Time flew by like an arrow. Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
It was now December.
Fine snow drifted down from the sky.
Seiryū, who would turn nine in a month, climbed out of bed and scratched his slightly messy red short hair.
He yawned and sighed helplessly. "Ah, the vacation passed too quickly. It's a new semester again..."
Two years had passed, and Seiryū had grown from a little squirt into a half-grown boy.
He was nearly 1.5 meters tall now, and his appearance had become more refined and handsome.
Enough to catch the attention of every girl.
"But this is also the final semester..."
Exhaling slowly, Seiryū used sheer willpower to climb out of his warm quilt.
He got dressed and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
That's right, the final semester.
It was likely due to the growing unrest in the ninja world, with signs of an impending war.
To prepare for potential conflict, Konoha urgently needed to increase its active forces.
As a result, the Ninja Academy had announced it would shorten the study period from six years to three years.
Two years had passed.
Seiryū was now a third-year student. This would be his final semester at the Ninja Academy.
Yawning, Seiryū saw Kurenai brushing her teeth and lazily greeted her. "Morning, Kurenai."
Kurenai, who was also almost nine, had become even prettier. She wore pink pajamas, and her soft long hair was tied into a ponytail with a red and gold hair tie.
She looked youthful, lively, and incredibly cute.
"Morning."
Spitting out the foam in her mouth, Kurenai responded, then urged him, "Hurry up. Don't be late later."
"Oh, I know."
Seiryū simply nodded. This conversation had happened countless times.
After washing up, Seiryū came to the dining table and sat down.
Today's breakfast was bacon and eggs, one of his favorites. He picked up a slice with his chopsticks and took a bite. The familiar, intense flavor satisfied him greatly. "Yes, this is the taste!"
Hearing Seiryū's praise, Kurenai beamed proudly. "Hee hee, of course! I made it especially for you!"
"..."
Kurenai had completely gotten used to Seiryū's unique taste.
This child was hopeless, and so was his brain.
Even Tsunade hadn't been able to cure this "illness" over the past two years.
Fortunately, it hadn't worsened, which could be considered a blessing.
The bacon and eggs in front of Shinku were normal. After taking a bite, she said to Seiryū, "It's the final semester. Work hard and don't let anyone take first place."
"That won't happen."
Seiryū laughed, completely unconcerned. "Who am I? The strongest genius in Konoha right now! How could anyone take first place from me?"
Over the past two years, Seiryū had firmly maintained his "genius" persona.
He had been first place from start to finish, and no one could surpass him.
Even Kakashi, who had once wanted to "defeat him and graduate early," had failed.
He was still a third-year student like Seiryū...
"But don't get careless."
Kurenai shook her ponytail. The red and gold hair tie was a birthday gift from Seiryū, and she cherished it dearly.
She continued, "Kakashi isn't weak. I heard he's developing a new Lightning Release Ninjutsu, and he still sees you as a strong rival."
Seiryū sighed exaggeratedly. "Do I have few new Ninjutsu I've developed? Even if I gave him a dozen, he still wouldn't catch up."
Kurenai shook her head with a sigh. "All you ever do is boast!"
"Are you looking for a beating? If I don't hit you for a day, you'll climb on the roof and tear off the tiles!"
"Hit me then! Come on, I'm not afraid of you!"
Seiryū didn't hold back. He raised his hand and knocked Kurenai's head, making a light thump.
"Aaaah, I'm so mad! You actually hit me?"
"Didn't you just tell me to?"
"You hateful Seiryū, watch me bite you to death!"
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"
With a thought, Seiryū cast a Genjutsu on Kurenai, who was lunging at him with bared teeth.
After restraining her, he flicked her forehead. "Hmph, you little brat, trying to bite me? Do you even have the ability?"
Kurenai couldn't move and could only endure the flick, crying out in pain. "Ouch, that hurts! Let me go, I surrender!"
Watching the scene, Shinku shook his head helplessly. "Alright, that's enough."
The two still bickered like children. Even after two years, they hadn't matured at all... They were too noisy...
After finishing breakfast.
Seiryū and Kurenai walked toward the Ninja Academy.
On the way, Kurenai clutched her forehead, which now had a noticeable bump from Seiryū's flick.
She complained through gritted teeth, "You hateful Seiryū, how am I supposed to face anyone? Rin is definitely going to laugh at me..."
Seiryū wore a smug expression, clearly unbothered. "Who told you to provoke me?"
Kurenai grumbled, "I didn't! You're the stingy one! Hurry up and heal me!"
Hearing that, Seiryū gave the smile of a shrewd merchant. "You should know my rules: 500 Ryo per session, fair and square."
Kurenai: "..."
She was furious. Seiryū was the one who hit her, yet he wanted to charge his cute younger sister for treatment?
Kurenai looked up at Seiryū from a 45-degree angle—she was shorter than him—and blinked her large eyes with a pitiful expression.
Looking very cute, she pleaded, "Can't you give me a discount? I don't have much pocket money left..."
Seiryū shook his head firmly. "No way. Rules are rules. This is already the family and friends rate. Begging won't work; I'm immune now!"
Tsunade once swindled him out of 50,000 Ryo just for patting his head. He still hadn't forgotten it after two years and never would.
He had learned this from that Bad Woman: rules are rules, and even a sister only gets the family and friends price.
No money, no service!
Seeing her cuteness fail, Kurenai silently cursed Seiryū's heart of stone. Pouting, she glared at him. "Then I want credit! Put it on my tab!"
"Got it."
Seiryū nodded in satisfaction, patted his ninja pouch, pulled out a small notebook, and jotted down an entry. "Including this time, that makes fifteen..."
Closing the notebook, Seiryū cleared his throat. "Five hundred times fifteen, that's seven thousand five hundred Ryo. I won't even charge you interest."
"??"
Kurenai stared at the little notebook in Seiryū's hand, her mouth agape. She pointed at him in disbelief. "Y-you actually kept track of all that!?"
Seiryū was way too cautious!
He even recorded her debt?
"Of course."
Seiryū looked calm. "If I don't keep track, people will default. I've suffered enough losses already. Yours is small. That Bad Woman owes me 500,000 Ryo in total, and she still defaulted on 100,000! I can't keep losing money like this!"
"..."
Kurenai's mouth twitched. She knew exactly who the Bad Woman was — Tsunade, one of the Sannin, the Konoha Princess.
She couldn't believe Tsunade owed Seiryū hundreds of thousands of Ryo.
Wait... just how rich was Seiryū?
He actually had that much money to lend her?
(To be continued.)