If you visit: [email protected]/LordInfernal, you can get up to 60 advanced chapters. We are up to Chapter 80: Schrödinger's Zanpakuto! there!!
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Shinomiya Aoha, earnestly cleaning the house, still thought a thousand ryo was a lot. But for ninjas, even the lowest-ranked genin, this was just casually given pocket money.
Because even an ordinary D-rank mission, meaning simple tasks requiring no combat with no danger whatsoever, had rewards between five thousand to fifty thousand ryo.
While an S-rank mission's minimum reward was one million ryo or more!
So a thousand ryo in living expenses meant nothing at all to Mikawa, already a special jonin. If not for Aoha's age still being too young, casually giving tens of thousands of ryo would just be a few D-rank missions' worth of rewards.
Of course, Mikawa probably hadn't accepted trash-tier D-rank missions in a long time.
Inside the Hokage's office, at this moment, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen was warmly looking at the young man before him, feeling greatly comforted.
After Orochimaru's defection and Jiraiya and Tsunade's successive departures, he felt quite fortunate that more outstanding people were shining brilliantly. Among them was one who'd become an existence that struck fear into enemies, reminding him of the former Sakumo.
"Minato, prepared tomorrow's speech? I know you dislike this kind of formality, but the next Hokage's inauguration ceremony isn't just a matter of face. It's also an important action for our Konoha to display strength to other major nations. Presumably, those guys lurking in shadows with restless intentions, after seeing the famous 'Yellow Flash' assume the Hokage position, won't dare do anything anymore."
Sarutobi Hiruzen deliberately used a teasing tone to joke, making Namikaze Minato standing before him quite embarrassed.
But he had another reason he didn't voice. His rush to abdicate and yield to the worthy, besides deeply feeling inadequate, was also wanting to use this method to give Konoha's many sacrificed people and other major nations an explanation, hoping to quickly end this war engulfing the entire ninja world.
Seeing his teacher's teacher say this, Minato couldn't refute anymore, only nodding to indicate he'd prepare carefully and wouldn't disgrace Konoha.
Just then, a knock sounded outside.
Minato took this opportunity to bid farewell: "Then I'll go back to prepare first."
"Mm, give my regards to Kushina. It's been so long, yet she hasn't come to see this old man."
Minato awkwardly laughed, Haha, then with one Flying Thunder God Technique disappeared.
Only then did Sarutobi Hiruzen's face show a melancholy expression. The Uzumaki clan had always been a thorn stuck in his heart. Though he'd saved Kushina back then, abandoning allies and not watching each other's backs was an indisputable fact.
Even though this matter had long been buried by those in the know, so few people knew the so-called truth, every time he saw that iconic red hair, his guilt increased a fraction. Perhaps he truly wasn't suited to be Hokage.
"Come in!"
As he reorganised his emotions and restored his usual dignity, the person waiting outside to report also pushed open the door and entered, precisely Mikawa Special Jonin who'd left Aoha not long ago.
"Hokage-sama."
"Oh, it's Mikawa. How did settling that brat go?"
Mikawa's expression hesitated momentarily, but still gritted his teeth and chose to report truthfully. "Sorry, Hokage-sama."
After hearing Mikawa's narration, Sarutobi fell into contemplation. His original intention was to use family love to subtly change the other, then cultivate him into an outstanding talent to dedicate everything to Konoha in the future.
This was also the best plan he'd conceived after confirming the truthfulness and innocence of his identity.
After all, judging from monitoring reports submitted during this period, after experiencing all these events, the other's originally immature mentality had undergone tremendous deviation. Not only possessing violent tendencies but also a terrible personality, vengeful over the smallest slights, not conforming to the so-called 'Will of Fire.'
Just didn't expect not only would a small brat have his own ideas, but even the person he dispatched for the 'mission' started having his own opinions.
"Mikawa, you can't treat this matter as just a mission. Now war has only temporarily stopped. Kumo ninjas' side attitude remains unclear. Don't you want to continue your family line?"
Upon mentioning family continuation, Mikawa's face immediately showed a sorrowful expression, but was quickly replaced by strength.
"Sorry, Hokage-sama. Mikawa disappointed you."
Hearing Mikawa still say this, Sarutobi knew this matter couldn't be forced anymore, only sighing.
"You can go back. Regarding Shinomiya Aoha's matter, I'll arrange someone else."
"This..."
"What, something else?"
Having already achieved his purpose, Mikawa could have said no more, but after hesitating, he still spoke a sentence on Aoha's behalf: "I feel regarding this matter, better not to force it. I could tell that kid was extremely resistant to being adopted. Perhaps it'll backfire instead."
Sarutobi wasn't a stubborn person. Rather, his ears were relatively soft. Otherwise, he wouldn't repeatedly indulge Danzo, causing trouble, much less be constrained by so-called Konoha high-level advisors. You should know that the two generations of Hokage before him were all one-man shows. Nobody dared speak nonsense before them.
This was both an advantage and simultaneously a huge flaw.
After careful thought, Sarutobi also felt Mikawa made some sense. Just Shinomiya Aoha's displayed a terrible personality truly couldn't let him feel at ease.
So after pondering, he spoke: "How about this. I can agree to let him live alone, but you need to be his guardian. Once he causes any trouble, you're responsible for resolving it. Additionally, the village's financial situation hasn't been great recently, so subsidies have been eliminated. Figure out food and lodging for yourself. However, when he turns six, ninja school tuition can be waived. What do you think of this method?"
Mikawa's long face immediately drooped!
What difference was there between this so-called guardian and adoption!
Besides not needing to bother with discipline daily, clothing, food, housing, and transportation all required his money. If trouble arose, he was still responsible. This simply just changed the wording!
As for the waived tuition fees...
I really thank you! Truly generous!
Mikawa dared to guarantee that even if that brat didn't have a penny, Hokage-sama would still let him attend school. Otherwise, wouldn't all previous efforts be wasted?
After displaying such talents, everyone with a heart toward Konoha would hope he'd become a capable ninja in the future to repay the village's cultivation.
So did he just fall into a pit?
Hokage-sama truly became craftier with age.
A string of disrespectful words were all buried deep in Mikawa's heart.
Damn!
Old fox!
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