"Eijirou, you should know this by now—once someone takes a Shinobi Loan and tastes the benefits, they'll come back for more. This year alone, I've repossessed dozens of properties from fools who thought they could beat the system. You think I don't know how these peasants delude themselves?"
"Aniki, can't we speed this up? I'm getting impatient."
"Patience, Eijirou. It won't be long now. Umino Yoru just exchanged for a high-tier summoning beast—a Desert Falcon with Giant Sand Raptor bloodline. You think raising something like that is cheap? Even we'd struggle to afford its upkeep."
"True. If it weren't for the insane costs and years of growth, I'd have gotten one myself."
"Exactly. Yoru 's already borrowed 1.5 million ryō from friends and family. He's drowning in debt. We don't even need to set a trap—soon, he'll be desperate enough to take another loan. And when he does… Keh keh keh…"
Listening from the shadows, Yoru clenched his fists, barely suppressing the urge to storm in and slaughter them both. But reason prevailed.
Clan status protects them now… but not forever.
He swore then—neither would survive the war.
After gathering intel, Yoru visited the hospital to check on Hyuga Tobu and inquire about Yūgao. But she'd vanished—taking a classified mission right after repaying his loan. Avoiding me, huh?
With no other leads, he headed to the Summon Beast Nursery, redemption slip in hand.
"This… is a Desert Falcon?"
The hatchlings in the enclosure looked nothing like he'd imagined. At barely two weeks old, they were already the size of turkeys, more like steroid-pumped eagles than sleek raptors.
Then again, this is the shinobi world. Normal biology doesn't apply.
"Oh, they're small now. But with their Giant Sand Raptor lineage, adults will have 20-meter wingspans—big enough to carry eight shinobi at once," the caretaker explained, dumping buckets of raw meat into the cage.
One chick—snow-white and noticeably larger—bullied its siblings for food until the caretaker rapped the bars.
"Dai, stop stealing or you're skipping the next meal."
Immediately, the white falcon backed off.
Intelligent. Yoru 's eyes gleamed. Near-human comprehension.
"Dai's showing ancestral traits. He'll likely develop chakra soon," the caretaker noted. "But once you sign the contract, no refunds. You're a Chunin, right? Can you handle the costs?"
The Hidden Expenses of Summoning Beasts
The caretaker launched into a lecture:
Small summons (toads, snakes, etc.) = Low upkeep. Giant summons = Financial black holes.
Dai's current needs:
1,000 ryō/day in meat (30,000 ryō/month). Juvenile phase (100+ kg): 300,000 ryō/year—before facility fees.
"We offer a 10% discount for full-term nursery care. Loans are available, but… don't."
"I'll raise him myself first," Yoru said.
"On frontline rations? Malnutrition stunts growth!"
Not an issue for me. With his subsonic fishing technique, rivers would keep Dai fed.
The Contract
A sealing team arrived. The scroll's ink glowed as Yoru pressed a hand to it—
"Summoning Contract: Sealed."
Dai, prideful from his awakening bloodline, initially sulked. Nonviolent resistance.
But Yoru had no patience for falcon tantrums.
"Choose." He dumped a pile of dried fish beside the summoning scroll. "Feast with me… or starve alone."
The falcon's golden eyes flicked between the fish and the scroll.
Click. The sound of a predator's pragmatism.
With a dignified hop, Dai pecked at the fish—accepting the pact.
Aftermath
As dusk fell, Yoru 's squad—now with one dog and one falcon in tow—left Shinanogakure's pleasure district behind, returning to patrol duty.
The shift change went smoothly.
No Sand attacks today.
Somewhere in the shadows, a debt collector's grin widened.