Konoha Orphanage.
Five-year-old Kintarou woke up exceptionally early today.
The sunlight outside the window had just started to shine, thin and cold, like the somewhat cooled egg yolk he hadn't finished eating.
"Mom Nonou!"
After changing his clothes, he saw Nonou Yakushi at the door and immediately shouted.
"Call me sister."
Nonou frowned and corrected him.
She walked up to Kintarou, tidied up his collar, and patted his chest and back. The wrinkles on his clothes smoothed out instantly.
"Sister."
Kintarou shouted reluctantly. He preferred to call her mom, but Nonou didn't like it. She hadn't even fallen in love or gotten married yet.
"Go wake the others up."
Nonou knew what was on his mind and helplessly tapped his forehead.
"Okay."
Kintarou jumped out of bed, quickly put on his shoes, and then ran down the corridor shouting, "Get up! The sun is shining on your back!"
He learned this line from the dean, Haruki.
The morning became lively.
Nonou and the other caregivers brought out milk, bread, eggs, and steamed buns. Then they placed them on a ten-meter-long table in the brightly-lit hall.
A moment later, nearly a hundred children gradually filled three long tables.
At Nonou's order, breakfast began.
The fireplace crackled merrily, driving away the gentle chill of April.
"Don't be picky eaters."
Nonou paced around the tables like a patrolman. "Kintarou, if you dare not to eat your egg yolk today, I'll tell Lord Haruki."
"I'll eat it!"
Kintarou shivered. Dean Haruki was really nice to them, but he was super strict when there were problems.
When he got angry, he was even scarier.
He took a deep breath, bit off half of the egg yolk, and quickly gulped down a mouthful of milk.
His expression was so agonized, as if he was making a life-or-death choice.
Nonou nodded in satisfaction.
When Haruki first approached her and said he wanted to open an orphanage, she thought he was just acting on a whim.
But she was surprised by the amount of support he provided.
These little kids were living happier lives than she had when she was a child.
She remembered what Haruki often said: never let the children suffer.
She had to admit that Lord Haruki was really kind-hearted.
With Nonou keeping a close eye, the happy breakfast ended.
"Dean Haruki has given you a duty."
She cleared her throat, and her voice immediately caught the children's attention.
Hearing the name Haruki again, they all got a bit excited.
Children in the Naruto world matured earlier.
They clearly knew who had brought them their present lives. Being able to help Haruki was simply a top priority.
Nonou didn't waste any time and directly brought out a stack of newspapers.
"Today's classes are cancelled and replaced with social practice. These newspapers were started by your Dean Haruki. Each newspaper is worth ten ryo, and one ryo of that will be your pocket money. The more you sell, the more pocket money you'll get."
"Yeah!"
"Great!"
"Long live the dean!"
"..."
Cheers erupted instantly.
A bowl of ramen costs sixty ryo, and the lowest pay for a D-rank duty is five thousand ryo. One ryo may not be much, but when accumulated, the amount is considerable.
Moreover, as orphans, they don't have any significant sources of income.
Of course, money is secondary. The most important thing is being able to help the dean.
"I'll take a hundred servings!" When it was Kintarou's turn, he raised a finger and said.
"Can you carry all that?" Nonou asked skeptically.
"Sis, don't underestimate me!"
Kintarou rolled up his sleeves, clenched his fists, and flexed his biceps.
"The dean said that I can enter the Ninja Academy during the next enrollment."
Nonou was amused by his tiny muscles.
However, she was a bit surprised.
Becoming a ninja is not difficult, but it demands a significant amount of resources and time.
To get better returns, the five major ninja villages have basically abandoned ordinary civilians with average talent and instead chosen ninja families with both bloodlines and talent.
Large clans like the Uchiha are almost the same.
Those who haven't awakened their Sharingan either marry within the clan or engage in business activities to earn money to support the clan.
Since Haruki said so, Kintarou must have good talent.
She distributed all the newspapers and then sent someone to inform Haruki that they would send people to ensure their safety.
Nonou curiously picked up a newspaper.
The most eye - catching part had the words 'Konoha Daily' written in large characters.
The newspaper smelled of ink. It was forty-two centimeters long and thirty centimeters wide, divided into four sections.
The name of the first section was "Konoha and the Hokage".
Nonou quickly scanned the content.
The first part described Konoha's victory in the war against Sunagakure. But in the second half, it mentioned Jiraiya's new book.
There was a picture in the middle.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was holding a book and reading under the warm yellow light. His profile looked extremely serious.
Below was a line of small words:
The new book by the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya! A highly acclaimed novel that the Hokage can't stop reading day and night!
Nonou suddenly had a strong urge to go on a shopping spree.
Both Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi were role models among ninjas.
She suppressed the sudden thought and continued reading.
The next three sections were about food, people's livelihood, and fictional stories.
Nonou was really impressed. She didn't even know that there were so many interesting things in Konoha.
The fluctuation of grain prices, vegetables from the Land of Rain, a newly opened restaurant, a ramen shop hosting an eating contest, a genin who stole a chicken and was chased by it, and the mermaid legend in the distant sea of the Land of Water.
With its unique content and the orphans humming 'La la la! La la la! I'm a little newsboy expert', the 'Konoha Daily' circulated through the streets and alleys, like flickering sparks merging in the night sky.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also got a copy of the newspaper.
He was puffing on his pipe, and his eyes looked a bit dazed.
When Haruki asked him to cooperate with the promotion yesterday, he didn't mention that he would come up with something like this.
However, the first section was very much to his liking.
It mentioned his foresight during the war and his firm arguments in the negotiations.
He was portrayed in a very glorious image.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated slightly. Instinctively, he felt that such a thing should be in his hands.
"This kid always comes up with new tricks. It's really a headache."
He shook his head with a smile but ultimately did nothing.
He was now at the peak of his power. He could handle Tanzo, not to mention these matters.
For now, this newspaper didn't do him any harm.
...
The Uchiha Clan's Territory.
Less than a day had passed, and Mikoto Uchiha had already deeply felt the change in her clan towards her.
Especially the clansmen of her generation.
Their looks at her were both curious and fearful.
As Minato Namikaze's fame spread, Mikoto Uchiha, as his teammate, just like Kushina Uzumaki, caught people's attention.
It was also confirmed that she had fought the Jinchuriki of the Eight - Tails with her Three - Tomoe Sharingan.
Now, she and Fugaku Uchiha were hailed as the two great geniuses of the Uchiha Clan.
This was a change she hadn't anticipated.
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