After sending Ayumi off to handle my errands, I stayed in my office to brainstorm the best way to organize this charity drive.
Hmm, come to think of it, it's not just Oku village - a lot of people run into money problems from time to time. Fires, for example, or those cases when, because of shinobi conflicts in Konoha, people lose their homes. You don't have to look far - just remember the Sand invasion led by Orochimaru.
The anime never showed it, but when giant snakes are slithering through residential districts, it'd take a miracle for no houses to get wrecked. And that's not even counting possible sabotage and explosions. But okay, losing your home is one thing - if you can move in with friends or relatives for a while, you can rebuild in a year or two. But what about the people who get hurt?
Or those who end up disabled for one reason or another? Maybe I should set up a proper charity foundation, not just a one-off fundraiser. Ugh… This feels like something the government should take care of, not just some random person… But then again, what government? We're living under feudalism - nobody's going to take care of this stuff.
Should I really be stressing about this? No one here's even heard of charity, and they'll probably accuse me of trying to scam everyone. But on the other hand… What did Uncle Ben say again?
With great power comes great responsibility, right? And knowledge is a kind of power, too. If I use what I remember from the 21st century wisely, maybe I can make life a little easier for some people. The main thing is to do it quietly and not draw too much attention - stick your neck out too far around here, and you might just lose your head.
"All right, why not?" I pulled out a sheet of paper and started jotting down the main points for the foundation I wanted to set up, and what I'd need from the higher-ups.
After tossing a dozen crumpled drafts in the trash, I grabbed my folder of documents and unhooked Aika from the stool she'd been wrestling with for the past few minutes.
I didn't want to drag her everywhere with me for obvious reasons, but leaving her home alone wasn't a great idea yet - she still hadn't adjusted to being a house pet. Hopefully, Kushina's home.
****
"Homuri-san, you just got back and you're already hard at work?" I asked, taking a seat at his desk.
"Yeah, I thought I'd get a little rest in Keishi, but not only did I not get any, I came back to a mountain of paperwork that piled up while I was gone." He sighed, stamped a document, and slid it onto a huge stack.
"Yeah, I guess my timing could've been better." I shook the folder in my hand.
Homuri looked at me with interest, then stood up and stretched.
"Well, I think I can take a little break. Tea, Akira-san?"
I agreed, and fifteen minutes later, we were sitting in a small café near the administration building, sipping tea.
"Oh, and the maids there - I swear, the Daimyo picks the prettiest girls from all over the Land of Fire for his palace."
As we relaxed, Homuri shared his impressions of his trip to Keishi. According to him, if you've never been to Keishi, you're missing out on life. His stories only made me more curious about the capital, but as I suspected, getting in is pretty tough. For an ordinary person, unless it's for a festival or something, it's basically impossible. With my current status, I'd either have to befriend one of Keishi's nobles or work with a big trading conglomerate to get in.
"So, what's your proposal this time?" he asked, eyeing the folder I slid over to him.
I started from the beginning - how I'd learned about old man Haruto's problem, what I'd come up with to help him, and how that led me to the idea of creating a fund to help those in need.
"I see. But what if someone doesn't actually need help? Take that village you mentioned - I'm not saying this is the case, but what if they're hiding their grain in cellars and just pretending to be in trouble…"
"I get what you're saying. But you don't have to worry about that - the fund won't just hand out resources to anyone who shows up. First, we'll always check the facts. For example, with Oku village, I'm planning to send a small team to discreetly verify the story, and based on what they find, we'll provide the minimum necessary support."
"With all due respect, Akira-san, I don't think one person can run a fund like this. Sure, if it's just one village, you could probably gather and analyze all the info yourself - I don't doubt your abilities. But as you wrote in this document, 'in case of emergencies, help will also be provided' - I think you'll get more than just a handful of requests, maybe even dozens. There's no way you could handle that workload alone." He took a sip of tea.
"Of course, I've thought about that. I don't plan to run everything myself - I've got enough on my plate as it is. That's why I think it makes sense to hire a few people to keep the foundation running. Naturally, they'll get paid - a small percentage of the fund will go to their salaries."
"Oh, I see. If you don't mind me asking, what salary will you set for yourself?" Homuri grinned.
"Hmmm, good question. Any work deserves compensation, and running a foundation isn't exactly easy… Well, the most expensive ramen at Ichiraku is 350 ryo, so I'll set my own salary at 350 ryo."
Homuri blinked a couple of times, then burst out laughing.
"Akira-san, I never doubted you. Sorry for the awkward question. You're right, it's better to officially register this so-called foundation - otherwise, people won't trust it. I'd even suggest bringing it up at the clan council. I'm sure some clans will want to help out."
It's true - back in my world, anyone who messed up or wanted to boost their reputation always took part in charity events. Just think of all those celebrities who'd show up in Africa or some other backwater with gifts of food or toys. People would talk about the star for days, but the poor folks they helped were forgotten as soon as the article ended.
Yeah, giving people fish is pointless - they'll eat it and that's it. I'll have to think more carefully about how to help those in need. You know, teach a man to fish, not just hand him one.
"Yeah, it's a good idea. We just need to come up with a name for the foundation, but I'm drawing a blank."
"Maybe… I don't know, the Akira Relief Fund?"
"I don't need that kind of fame." I shook my head. Fame does more harm than good, especially in this world.
After tossing around a few ideas, we settled on something simple but respectable: the Mercy Fund.
****
[ Third POV ]
"Naruko, you look like you just lost a ramen coupon. Something happen?" Ino asked, sliding into the seat next to her.
"Ino, do you always have to stick your nose in other people's business? Run out of gossip topics?" Naruko grumbled, lifting her head.
"Well, you look worse than usual, so I got curious. Spill it - maybe I can help." She put a hand on Naruko's shoulder. Ino had studied a bit of psychology, so it was easy for her to say the right things and get anyone in class to open up.
"Fine, I'll tell you, just leave me alone… Akira's got a girlfriend." As soon as Naruko said it, a few heads in the classroom turned her way for a second.
"Hmph, not surprising. Sooner or later, he was bound to. But why do you care?" Ino asked with a smile, not showing any emotion herself.
Who is this bitch? flashed through her mind.
"Well… it's just not fair. I've known him for ages, and he meets this Aika in Tanzaku, and a few days later, she's living at his place."
"What?" Ino's mask slipped.
How? How did she win him over in just a few days? Enough for him to invite her to live with him? Who is this Aika? What's her secret? I have to find out!
"Yeah, you should've seen my face." Naruko sighed, wiping her eyes.
"So what does she look like? Is she prettier than me? Wait, no, that's impossible." Ino started thinking hard, trying to picture the girl who'd managed to seduce Akira.
Pff, came a snort from the back of the class.
Someone's feeling pretty full of herself today. another voice chimed in.
"Hinata, why are you eavesdropping?" Ino grumbled, pouting.
"It's not my fault you're so loud about your love life," Hinata sneered.
"Uh, no, you've got it all wrong." Naruko blushed a little.
"Oh, sorry, your highness, princess of the Hyuga clan. I forgot that unlike you, the rest of us get to pick our own husbands. Don't be jealous - maybe your future husband, whether he's your cousin or your second cousin, will be at least ten percent as handsome as our so-called love interest."
"Hehe, right… wait, what do you mean 'our love interest'? Ino, are you serious?"
"If I wanted, he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off me." Hinata's face showed she was getting annoyed.
"Oh, Hinata, don't confuse your fairy tales with reality. He wouldn't even give you a second glance - well, maybe just to double-check if your eyes are really that creepy." Ino might not have been the best at hand-to-hand, but when it came to sharp tongues, no one in class could touch her.
Maybe we should calm them down before there's a fight, Chouji tried to signal to Shikamaru, nudging his shoulder.
Shikamaru lifted his head from the desk, caught Chouji's look, and widened his eyes as much as possible, silently answering:
Don't you dare! We'll get caught in the crossfire!
All the other guys in class were awkwardly glancing at each other, trying to keep as quiet and invisible as possible. Everyone knew how hard Hinata could hit, and even Kiba was pretending to be deeply interested in the scroll on his desk.
"That's nonsense. I've run into him a few times - we even walked in the park eating chocolate cupcakes, and you know what? He likes my eyes!"
"You're delusional! You must've hit your head during training and started hallucinating." Ino said, annoyed.
"You ate chocolate cupcakes in the park? All I ever did was go to Ichiraku with him…" Naruko immediately believed her. "Hehe, but I've been to his house loads of times."
Pff, he helped me with training, fed me, and gave me a kitten, Sasuke was about to say, but stopped herself, blushing and looking down.
"Okay, but you all just said he's got a girlfriend, so what's the point of arguing?" Sakura finally decided to step in, drawing a few annoyed looks her way.
"All right, time for the next lesson, hmm? Everyone, please take your seats," Iruka said as he walked in, defusing the tension a bit.
"I'm not done with you yet," Hinata said, turning and heading to her seat.
Oops, maybe I went a little too far this time. Better make myself scarce, Ino thought, getting up from Naruko's desk with a fake sigh.
***
"Ino, where are you rushing off to?" The blonde had barely made it out of the academy when she stopped, cursing under her breath.
Hinata, grinning in anticipation, slipped out of the classroom and jumped easily out the window. Nothing unusual, except her Byakugan was already active - never a good sign.
"Can't argue with me, so you want to settle this with fists? Real smart, Hinata, I'm impressed. If someone tells you the sky is blue and you decide it's green, will you try to beat them into agreeing with you?" Attack is the best defense, Ino thought to herself.
"Only if they're trying to insult me." Hinata smiled. "So, what'll it be - upper body or lower?"
"You two seriously going to fight?" Naruko asked, walking up.
"Pff, over some guy?" Sasuke added, passing by.
"Maybe you could settle this peacefully?" Sakura ran up, worried about Ino.
"Oh, only if she gets on her knees and… hmm?" Hinata raised an eyebrow, glancing to the side. "Actually, you know what? Why bother getting my hands dirty? I'll just prove whose 'beauty' is real."
"What do you mean?" Ino asked, surprised.
"Akira's about seven hundred meters from the academy right now. Let's go ask him who he thinks is prettier."
I'll win for sure. Akira has to like me - I still remember our almost-kiss in that park, Hinata thought, grinning as she imagined Ino's ego shattering.
"What if he's out with his girlfriend?" Naruko asked, craning her neck as if she could see Akira through the academy walls.
"I wonder what she looks like," Sakura said.
"Oh, I've got a better idea. Let's see who Akira likes more by going up to him one at a time," the blonde suggested.
"What's the point? We each go up and ask who he likes best? I thought you were smarter than that, Ino."
"No, let me finish. Here's the plan: we'll set up 'accidental' meetings and see who he likes more, without actually asking. Hey, I'm not done!" Ino said as Hinata opened her mouth to interrupt. "It'll be like a game - each of us gets ten minutes to win Akira over. For every smile he gives, you get one point. For every five seconds he touches you, two points."
"Oh, and a hug is worth ten points!" Naruko jumped in, getting excited.
"And… what about a kiss?" Sakura asked, blushing.
"Hmmm, kisses come in all kinds." Ino said thoughtfully, then added, "Cheek, lips, forehead, indirect…"
"And with tongue," Ino added, embarrassed, and all the girls looked away for a second, picturing it. "Cheek is fifteen points, forehead ten, indirect… let's say five, and lips… not that I think any of you have a shot, but let's make it thirty."
Hehe, nice one, Ino. Now everything's going by your rules - all that's left is to win, Ino thought.
"All right, so what happens if you lose?" Hinata asked, already thinking up a punishment for Ino.
"If, not when - which is unlikely. Hmm, let me think. The loser has to call the winner 'mistress' for a week, give shoulder massages on demand, and take notes for both of them for two weeks."
"Let's make it two weeks for the 'mistress' part and the notes," Hinata said after thinking.
"Deal. Just don't get mad when you have to face the truth."
"Hey, I want in too!" Naruko jumped in.
Hmm, what if I lose? I mean, I'm cute, but there's always a chance… Oh, Sakura! Hehe.
"And Sakura's in," Naruko added.
"No, we want a fair contest, and I feel bad for Sakura," Ino said, shaking her head.
"Sakura doesn't want to, and she doesn't need any love anyway - she's going to become a monk after the academy," Ino added.
"Hey! That's not true! I have just as much chance as anyone, and when did I ever say I'd become a monk? And anyway, only guys can become monks… Ugh, Ino, you jerk! Fine, I'm in."
Ugh… four's not a lucky number. We should add or drop someone, Ino thought, eyeing Sakura with annoyance.

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[ Ino ]