, but even Tsunade made a rare appearance today.

The Chunin Exams in Konoha always start with a written test, a tradition established since Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage. This test assesses both a ninja's mental fortitude and their intelligence-gathering abilities. However, none of this really applies to Garp. His Special Jonin status was earned through combat; his education level... is practically zero. Someone who skips school all the time to go to the casino with Tsunade—what kind of education could he possibly have? He only learned to read under Shanks's pressure.

To paraphrase Shanks, if he becomes illiterate and can't understand IOUs, what if he gets ripped off? He'll just lose face.

"...Wouldn't it have been better to let Itachi take this kind of exam?" Garp was on the verge of tears. He already knew that having a special Jonin take the Chunin Exams was like a pro playing against a novice, and the first exam was the written exam, which was his weakest subject. If he failed in the first round, it would be incredibly embarrassing.

He had been staying home for the past few days, staying up all night to cram. He had really embarrassed himself in the ninja world, so he had no choice but to cram. But after all those nights, it was all for nothing. He recognized every single word in the book, but he couldn't understand what they meant when put together. So, basically, all those nights were a waste of time.