Silence reigned within the conference room.
Mitokado Homura's gaze swept across the table, his expression unreadable. "Jonin Shoji. Do you have any thoughts?"
"Uh..."
Watanabe Shoji, the Head of the Education Division and the man responsible for coordinating the majority of the Academy's faculty, stiffened. Being singled out, he had no choice but to brace himself and pick up his report.
"I believe... perhaps we could reduce the expenditure on ninja tools," Shoji suggested tentatively.
Seated at the very end of the table, Yagyu Masahiko remained silent. He played the part of the diligent scribe perfectly—a mute observer whose only purpose was to record the minutes.
'Speaking up in a meeting like this represents nothing but offend people,' he thought.
However, Homura didn't respond immediately.
A moment later, Masahiko sensed a shift in the atmosphere. Homura's gaze was lingering on him for a beat too long.
'Don't tell me...'
Masahiko's heart sank, and he immediately began formulating a contingency plan. Although he had an idea ready, he kept his head down, continuing to write furiously as if he hadn't noticed the attention.
But fate, it seemed, was unavoidable.
"Masahiko. You're a young man. Your mind is more flexible than us old bones. What do you think?"
Homura had called his name.
'Just as I thought.'
Masahiko let out an imperceptible, soundless sigh. He stood up, bowed respectfully to the assembly, and only then spoke. "I agree with Shoji-senpai's proposal. The budget for ninja tools can indeed be trimmed."
"Ninja tools..." Homura sighed softly, shaking his head. "Even if we cut that, it won't be nearly enough. Is there anything else?"
The entire room turned to look at him, their faces filled with expectation.
'Throwing the dirty work that offends people onto the new guy...' Masahiko maintained a polite smile on his face, while his inner thoughts were far less cordial. 'You absolute scumbags.'
"I do have a somewhat immature idea," Masahiko said modestly. "However, I am not fully versed in all of the Village's regulations..."
"No matter," Homura waved his hand dismissively. "This is a brainstorming session. There are no taboos here."
As the advisor assisting the Hokage with the village's finances and the liaison to the Daimyō's mansion, this matter fell squarely within Homura's jurisdiction. Naturally, he was the most invested in solving the deficit.
Masahiko bowed slightly again. "Homura-sama, if I recall correctly, there are several orphanages on the outskirts of the village?"
"There are. But..." Homura's eyes narrowed, his expression sharpening instantly. "That budget cannot be touched."
Around the table, the other Jonin leaned back in their chairs, looks of genuine surprise on their faces.
'Embezzling from the orphans? Now that is a ruthless man!'
Masahiko quickly clarified, "I have no intention of touching their funding. Rather, I was wondering—could the labor and tasks required by the orphanages be outsourced to our Academy?"
"Hm?" Homura's eyes lit up. He sat up straighter. "Explain this 'outsourcing'."
"We can frame it as 'Mission Training' or 'Practical Exercise,'" Masahiko answered with practiced deference. "We mobilize the students to participate in labor, helping the surrounding orphanages complete tasks that would otherwise require paid expenditure. This way, we do not occupy the village's official D-Rank mission quota, nor do we misappropriate other funds. Simultaneously, it generates revenue for the school..."
"Yes... Although the amount wouldn't be massive, it is certainly a viable direction," Homura mused. "There are other internal village tasks that could utilize a similar method."
The door to Homura's mind had been kicked open, and ideas began to flood in. The corner of his mouth curled into a satisfied smile. "You see? The young ones really do have agile minds. He came up with a solution just like that!"
"Indeed, the future belongs to the youth," the others chimed in, eager to agree.
Masahiko exhaled a long breath, preparing to sit back down, when Watanabe Shoji spoke up. "Masahiko-kun, if you have any other ideas, please feel free to share them?"
'Give you an inch and you want a mile?'
"Senpai, coming up with just that one idea took everything I had. I really..." Masahiko put on a troubled expression.
Crucially, the one asking wasn't Homura, so Masahiko had plenty of room to refuse.
Shoji sighed lightly and nodded. "Fair enough. Please, sit."
"Yes!"
Masahiko resumed his seat. The meeting concluded in a chaotic discussion, yet by the end, Masahiko's suggestion remained the only actionable outcome. The specific implementation would require further negotiation with the village administration.
Leaving the conference room, Masahiko let out a breath of relief and walked briskly toward the stairwell.
He hadn't made it more than a few seconds before a voice called out from behind.
"Masahiko, wait a moment!"
'Damn. It's Homura.'
He stopped, turned, and offered a respectful bow. "Mitokado-sama, do you have instructions for me?"
Homura caught up with quick steps. "No need for formalities. You came up with an excellent solution. I must thank you."
"Everything I do is for Konoha," Masahiko replied smoothly. "And... frankly, it also concerns my own salary."
Homura chuckled. "Cutting costs is never as good as generating new revenue. Your method is sound. However, regarding the compensation for the students participating in these activities... do you have any suggestions?"
"We should offer small cash rewards as a stimulus," Masahiko said in a lowered voice, his tone pragmatic. "It will help them establish the mindset that executing missions equals earning money. However, we don't need to give them much. After all, these tasks are generally not difficult, and the school is already bearing the burden of their security."
"Mm!" Homura nodded gently, a plan forming in his mind.
He patted Masahiko on the shoulder. "You are very clever, and you are hardworking and responsible. The village will not let a good seedling like you remain buried. Keep up the good work!"
"Yes, sir!" Masahiko responded, feigning excitement.
He waited until Homura had walked away before allowing himself to head downstairs, still wearing a look of joy for anyone watching.
It wasn't until he returned to the privacy of his own home that Masahiko dropped the mask.
'There isn't a single benevolent soul among the upper management of the Ninja Academy,' he thought coldly. 'Every one of them is full of bad water, just waiting to trick someone else into jumping into the fire.'
He refused to be the one who offended people unnecessarily. Bringing up the orphanages was a last resort, but it served a dual purpose. It solved the "task" assigned by the leadership, and it would give him a legitimate reason to observe Yakushi Kabuto's current attitude.
Two birds, one stone.
'However...' Masahiko sat down, his mind drifting to the timeline. 'The Twelve Guardian Ninja haven't collapsed yet?'
'It should be happening soon.'
Naruto and Sasuke were currently over seven years old. They would turn eight in less than a year. Graduation was at twelve, leaving a gap of four or five years.
Within these next few years, several major events were slated to occur.
Masahiko mentally listed them: The Uchiha Clan Massacre, the collapse of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Itachi and Biwa Jūzō's assassination attempt on the Fourth Mizukage, the drastic changes in the Hidden Mist...
'According to the barrage comments from the "audience," the Kishimoto of the real world hasn't drawn much further ahead. It's unlikely the system will broadcast the main storyline directly.'
'The Twelve Guardian Ninja...'
As Masahiko recalled the plot, he had a strong intuition. If there was going to be follow-up content broadcast to the "Real World," there was a high probability it would involve the Twelve Guardian Ninja arc.
But that was at least six months to a year away. He didn't need to worry about it just yet.
"Right. I should ask someone who goes out on missions regularly."
Masahiko left his house and wandered through the village. It didn't take long to spot a suitable target.
At a dango shop in the distance, someone had just ordered several skewers of dumplings.
He walked closer.
A familiar grin, a plate of dango, and that iconic fishnet mesh suit.
Masahiko approached. "Anko. Back in the village?"
"Yeah!" Mitarashi Anko bit into a dumpling, then looked up, scanning him. "I heard you got promoted?"
"Mm. I'm a Tokubetsu Jonin now, working as a Teaching Consultant at the Academy," Masahiko nodded.
Anko's eyes rolled mischievously. She leaned in closer. "My hands have been itching lately. Want to go out and spar?"
Masahiko feigned confusion. "Didn't you just get back from a mission outside? You're still itching for a fight after that?"
"Don't even mention it!" Anko groaned, looking exasperated. She leaned against the window counter, pouring out her grievances. "I thought it would be a decent mission, but the client was a stomach-turning profiteer. I had to hold back my nausea just to complete the job..."
She shook her head in disgust.
Hearing this, Masahiko understood immediately. As a ninja, not every mission aligned with one's moral compass. It largely depended on who was paying, and encountering unsavory situations was inevitable.
"What kind of profiteer?"
"Some noble's entourage from the Land of Fire, colluding with a crooked merchant from the Land of Waves. They're planning to monopolize business in that region... Ugh!"
Anko sighed heavily. "Forget it. We can't control that much anyway. Come on, come on! Let's go fight!"