In the game, Kaito's newbie gift pack had granted him the Op-Op Devil Fruit—modified so it had no seawater weakness.
Now only one newbie mission remained:
—Buy a house.
Requirements:
Must be 50 square meters or more
Must be inside Konoha Village
Konoha was premium land—one of the most expensive areas in the entire Land of Fire.
Its safety was self-explanatory; even when Uchiha Madara attacked decades ago, the Hokage and Hashirama fought outside the village to avoid collateral damage.
Konoha's land was a golden zone, second only to the Fire Daimyō's capital.
Even homes without land rights—just permanent residence permits—cost 60,000 ryō per square meter in remote corners of the village.
Kaito's chosen mid-village location was around 80,000 ryō per square meter.
His savings—just over four million—were exactly enough to buy a 50-square-meter single apartment.
Walking toward the Academy, Kaito mentally calculated property prices and wondered—
If I buy a house, sell it, then lose the reward, does the mission reset? Probably not.
If I sell the house and the system considers the mission failed, I lose everything. Not worth the risk.
Worse still—
Permanent residence rights do NOT cover damage from war, natural disasters, or giant-monster attacks.
Meaning:
If you worked your whole life to pay off your mortgage and then some gigantic summon creature smashed your house—
The village compensated NOTHING.
What a scam.
Finally reaching the entrance of the Fifth-Year A-Class classroom, Kaito slid the door open with a swish.
Inside—
Uchiha Mikoto had nearly fallen asleep.
Yakushi Naono looked calm, but the shadows under her eyes screamed "I'm one irritation away from homicide."
Might Duy perked up first.
"Kaito! You're here!"
"Mm. I'm here."
Kaito nodded.
His voice woke Mikoto, who wiped drool from her lips and prepared to flare up with full Uchiha pride—
But then…
Justice's face value struck her straight in the eyes.
Ah~ so dazzling~
What divine light was this~?
Years of physical conditioning had carved lean, perfect muscle lines across his arms and legs.
His damp training shirt clung just enough to suggest the shape underneath.
And the face—
Beautiful, refined, devastating.
Mikoto's eyes sparkled, unfocused, as her imagination began sprinting—
Wedding hall…
Holding hands with her instructor…
Entering the Uchiha compound together…
First night as newlyweds…
If Naono didn't interrupt soon, Mikoto would be writing baby names.
"You're Kaito? You're really slow. All the other teachers already picked up their squads hours ago."
Naono crossed her arms, unimpressed.
"As expected of a genin."
She wasn't a fangirl.
As an orphan, her priority was survival—a good teacher meant a future.
Kaito's expression grew slightly serious, though the faint smile remained in his eyes.
"Sorry. I was delayed by some matters."
"I knew it! Kaito must've run into trouble," Duy said quickly, trying to defend him.
Then he froze—
Mikoto was staring at him with a death gaze.
"You seem… very familiar with this Kaito."
"C-cough. We met a few times. Talked about training."
"Alright." Kaito cut in before the conversation spiraled further.
"This isn't the place to talk. Let's go to the roof."
Naono looked ready to continue scolding, but then she glanced over—
Mikoto now had drool at the corner of her mouth again.
Naono covered her face.
This team is doomed… If Queen Uchiha doesn't make trouble, how could a normal orphan girl dare to defy the Hokage's orders alone?
Academy Rooftop
Kaito led the way.
Behind him followed:
one lovestruck girl,
one angry girl,
and one embarrassed young man.
The rooftop garden was warm and peaceful—flowers blooming, butterflies drifting lazily in the sun.
"Yo, Kaito. Long time no see."
Leaning on the railing was Sarutobi Shinnosuke, mid-speech to his own squad.
Sitting on the steps beside him were his team:
Nara U, Yamanaka Taji, and Akimichi Yumi.
"Shinnosuke. Long time," Kaito nodded.
He hadn't expected to run into an old Academy classmate here.
Six years had passed—Shinnosuke had entered the Academy at four and graduated at ten. Now he was a full jōnin.
Kaito… was not.
"I'm done briefing my squad anyway. We'll leave the space to you."
Shinnosuke clapped his hands.
"Alright everyone, listen up! Tomorrow morning at Training Ground 76, we'll hold a survival drill. Get plenty of rest."
"Yes, sir!" ×3
His squad responded with perfect synchronization.
As they stood, Akimichi Yumi whispered to Nara U:
"U… he's so handsome…"
Nara U sighed internally.
Pretty faces don't win missions…
But even he had to admit:
Kaito's looks made their own instructor seem handcrafted by a tired artisan, while Kaito looked sculpted by a goddess who spent three days and nights perfecting him.
"Let's go buy supplies for tomorrow," Nara U said.
But halfway across the roof, they realized Yumi hadn't moved—still staring at Kaito.
Yamanaka Taji grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away before she embarrassed herself.
Shinnosuke watched the scene, smiling politely on the outside.
Inside?
"I'M HANDSOME TOO, DAMMIT!"
"It's just a slightly better-looking face! What's so special?!"
Kaito pretended not to notice his jealousy and stepped forward into the open area.
He looked at his squad—
Mikoto on the steps, Naono beside her, and Duy standing stiffly.
"Let's start with introductions," Kaito said gently.
"Tell me your dreams, your goals, even your favorite foods."
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first, sensei?"
Naono smiled sweetly, but her eyes were sharp.
Mikoto nodded eagerly.
Duy scratched his cheek.
Kaito opened his mouth—
But Shinnosuke suddenly stepped forward.
"Allow me to introduce him properly."
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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