Chapter 44: Hey, Old-Timer, Cough Up the Coin!
"Come in."
Hiiro Rinko knocked. A few dozen seconds passed before a reply came from within.
Walking into the office, he glanced around. Same as always. As the 'cell' the Third Kazekage had chosen for himself, the place had no luxurious decorations and was only an average size.
Judging by the files on the desk, the Third Kazekage had clearly scrambled to tidy them in those few seconds.
Seeing it was Rinko, the Third Kazekage's "hard at work" posture instantly collapsed, replaced with an expression that screamed, 'If I knew it was you, brat, why would I have bothered pretending?'
Normally, entering the Kage's office required an ANBU announcement.
But everyone who knew the Third knew he was just in this office "serving his sentence" with the clerical staff. He was desperate for someone to come chat with him to pass the time. So, the "announcement" step, which would "ruin the surprise," had been eliminated.
Rinko was a regular in this building. He sometimes even ran documents between departments for Chiyo when she was busy, so the ANBU stationed here were used to him.
Of course, the offices above ground still required an announcement.
At this moment, Rinko pulled a stack of design drafts from his coat and placed them on the Third Kazekage's desk.
The optimization of the shuriken summoning-cycle system? That could be adjusted later. First, it was time to scam—ah, no, request funding.
He cleared his throat, preparing to demonstrate his exquisite communication skills.
Subtle communication required four steps.
Greet politely.
Introduce yourself.
Use a close relationship to build rapport.
State your desired goal.
"Dōmo, Vegeta-san. Hiiro Rinko desu. Please give me money."
"Wait, who the hell is Vegeta?!"
The Third Kazekage choked on a sip of water, grabbing the desk as he coughed, and shot back an exasperated look.
This question had plagued him for nearly three years. Ever since he first met Rinko, the brat had been calling him by this name.
He would probably die without ever getting an answer.
How could Rinko explain? Tell him his hairline was... well, some things just couldn't be explained.
As for Rinko asking for money the second he walked in?
Wasn't that normal?
All research costs money. While at first, no one thought Rinko could produce any results, the Kazekage was now completely used to this brat suddenly running to him with new, absurd ideas, demanding funds.
They say it takes twenty-one days to form a habit. Rinko had been in Sunagakure for far longer than that, and his contributions were many.
If nothing else, the optimization of many Puppet Technique structures and concepts was his and Chiyo's joint project. And the custom-sealed ninjutsu tools he forged every three months—which he called "Jūgu" (Cursed Tools)—were met with rave reviews.
Even if he weren't an Uzumaki, these contributions alone would be enough for the Third Kazekage to treat him with special importance.
And Rinko wasn't even ten years old.
Furthermore, right now, his skills in Sealing Jutsu (Fūinjutsu) and Barrier Jutsu (Kekkaijutsu) were already good enough to spin Sunagakure's entire Barrier Team on one finger.
Although the original plan was to raise Rinko for a decade before he became useful, they never expected his talent to be this monstrous.
It's probably time... to let him see that thing...
The Third Kazekage thought this as he casually flipped through the blueprints Rinko had laid out.
"This device is certainly impressive. But your notes say the design isn't finished?"
Using the blueprints as a topic, 'Vegeta' broke the silence.
No matter how distracted he was, as a combat-focused Kage, he immediately grasped the device's strategic significance.
While shuriken were not very useful in a Jōnin-level fight, the battlefield was dominated by Genin and Chūnin. In a situation where the Jōnin were tied up, this shuriken launcher could absolutely inflict massive-scale damage on enemy Genin corps.
And the cost of shuriken was, for Sunagakure, negligible. The Land of Wind was rich in minerals, and its forging industry was mature. In terms of cost, Suna had an advantage over the other villages.
"That's right. Miniaturizing the summoning-cycle (Kuchiyose) reload system is the bottleneck. If it's not miniaturized, it's basically impossible for a puppet to carry it."
Rinko tapped the blueprint, explaining the technical difficulty. "But making it a fixed turret feels like a waste. The Land of Wind's defense system doesn't need it. This damn desert is the best defense line. It's always Suna invading others; no one wants to invade us."
"So I'm debating whether to continue pushing for miniaturization or to re-design the structure into a mobile artillery carriage. If it's the latter, I can probably have a final draft in one or two weeks for production."
Although he'd come to 'scam' funds, Rinko wasn't hiding anything, clearly laying out the pros and cons.
The only real idiot is the one who treats others like idiots. A mechanism of this level couldn't fool a veteran shinobi, let alone a Kage. As long as he brought something decent, getting money was the easy part.
"No need to rush. I'll approve the funds. You can research it slowly."
The Third pulled a stack of scrips from his drawer, scribbled a few words, tore one off, and handed it to Rinko. "Focus on preparing for the Chūnin Exams for now. Once you pass, it'll be easier to approve your expenses."
"Chūnin Exams… No pressure."
Rinko glanced at the scrip. The number was decent. He tucked it into his coat and scratched his chin, bored.
It was true. Never mind the Chūnin Exams, there wasn't a Chūnin in all of Sunagakure he couldn't beat. If he used all his tricks, he could even tangle with a Jōnin.
The problem was, fighting his own village's shinobi, even in a spar, he couldn't go for the kill. And given his status, Sunagakure would never let him leave the village for a mission—at least, not at his age.
It had nothing to do with strength. If he wanted the freedom to leave, he'd at least have to leave the Uzumaki bloodline behind in the village first.
"That boring, huh? Then I'll give you a mission. We'll call it A-Rank."
"A-Rank? That's… stimulating."
Rinko, who had been staring at his fingernails as if a flower had grown on them, immediately looked up.
An A-Rank mission: a matter concerning the village or nation's strategic movements, where the outcome could affect the regional balance of power. Normally, it was a high-level problem that had to be handled by a Jōnin.
But to hand it to him...
"Ah… I get it. It's that 'thing' you want me to seal, isn't it?"
The red-haired young man's eyes narrowed, stating it as a fact.
"Tch. I hate sharp brats like you."