Naruto: Hidden Hokage

Monday morning, in the small grove outside the house.

Yorin called Kurenai to train together: she practiced genjutsu while he focused on Ninja Tool Throwing.

However, he was troubled about which three remaining ninja tools to choose.

Ninja tools varied widely, with the simplest and most commonly used being kunai, shuriken, senbon, and the windmill shuriken.

The rest came with a much steeper difficulty curve.

For example, tools like long swords, short swords, great swords, staffs, and nunchaku were far more challenging.

Explosive tags were also a type of ninja tool and relatively simple to use, but they were far too expensive for him right now.

As Yorin thought about this, his mind drifted to the idea of how to make money.

For a child, there weren't many opportunities to earn money.

After a moment of thought, an idea struck him—why not approach the bookstore owner, Tsuchibashi?

In the original storyline, Jiraiya once proudly showed Naruto his bank balance.

Though not the richest man alive, he was certainly wealthy, thanks to his bestseller, Icha Icha Paradise.

Yorin, having read countless classics in his previous life, even had a ready pen name: Thunderfire Sword.

But writing wasn't necessarily the only path forward.

Yorin ultimately decided that his last two ninja tools would be explosive tags and a long sword.

The reason for choosing the long sword was simple: Konoha-ryu Swordsmanship.

In Konoha, most swordsmanship styles were closely guarded family secrets, inaccessible to outsiders.

For example, the Hatake Sword Style.

But there was one exception: Konoha-ryu Swordsmanship.

In the original series, characters like Maruboshi Kosuke, Hayate Gekko, and Uzuki Yugao used this style.

As for the final ninja tool, Yorin had already made up his mind—he would choose the scalpel.

He figured he'd naturally learn to use it while studying Medical Ninjutsu.

"I'm going for a run, Kurenai," Yorin said suddenly, a new plan forming in his mind.

He needed money—why not ask Tsuchibashi for it?

As a spy for the Hidden Cloud, surely he was entitled to operational funds.

Running two laps through the streets, he then entered the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore.

"Agent 9527, glad to see you're still undercover," Tsuchibashi greeted him with the same peculiar warmth.

"..." Yorin's lips twitched.

Could you not jinx me like that?

"What brings you here today, Yorin? Do you have any intel for me?" Tsuchibashi asked, his face alight with curiosity.

Yorin froze for a moment.

Technically, he did have plenty of intel—secrets gleaned from the original series.

"No," Yorin replied, extending his hand confidently. "I need operational funds."

"Operational funds?"

Tsuchibashi paused, then laughed. "Ah, you mean money. Got it."

"You're just a kid, so it's fair you don't have any income yet," he mused, stroking his chin. "How about this? I'll give you five thousand ryō a month from now on."

Five thousand ryō was a small fortune for a child.

For reference, a D-rank mission started at five thousand ryō, but since the payment was split among a four-person team, most Genin took home less than a thousand ryō per mission.

"Thank you, Uncle Tsuchibashi," Yorin said, pleased with the arrangement.

After all, it was essentially free money.

"But," Tsuchibashi said with a sudden change in tone, "taking the money means you'll have to deliver results."

"Understood!" Yorin replied seriously.

"Your mission is to display your talents to their fullest at school and, upon graduation, secure a high-ranking Konoha official as your mentor."

Patting Yorin's shoulder, Tsuchibashi added, "You're currently our only hope for penetrating Konoha's upper echelons."

"I'll do my best!"

Securing Tsunade as his teacher would automatically complete this mission.

"And if you succeed, the Raikage himself will acknowledge you as his honorary disciple, granting you access to study Ninja Body Techniques," Tsuchibashi added with a grin.

Got it, Yorin thought. Classic carrot-and-stick.

But it was a pretty appealing carrot, so he didn't mind.

"Uncle Tsuchibashi," Yorin said hesitantly, "I have a friend who's interested in publishing books. Would your bookstore be willing to help?"

"Of course," Tsuchibashi replied, though he hesitated for a moment. "If he's a friend of yours, I could even offer him a fifty-fifty profit split."

"Fifty-fifty?" Yorin asked. "What's the standard arrangement?"

"Thirty-seventy. The store keeps seventy, and the author gets thirty."

Seventy percent to the store?

That's barely scraping by!

Still, for Yorin's "friend," the fifty percent split was acceptable.

"What if my friend only provides the outline and ideas but collaborates with someone else to write it?" Yorin asked, considering his limitations.

"That's a novel approach," Tsuchibashi mused, his interest piqued.

For any other author, this would be a no-go.

But Yorin, being a promising spy, was an exception worth accommodating.

"If the book sells poorly, we'd offer ten percent. If it sells exceptionally, we'd go up to forty percent."

That's a solid deal, Yorin thought, nodding in satisfaction.

"I'll bring my friend's ideas and outlines next time."

Afterward, Yorin wandered the store for a bit.

He noted that the "adult" books weren't as racy as he'd expected—just suggestive enough to toe the line.

Upon leaving the bookstore, Yorin headed to the ninja tools shop.

He inquired about the cost of explosive tags.

Explosive tags essentially stored Fire Release chakra in a seal, detonating upon activation.

They were incredibly destructive—and incredibly pricey.

Yorin discovered they came in several tiers.

The most expensive tags, capable of unleashing jonin-level Fire Release, cost over ten thousand ryō each.

These were probably what Shikamaru had bought after becoming a chunin.

The cheapest, however, were just three hundred ryō each, good for catching fish.

Needing them primarily for skill progression and being short on funds, Yorin purchased fifteen of the cheapest tags.

Even so, his new allowance of five thousand ryō dwindled to just five hundred.

Returning home, Yorin and Kurenai headed to the academy for class.

As for the explosive tags, he planned to test them in a secluded area after school.

"Just wait, Kakashi! I'll beat you in today's training!" Obito's enthusiastic challenge rang through the classroom.

"You won't even make the top ten," Kakashi replied with a disinterested glance.

"This time will be different!" Obito declared confidently. "I'll prove I'm worthy of being the future Hokage!"

The academy's curriculum included both theoretical and practical lessons.

Practical sessions weren't limited to one-on-one sparring but covered everything from jutsu training to Ninja Tool Throwing and physical conditioning.

"Ugh, physical training again? It's torture," Kurenai grumbled, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.

Yorin could sympathize.

The academy's physical training regimen was tougher than even the most grueling college fitness tests.

In their last session, both he and Obito had failed to break into the top ten.