Sarutobi Sasuke froze in place, dumbstruck.
Wait.
Dad?
You're not sharing even a little with me?
He pointed at his own face like an idiot.
Look carefully!
I'm your good son!
Your blood's in my veins!
I'm your biological kid!
Your biological kid, okay?!
"Oh."
The Third Hokage didn't even bother looking at him.
Bold enough to raise him, bold enough to raise him.
He shifted so the jade-throne golden Buddha was behind his back, with not the slightest intention of sharing profits.
Right now, the person he was guarding against most was his own good son.
Bitten once by a snake, you fear rope for ten years.
If you want someone to blame, blame your little brother.
In an instant, Sasuke's face went coal-black.
Dad, you're going too far!
The dumb stuff that idiot Asuma did—what does that have to do with me?
Kangetsu personally handed the jade-throne golden Buddha to me.
You can't do me like this…
The old man also realized—
He couldn't go too hard on his good son.
So, with obvious pain, he fished out ten ryō, trembling as he put it into Sasuke's hand.
"Spend it carefully. And remember to buy me a bag of tea."
"..."
Huh?
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Didn't move.
He stared at the ten ryō in his palm, then looked at his dad, who couldn't wait to lock the bedroom door.
He wanted to speak… then stopped.
Then wanted to stop… then speak.
So basically—
As your biological son, I can't get money from you, and I'm still expected to pay into you, huh?
Before this, plenty of people said his dad always ate alone.
He hadn't really believed it.
Even if he did, it didn't feel that real.
Dad eating alone was a good thing!
The more Dad ate alone, the more the family would benefit.
But now…
Expressionless, he stuffed the ten ryō into his pocket and marched off without looking back.
Cold. So damn cold, bros.
Dad doesn't love me anymore, bros.
Eating alone right onto his own good son's head—this old man was seriously out of line.
Mom! Please come up here and take a look!
Ever since you went down there, your good son can't even drink a little sake without mooching off his own brother!
Sasuke started seriously considering something.
From now on, if he had to fight his dad over profits… should he bring out Mom's portrait?
Old man!
You think you can rule the house with an iron fist?!
If I bring Mom's portrait out, you think I can't handle you?!
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it felt.
You won't give face to your own son?
Fine.
But you have to give face to your own mother, right?
When Shimizu Kangetsu found out, he almost sprayed it out in two or three bursts.
No—bro.
The dead are to be respected!
You can't!
"Don't try to talk me out of it, little bro! You don't even know what kind of person that old man is!"
I'm his biological son!
Biological son, you get it?!
And he still wants to eat alone?!
Mm. Mm.
Kangetsu forced down his laughter and humored him while Sasuke poured out his grievances.
Old man, old man…
If you don't rein this in, your backyard is really going to catch fire.
Meanwhile.
A certain subtle rumor drifted out—
Konoha's moneybags would be taking the role of acting principal of the Ninja Academy.
The moment that news hit—
The entire Ninja Academy practically exploded.
Among the instructors—
Iruka, Daikoku Funano, Mizuki, Ibiki Morino, Ebisu.
The moment they heard it, they jumped up and started shouting on the spot.
Mizuki, the lowest-rank teacher of the bunch, got so excited he ripped off his shirt, sprinting in circles around the office while swinging it overhead.
A clear-soup great magistrate!!
Finally!
Finally!!
Finally it's our Ninja Academy's turn, damn it!!
How many times did we storm the Hokage Building to raise hell?
Every single time it was "wait a little longer, wait a little longer."
Some idiot from another department would even toss out a couple of snide remarks, fighting over how resources should be tilted.
Do you have any idea how hard our Academy has it?!
Damn it!
Konoha's future flowers—how dare you steal meat right out of children's mouths?!
Is that acceptable?!
So you don't want the future flowers anymore, is that it?!
Now it's finally our turn for the moneybags to favor the Ninja Academy!
Iruka was crying tears of joy as he spoke to the students in class.
"Kids! We're saved, kids!!"
From now on, if you want meat, you'll eat meat!
If you want to be full, you'll be full!
If you want to dress well—our Academy has the moneybags backing us up, too!
Get hyped—everybody!
The Ninja Academy welcomed the carnival that belonged to them.
And that made quite a few factions feel sour as hell.
Wait.
So only the Academy gets to enjoy life?
What about us?
Did the higher-ups forget us?
No way…
The Interrogation Division and the Barrier Team immediately ran to the Hokage's office to make a scene.
"Two Hokage-sama! Our Interrogation Division has admired Kangetsu-sama from afar for a long time!"
"Two Hokage-sama! Our Barrier Team has been longing for Kangetsu-sama day and night!"
"Hokage-sama! Our Root—"
Huh?!
Danzo was already feeling pretty damn pleased with himself, soaking in the repeated "Hokage-sama" like warm bathwater.
But the moment he heard "Root," he had a stress response.
His eyes snapped sharp as a knife as he glared at Torune—the Root captain.
What are you doing here stirring up trouble?
What does this have to do with you?
Didn't I tell Root to stay the hell away from me?
Do you not know what kind of stench Root has in Konoha right now?
As for the rest of them coming to make noise…
Let them.
Everyone knew Danzo had just taken the post and still didn't have much real power in his hands.
So the ones they were actually making trouble for were Hiruzen.
And Hiruzen, too, was getting a headache as he tried to placate them.
Damn it.
He'd forgotten the ripple effect Kangetsu taking over the Academy would cause.
Of course.
He could talk, sure.
But splitting money?
Impossible.
I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, will put it plainly right here!
I'm already shouldering a 3.5 billion ryō crater of debt!
What more do you want?!
Some people weren't convinced and muttered under their breath.
Wasn't the 3.5 billion your own doing?
You dug the pit, you fill it.
And you're using that as an excuse?
But Hiruzen was committed to shamelessness.
That was just Konoha's current reality.
You want money from me?
Sure.
Come on—happily share the debt with me.
The instant "share the debt" came out, Danzo recoiled like he'd smelled dog crap and was forcing himself not to gag.
Only an idiot would share debt with you, you old man!
That's dragging people into the fire with you!
Third Hokage, that's not decent…
Someone raged in secret, condemning the Third Hokage behind his back.
Damn it!
This is lazy governance!
This is dereliction!
We seriously suspect the Third Hokage's Will of Fire!
We suspect your Will of Fire has rotted!
Old man, did you forget the days you used to carry buckets with the rest of us?!
A guy like you—who's used to eating alone—still dares to stand among the townsfolk?
Danzo quietly fanned the flames from the shadows.
Hearing people directly accuse Hiruzen, he laughed so hard he almost couldn't keep it in.
Beautiful…
Hiru—pah, pah, pah.
Listen!
This is the people's will!
This is Konoha's will!
(End of Chapter)
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