"Huh?"
Had her old man still not come home yet?
Yuhi Kurenai craned her neck and looked out the door, puzzled.
"Kurenai, dinner's ready. Eat first," the Yuhi clan's only elder said with a long, weary sigh.
She more or less knew why the clan head didn't want to come home today.
Because today was the day the clan members came to demand funding.
The entire Yuhi clan was barely more than ten people.
Not many, but not exactly few, either.
And with their blockhead of a clan head… could he really hand out stipends?
All he could do was drag it out. Again and again.
"…Okay."
Seeing the elder's expression, Kurenai understood immediately.
Her face twisted into a grimace.
Her own household wasn't doing great, either…
They were eating out of a communal pot now.
Whether they got full was another question, but at least everyone could manage a mouthful.
Prices in Konoha had been going up lately.
The Yuhi clan had already been struggling—now they'd fallen so far they were living on mess-pot meals.
Honestly.
That old man, the Third Hokage, really had done a number on people…
"Watch your mouth."
The elder shot Kurenai a sharp glare.
Kurenai instantly shrank her neck and shut up.
In the Yuhi clan, aside from her father, the person she feared most was this elder.
Because this elder was always nagging her to get married.
Always with the same nonsense:
You're a twenty-year-old old maid already. Time to date.
Back in my day, I was pregnant at twelve—what's wrong with you?
For the sake of the Yuhi clan, even an old maid like you has to work harder.
Sure, we're poor, but our fighting strength isn't bad. So why can't you just go "recruit" a man and bring him home?
Every time it got to that point, Kurenai could only make a miserable face.
Stop chanting!
Elder, stop chanting!
She took missions day in and day out—what was she doing it for?
Wasn't it just for a little peace and quiet?
The elder narrowed her eyes.
She could tell Kurenai was dodging reality again.
A shinobi's body was built different from an ordinary person's.
In the ninja world, even civilians tended to marry young—eighteen was already considered late in a lot of places.
For shinobi, it was even earlier.
Otherwise, why would people call Konoha the village of early bloomers?
The kind of place where everyone's "mature enough" to be handed the smallest bullet.
"All right. Go persuade your useless father," the elder said, voice hard. "I'll keep today's mess under control, but he needs to show his face."
Kurenai hurriedly thanked her.
That was one of the reasons she'd always respected the elder.
She really did shoulder things.
She really did break her back for the Yuhi clan.
After the mess-pot dinner, the dozen or so clan members waited.
Waited for their blockhead clan head, Shinku, to come home.
But the longer they waited, the worse the elder's expression became.
What—did you die out there?
Yes, I said I'd help you carry today.
But you can't just not even show up!
Seeing the elder's face darken, Kurenai didn't dare make a sound.
She ran out to peek down the road several times, annoyance rising in her chest.
You're the clan head. You can't be scared of responsibility.
The sky gradually turned dark.
And the elder's face grew darker still.
Until it was practically coal-black.
Only then did a swaying figure finally stagger home—reeking of alcohol.
The moment Shinku stepped inside and saw the elder and the dozen-or-so clan members waiting in formation, the fog in his eyes cleared instantly.
Oh no.
He forgot what day it was…
Sensing the elder's fury about to erupt, Shinku immediately pretended he didn't see Kurenai's look.
He straightened up, marched forward like he owned the world, and sat down in the clan head's seat with a solemn face.
"Everyone! Today I have good news to share!"
Good news?
The elder held it in, deciding to see what kind of stunt this blockhead was about to pull.
The others exchanged glances and sighed to themselves.
The Yuhi clan is finished…
Noticing their expressions, Shinku just grinned wider.
He looked downright radiant.
"Everyone! You all know the Ninja Academy is hiring teachers."
He pointed at himself, pride practically pouring off him.
"And me!"
"And me—by sheer luck—I got hired as a Level Three teacher, with Level Two待遇!"
"My monthly pay isn't much…"
"…but it's 50,000 ryō!"
50,000 ryō—converted into yen—that was 500,000 yen.
W-what…?!
The moment those words landed, everyone there jolted.
What did he just say?
This blockhead—no, their clan head—got hired by the Academy?
The elder's eyes went wide.
She knew exactly what stage the Academy was in right now.
Their god of wealth had officially taken office.
The entire Academy had flipped its fate overnight.
Just look at the hospital—every last one of them was living like newly rich.
50,000 ryō wasn't some absurd fortune, but it was enough to get the Yuhi clan past the immediate crisis.
And besides, it wasn't like "50,000" was a hard limit.
You could rank up.
And once you added benefits and allowances, it was far more than 50,000 ryō in total.
The elder's mind started calculating at lightning speed.
Then her eyes practically turned green.
And it wasn't just her—every other clan member's eyes went green, too, like hungry wolves.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, a wave of ecstatic noise exploded through the room.
"Clan Head! Is it true?!"
"Clan Head! 50,000 ryō!"
"Clan Head! Our deficit is saved!"
"Clan Head! We still owe the rice shop 3,000 ryō—can we finally—?!"
"Bang! Bang!"
The elder slammed her palms against the tatami, vibrating with energy.
"All of you, shut it!!"
Facing those excited, frantic clan members, even the elder couldn't keep her composure.
50,000 ryō wasn't a small number.
It wouldn't make them rich—but it was more than enough to put out the fire in front of them.
And more importantly…
From here on, the Academy was going to be like the hospital. All kinds of福利待遇 would be flowing.
This money could absolutely be used to rebuild the Yuhi clan.
"Clan Head," the elder said, forcing herself back into an authoritative tone, "don't let your guard down. The Yuhi clan's burden is on your shoulders now."
Shinku almost wanted to cry.
Clan members…
We finally got a chance to turn things around.
We can finally speak loudly in Konoha now!
For a moment, several clan members grabbed abacuses and started calculating with feverish focus.
50,000 ryō!
Every single ryō had to be planned and spent with precision.
Two others started listing the clan's debts, arguing back and forth as they recited expenses and obligations.
The Yuhi clan's drive—its momentum—was back.
Watching the clan grounds come alive again, Shinku grew even more animated, telling Kurenai all about how "steady" and "composed" he'd been during his interview.
Kurenai blinked her bright eyes and didn't bother poking holes in his story.
With you being this much of a blockhead, the Academy still hired you?
Something's definitely going on in there…
(End of Chapter)
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