"Eat more. The cafeteria gives out a lot of protein blocks. If you can't finish them, remember to take them back with you. Protein blocks can be stored for a long time. They just get a little hard when you eat them later, but you must never waste food."
Kiki ate in big mouthfuls while quickly picking up the grains of rice that fell on the table and eating them. He kept rambling as he ate.
The feeling of hunger. The whole body weak and powerless, with only one thought left: eat something, anything, whether it was dirt, bark, or rotten meat.
He never wanted to experience that feeling again in this life.
The workers in this factory had almost all fled from all corners of the Land of Fire, clinging to one last breath, and had been lucky enough to reach the Leaf.
They had personally experienced hunger and seen people starve to death. They had an abnormal obsession with food. They had suffered through too many bitter days, and every one of them was the best practitioner of leaving no food behind.
Madara silently ate while observing everything around him. The entire cafeteria was now filled with people. Noise and chewing sounds rang constantly.
Tired, drenched in sweat, but their expressions were not numb.
Their mental state was completely different from the civilians he had seen on the road from the cave to the Leaf.
Not bad at all.
Leaf streets.
"Where should we eat for lunch? Since this is the first time I'm treating the three of you, I'll let you pick the place."
Haru left work fifteen minutes early. For Haru, this already counted as very impressive. Becoming a Naruto-style Hokage was not what Haru wanted. He had already told Shikato the direction things needed to go. The rest only needed to be carried out by them.
This was the good thing about a world where military power reigned supreme.
He could be a hands-off manager without fearing that someone would sideline him. If something went wrong somewhere, he could directly hold them accountable, drag them to the Anbu, and greet them with a full set of illusion techniques. The truth would immediately become clear. Administrative efficiency was extremely high.
Once someone entered the Anbu, the things hidden in their mind could no longer be kept secret.
"Hokage can pick the place. I'm fine with anything."
Orochimaru did not care what they ate for lunch. He had little interest in low-level pleasures like the taste of good food. Even one shot of nutrient solution would be enough.
"Me too!"
Jiraiya remained as timid as ever and had not fully relaxed in front of Haru.
"I want to go to the place Grandma went for her birthday last time. That place was really good."
"Mito had a birthday banquet?"
Haru was somewhat confused. Mito had celebrated her birthday with a banquet, yet she had not informed him.
What a petty person.
However, he did not dwell on it too much. The grudges between the two of them would probably continue to increase in the future.
Hmph. When he got married in the future, he would not invite her either.
No, that was not right. He had to invite her. He had to collect her gift money. Compared to the cost of adding one more pair of chopsticks, collecting gift money was more profitable.
As Haru's mind wandered wildly, his feet followed Tsunade through two streets until they arrived at a familiar grand hotel.
The same hotel where he had publicly funded Chiyo's meal.
Tsunade, you really know how to pick a place!
"Hokage, you're here!"
"And Miss Tsunade too. This humble shop is truly honored today!"
The lobby manager, who had just been arrogantly brushing off other guests, instantly rushed in front of Haru the moment he saw his face.
"Same as usual. Private room on the top floor. You know my taste. Put it on the account, and I'll send someone to settle it at the end of the month."
"Hokage, your visit gives our humble shop face. This way, please."
The lobby manager smiled flatteringly. With Haru's identity, it would be fine even if he came here to eat without paying. The Hokage's identity was status, face, and reputation. Once word spread, nobles and wealthy merchants would take pride in eating at this hotel.
"Hokage, this way."
Haru looked at the lobby manager bending and bowing in front of him, and his brow furrowed.
This attitude lowered the hotel's class.
"I don't like your current face. Bring back that unruly look from earlier."
"Yes, Hokage!"
The lobby manager's expression changed in an instant. He became solemn, looking like someone who would not bow for a mere salary.
"Not bad."
Haru nodded in satisfaction and walked up the stairs. Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya followed behind him.
Before long, the table was filled with all kinds of delicious food. Haru did not know what Jiraiya and Orochimaru liked to eat, so he simply asked the manager to bring one of everything on the menu. In any case, ninja had large appetites. This restaurant's specialty was that the food tasted good but the portions were small. Its main focus was not cheating poor people. What people paid for was status.
The four of them could finish it.
"Burp. Delicious."
After a storm of eating, the plates on the table were already empty. Jiraiya sighed with satisfaction and loosened the buttons on his clothes. He had eaten too much. It felt a little tight.
Compared to Jiraiya, Orochimaru was much more elegant. He picked up a napkin and wiped the stains from the corner of his mouth.
The taste was indeed very good.
Enjoying good food once in a while...
It really was nice!
Tsunade was still eating fiercely, calling the manager to bring two more plates of her favorite dishes.
A hidden big eater.
Growing children...
Well, growing girls could eat their elders poor. Normal, normal.
After the four finished eating, Haru specially glanced at the bill.
The price was as usual.
As expected, it did not cheat poor people!
Training field.
Haru lay under the shade of a large tree. After eating lunch, one had to rest for a while.
Orochimaru sat under the shade and took out a book, reading it with great interest. Jiraiya lay on the grass with a foxtail grass in his mouth, his eyes constantly drifting toward Tsunade.
What a simp.
Tsunade bent her legs, rested her hands on them, and propped her chin while looking at Haru.
Hokage isn't as bad as Grandma Mito says.
From this angle, he's actually pretty handsome.
Tsunade observed Haru. She did not have many interactions with him, but she often heard Haru's name from Mito.
Morally corrupt, shameless, and a lecher.
The evaluation was terrible.
However, among the Leaf villagers, his reputation was abnormally high.
Haru was the greatest person in the ninja world and the Leaf's most outstanding Hokage.
Several times, Tsunade had even seen villagers kneel before Haru's statue.
A life-saving grace could never be repaid.
Never.
Haru had appeared out of nowhere, defeated Mito, become Hokage, led the Leaf to end the First Ninja World War, and used a series of unbelievable methods to revitalize the Leaf.
The Leaf had undergone earth-shaking changes in such a short time. Tsunade had experienced it personally and seen it with her own eyes.
Tsunade felt that Haru was not even that many years older than her.
How could he be so amazing?
Becoming the Hokage of the Leaf was also Tsunade's dream.
Curiosity, admiration...
A very strange emotion appeared in Tsunade's heart.
Haru was admiring the scenery when his ninja instincts sensed someone watching him.
Hm?
Why was Tsunade looking in his direction?
And why was her face red?
Why are you blushing over nothing?
Tsunade seemed to notice Haru's gaze and subconsciously lowered her head.
Tch. Little kid.
Haru did not take Tsunade seriously. Tsunade had not yet displayed the charm she should have. Haru did not like washboards. Right now, Tsunade was quite good as a cute little sister.
A purple little sister had...
The lunch break ended very quickly.
"I'll give the three of you a little time to prepare. Then attack me together. I'll first see your strength."
Today was originally supposed to be one-on-one guidance. Teaching Jiraiya would have been enough. Now it had become three people, so he might as well test the three of them together to save time.
As soon as Haru finished speaking, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade quickly formed a circle and began discussing a strategy.
They planned to give Haru something fierce and measure the Hokage's capacity.
Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya were all eager to try. Fighting a Hokage was glorious even in defeat.
"You have plenty of spirit."
Haru stretched. To deal with these three little guys, he did not even need to open his Mangekyo Sharingan. He would just open his three-tomoe Sharingan a little to be safe.
If he messed up, it would be embarrassing.
Stay steady.
"Follow the plan!"
Orochimaru shouted, and the three charged together.
"Too slow!"
"A little interesting. Is that a sealing technique? No, wait. Your strength is strange. Did Mito teach you?"
"But it's no use."
Haru toyed with the three of them. In front of the three-tomoe Sharingan, all their schemes were no different from empty air.
They were passively beaten.
Jiraiya was the weakest and kept getting hit. In the end, after being kicked, he fell over and slept.
Tsunade was actually pretty good. The strength she showed would make an ordinary chunin find her troublesome. Her chakra volume was far beyond others her age, her recovery ability was strong, and she could even use medical ninjutsu to heal herself.
However, Haru did not give her a chance to use it. A healer trying to recover in front of him? How could that be possible?
Orochimaru's performance, however, surprised Haru. He clearly understood Haru's attack patterns and the advantages of the Sharingan very well. His response methods were very appropriate.
Especially the instant their eyes met, he subconsciously closed his eyes.
At a glance, he had clearly received professional training.
Bringer-of-Darkness Technique?
He had even learned this move?
Haru's vision became pitch-black. This was a special technique for dealing with the Uchiha clan, and Orochimaru had already learned it.
He had been careless.
Tobirama, you really are a good teacher!
It was a good illusion technique. If that old man Tobirama personally used it, Haru would probably have a headache for a while. However, the one using the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique now was Orochimaru, the child version.
Haru's eye power, combined with a specialized seal to dispel illusions, broke the illusion in an instant.
However, it still gave Orochimaru a momentary opportunity.
With a slap-like kick, Orochimaru, who had tried to seize the chance to attack Haru, was quickly kicked away by Haru and rolled several times.
The three-person team regrettably lost.
Haru woke Jiraiya up. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru stood there covered in dust, waiting for Haru's evaluation.
"The three of you are pretty surprising. Better than I expected. Jiraiya, you're quite durable, and your reaction speed is acceptable. Without specialized training, performing like this is already decent. At your current level, there's no need to waste time at school."
"Tsunade, your fists aren't fast enough, and they're not ruthless enough. Mito taught you well."
"Orochimaru, you performed the best. Some bastard taught you all the methods for dealing with Uchiha. I'll settle the account with him tonight!"
After Haru finished evaluating them, he guided them one by one.
Tsunade and Orochimaru did not require much effort. They had already been taught by experts, and their talent was very good. What they lacked was training and experience.
Jiraiya was still a blank slate. What the ninja academy taught him was very basic. Chakra training skills like water-walking and tree-climbing were not yet fully mastered. His chakra volume was insufficient, and there was still a distance before he could successfully use the Summoning Technique.
Haru could only teach him bit by bit.
Leaf factory.
Madara followed the flow of people toward the factory. Kiki brought Madara to his workstation. It was assembly line work. He only needed to complete part of the product assembly. The technical content was not high, but the work speed had to be fast, the kind where one could not stop for several hours.
They would not have a chance to rest until dinner.
"Remember, you can't stop in the middle. If your work speed doesn't meet the standard, your pay will be docked!"
Kiki gave him a reminder, then returned to his own station. Like the other workers, Madara began to work.
"Very simple."
Madara quickly entered the state. This kind of mechanical work that did not require thinking...
It really was easy to earn money.
Half an hour.
Boring.
Mind empty.
One hour.
Boring.
Mind empty.
Two hours.
Boring.
Hashirama definitely wouldn't do this as well as me.
Madara worked with single-minded focus. With the support of his immortal body, this level of workload was simply nothing to him. He could grind hard for an entire day.
This money is really easy to earn.
Madara thought this while his mind emptied, and his mood became peaceful. It did not even delay his attempt to awaken the Rinnegan. This bit of physical exhaustion was nothing, after all. It did not even require chakra.
He only thought of that guy Hashirama from time to time, but that was an old habit. It did not matter.
"Slow down, slow down, old man! You're working too fast. This will drain your stamina!"
"Damn! That fierce?"
"Awesome!"
Madara's hands and feet were unusually quick. Most ordinary people's hands and feet would already be sore by now.
But Madara was not an ordinary person.
This level of work intensity was not worth mentioning compared to the intensity of his battles with Hashirama, where chakra and eye power were consumed rapidly, his stamina was exhausted, and he had to rely on willpower to fight Hashirama until the final moment.
The workers in the same group as Madara were all shocked.
Originally, when an old man had come to their group, they had been worried he would drag down the whole group's performance.
Passing was the most basic standard. Maintaining a good rating at the end of the month meant they could receive a bonus. If they continuously maintained excellent ratings, the whole group's hourly wage would increase.
Hmph. As expected, even when working in a factory, I, Madara, have no rival.
Hashirama, if you came here too, perhaps you could compete with me.
Pride rose inside Madara. He liked the way these people looked as if they had never seen the world.
His speed could go even faster!
Time passed quickly, and dinner time soon arrived.
The group leader came to tally the afternoon's progress as usual.
"This group passes."
"Pass."
"Good."
"You were almost short. This time, I'll count you as passing. Make up the number tonight."
"Excellent?"
The group leader looked at the results of Madara's production line for the afternoon and doubted his own eyes.
Generally speaking, the excellent rating was very hard to obtain. One had to work desperately without stopping for an entire afternoon to have a chance. But this was extremely difficult.
People got tired. Their hands and feet got sore. Their stamina was consumed.
He had heard that only groups with workers who possessed chakra could obtain excellent ratings.
(End of Chapter)
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