The next day, early morning.
Hokage Building, Mission Assignment Office.
"Team 7, your mission is..."
Sandaime Hokage took a deep puff from his pipe.
His gaze shifted back and forth between the report in his hand regarding the "Severe Damage to Training Ground Three" and the three culprits in front of him.
Finally, he sighed.
"Your mission is to repair Training Ground Three."
"Additionally, due to the severe extent of the damage, the material costs and labor fees for the repairs will be deducted from your future mission rewards."
"Hokage-sama, most of this damage is my responsibility, so I'll take full responsibility for the mission rewards."
Naruto stepped forward and said in a deep voice.
Although his face was expressionless at this moment, his eyes were as firm as a man who dared to take responsibility.
But in reality, his heart was bleeding.
Naruto's mind raced, quickly calculating a terrifying bill.
The craters blasted by Kibaku Fuda needed to be filled, dozens of blown-up trees needed to be replanted, and scorched turf needed to be replaced... and that didn't even include the cost of the Kibaku Fuda!
"Wait."
Kakashi, standing nearby, raised his dead-fish eyes and spoke:
"I'm the supervising Jonin, and I failed to oversee properly."
"My share of the rewards should also be included."
His tone was casual, yet it carried the responsibility a teacher should have.
"No, no need, Kakashi-sensei!"
Sakura hastily waved her hands, her face flushed red, and she lowered her head in shame.
"I, I also have responsibility, I didn't do anything well... my share too..."
Sasuke, with his hands in his pockets, snorted coldly and turned his face away:
"Mine too."
Although he didn't say much, his attitude was clear.
He hated such trivial social interactions, but he hated owing Naruto a favor even more.
Especially this kind of "being taken care of" favor.
Watching this scene unfold, a hint of satisfaction flashed in the Sandaime Hokage's eyes.
Passing the buck and arguing was normal, but this clumsy desire to share the burden was the nascent form of "the Will of Fire."
He tapped his pipe, making a final decision:
"Alright, the mission rewards will be handled as Naruto said."
"Kakashi, keep your share and treat them to a good meal."
"I estimate Naruto will only be able to eat rice balls for a long time to come."
"As for you two..."
He looked at Sakura and Sasuke.
"Your mission is to assist Naruto well and restore the training ground to its original state."
Finally, after paying 100,000 ryo in cash and signing a debt confirmation of up to 700,000 ryo Naruto officially declared bankruptcy.
Walking out of the Hokage Building, Uzumaki Naruto looked up at the sky, tears of poverty welling in his heart.
"Is this the price of being cautious..."
"However..."
"If I had to do it again... I'd still blow it up!"
Although he was bleeding money, he remained unrepentant...
Ten o'clock in the morning, Training Ground Three.
It had clearly become a bustling construction site.
Not just Team 7; due to the immense workload, the village had temporarily dispatched several other Genin squads to help.
"So troublesome... Why was this place damaged so badly? I hate physical labor the most."
Not far away, Nara Shikamaru of Team 10 complained while directing Choji to move rocks.
"I heard Naruto caused all this. Did that guy treat this place like a battlefield?"
Choji said, wiping sweat from his brow after putting down a rock.
"Oh my goodness... The first mission is manual labor, is this what being a Genin is like..."
Ino also couldn't help but complain.
And in the center of the construction site.
"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Naruto formed hand signs.
Bang bang bang...
White smoke billowed, and over five hundred Kage Bunshin instantly occupied half the construction site.
These clones lined up in a long row, some carrying saplings, some laying turf, and some leveling the ground.
They chanted in unison, their efficiency comparable to ten construction teams.
Sasuke, with a dark expression, held a shovel.
He was filling the large crater that had blasted him away earlier.
"I, a shinobi of the Uchiha Clan, am actually now..."
But he glanced at the highly motivated Naruto Corps nearby, and with a hint of stubbornness, he sped up his shoveling.
Under the shade of the trees, Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk, looking utterly drained.
During yesterday's practice, he had used too many ninjutsu to deal with Naruto.
Coupled with reading the climax of "Icha Icha Paradise" last night... he was now somewhat dispirited.
In every sense of the word.
"Kakashi-sensei, it seems you need a little help."
Naruto's main body had approached at some point, holding a bottle.
The bottle contained an amber-colored liquid, refracting an inviting glow in the sunlight.
"What is this?"
Kakashi weakly lifted his eyelids.
"Secret Recipe Black Tea."
Naruto unscrewed the cap and handed it over, a gentle, harmless smile on his face:
"The first bottle is a sample, it's free. Would you like to try it?"
Kakashi took the bottle with a suspicious look and took a sip.
The next second, his eyes suddenly widened.
A clear tea aroma mixed with a special mint and herbal scent instantly exploded in his mouth.
Immediately after, a warm current rushed straight to his brain.
His temples, which had been throbbing due to the strain of his Sharingan, miraculously calmed down.
Even the nerves that had been constantly tense due to psychological trauma seemed to relax at this moment.
"Hoo..."
Kakashi let out a long breath, feeling completely revitalized.
"Good stuff... What kind of tea is this? The effect is so immediate?"
For him, who suffered from Chakra exhaustion and the after-effects of war, it was simply divine water.
"Naruto's Secret Recipe: Calming Black Tea."
Naruto pushed up his glasses and began his performance:
"The recipe is confidential, but it contains herbs that nourish spiritual energy."
"It can not only eliminate fatigue and calm the mind, but long-term consumption can also significantly enhance spiritual energy."
Kakashi drank it all in one gulp, then handed the bottle back, still wanting more.
"Any more? Another bottle."
Naruto didn't take the bottle back; instead, he pulled out a new one with his other hand.
Then, he held up a finger:
"That'll be one thousand ryo, thank you."
"Pfft!"
Kakashi almost spat out the tea he had just drunk.
"One thousand ryo? Is this tea made of gold, or is the bottle made of gold?"
You know, doing a full day of D-rank missions, the rewards split among everyone would be around a few hundred ryo.
This one bottle of tea directly cost two days' worth of wages.
"Not only is it one thousand ryo, but due to raw material shortages, it also requires a three-day advance order."
Naruto began to boast without changing his expression.
"Sensei, you have to understand, a secret medicine like this that combines restoring energy, calming the mind, and even nourishing spiritual energy is priceless in the market."
"Most importantly it has no side effects!"
"For a Jonin like you, your condition is your life. Is one thousand ryo expensive for a life?"
Kakashi looked at the empty bottle in his hand, falling into a dilemma.
Reason told him that Naruto was extorting him, but his body told him that Naruto wasn't entirely wrong.
Aside from the outrageous price, there were indeed no substitutes on the market.
Moreover... that feeling of mental clarity was truly addictive.
It was more refreshing and rational than reading "Icha Icha Paradise" late at night.
Seeing Kakashi waver, Naruto revealed his true intentions.
He leaned in closer and lowered his voice:
"Of course, I also know that your salary is limited, sensei."
"But you're an experienced Jonin, so you must have a wide network of connections."
"If you could help me promote this, and sell it to other Jonin... for every ten bottles sold, I'll give you one for free, and from now on, I'll sell them to you at cost price. How about that?"
Kakashi looked at his student, who appeared sincere but whose face clearly spelled "merchant," and couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
Where did this black market merchant come from?
"Alright then..."