Konoha Drunkard

"Minato, are you sure your uncle doesn't have a picture of you? If he does, I'll go get it for you!"

The exorbitant photo incident has caused widespread panic, with people in Konoha reminiscing about whether Shanks ever took their photos when they were children.

At Minato's house, someone nervously watched Minato. The high-priced photo incident was escalating and showed no signs of stopping. Moreover, the matter had developed from initially offering a reward for Itachi's photo to now offering rewards for photos of various celebrities.

Every era has its superstars. Just like how girls these days adore Itachi, older women also had their teenage years. Their era's superstars were different people. Besides, everyone has their own tastes, so now all sorts of bounty photos have appeared, such as Kakashi's, Sasori's, Uchiha Kagami's, and even Danzo's. However, those who want to buy Uchiha Kagami's or Danzo's photos are all grandmothers now, and they're probably going to be disappointed, since cameras didn't exist back then.

As a heartthrob, Minato naturally couldn't escape a bounty. At his age, Minato is popular with all ages, and he has already risen to third place on the ninja world's bounty list, showing a strong trend of surpassing the second-ranked Hatake Sakumo.

That's right! The second most wanted person on the bounty list is Shanks' good buddy, Kakashi's father, Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. He entered the list with a bounty of 9.9 billion, only 600 million less than Itachi, who was in first place.

When Shanks heard that someone had offered a 9.9 billion bounty for a portrait of his best friend, the image of Chiyo immediately popped into his mind. Besides Chiyo, who else in this world would pay such close attention to their best friend...?

Shanks was so regretful he slapped his thigh. If only he'd drawn something back then instead of using a camera, at least he could have made money off Chiyo.

The bounty for Minato's artistic photos continued to rise. Kushina was extremely nervous, fearing that her unscrupulous uncle might also have Minato's artistic photos. As soon as Minato returned from get off work, she cornered him.

Although it's a childhood portrait, this is her man, and no one else is allowed to see it except her! Anyone who does will be beaten!

"Don't worry, there definitely aren't any. I was already over five years old and starting school when I met my teacher. How could she possibly have those photos of me..."

Minato, sweating profusely, explained that to be honest, he didn't remember whether the teacher had ever patted him on the shoulder. In his memory, he only saw the teacher when he was five years old and starting school, so logically, he shouldn't have...

Minato was right. Shanks didn't have any childhood photos of Minato. Right now, Shanks is at home regretting it terribly. He missed out on Chiyo's opportunity, and since cameras didn't exist back then, there was no way to earn money that way. But for Minato, cameras already existed, yet he just hadn't thought of that and missed out...

"Captain, don't you really have any of my professional photos? If you do, please show them to us."

Jiraiya got cocky because he also had a bounty on his head. When he found out that he also had a bounty on his head, Jiraiya was so excited that he couldn't sleep. Heaven was still fair, and there were still people who appreciated him.

The very next day, he immediately ran over to Shanks to show off.

"What are you so smug about? Orochimaru's bounty is more than ten times yours. Back then, there were no cameras. If there had been, Sakumo's 9.9 billion would be in my hands."

Shanks was still regretting not taking artistic photos of Minato back then when this bastard came up to him and showed off, so he gave him a disdainful look.

He really couldn't understand how blind that old woman who put a bounty on Jiraiya must be. Everyone on the current list is a famously handsome man, even Danzo was a decent-looking guy back then.

Even Shanks can't make this list, yet someone has put a bounty on Jiraiya, that ugly bastard. God's aesthetic sense must be questionable.

"Sigh! I wonder who admires me so much. I wish I could meet her sometime."

Jiraiya didn't care about Shanks' words. Anyway, he was on the list while Shanks wasn't, which proved that he was still stronger than him in one aspect.

"........."

Shanks rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother with this smug bastard, and was thinking about how to make money off his best friend's 9.9 billion. Aunt Chiyo was a big tycoon, and he would be unwilling to miss out on making some money off her.

As for Minato, forget about it. Even if he had one, he wouldn't dare to take it out, otherwise Kushina would definitely block his door with a kitchen knife.

It's different with my best friend. Back then, there were no cameras, so you could just draw a picture. But what did my best friend look like when he was a child...? It's been decades, how could he remember? Besides, Uncle Ito was even more rigid than my best friend back then. My best friend was trained by him at home until he was five years old. They met only a handful of times, so he had no impression of him at all.

"...By the way, Haruko-sama, do you remember what Sakumo looked like when he was little? Did Kakashi look like him when he was a child...?"

Shanks turned to Haruko and asked, "I have plenty of photos of Kakashi when he was a child. If Kakashi really looks like my best friend... then we can do something about it."

"...A little, I guess. But so many years have passed, how could I remember so much? Why are you asking this?"

As soon as Haruko finished speaking, she saw Shanks' eyes darting around, and she knew that this guy was up to something again.

"Hey! It's all for Aunt Chiyo. We've been friends for decades. Aunt Chiyo is getting old, and who knows how much longer she'll live. Think about it, Aunt Chiyo has had a really tough life. Her son and daughter-in-law were killed by Sakumo, and her precious grandson has gone off somewhere. She's all alone, so lonely. Since she's offering such a high price for Sakumo's portrait, I might as well grant her last wish and paint one for her based on Kakashi's picture."

Shanks' somewhat melancholic tone brought tears to Haruko's eyes.

"Captain, aren't you afraid that Sakumo will block your door?"

Jiraiya said speechlessly, "What do you mean by best buddies forever? This is probably made of plastic."

"Didn't I say that I drew it based on Kakashi's photo? That means it's not Sakumo. The head is based on Kakashi with slight modifications, and the body is something I imagined. So it's neither Kakashi nor Sakumo, so it doesn't infringe on their portrait rights, and it can also help Aunt Chiyo. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Shanks said righteously.

"........."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Isn't it all for that 9.9 billion? Yeah! How come I didn't think of that?!"

730. He would admit to being burned to ashes.

Shanks' actions gave Jiraiya a glimmer of inspiration. He could use this tactic to extract Orochimaru's artwork. Orochimaru's bounty was so high; how could he not take advantage of it?

This is much easier to earn than writing novels. He's not like Shanks, who's heartless and forgets what his best friend looked like when he was a child. He'd recognize Orochimaru even if he were burned to ashes.

"boom!"

Just as Shanks and Jiraiya were each lost in their own thoughts, Kakashi burst through the door carrying a large package and slammed it down in the middle of the hall.

"These are all the valuable things in my house. You can take them all, but you have to give me all my photos."

"What? Take all your things away? I'm your godfather, what do you take me for?"

Shanks said as he rummaged through the package to see what was inside.

"Then give me back my photo."

Kadian rolled his eyes like a dead fish. "You're not that kind of person. What are you doing?"

"The photos are all with Haruko-sama, I don't have them here. You can ask her if you don't believe me."

Shanks winked at Haruko-sama.

"........"

Haruko-sama used her Reincarnation Eye to turn around and go upstairs to get the photos.

Shanks had anticipated that someone would ask him for the photos, so he gave all the artistic photos to Haruko-sama. However, he didn't expect that the first person to come would be Kakashi, whom he thought wouldn't come. He's finally grown up and knows how to maintain his image.

But none of that matters. The photos are back, that's all. As long as the negatives are still there, he can have as many as he wants.

"And take out Shi Shui's photos too."

Just as Haruko-sama got up, Koharu Utatane entered the room. Judging from her travel-worn appearance and the sweat on her brow, it was clear she had rushed over.

"Hey, hey, hey! Sister Xiaochun, I don't have any artistic photos of Zhishui, don't accuse me wrongly. But I do have Brother Jing's paintings, how about... I give them to you?"

Shanks explained that he didn't actually have any artistic photos of Shisui. When Shisui was little, Koharu Utatane doted on him, and Shisui never left Koharu's sight until he was five years old, so why would he take any photos of him?

“But Shisui said you took his picture.”

Koharu Utatane didn't believe him at all, and instead looked at her disciple, Haruko-sama.

"Teacher, there aren't any photos of Zhishui; they're all just snapshots of Zhishui's daily life..."

Haruko-sama also helped explain....

"...You're so boring, why did you have to take these photos for no reason..."

After hearing her disciple's explanation, Koharu Utatane rolled her eyes at Shanks.

"Consider it a souvenir. The camera is one of the greatest inventions in human history. By the way, I have a few of Brother Jing's paintings here. Would you like me to give you a couple? They're worth a lot now, over a hundred million. By the way, you didn't set this price, did you, Sister Xiaochun?"

Shanks looked at Koharu Uchiha with suspicion. Kagami Uchiha was very popular back then, comparable to Itachi in the present. However, people in that era were conservative in their thinking, and Kagami Uchiha had been dead for decades. Apart from Koharu Uchiha, who had no connection with him, Shanks really couldn't think of anyone else who would remember Kagami Uchiha.

"I don't know which slut came up with this, I'm not that bored."

The mere mention of the bounty being placed on her ex-lover's artistic photos made Koharu grit her teeth in fury. If she knew anyone else so shameless as to covet a dead person, she'd skin them alive...

Jiraiya was terrified by Koharu's gritted teeth; the old woman was terrifying when she got jealous.

"Soga! I never thought there would still be people who yearn for Danzo! Haha!"

Shanks laughed out loud when he thought that Danzo's artistic photos were on the list just like Uchiha Kagami's. Although Danzo was decent-looking when he was young, it's true that old ladies have girlish dreams, but now that he looks like a ghost, there are still people who are obsessed with him. Which old lady is blinder than the one who put a bounty on Jiraiya?

"...By the way, it seems like nobody wants to buy your professional photos, right?"

Koharu, looking at Shanks who was laughing like a dog, said something lightly and then turned and left.

.........

"Lady Haruko, why do you think that is?"

Heartbreak!

Koharu's words struck Shanks deeply.

While Shanks may not be as handsome as his best friend, he believes he's much better looking than Jiraiya and Danzo. So why is he always excluded from these kinds of lists...?

"...How about...I offer you a high price to get you on the list?"

Haruko-sama couldn't stand his aggrieved look. How could Haruko-sama know why he wasn't on the list? If we're talking about how ugly he was, the scar on his left eye did affect his appearance a bit, but after looking at it a few times, she didn't think much of it. Even Danzo, the advisor who looked like he was disabled, was on the list, but her man didn't even get a nomination, which really puzzled her.

"I don't want this kind of empty fame. Forget it, I'm not the kind of person who makes a living based on looks."

Shanks pursed his lips. What's the difference between this and throwing a match? He wouldn't feel good even if he won. He still has over 20 billion in his pocket. If he really wanted to throw a match, he could easily make it into the top ten. He, Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, relies on his talent!

...........

"Sister, did you really come up with White Fang's 9.9 billion?"

In Sunagakure, Uncle Kaizo sat next to Aunt Chiyo and asked, "Now the whole ninja world is talking about how Aunt Chiyo probably helped Konoha's White Fang get second place. After all, Konoha's White Fang's ranking came about so strangely. He appeared with a score of 9.9 billion and jumped straight to second place. This reminded some of the old ninjas of the old rumors between Konoha's White Fang and Sunagakure's Chiyo. Suddenly, the old story of Aunt Chiyo and Konoha's White Fang was all over the ninja world again, and even Aunt Chiyo's brother, Uncle Kaizo, became curious." In his opinion, Konoha's White Fang was indeed very handsome and powerful when he was young, but now that so many years have passed, how could he still have such popularity? Look at the top ten on the list now, apart from White Fang, they are all young people. The oldest is the Fourth Hokage, but White Fang is almost twenty years older than the Fourth Hokage. If he didn't have someone protecting him, how could an old guy reach second place? And there aren't many women in the ninja world with the financial means to protect White Fang, and his sister happens to be one of them. After analyzing it this way, even Uncle Kaizo felt it was very inappropriate. Although he shouldn't interfere in his sister's love life, at this age, it wouldn't be fun if some scandals broke out.

731. So exquisite!

"Hehe, I'm already this old, how could I do such a thing? Besides, the rumors about me and White Fang were spread by Shanks, that big mouth. Just take it as a joke."

While tending to the flowers and plants, Aunt Chiyo said that ever since someone made this list and she saw White Fang in second place, she had expected this to happen. After all, Shanks had spread the rumors back then in great detail, and if she hadn't been involved, she would have almost believed them herself.

However, this time someone actually offered to take a professional photo of her white teeth. Although it was ridiculous, Aunt Chiyo was also very curious about who this person was.

.........

The fact that Sakumo Hatake ranked second on the list caused quite a stir in the Anbu. Their leader had been out of the spotlight for so many years, but his popularity was still undiminished.

Even Kadian was surprised that his father was so popular, even ranking above his teacher. Moreover, his father's supporters seemed to be determined to keep him in second place. Every time his teacher surpassed him, his father's bounty would immediately be updated the next day and he would be back in second place. This situation had been going on for more than a month.

The entire ninja world is talking about this list right now, especially since the competition for the top three is fierce. Even casual conversations among ninjas aren't about ninjutsu or missions anymore; it's all about this list.

Shanks never imagined that his initial intention to tease Onoki's granddaughter would lead to such a massive ranking event, which had now become a battleground for girls to compete and show off their wealth. What surprised him even more was that the person bidding for his best friend's artistic photos wasn't Aunt Chiyo, but someone else entirely. Initially, he was certain it was Aunt Chiyo, but when the top three became contested and the person kept raising their bid, he realized it wasn't her. Aunt Chiyo, with her personality, would never participate in such pointless activities. If she truly wanted to protect Sakumo, given her domineering nature and financial strength, she wouldn't bother with any of that banter and would simply cap the price. How could she possibly negotiate with these young girls?

Most importantly, Shanks couldn't guess who this person was either. Kakuzu's former employer still had an excellent reputation. Even if Shanks asked Kakuzu to help inquire, the other party would refuse to speak. This ruined Shanks' plan to directly contact the seller and privately trade his best friend's artwork.

As for the artwork that used Kakashi as a reference, Shanks felt it wasn't the right time to make a move. Based on his years of experience and the fiery temper of the ninja girl, he believed the price would continue to rise, though he really didn't know how high it could go.

While Shanks was fretting about when to sell his best friend's artwork, Jiraiya didn't have the same problem. As someone who had studied human anatomy for many years, Jiraiya was also a skilled artist. In addition, Orochimaru's memory was so deep in his mind that he didn't need any references at all. He could just pick up a pen and draw, and then sell his work.

Although they weren't photographs, since cameras didn't exist back then, Jiraiya's artistic portraits of Orochimaru were still quite popular, to this day.