The matter was concluded, and Rinto and the others left the teacher's office.
In the school corridor, Rinto and Jiraiya stopped Sarutobi Hiruzen and the little girl Tsunade, who were about to leave.
"Lord Sarutobi, thanks to you, I was able to prove my innocence this time!" Rinto said with a smile.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled bitterly and shook his head, sighing. "I didn't even say a word. My presence hardly mattered."
"That's not true."
"If you hadn't come, I would never have been able to earn so much." Rinto stepped closer to Sarutobi and lowered his voice.
"Just standing there in the office without saying anything was enough to ensure justice was served."
With that, Rinto pulled out a thick stack of banknotes—the partial compensation paid by Uchiha Kagami—a full 200,000 ryo.
He took half of it and tried to stuff it into Sarutobi's hands.
"This is your hard work fee. Thank you for taking the trouble to make this trip."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. This guy! Is he really bribing Uncle Hiruzen so openly?!
Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately pushed Rinto's hand away.
"This is my duty. I can't accept money for it."
Rinto's face suddenly turned serious as he pushed the money back toward Sarutobi.
"I know you're just doing your job, but if good people aren't rewarded, who will uphold justice in the future?
"That's why you have to accept it!"
Hearing this, Sarutobi was momentarily stunned.
Good people should be rewarded so that justice is upheld?
Oh my god, this twisted logic actually sounds about 70% reasonable.
While Sarutobi was still processing this, Rinto quickly stuffed the 100,000 ryo into his arms.
After that, Rinto turned to Tsunade, who had an unreadable expression on her face.
"Tsunade-san, please accept this 100,000 ryo."
With Tsunade, he didn't dare to shove the money into her arms directly—she was the princess of Konoha, after all. Messing with the princess could be exciting, but at her age, there wasn't much "tofu" to mess with yet!
Tsunade was stunned for a moment. Then, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she reached out to accept the money without hesitation.
One hundred thousand ryo wasn't a huge amount for her, but it was the first money she had ever earned independently.
Upholding justice should be rewarded so that more people are encouraged to do the same. And as more people uphold justice, society improves.
This was a simple truth.
Rinto liked Konoha and was willing to contribute to its culture—even if the money wasn't his, so he didn't feel bad about it.
Seeing them accept it, Rinto sighed in relief and laughed while slinging an arm around Jiraiya's shoulder.
"Jiraiya, there's still 800,000 ryo left. Let's split it."
Jiraiya immediately shook his head and waved his hands. "No, no, no! I can't take it. You fought for it yourself. How can I accept it?!"
Rinto's expression turned stern.
"What do you mean you can't take it? Did you get beaten up for nothing, idiot?!"
He then leaned close to Jiraiya's ear and whispered.
"Besides, I've always been annoyed with that guy, so I took the opportunity to extort him. And by the way, Jiraiya, you're also my accomplice!"
"Huh? Wha…what?!"
Jiraiya was shocked and then, as if realizing something, shook his head violently.
"Rinto, I know you want me to take it, but I still can't."
Seeing Jiraiya hesitate, Rinto's forehead veins bulged as he grabbed Jiraiya by the collar.
"You idiot, Jiraiya! You're whining like a girl. You might as well wear a dress to class!
"Tsunade-san, lend a skirt to little sister Jiraiya!"
"Hah?"
Jiraiya fumed, his nostrils flaring as he grabbed Rinto's collar in return.
"You bastard! I got beaten up by seven people last night and didn't complain once. How dare you look down on me?!"
Before he could finish, Rinto punched his other eye—the one that wasn't already swollen.
"Look at you! Getting beaten up by seven people and bragging about it? If it were me, I'd at least take one of them down with me!"
"Bastard Rinto! That's exactly what I did—ow! You sneak-attacked me! Damn it! I'll fight you!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the two boys rolling on the ground, pinching each other's necks and gritting their teeth. He felt both amused and touched.
Setting aside this ridiculous scene, Rinto had finally established a new bond in Konoha.
Meanwhile, Tsunade's happy expression darkened after receiving the money.
You bastard, Rinto. You're mocking me again. Just wait. One day, I'll make you parade through the streets of Konoha in a skirt!
The scuffle between Rinto and Jiraiya continued.
By the time they had practically scrubbed the floor with their bodies, the fight finally ended, with Rinto having the upper hand.
Jiraiya, humiliated, could only accept his fate and split the remaining 800,000 ryo with Rinto.
The two, now looking like a pair of mud-covered idiots, helped each other up and left the corridor, ignoring the dumbfounded Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade.
Watching the two bruised boys walk away, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Do they… always resolve their arguments like this?"
Tsunade, face dark, nodded silently. "Always, but not as embarrassing as today."
...
At the corner of the corridor, Uchiha Kagami had seen everything.
Rinto Sakuta—this guy is simply a monster.
He was good at dealing with people, had a keen insight into their hearts, and could handle every little situation flawlessly.
When Kagami thought back to when he was seven or eight, he had taken his family's support for granted and never thought about reciprocating.
But Rinto? He found ways to reward those who helped him. Over time, people would compete to help him.
At the same time, Kagami envied the friendship between Rinto and Jiraiya.
Yet, surprisingly, he felt no hatred.
As a direct disciple of Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Kagami understood the Will of Fire deeply.
But that understanding also brought him pain.
If anyone wanted the Uchiha clan to fully integrate into the village, it was him.
And at his most conflicted moment, Rinto Sakuta appeared.
Perhaps, if Rinto, who excelled in understanding people, knew about Uchiha's struggles, he might offer good advice.
With that thought, Uchiha Kagami made up his mind.
He would take the first step in changing the relationship between Rinto and the Uchiha clan.
...------------------
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