The Ninja Academy's pent-up noise finally erupted all at once today.
It was drums and gongs shaking the sky, a sea of people, firecrackers popping nonstop, banners waving everywhere—absolute pandemonium.
Mizuki—
The "talent" in Kangetsu's eyes—strode up onto the stage beaming, face flushed with pride.
He read out the Academy's teaching slots and benefit packages in full.
Ibiki Morino. Ebisu.
Those two veterans were appointed Special-Grade Teachers on the spot, with salaries of 300,000 ryō.
The two of them were so thrilled they couldn't even keep their gums from showing as they laughed, standing up to keep bowing and greeting colleagues around them.
Meanwhile, Funeno Daikoku—the new hire—was named a First-Grade Teacher.
That alone was enough to make him giddy.
He knew he hadn't performed as well as Mizuki, and his fundamentals weren't as solid as Iruka's.
First grade was more than fair.
He'd assumed he'd land as second grade, then have to grind his way up.
As for Iruka and Mizuki—
"Now, please welcome our Ninja Academy Principal! The one who has made outstanding contributions to our school!
The one who has given our school the opportunity for reform!
The one who has given our school core competitiveness and core values!
Director of Konoha Hospital! Head of Konoha's Medical Department—
Kangetsu-san!!"
Whoa.
That speech had layers to it.
Kangetsu nodded to himself at Mizuki's script.
A real talent…
Kangetsu walked onto the stage, facing the Academy's ten teachers and nearly 500 students.
He chuckled.
"I came to the Ninja Academy to do three things."
Hand out money!
Hand out money!!
And still f***ing hand out money!!!
"As long as you can contribute to the Academy!
As long as you can build this Academy up!
I, Shimizu Kangetsu, promise you this—yesterday's hospital will be tomorrow's Academy!"
That insanely swaggering, downright "crass" declaration instantly cranked the whole Academy's morale to the ceiling.
The room's heat spiked to a level that barely felt real.
What did the god of wealth just say?
Money—take it as you please?
As long as you've got the ability?
In an instant, every one of those ten teachers felt their blood boil.
"Principal!"
A student shot his hand up, eyes rolled back with urgency, desperate to ask something.
But the moment he raised his hand, the teachers' expressions changed.
Oh no.
Did we miss something in the prep?
They immediately went tense, sneaking glances at the god of wealth's face, hearts in their throats.
"Go ahead," Kangetsu said.
He found the kid kind of interesting.
Bold, at least.
Neji Hyuga raised his hand—trembling like he was about to die—yet forcing it up anyway.
He had to get a clear answer.
After all, as a branch-family member of the Hyuga clan…
Benefits didn't usually "fall into his lap."
"Principal… us students… can we… can we also…"
Can students get money too?
"Good question."
Kangetsu called Neji out by name. Under Neji's stunned stare, he pulled out a reward list.
"This is what I'm about to explain next: our scholarship system."
The moment that scholarship system—the ultimate weapon—hit the table, the parents who'd come to show face nearly went insane on the spot.
What the hell?!
First place in shuriken—100,000 ryō?
Every time?!
And for each of the Sanshin no Jutsu (Three Basic Techniques), first place was also 100,000 ryō?
Every time?!
The written theory exam, combat performance—even first place in behavior standards was 100,000 ryō?!
Parents' eyes went green instantly.
They turned and stared at their kids like starving wolves.
Study.
You will study.
And at home, I'm checking your scores every single day!
Because almost all of those evaluations were held once a month.
Sometimes once every half-month.
That many tests?
You're telling me you can't bring home at least one first place?!
That's money, damn it…
So a bunch of parents made the decision on the spot.
If my kid won't die from studying, then they're studying until they feel like they'll die.
Neji had nothing to say anymore.
His tiny eyes were practically shaped like "$＿$."
In the Hyuga clan, the early-blooming ones like him—
How could he not have a ruthless get-rich ambition buried in him?
Having money meant contributing to the Hyuga clan.
If that contribution got big enough, the Caged Bird Seal might not be hopeless.
After all, if you really wanted to talk about it, both Hinata and Hanabi had walked a similar path.
"Kangetsu-san!! Is it true?!"
"Kangetsu-san!! We love you!!"
"Kangetsu-san! You deserve to be Principal!!"
"Kangetsu-san!! If I'm thirty, can I still keep attending school?!"
Yeah.
Drag that thirty-year-old out.
The noise—everywhere.
No, not noise.
A riot.
Kangetsu's scholarship system detonated a full-blown uproar.
In the past, plenty of clans sent their kids to the Academy just to put on a show for the Third Hokage.
Who actually took Academy education seriously?
The Academy had always been a "ninja training" nameplate, nothing more.
Real clan shinobi?
Who didn't have their own teaching methods at home?
But now it was different.
If you weren't hustling at the Academy, you were straight-up losing money.
And not small money—big money.
From today onward, the Academy was going to turn into the Hyuga clan's money machine.
People asked questions, and the scholarship system alone was enough to make them jealous into silence.
Every other department in Konoha started wailing.
Oh, righteous Lord above!!
When is Kangetsu-san going to grace his loyal Medical Department, Interrogation Division, Barrier Team… huh?!
All this money going to Academy brats—won't that crush our budgets?!
What a damn waste of all that money…
And the wind only grew stronger.
Almost everyone in Konoha learned that the Academy was basically a gold mine.
Some parents of sixth-year students who were about to graduate even started thinking—without speaking to each other at all—about having their kids repeat a year.
If they didn't take this money, they couldn't sleep at night.
Even the two old men in the Hokage Tower office were left slack-jawed by the kid's sheer spending.
"Good kid," the Third Hokage murmured. "He's probably going to dump all the profit shares from the tobacco business into this."
He marveled at the kid's Will of Fire—so blazing it was scary.
At his side, Danzō smacked his lips.
He mourned the money, and he couldn't help feeling something about the kid's selflessness.
But that didn't stop him from using it to stab the Third Hokage in the ribs.
"Hiruzen. You should let go of power already. Look—
Kangetsu over there is doing great with the Academy, isn't he?
So about that ANBU…"
"Heh."
The Third Hokage shot that daydreaming old bastard a sideways glance.
With the kid, he was at ease.
But you, an old bastard scrambling for power—think you can compare?
"Heh" your—
Danzō wanted to curse.
My precious ANBU—my white moonlight—you've ruined it into what, exactly?!
(End of Chapter)
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