By the time Suzuki was officially dismissed from the Hokage's office, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. The Academy would be completely empty by now, so he bypassed the school and headed straight home.
His property was located on the quiet outskirts of Konoha. It was relatively far from the bustling center of the village, but the area was heavily populated for one specific reason: it was the only major district left entirely untouched during the Nine-Tails' attack. Recognizing the high demand for intact housing, Suzuki had rented out the empty rooms of his deceased parents' property. He had taken those initial profits and reinvested them into establishing a local charcoal shop, securing a steady, reliable stream of passive income.
He knew perfectly well that with his modern knowledge, he could have built a massive, highly lucrative corporate empire by now. But he simply didn't have the time. Balancing his chakra training, studying advanced jutsu theory, and learning medical ninjutsu consumed almost every waking hour.
However, staying relatively poor had been a deliberate tactical choice. A massive fortune attracted greedy, dangerous eyes. Because his civilian income was comfortable but ultimately modest, he remained completely beneath the notice of the village's predatory elites.
Well, if they want to get greedy now, let them come, Suzuki thought, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
With the Manager system finally activated, and the absolute political backing of the Third Hokage secured, he wasn't afraid of the shadows anymore. He just needed time to grind his levels and grow stronger.
More importantly, he had spent years meticulously playing his social cards right. He had actively befriended the heirs and heiresses of Konoha's most prominent noble clans—the Hyuga, the Yamanaka, the Nara, the Akimichi, the Aburame, and the Inuzuka.
It was basic networking. A lone wolf could easily be hunted down in the dark. But if someone tried to assassinate the kid who was best friends with the future heads of six major noble clans? The fallout would be catastrophic. By acting as the friendly, reliable civilian anchor of their friend group, Suzuki had woven an invisible, impenetrable social safety net around himself.
This was the fundamental difference between him and Sasuke. Yes, Sasuke was a genius with a legendary bloodline, but he aggressively pushed everyone away, isolating himself into a corner where someone like Danzo could easily manipulate him.
Whatever, Suzuki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. That's Kakashi's problem now. I just want to relax.
As he turned the corner and approached his front gate, he stopped.
"...I should have known you'd all be here."
He had fully expected Ino and Hinata to be waiting for him. He had not expected the entire academy roster to be squatting in his front yard.
"Yo!" Shikamaru called out from the porch, raising a lazy hand in greeting.
"Suzuki! When are we firing up the grill? Let's have a feast to celebrate!" Choji cheered, waving a pair of tongs.
"You rock, Suzuki! Seeing you drop Sasuke like that was awesome!" Kiba grinned, while Akamaru barked in agreement. "Wan! Wan!"
Shino simply nodded from the shadows. "Your tactical application of light was... highly effective."
And then, pushing his way to the front of the crowd, came the loudest of them all.
"Suzuki! You have to teach me that jutsu! If I learn that, I can totally beat Sasuke-teme next!" Naruto yelled, his blue eyes practically sparkling with excitement.
This right here was exactly why Danzo's Root ANBU couldn't just quietly kidnap him. Suzuki had deeply integrated himself into the core social fabric of the next generation.
"With your current absolute lack of chakra control, performing that jutsu is completely impossible, Naruto," Shikamaru drawled, effortlessly shutting the blonde down. Shikamaru knew that a self-invented jutsu was a closely guarded secret; it was incredibly rude to just ask someone to teach it.
"Besides," Shikamaru added, stretching his arms. "Instead of begging for secret techniques, shouldn't you be stressing over tomorrow's graduation exam?"
"Ugh! Shikamaru! Stop hitting me with the harsh truth!" Naruto groaned, dramatically gripping his hair.
Suzuki watched the chaotic interaction with a fond smile. He knew Naruto was being obnoxiously loud to mask his deep-seated anxiety about the upcoming test.
"Alright, alright. How about we just eat first?" Suzuki interrupted, pulling out his keys. "I'm starving."
"OOOOOOOOOOHHH!!"
Choji's cheer was the loudest, instantly echoed by the rest of the hungry pre-teens.
Once they were in the backyard, a collective curiosity hung heavy in the air. Everyone was dying to know why the Hokage had summoned Suzuki, yet nobody knew exactly how to ask. Suzuki looked completely calm, showing absolutely zero signs of excitement or nervousness.
Instead of talking, Suzuki focused entirely on prepping the meat for the BBQ. His movements were mesmerizing. He wielded the kitchen knife with flawless, surgical precision, slicing the thick cuts of beef as smoothly as if they were made of paper. The group watched him in a slight daze.
Suzuki paused, looking up from the cutting board with a flat expression.
"What? Are you all just going to stand there and watch me cook? If I have to do all the prep work myself, I'm charging each of you an administrative labor fee of 50,000 ryo."
"SO EXPENSIVE!"
The threat of financial ruin instantly mobilized the group. As they scrambled to grab plates and wash vegetables, Ino finally couldn't hold it in any longer.
"So? Why were you called to the Hokage's office?"
The entire backyard instantly fell dead silent. Everyone strained their ears to listen.
Suzuki flipped a slice of beef onto the grill, letting it sizzle before looking over his shoulder with a theatrical, boastful smirk. "Because of my overwhelming talent, obviously."
"....."
The group stared at him blankly.
"What a braggart!" Ino snorted, walking over and aggressively nudging his ribs with her elbow.
Hinata, however, stood on his other side, covering her mouth as she giggled. "But... Suzuki-kun really is a genius," she said, her voice filled with gentle, absolute faith.
"See? Hinata gets it," Suzuki grinned.
"....."
Ino rolled her eyes, but she didn't push the interrogation any further. Instead, she seamlessly pivoted the conversation, chattering animatedly about the annoying academy girls who constantly fawned over Sasuke, the aftermath of the sparring matches, and village gossip.
Suzuki remained perfectly calm, expertly flipping the meat while listening patiently. He occasionally threw in a sharp, well-timed question to keep her talking, actively validating her stories. Naturally, he gently pulled Hinata into the conversation as well, ensuring she never felt left out of the dynamic.
The other boys subtly backed away, watching the trio from the picnic table in quiet awe.
"Damn, he is so cool..." Kiba muttered.
"How does he handle both of them at the same time with such ease?" Naruto whispered, genuinely taking notes.
"It's amazing," Choji nodded, chewing on a piece of grilled pork.
Shikamaru just rolled his eyes. He was the only one sharp enough to see through the illusion. The reason Suzuki could handle the girls so effortlessly was simply because Suzuki didn't view them romantically. He treated Ino and Hinata like cute, slightly troublesome younger sisters. Because he had zero ulterior motives, there was absolutely no awkward pressure.
The girls probably sensed that underlying boundary, but they stubbornly stuck to his side anyway. As long as nobody explicitly crossed the line, the comfortable dynamic remained perfectly intact.
Besides, they are all still kids. There's plenty of time, Shikamaru thought.
"So, the meeting went well? Everything is okay?" Shikamaru asked casually, walking up to grab another plate of perfectly marinated beef. Damn, this meat is delicious!
"Yeah, everything is perfectly fine," Suzuki nodded, his mind already drifting to his next corporate venture. I should definitely invent MSG in this world, he mused, calculating the absurd profit margins of monopolizing the chemical seasoning industry in a ninja village.
"...."
Shikamaru chewed thoughtfully, looking at the orphaned boy. Shikamaru was a certified genius, but he genuinely couldn't fathom how Suzuki—a civilian with no backing and only a basic C-Rank fire jutsu—had managed to get the attention of the Hokage. It was amazing. But at the same time, Shikamaru had to admit... having a guy this smart as an ally was incredibly reassuring.
"If you ever come up with a good business idea, let me know. I'll invest," Shikamaru offered lazily.
"Are you sure about that?" Suzuki raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have one?"
Suzuki just smiled mysteriously, tossing another slab of meat onto the grill.
Nobody knew exactly what Suzuki's secret was, but they all unanimously agreed that his cooking was god-tier. They ate like starving wolves. Yet, compared to Hinata and Choji, the rest of them were complete amateurs at the dinner table.
"I am so jealous of you, Hinata!"
Ino sighed helplessly, looking back and forth between the massive mountain of empty plates in front of the Hyuga heiress, and her perfectly flat stomach and burgeoning chest. Ino practically wanted to cry at the genetic injustice of it all.
"N-No, no... I am actually very jealous of you, Ino-chan..." Hinata stammered, blushing furiously.
While Ino might not have Hinata's specific curves, Ino possessed an undeniable, magnetic feminine confidence and charm—something Hinata felt she drastically lacked.
If I were as confident as Ino... then maybe...
Hinata's pale eyes drifted over to Suzuki, watching his calm profile in a daze, completely unable to look away.
Ino noticed the lingering stare immediately. She didn't say anything, but a quiet, competitive spark ignited in her blue eyes. She knew perfectly well they were both standing on the exact same starting line.
"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE!"
Suddenly, Naruto leaped onto the top of the picnic table, raising his cup of juice into the air.
"TOMORROW IS THE GRADUATION EXAM! WE ARE FINALLY GOING TO BECOME REAL NINJAS! LET'S ALL DO OUR ABSOLUTE BEST!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!"
The backyard erupted in a deafening, unified cheer.
Ah. Youth, Suzuki thought, feeling old somehow.
He honestly couldn't share their raw enthusiasm. Becoming a "real ninja" just meant graduating from a classroom directly into a lethal, highly unregulated mercenary workforce where the mortality rate was horrific. What was there to be excited about?
But as he looked around the yard—at Naruto's blinding grin, Shikamaru's rare smirk, and the glowing faces of the people he had sworn to protect—he realized there was no point in dwelling on the grim future tonight.
Whatever happened tomorrow, he would face it. He would adapt. He would survive.
But for tonight, he was just going to enjoy the BBQ.
"LET'S HAVE A PARTY!" Kiba howled.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!"