Mrs. Yukinoshita ate her fill.
Haruno did the same.
It had been a long time since either of them had tasted a proper meal. In the entrance house, a few mouthfuls of coarse grain were all they were given to stave off death.
There had been no recourse. To the female ninja running that place, they were simply unsold inventory—money-losing goods that deserved no kindness.
After eating and drinking her fill, Haruno wiped her mouth.
She looked over at Shimizu Kantsuki, who was watching them with interest, and offered a bright, calculating smile.
He was easy on the eyes. Young. Handsome. Powerful.
Haruno decided she had made a massive profit on this exchange.
"Master, my name is Yukinoshita Haruno, and this is my mother, Yukinoshita Yukino. I know our unworthy selves have caused you expense, but please rest assured. We will generate enough profit to repay you."
At least enough to cover the cost of feeding us, she thought.
Kantsuki merely smiled at Haruno's pitch, saying nothing.
He knew their capabilities well. Especially when it came to business management.
Unfortunately, he couldn't give them a platform yet.
In Konoha, doing business required backing. Without a clan or a powerful patron, a civilian business was just a fat sheep waiting to be sheared.
Unless, of course, you created an entirely new market track.
Did Kantsuki have ideas for a new market? Yes.
But he wasn't ready to reveal them.
Mrs. Yukinoshita carefully observed her new master's expression.
I see, she realized. This man has ambition.
But the time isn't right.
Understanding her role, she smiled gently, summoning the refined etiquette engraved in her bones.
Her tight kimono wrapped perfectly around a figure that was mature and full in all the right places. She knelt on the tatami mats, prostrating herself in a bow that emphasized the alluring curve of her hips.
"Master, please… have pity on us."
Mrs. Yukinoshita was preparing to set an example for her daughter.
It was Haruno's first time, and the mother feared her daughter wouldn't understand the nuance of serving a man.
Which was a joke.
Haruno understood perfectly well.
She sat to the side, watching with wide eyes, an expression of unconvinced defiance on her face as her mother was taken.
Then, her eyes went clear.
That big… she's going to die, isn't she?
Hokage Tower, The Office.
The Third Hokage—the old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen—was reviewing files.
A ninja entered to report a new mission requiring manpower.
Hiruzen rubbed the bridge of his nose, a headache blooming instantly.
We are short on people.
Specifically, excellent talent.
While Konoha had plenty of Genin, the numbers dropped exponentially at the Chūnin level, and even more drastically for Jonin. If not for this shortage, he wouldn't have given a no-name like Shimizu Kantsuki a chance in the ANBU.
The Black Ops wasn't a place just anyone could enter.
"Isn't Kantsuki currently idle at home? Send him to—"
"This…"
The reporting ninja hesitated. He was also ANBU, a colleague of Kantsuki.
"What is it? Kantsuki is a good lad. He's a Chūnin now."
"No, Lord Hokage, you misunderstand. That kid just bought two women. Right now, he should be…"
Oh?
The Third Hokage paused, then burst into hearty laughter.
He had worried that the boy would never settle down.
For the past six months, Kantsuki's mission frequency had been terrifying. Hiruzen had honestly feared this useful workhorse would drop dead from exhaustion or die on a high-difficulty mission before leaving any roots.
In fact, assigning Kantsuki the "money-losing" mission of managing the Outsider Intake had been a calculated move. Hiruzen had hoped the boy would find a partner among the women and build a family.
Of course, the fact that no one else wanted to touch that financial black hole of a mission was also a factor.
Now, the old man felt a wave of relief.
The boy kept women. That meant he had the desire to build a home.
Having a home meant he had taken root in Konoha.
"Send someone else then. Let's see… have Kakashi handle it. It'll be hard on him, but it can't be helped."
The Third Hokage reassigned the task effortlessly.
He was good to his own people, provided their identities weren't too sensitive. Since Shimizu Kantsuki was now firmly in his pocket, there was room for negotiation and leniency.
The boy was essentially a newlywed. He deserved some time for warmth and intimacy.
When it came to buying hearts, the Third Hokage was a master.
Perhaps the old man had flaws that made him questionable as a ruler in some eyes. But his political maneuvering was undeniable.
"Yes, sir."
The ninja bowed and retreated.
Hiruzen chuckled and pulled out Shimizu Kantsuki's file again.
Shimizu Kantsuki. Orphan. Konoha native.
Parents sacrificed in the war. Educated in the Academy since childhood.
Clean background. Straight roots. A good piece of material.
Of course, Hiruzen's desk drawer was full of "good material" like this.
The problem was that there were almost no pillars capable of holding up the sky.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen sighed.
The Third Great Ninja War had nearly broken Konoha's spine. The withering of talent was just one of the symptoms.
The great Hidden Leaf Village had fallen so low that it required old relics like him to step out and carry the banner again.
However…
Hiruzen sneered coldly.
The other villages aren't doing any better.
And their foundations weren't as thick as Konoha's.
Konoha could tighten its belt and survive. The other villages were starving to death.
That was why Hiruzen was obsessed with retaining talent.
Time waited for no one. The war had just ended, but who knew when the next one would start?
Shimizu Kantsuki was just one of the seeds he had scattered.
A sturdy lad willing to risk his life? The old man was happy to give him a chance.
Even if his strength and talent were a bit lacking.
Hiruzen shook his head and sealed the file.
At the same time.
In a Root base deep underground, Shimura Danzo listened to a subordinate's report with a baffled expression.
What?
Shimizu Kantsuki bought women and started a family?
The corner of his mouth twitched. He looked at the kneeling agent.
"Is Root so idle now? If you have time to gossip, go do a mission! You report this trifle to me?"
Besides, Shimizu Kantsuki was part of Hiruzen's direct ANBU line. Was Danzo crazy enough to reach into Hiruzen's pocket?
Root was short on people, true. But he couldn't snatch meat from the Third's mouth.
At most, he could only feel a pang of regret that another useful workhorse had joined Hiruzen's stable.
"Pay less attention to Shimizu Kantsuki in the future. He is a member of the Hokage's direct unit. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Danzo had seen the kid's file.
Clean background. Straight roots.
It was perfectly logical for Hiruzen to take him in.
"By the way. You. Yes, you."
Danzo pointed a crutch at the agent.
"Go to the Hokage's office and grab a few packs of tea."
Danzo missed the tea from the Hokage Tower.
He was poor.
He couldn't bear to buy it himself.
Most of his funding was poured directly into Root operations. The massive daily consumption of the organization was borne almost entirely by the Shimura clan.
It had reached the point where he, a dignified Hokage Advisor, couldn't even drink decent tea.
Suffocating!
Besides, he still harbored the ambition to become Hokage.
He might not be the Hokage now, but surely there was no issue with enjoying the Hokage's perks, right?