"Then I really have to mention the Uchiha clan. Those people are truly kindhearted!"
The brawny man's eyes lit up the moment he mentioned the Uchiha.
"They saw that the old man's family was struggling, and they'd help him out from time to time!"
He had also received kindness from the Uchiha in the past, which is why he held deep respect for them.
Because of that, he was very proactive in helping carry out Genya's request, and his expression was full of sincerity.
"If the Uchiha are that great, why don't you raise more pigs like that old man?" the two others still wouldn't let it go and kept questioning.
"Heh, I've got hands and feet, don't I?" the man said seriously. "Why should I take advantage of the Uchiha's kindness? That old man has had a hard life. He even has to raise his grandson!"
"Is that so?" The two still didn't quite believe it and asked again.
"Of course it's true." The man nodded earnestly, seriousness in his eyes.
"Alright, we get it." The two looked at each other. Although doubt still lingered on their faces, despair was taking over.
If they really had to pay back 360,000 ryo, they'd be completely ruined.
They continued asking a few nearby livestock farmers, but every answer was exactly the same—as if they were all reading from the same script.
In the end, the two left the farming area with ashen faces.
"Old sir, we should get going too. Next time we meet, we'll be here to give you your compensation."
Genya looked seriously at the old man as he spoke.
"I don't want compensation. I don't need it." The old man shook his head.
"You have to take it." Genya replied firmly. "If you don't, all my efforts will be in vain, and I'll even end up offending people."
With that said, Genya didn't want to argue any further and turned to leave.
As usual, his next stop was to say goodbye to Hinata.
But before they parted ways, Genya looked at her and said, "Hinata, you've been training in taijutsu too, right? Want to join us for practice tomorrow?"
"Can I join too?" Hinata blinked, looking at Genya a little timidly. "Can I really train with you?"
Actually, every morning Hinata would watch Genya and the others circle around Konoha through her Byakugan from her own courtyard. She was training too!
When she saw Neji training alongside Genya, she even felt a bit jealous. She wanted to train with Genya as well, but because of her father, she never had the chance.
For some reason, her father always looked down on Genya and often spoke badly about him in front of her.
Hmph, Genya-kun is so outstanding. She didn't believe a word her father said!
Now that she was teammates with Genya and training together, her father probably wouldn't stop her anymore.
"Of course... you can join anytime!" Genya smiled and invited her.
"Alright, I'll be on time tomorrow!" Hinata nodded and then ran home happily.
"Can I join too?" Shino Aburame spoke up at this moment.
"Sure!" Genya nodded. With Shino's relatively weak body, training was definitely necessary.
"In that case, rest tomorrow, and we'll gather the day after to take on missions!" Kurenai said kindly.
Then she left, leaving only Genya and Shino walking deeper into Konoha.
"How are my insects doing?" Shino looked at Genya with some worry in her voice. "Any progress?"
"Don't rush. There's a direction for evolution now. If the experiment succeeds, it'll definitely surprise you!" Since the research just started, they naturally had to wait.
Shino was too anxious, but if it was his precious treasure lent out, he'd be anxious too.
Especially since those parasitic insects were Shino's lifeline!
"I see," Shino Aburame only wanted to ask about the situation, but when he heard there was an evolution path, his heart stirred.
Now he was even more eager to see how far Genya would evolve his insects.
After discussing some information about the parasitic bugs, the two parted ways.
Hokage's Office.
Asuma Sarutobi and Hiruzen Sarutobi were reporting on the progress of training the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, while Asuma's younger brother, Eisuke, listened attentively beside them.
Actually, ever since Asuma returned, Eisuke had become the deputy head of the Police Force.
Of course... Asuma didn't have time to manage the Police Force now, so Eisuke handled it.
However, he had to report daily to Hiruzen and Asuma.
"Asuma, the Ino-Shika-Cho combination has great potential. You must train them well," Hiruzen warned again, worried Asuma might lose patience.
"Got it!" Asuma nodded casually, puffing on his cigarette.
When no one else was around, he was quite relaxed with his old man.
Knock knock knock...
Suddenly, the door was knocked, followed by trembling voices from outside: "Is the Hokage in?"
Hiruzen frowned at the sound, a bad feeling rising in his chest, but he lowered his voice and said, "Come in."
The two who had been tricked heard Hiruzen's voice, then nervously pushed the door open and stepped inside.
As soon as they entered, they dropped to their knees.
"Third Uncle... no, Hokage-sama, please help us!"
"What's the matter? Stand up and speak," Hiruzen said, frowning at these somewhat familiar clan members.
Asuma also looked at them and asked, "What happened to you two?"
"Brother Asuma, Hokage-sama, it seems we've been tricked by those Uchiha brats!" The two sobbed as they told Asuma and Hiruzen the whole story with tears streaming down their faces.
"Stop crying. Tell me clearly," Hiruzen scolded them, frowning.
"This is what happened!" The two didn't dare hide anything and recounted every detail.
"You waited three days before investigating. The Uchiha brat had everything planned long ago!" Hiruzen snorted coldly.
He was too smart; from the moment they started talking, he knew they had been tricked.
Genya, that little brat, tricked us out of a hefty sum—360,000 ryo!
Although this amount wasn't enough to seriously harm the Sarutobi clan, it definitely hurt Asuma Sarutobi's pride and wallet.
Remember, when he gave Naruto money before, it was only a few hundred or a thousand ryo at most. But this time, it was a staggering 360,000 ryo gone just like that.
"You two useless fools!" Asuma Sarutobi frowned deeply and kicked the two standing on the ground away. Then he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his father.
"Dad, what if we just deny it and refuse to pay?"
He hadn't expected these two to be so incompetent—not even able to handle such a simple matter properly.
360,000 ryo? Even if they sold both of them, it wouldn't be enough!
"Heh. Do you believe that if we say no today, tomorrow this news will spread throughout Konoha?" Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered coldly.
The Uchiha clan now was no longer what it used to be. They held significant influence in Konoha and posed a real threat to the Sarutobi clan.
If this rumor spread, the Sarutobi clan's prestige would drop sharply.
And that's not all—this mission hall might no longer belong under Sarutobi control!
"No matter what, the mission hall must remain in the hands of the Sarutobi clan!"
****
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