Chapter 92: 15 Million Ryo
After finishing their business and thoroughly cleaning up all traces and lingering scents, the couple returned to the babies' room. Seeing that they were still fast asleep, both sighed in relief simultaneously.
Slowly, they drifted off to sleep on the tatami mats next to the cradles.
Only then did the two siblings suddenly blink their eyes open, looking at each other. "Wa-ee~"
Morning.
Little Naruto prepared his favorite cup ramen and began eating with gusto. Beside him sat a set of interconnected figurines, one large and one small: a handsome version of Tonbo Tobitake and a tiny version of Naruto.
"Uncle Tonbo said that once I start at the Ninja Academy and learn to inject that stuff called chakra, these two little people can talk. He said this is his greatest, greatest, greatest masterpiece."
Tonbo had given him this gift before leaving yesterday. Now, looking at the figurine, Naruto grinned widely. This was the first person to ever give him a gift. He didn't know what a "greatest masterpiece" was supposed to look like, but it must be very grand.
"I want to learn from Uncle Tonbo and make two dolls as gifts for his two babies." Little Naruto smiled, feeling that he needed to return the favor.
Ichiraku Ramen.
Mibu Shinobu was twirling a token in his hand. Teuchi handed him a bowl of steaming ramen. After thanking him, Shinobu slurped the noodles into his mouth.
"Uncle Teuchi, hasn't Sensei arrived yet?" he asked while eating.
Teuchi laughed. "He said he'd come to help out today. Maybe the kids were being too naughty."
"My babies aren't naughty at all; they're very well-behaved."
Tonbo Tobitake walked in from the door with a beaming smile. No crying, no fussing, no causing worry—thinking about the Fourth Hokage's son, the Third's grandson, and the future Seventh's son, at least for now, his two little ones were very stable and reassuring.
"Eh, Sensei, you're glowing! You must have had a very happy few days!" Shinobu teased.
Tonbo replied, "Mm. Speaking of which, Shinobu, you're sixteen now. Isn't it time you found a girlfriend? When I was your age, I already knew how to look for a partner. If you don't look now, it'll be hard to find one later."
"Sensei, you're only two years older than me! Don't talk like you're an old man!" Shinobu looked speechless. "Besides, isn't it a bit early to look now?"
"I don't think so. I know a girl the same age as you. I'll introduce you in a while; she's an excellent kunoichi," Tonbo laughed. For some reason, after getting married, he enjoyed playing matchmaker. It gave him a sense of accomplishment. He had no intention of stopping.
Shinobu asked, "Who? Do I know her?"
"Hmph, you'll have to discover that yourself. I'll introduce you when the time is right. It would be perfect if you two hit it off. If you can't handle it, I'll introduce her to Iruka or Mibu Shinobu instead." Tonbo was being mysterious.
"..." Shinobu was silent. Introducing one girl to several different guys, and they're all acquaintances? Just how much do you approve of this girl? However, he didn't reject his teacher's kindness. Every time he saw his teacher and wife together, he felt a spark of longing to find his own partner. If Sensei approved of the girl, she must be outstanding. "Alright, introduce me when you have time. I'll try to get to know her."
"Sensible. Now, give me back that proxy token," Tonbo said, shifting to serious business. This gathering wasn't just to review the successes and failures of the mission; it was primarily for this item.
Shinobu handed over the token that read "Tonbo Tobitake: Top-Tier Proxy."
"Sensei, this thing is incredible! Can you give me another one?"
Smack!
Tonbo slapped him on the back of the head. "Brat, do you think these are easy to make? First, this token is made of Chakra Metal, which is why it can adapt to my chakra nature transformations. You know the price of Chakra Metal, right?"
Hiss! Shinobu sucked in a breath of cold air. As a weapons master who also specialized in Space-Time ninjutsu, he knew that even if he doubled the value of all his current weapons combined, they wouldn't equal the cost of the materials in that token. No wonder the token had felt "off" before!
"Second, as I told you, I have to work for half a month without sleep to complete this technique once. Do you have any idea how much effort that takes?"
Shinobu nodded. For such a powerful technique, no amount of preparation time was surprising.
"And thirdly, you're a Chunin. I expect it won't be long before you're promoted to Special Jonin. It's not good to rely too much on things like this," Tonbo advised. "Anyway, let's move on. Today we're going to review the after-action report of the Hidden Rain mission..."
"Yes!"
After giving his disciple a lesson and working half a shift for his father-in-law, Tonbo went to the Konoha Resource Department. He collected his payment for the S-rank mission.
15 million Ryo. That was his cut as the captain. Someone like Shinobu only received 8 million—barely enough to buy a bit of Chakra Metal.
Indeed, Chakra Metal was that expensive. In the original story, the twin blades held by Asuma were worth more than the man himself.
"Oh yeah! I'm finally not a man living off his wife. I'm officially a Jonin earning 500,000 a month."
Between the S-rank mission pay, his monthly salary, and his savings from the Third War, he had a substantial amount. Although he spent a lot on missions and training, his savings were healthy. He could now afford more resources to maintain his training. Training was expensive; a single storage scroll cost him a month's salary.
Honestly, thinking about Boruto, it made sense why Sasuke's family was still paying off a mortgage and why Choji's appetite could make Asuma's heart ache. Most of a ninja's funds went into life-saving gear.
"If you can't finish five laps, do 1,500 leg kicks! One-two, one-two..."
Just as he collected his money and prepared to head home, he heard a familiar voice. He looked toward the sound. Good grief, green jumpsuit and a bowl cut.
He shifted his steps, pretending he hadn't seen him, attempting to glide past Guy, who was currently walking on his hands. He felt relieved that his special bandages hadn't been finished yet. Due to the unique nature of the "Unlimited Void" carrier, it couldn't be made from ordinary cloth, so he hadn't been wearing bandages around his head for the past few days.
He was very glad he wasn't wearing them. Watching the anime, Guy's outfit and hair were just funny, but it was different when the person was right in front of you. It was like your best friend cosplaying Guy—tight jumpsuit, bowl cut, and a slightly prominent "package"—wanting to go shopping with you. The mere thought made Tonbo's scalp tingle.
He definitely won't recognize me, Tonbo prayed. Guy surely wouldn't recognize that his former classmate was actually a major heartthrob.
Tap, tap, tap!
"Yo! It's Tonbo! Long time no see! Want to join me for a soul-stirring handstand race?"
The terrifying moment happened. Guy suddenly turned his head toward him, smiling with a literal glint off his white teeth.
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