"What?"
"I'm making pocket money with my own two hands, and that counts as fighting the people for profit?"
Sasuke was completely dumbfounded.
No—seriously.
Old man?
Touch your conscience for a second. Is there anything wrong with what your actual son did?
I just want a little spending cash and you won't even allow that?
Not allowed means not allowed.
The Third Hokage shot the embarrassing little punk a death glare.
Because of this, Danzo had laughed in his face in the office for ages.
"Your own son fighting the people for profit? Hiruzen, you really did a proper job with that one."
"I'm going to spread this story so everyone down below can see it!"
"Let them see just how shameless the Hokage can get!"
Those words turned the Third Hokage's face black as coal.
When money was involved, the stakes were huge—of course nobody wanted to share.
But the lower ranks had finally gotten a rare opportunity, and then your son came in swinging, trying to snatch a slot without even pretending to be polite.
The optics were atrocious.
Fine…
Sasuke couldn't see that far ahead.
The resentment in his chest was practically overflowing.
All he knew was that his dad was a piece of work.
Not letting your own son earn money through honest labor?
That was going too far.
Sasuke had made up his mind completely.
He was going to haul out his mom's memorial portrait and parade it around.
Otherwise this old bastard was really going to start acting like he'd adopted him.
At the same time…
Shinku swallowed hard.
He was nervous as hell.
If he didn't get accepted this round, he'd be going home to chew on his sister-in-law's steamed buns again.
Still, the application process moved pretty fast.
Mizuki's eyes flickered when he saw one particular name on the list.
In the office, the veteran teachers argued over who should be hired and who should be cut.
And very clearly—
Shinku didn't even survive the first pass. Ebisu tossed him straight into the dungeon.
"A mission grunt. Does he even know how to teach?"
"Does he know how to build a beautiful Ninja Academy?"
"What? You're a jōnin?"
"Who isn't a jōnin in this applicant pool?"
With the God of Wealth backing them, Ebisu instantly snapped into that "local big shot" posture.
As the Academy's new rising star, he had to have presence.
If he didn't, wouldn't that make Kangetsu look bad?
If outsiders saw it, wouldn't they think the God of Wealth had run out of money?
Compared to the people applying outside—
The five teachers sitting here were basically all Level 1 at minimum.
As for special grade and promotion into actual leadership posts… that would depend on each person's tactics.
Mizuki's performance today had everyone jealous.
This kid was about to take off in a single wave…
Under all those envious looks, Mizuki grinned so wide his face practically split.
Back when the Academy was rotting, there was no road ahead—none.
But now it was different.
Money prospects? He had money prospects.
Future prospects? He had future prospects.
Mizuki had already made his decision.
Stick with the God of Wealth and go all in.
He was following Kangetsu for life, damn it.
"I think we should discuss this one again," Mizuki said.
"Huh? Shinku? What's there to discuss?"
A mission grunt—can he even function here?
Mizuki cleared his throat. "If he can't do the job, we can teach him."
Ibiki set his teacup down, staring at Mizuki from head to toe.
You little bastard.
A mission grunt, and you're saying this with a straight face?
Don't tell me you took a payoff.
The other teachers' eyes sharpened instantly, locking onto their colleague.
Listen here.
Kangetsu might not be present, but he was absolutely watching their performance from the shadows.
What you're doing right now is trying to win the rice bowl out of everyone's hands…
"Relax." Mizuki's expression was… odd.
"Let me be clear. I'm loyal, and I haven't taken any benefits."
"Then why—"
Ebisu formed a hand seal, smiling without smiling.
It had the distinct vibe of: If you can't explain yourself, we're throwing hands.
Mizuki coughed again. "Everyone… this is hard to say out loud…"
Why?
Because the Yuhi family has a pretty old maid.
That quiet hint instantly cleared the teachers' eyes.
And then the way they looked at Mizuki changed.
Into the same kind of weird.
Hey.
How is your brain even wired?
You can grab something like that and hold it?
Who in Konoha doesn't know the God of Wealth's little preferences?
Sure, there hadn't been any rumors between the Yuhi family's old maid and Kangetsu.
But who knows?
What if?
Even if nothing's going on, can't we… make it so something is going on?
In the blink of an eye, Ebisu picked up Shinku's file again—this mission grunt… no.
This future colleague's file.
"Mm. 'Served as a substitute to avoid exposing the identity of the person handling ANBU work.'"
What's so excellent about that?
No idea.
But it's excellent. Obviously.
"Right! Shinku's a jōnin—he can protect the Academy!"
"And so what if he can't teach? Which one of us didn't stumble through it at first?"
"I think it works! His mission experience can be taught to our students too."
Just like that, the mission grunt instantly became a rare talent in the teachers' mouths.
Only Iruka felt like this wasn't great.
It was too blatant.
What they were doing—
Wasn't this smearing Kangetsu's name?
Mizuki laughed awkwardly and hurried to pull his buddy back.
"It's mutual affection, Iruka. Don't be a monster and stand up to oppose it."
Oh.
So it's mutual affection.
Iruka immediately stopped opposing it.
Hands raised, he approved the "beautiful match."
As for whether it was really mutual affection…
Sometimes, being a little muddled is the highest state of survival at the Ninja Academy.
Anyway—
If you told Shinku, their future colleague, about this…
Iruka was sure there was a solid chance it would work out.
Because the "old maid desperate to marry" thing wasn't like he'd never heard of it.
Rumor had it Shinku, that old father, had worried himself gray trying to arrange a marriage for his old maid.
After all—
In Konoha, the village of "loli," "early-blooming," and "what is childhood," a female shinobi who was twenty and still didn't have a boyfriend… if she wasn't an old maid, what was she?
Yes.
Konoha Year 53.
Kurenai was already a full-on twenty-year-old old maid.
"Achoo—!"
Kurenai sneezed.
Out on a mission, her eyes sharpened instantly.
Crap.
That feeling…
Which bastard is calling her an old maid again!?
So what if she's an old maid?
Did she eat your rice?
Kurenai scanned left and right, looking for suspicious people who might be calling her an old maid.
That "I'm going to kill you" stare sent a bunch of male shinobi fleeing in panic.
Run!
That broke-ass demon shrew is going berserk again!
(End of Chapter)
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