Chapter 30: Konan: Tell Me! Who Is the Richest Woman in the Ninja World?

The next morning, Naruto woke up groggily.

"Haaah~" He stretched, rubbing his temples. "I haven't been drunk in a long time... Guess I lost control yesterday suppressing my chakra."

He smacked his lips, tasting something sweet. A lingering pineapple flavor remained in his mouth.

Then, as he shifted in bed—

???

Where are my clothes?

And why does my bed look like a battlefield?

Naruto covered his head, feeling the remnants of a hangover creeping in. "Being drunk isn't so bad... but the aftermath is another story."

He stopped suppressing his mental energy, allowing last night's memories to rush back.

A long silence filled the room as he gathered the scattered bedding.

Click—

A wooden clone emerged from the shadows, silently taking away the disheveled sheets. Moments later, it returned using the Mayfly Technique, bringing fresh bedding.

Naruto sighed and went to prepare breakfast.

Yesterday had been eventful. A lot of people had come over. A few of the younger ones had secretly tried a sip of alcohol before rushing off to devour skewers. Meanwhile, Kurenai and Anko had dragged him into drinking with them.

By the end of the night, after everyone had finished cleaning up, only the three of them remained—still drinking. The others had simply left, shaking their heads.

Hinata, Ino, and Tenten had stayed for a while longer. Anko, unable to handle the teasing, eventually fled with a flushed face.

Just as Naruto finished cooking the porridge, a knock sounded at the door.

The students of Teams 3, 8, 10, and 7 had all arrived.

Teams 8 and 10 had already gotten a taste of the fun from the games yesterday and were eager for more.

Fortunately, Naruto had prepared a large pot of porridge. His wooden clones assisted in making buns and other dishes, ensuring there was more than enough to go around.

"Naruto, I wanted to ask yesterday..." Shikamaru yawned. "Did Shisui-san teach you the Body Flicker Technique?"

"Is he still alive?" Sasuke suddenly asked, his voice quieter than usual.

Naruto paused before recalling that Nibiru had asked him the same thing yesterday.

At the time, he had simply responded, "Shisui? A few years ago, when I trained with you, you said I didn't know him."

So, he repeated the same answer now.

Shisui's death had caused an uproar within the Uchiha clan, but outside of it, very few in Konoha knew much about him.

Other villages, however, remembered him well.

"I see..." Sasuke muttered, his voice flat. Whatever hope he had harbored was now gone. Without another word, he grabbed a freshly steamed meat bun and took a bite, using food to suppress his emotions.

Naruto shook his head and created a wooden clone. Raising his palm, he manipulated his chakra, causing vibrant flowers to bloom from his hand. After a few moments, two nutritious fruits formed.

"Deliver these to their room with a note explaining their effects," Naruto instructed. "No need to rush things."

It was ironic—he had been the one on the receiving end before, and now, he was the one offering nourishment. What a loss.

The wooden clone took the fruit, vanished using the Body Flicker, then activated the Mayfly Technique to slip into Konoha's underground network.

With that done, Naruto returned to the table, bringing out the buns.

The new generation of Konoha, the Twelve Little Powerhouses, still had plenty of growing to do.

Around 10:30 in the morning, Team 7 assembled at the training grounds.

"Right on time," Naruto remarked casually. "I found a lost kid on the way and took him back, so I still made it."

The other three just stared at him in silence.

"Alright, don't sweat the small stuff. Let's go—we've got a mission to take on."

Kakashi, lazily putting away his book, led them toward the Hokage's office.

Sasuke's usual cold demeanor returned as he followed, his mind focused elsewhere. It's finally time to begin... I will become stronger as fast as possible. Just wait, Itachi!

Upon arriving at the Hokage's office, they knocked and entered after receiving permission.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced up from his paperwork. "Ah, Team 7. Ready for your first mission?"

With a kind smile, he shuffled through a stack of mission reports taller than himself before selecting one.

"Here we go. Your mission is to help Mrs. Liang find her runaway cat."

"A D-rank mission," he continued. "This is the cat's picture."

Kakashi took the photo, glanced at it, then handed it to Naruto.

Sakura leaned in. "Wow, what a fat cat!"

"Tch!" Sasuke's face darkened. We're looking for a cat? This is supposed to be a mission? When do we get real combat experience?

"Well, all new recruits start this way," Kakashi said, not bothered by Sasuke's reaction. "Alright, Team 7, let's get started."

He turned and walked out of the office, and Sasuke followed, clearly displeased.

Sakura hesitated, seeing Naruto still standing there. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto's gaze settled on the Hokage, his expression unreadable. "Grandpa, you're lying."

Hiruzen blinked in confusion before quickly recovering with a chuckle. "Don't worry. Kakashi already informed me. Once you finish your chakra training, I'll teach you myself. How does that sound?"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. WHAT?!

Was Naruto... the grandson of the Third Hokage?!

But... they didn't look alike at all!

And he was going to be personally trained by the Hokage?

Naruto's lips curled into a grin. "Alright! I'll train seriously. Just wait, Grandpa, my progress will surprise you!"

Hiruzen nodded approvingly. "Good. Every ninja starts with small tasks. Step by step. Now, go."

"Got it!" Naruto nodded before leaving, with Sakura trailing behind, still in disbelief.

Before exiting, she happened to glance at the portraits lining the office wall.

The First Hokage. The Second Hokage. The Third Hokage. And then—

The Fourth Hokage.

Her eyes widened further.

What a handsome man!

Wait... Naruto?

No, Naruto had different eyes. His were a deeper blue. And then there were his whisker marks...

"Naruto... the Yondaime Hokage looks just like you!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Hiruzen's hand, which had been sorting through paperwork, visibly trembled.

Naruto, on the other hand, remained completely unfazed.

Naruto looked up and smiled.

"Yeah, they do look alike..."

Before he could finish, the door swung open, and a wisp of silver hair entered first.

"Time to go. The mission is urgent," Kakashi announced.

"Alright. See you later, Grandpa."

Naruto waved, and the Hokage smiled, returning the gesture.

"Let's go. Mission first."

Taking Sakura by the hand, Naruto led her out of the Hokage's office.

She was about to speak when she suddenly realized—Naruto was holding her hand. Her cheeks heated up visibly. But before she could react further, a voice echoed in her mind.

You let your emotions sway you too easily.

Boom!

Her thoughts raced. One connection led to another, until she arrived at a shocking realization.

Noticing the shift in her expression, Naruto released her hand and smiled slightly.

"Sakura, your chakra control is impressive. But you lack the reserves to sustain multiple jutsu, let alone a major one."

"If you don't work harder, Sasuke and I will keep progressing, while you'll be left behind."

His tone was casual, but Sakura couldn't shake the eerie feeling that he knew—that he understood far more than he let on. It was an unshakable certainty, yet impossible to put into words.

Terrifying.

The way he spoke just now reminded her of how he had been in the Hokage's office. The meaning was the same, but the tone had shifted slightly.

You're weak. If you learn things you shouldn't, just keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, I won't be able to help you—and you might even drag me down.

For a brief moment, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Sasuke, who was about to speak, also hesitated. Then, as if coming to terms with something, he muttered, "I see. If Kakashi is going to teach us ninjutsu, these low-level missions aren't a waste after all."

Kakashi blinked. "???"

I haven't even said anything yet!

Was it really time to start training them already? But then again, he had overheard the Hokage mentioning that he'd personally teach Naruto.

So, following Naruto's momentum, he said:

"Of course. Consider it a reward for passing the assessment."

"But first, complete your training and don't neglect daily missions."

"Most importantly… give me some time to find a jutsu suited for each of you."

Hearing this, Sasuke had no further complaints.

The team arrived at Grandma Liang's house. After explaining their purpose, the old woman led them to the last place the missing cat was seen.

"If it's just a cat, we don't need to make this so complicated," Naruto remarked.

The others turned to him, waiting for an explanation.

Naruto spread his hands. "Sasuke, your turn."

Sasuke frowned. "Why me?"

"The Uchiha have a long-standing connection with the Ninja Cat Clan."

Tch. Sasuke turned away. "I don't have any catnip."

"Oh, but I do!" Grandma Liang hurried inside and returned with a small bottle of catnip.

Just then, Naruto shook his head. "No need."

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

He pointed up.

Perched on the roof was an overweight orange cat.

"How did it even get up there?" Sakura muttered.

The moment she spoke, the cat—clearly offended—leapt into the air, swiping with its claws.

And then… it rolled off the roof.

Whoosh—

Sasuke reacted instantly, catching it midair.

So heavy!

Mission complete.

Kakashi, watching from the sidelines, was a bit surprised at how quickly they finished.

Little did he know, Naruto had already figured out the cat's location upon seeing its picture. A nearby tree had told him it was hiding in the woods not far from Grandma Liang's house, too hungry to move.

"Well, I'll go hand in the mission report. You three head to the training ground and wait for me. I'll distribute the mission pay later."

With that, Kakashi vanished.

Naruto and the others made their way to the training grounds.

The reward for a D-rank mission ranged from 5,000 to 10,000 ryo. The village took its cut, and the jonin instructor received half of what remained, even if they didn't actively contribute. The remaining amount was split equally among the genin.

This mission had a payout of 8,000 ryo.

After deductions, 6,400 ryo remained. If Kakashi took half, the team had 3,200 ryo left—split three ways.

Each of them received roughly 1,066 ryo.

Someone would take the remaining 2 ryo, and they would take turns with it.

1 ryo = 10 yen.

Naruto estimated that he had earned around 10,000 yen, which, at an exchange rate of 1:21.2, translated to about 503 yuan in real-world terms.

Of course, the actual purchasing power in the Naruto world wasn't clearly defined. But when talking about money, certain figures inevitably came to mind.

Like Asuma—after all, cigarettes were one of his defining features.

Then there was Kakuzu, the real financial expert.

And, of course, Konan—one of the wealthiest figures in Naruto. Although most of the Akatsuki's funds technically came from Kakuzu, Konan was the one who spent it.

600 billion explosive tags.

Even if each tag cost one ryo, that would still total 600 billion ryo.

And considering she planned to detonate them over ten minutes, not even the wealthiest individuals could afford that level of firepower.

What did this teach us?

If you meet Kakuzu—marry him immediately.

"Alright, time to start training. You want to learn ninjutsu?"

"Yes!" Sakura and Sasuke responded in unison.

Naruto smirked. "Then first, complete the training exercises."

"What's the first task?" Sasuke asked.

"Chakra control. The first exercise is… tree climbing."

"...Tree climbing?" Sakura and Sasuke blinked in unison.

Naruto simply smiled.

Let the fun begin.