Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Speaking of this, Ebizo was a bit troubled again. Last time, the village was thrown into chaos because of this. Although he and Sunagawa took advantage of the situation to gain a lot of benefits, in the end, Masato chose a child from the Umegawa clan and a commoner. As a result, they accepted gifts but failed to accomplish their task, and they owed a lot of favors. If it happened again, he would really ruin his reputation. He had already planned to hand over the position to Rasa as soon as he grew up and was able to stand on his own in a few years. Rasa had a stable personality and was reliable in his work, making him a good candidate. He would have no problem supporting Sasori in the future.

So it's best to get Sasori's two teammates ready now. By then, the spots will be fixed, and the situation like last time won't happen again. Although Masato is crazy, he's incredibly sought after. Everyone knows that even if you're a pig and survive in the village for ten years, as long as Masato is still alive, you'll eventually rise to the top. Didn't you see that Kudo Yu's door was completely destroyed?

His idea was to have Rasa join the group. Since the two of them would be working together anyway, it wouldn't hurt to cultivate some chemistry beforehand. Rasa had already graduated last year, but due to special circumstances, Sunagawa had kept him by his side without pairing him up with a teammate. Now, they could make a perfect pair. However, thinking about his precious grand-nephew's sharp tongue, he wasn't sure if Rasa could handle it. Although Kinsho's defense was decent, his precious grand-nephew's sharp tongue leaned towards mental attacks, and without some mental defense, it was hard to withstand. Rasa wasn't very old either. Another option was Uzumaki Anri. At least his precious grand-nephew didn't dislike Uzumaki Anri. Although it was inconvenient for a Jinchuriki to go out, especially a Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, with Masato protecting him, the problem shouldn't be too big.

These were just his thoughts; the final decision rested with his sister, since she was the school board member and the one who called the shots at the Ninja Academy. Even he and Sunagawa couldn't interfere, as Sunagawa was just a useless honorary principal.

"...Luo Sha is alright, as for Xing Li...we'll see."

Chiyo pondered for a long time while trimming her flowers and plants. Rasa was from her maternal family, a third-generation descendant of the Rasa lineage, with a steady personality and good talent. There was nothing wrong with her.

However, she wasn't willing to become the designated granddaughter-in-law. After all, the identity of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was too risky, and Anri currently couldn't control the power of the Tailed Beast like the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. Furthermore, the characteristics of the Uzumaki clan were too pronounced, and she bore the heavy responsibility of continuing the lineage of their Miyako clan. It wouldn't be good if she suffered any setbacks or injuries that prevented her from having children...

613. White Teeth: You want to borrow money from me?

Furthermore, Sunagakure doesn't have a tradition of letting Jinchuriki go out and have fun. After all, they are Jinchuriki, and she still feels it's safer for them to stay in the village. In a couple of years, when her precious grandson can play ring toss, gets things done, and has a football team, he can have as much fun as he wants. But now, that's definitely not an option. Even with her nephew protecting her, she doesn't feel at ease. Ever since her precious son was stabbed twice, she's been extremely sensitive about this. She's unsure if her nephew has done too many despicable things, and God can't punish him, so the retribution is falling on her family. In any case, she's extremely concerned about the safety of her family now...

"Let's call Masato back first. We can discuss the selection of personnel when he returns."

Chiyo, who couldn't think of a suitable candidate, put the matter aside for the time being and said to Ebizo, "There are still a few months left. There's no rush. What if another hidden young genius like Kudo Yusaku suddenly appears? Or what if someone awakens Magnet Release or Scorch Release?"

Then there's no need for her chosen granddaughter-in-law to suffer...

........

Konoha Village, the Hatake clan.

"Why are you in Konoha instead of staying with Tsunade in Daimyo's residence? You've already been blacklisted."

Sakumo Hatake looked at Kaho, who treated this place like his own home, using it as his "dragon throne," drinking the wine left by his father, and acting like a big shot who didn't know the meaning of politeness at all, and was speechless.

Kakashi went to clean the toilet and drains again.

When he came back, this guy was the only one lounging around at home, living such a leisurely life that he wanted to kill someone. This guy had no awareness at all that he was in a remote village and was a wanted criminal.

"I came here specifically to see you. I've been researching a topic about the economic development history of the ninja world recently, so I have some questions for you."

Masato suddenly straightened his back and looked at Shiro with a serious expression. He pretended to take out a pen and a small notebook, as if he was about to take notes. He was just missing a pair of glasses to resemble the literary scholar Mitokado Homura.

"...What's the problem??"

Sakumo Hatake was completely bewildered. The history of economic development in the ninja world? What the hell is this? This guy is so sophisticated!

"Your Hatake clan has existed for at least several hundred years, but I've heard that your clan has always been small in number. So where did you get your cultivation and living resources from?"

He wasn't sure how much wealth a family like the Hatake clan possessed, and he couldn't just ask for a loan casually. Getting too direct wouldn't be good either. So, he planned to subtly inquire about the Hatake clan's financial situation first before asking. After all, Tsunade was too extravagant. Before Chiyo handed over financial control to him and Sasori's father, he realized he might not be able to support this spendthrift woman. Asking for too little would seem like disrespecting the Hatake clan, and besides, it wouldn't be enough for Tsunade to gamble everything on. But asking for too much felt awkward. Although he was shameless and despicable, he couldn't bring himself to ask someone as straightforward as White Fang...

"...Before the First Hokage established Konoha, our clans all owned some mining areas. Although our Hatake clan was small, we had servants to help manage the mines, so we weren't short of money. After the village was established, the mines were sold to the daimyo, but our clans still received some dividends every year."

Sakumo Hatake saw that he didn't seem to be showing off, and he was quite composed and professional. He suspected that this guy was probably bored with being a military commander and was preparing to switch to a civilian job, so he didn't think much of it and told him the truth. Anyway, it wasn't a secret. Almost everyone in Konoha with a bit of family history knew about this.

"Soga! Your Hatake clan also receives dividends every year. Over the years, how much wealth have families like yours accumulated?"

While pretending to listen, Shinto scribbled some words he couldn't even understand in his notebook. When he heard that these families would receive dividends every year, his eyes lit up. He looked at White Fang as if he were looking at a nouveau riche. This kind of business model was obviously the work of Senju no Uchiha. With clear separation of government and business, the families in Konoha didn't need to think about how to make money. They only needed to think about how to build and protect Konoha, since they would receive dividends every year anyway.

Meanwhile, the daimyo of the Land of Fire used these mineral resources to develop construction and industry, and no longer had to worry about internal strife. More importantly, the daimyo's prefecture could finally stand up again. During the chaotic war era, it was mostly the individual families who were in charge, and the daimyo's prefecture was practically non-existent. Now it was different. With money to develop people's livelihoods, the daimyo could gain some influence among the people of the Land of Fire, no longer just a figurehead as before. To put it nicely, he was a spiritual leader; to put it bluntly, he was nothing.

It has to be said that Master Qian Shou has been a master of political maneuvering for decades.

"I'm not too sure about other clans, but our Hatake clan has always been small in number, and since we become ninjas, we're basically self-sufficient. So our expenses have never been high, and we still have some savings. What? Is this related to your history of economic development in the ninja world? (⊙_⊙)?"

After finishing his statement, Hatake Sakumo realized something was off. This wasn't historical research; it was clearly a tax audit...

"It's nothing, I was just asking casually. I was just wondering if it would be convenient for you to lend me some money. You know how extravagant Tsunade is. I've been in the ninja world for so many years, and I've sold off all five Iwagakure members twice, so I've accumulated a small fortune. But after following Tsunade around to all the casinos in your Land of Fire for the past year, I'm now completely broke..."

Masato casually tossed aside his injured pen and notebook, then helplessly spread his hands and said...

"You want to borrow money from me?? (⊙_⊙)?"

Hatake Sakumo was stunned. Well, after all that talk, it turns out he came to borrow money.

He knew how extravagant Tsunade was, of course. Jiraiya and Orochimaru had been ripped off a lot during their S-rank missions, and even he had been ripped off quite a few times. But this guy was Sunagakure's top star. Sunagakure had plenty of money, and now this guy was coming to him to borrow money.

What the hell is this?

Isn't this like the world's richest man asking the Nine-Bag Elder of the Beggars' Sect for two dollars to take the bus...?

"Isn't it because you're closer? Running back and forth to Sunagakure is too much trouble. In short, lend it to me or not, and I'll charge you the highest interest rate. I'll pay you back once I've won over Tsunade!"

Masato patted his chest and assured him.

"...Come with me to the storeroom. -_-||"

Sakumo Hatake stared speechlessly at the sky. He doubted this guy could ever repay a girl as strong-willed as Tsunade. Paying to woo a girl? He'd never even heard of that…

Thank you all for the monthly tickets!!!

614. Following Tsunade for three days, I went hungry for nine meals.

"Wow! This is quite a small world. I didn't expect your Hatake clan to be so arrogant... Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

Following White Fang to the so-called Hatake clan's storeroom, they were immediately taken aback upon entering. There were very few banknotes; most of the items were precious knives, scissors, ninja tools, and even several lumps of chakra metal, a rare commodity in the ninja world. This stuff would be scarce even decades later, let alone before the Third Shinobi World War. The Land of Craftsmen only forged one or two chakra swords each year. It wasn't that they didn't want to forge more, but this metal was extremely rare and difficult to mine. Chakra swords were practically priceless. These few lumps of chakra metal in the Hatake clan's storeroom could probably forge several chakra swords, and even more if used to forge short-range ninja like White Fang.

There were also some dusty, old-fashioned bottles and jars piled up like trash. These things were of no use to ninjas; they were probably just for decoration at home to show off. However, they would be quite valuable if sold to professors, experts, or nobles who appreciated elegance in the daimyo's capital.

The Miyako clan also has a storehouse, and their family history is similar to the Hatake clan's. However, the storehouse is heavily guarded by Granny Chiyo to prevent them from squandering their wealth. He has never been there. He wonders how the Miyako clan's storehouse, where even the toilets are gilded, compares to the Hatake clan's. Although the Land of Wind is relatively poor, it's still covered in gold dust, so its extravagance should be considerable...

In any case, the wealth of the Hatake clan really opened his eyes.

“These have been passed down through generations of our Hatake clan. Now, only these ninja tools are still somewhat useful. The rest are just left here to take up space. There isn’t much money here, but these bottles should be worth some money if you take them to the Daimyo’s residence and sell them to the nobles. Feel free to take them.”

White Fang didn't even glance at those ancient bottles and jars, which he considered to be nothing more than trash. If it weren't for the occasional happy occasions or important events in the village where families needed to give gifts, he would have already decided to have a clearance sale. After all, there were only two people in his Hatake clan, and they didn't need these things. His retirement pension from the Anbu alone was enough to support him and his son.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll write you an IOU later."

White Fang's words sounded somewhat Versailles-esque to Masato, but now wasn't the time to be polite. Picking up girls costs money, especially girls like Tsunade... Next time he goes out, he'd better ask Rasa to get more gold dust...

......

"Was that guy really here to borrow money?"

After making off with some bottles and jars and some large sums of money from the Land of Fire in the Hatake clan's storeroom, Shinto wrote an IOU to White Fang and left. After seeing the guy off, White Fang had to go to his boss to report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two leaders of Konoha looked at Sakumo with expressions that said, "Are you kidding me?" It wasn't that they didn't believe Sakumo, but this was really a bit like a fairy tale. Shiki the Golden Lion was the leader of Sunagakure and one of the core members of the Miyako clan. It was not wrong to say that all the gold sand in the Land of Wind belonged to his family. How could someone with such wealth come to Konoha to borrow money from Sakumo?

What else could this be but a fairy tale?

"From what he's saying... Tsunade has spent almost all his money this year. Our Konoha is relatively close, isn't it..."

White Tooth shrugged and said that although there are some fairy tales, he personally saw the guy off, and the IOU could indeed prove that the guy came to borrow money.

"Hiss... Tsunade spent all of that guy's money in just one year? (⊙_⊙)"

Hearing White Fang's explanation, the three giants of Konoha were even more shocked. They took a deep breath, as Tsunade's spending power was astounding! Golden Lion was born in Sunagakure, and in terms of money alone, his wealth should be much greater than that of the Sarutobi, Utatane, and Shimura families in Konoha. However, in just one year, this spendthrift woman Tsunade had squandered it all. This was just too amazing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a strange sense of relief. Thank goodness he hadn't insisted that his clan pay off Tsunade's debts; they really couldn't have handled it...

.......

"Huh? Handsome Scorpion graduated? (⊙_⊙)?"

Shinto, who had just left Konoha and sold the Hatake clan's bottles and jars to the nobles, suddenly received a message from Ebizo via carrier pigeon.

The gist is that handsome Scorpion is about to graduate, and Chiyo asks him to return to the village to be Scorpion's nanny.

This surprised Shinto somewhat. Sasori, that kid, had always been a homebody; he'd almost forgotten that the boy was still a student at the Ninja Academy...

"What? Brother-in-law, are you getting ready to go back?"

Rope Tree, who had regained his plump figure after a year of feasting, said while gnawing on a large meat leg, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Now that his wealthy brother-in-law is gone, he'll be eating ramen every day again. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go back...

After spending a year together every day, Nawaki, who was always willing to do anything for her brother-in-law, started calling him "brother-in-law" more and more naturally. Even Tsunade got too lazy to beat him up; she'd rather spend her time gambling than beat him up.

For example, right now, when Shinto brought back the money from selling bottles and jars, Tsunade snatched the money and disappeared in a flash, her speed comparable to Senju's Flying Thunder God Technique...

"Yeah, handsome Scorpion has graduated. You really have to keep an eye on him with his sharp tongue. Take this money secretly, and don't let your older sister see it."

Nawaki's gaze sent chills down Shinto's spine. He wondered if it was because the second or first master of the Senju clan had committed too many sins that this child had to bear all the blame. He had the fate of a Senju but not the luck of one. It was bad enough that he lacked talent, but he also had to be stuck with a sister who was a gambling master.

I went three days without eating nine meals while following Tsunade...

"Brother-in-law...? (*T_T*)?"

Nawaki quickly stuffed the money into his ninja tool bag, deeply moved. If he could, he would want to go to Sunagakure with them. Although the living conditions were poor, at least they could eat meat.

"Alright, alright, it's not like we're parting ways for life. With Sasori's level, he'll probably be promoted to Chunin in half a year. I'll come find you guys when I have time."

Chiyo's summons forced him to return. Although he knew that even if he didn't go back, Sasori wouldn't suffer any major problems, even if his personality became a bit eccentric. His talent and strength were undeniable; even a Jonin could be easily outmaneuvered and killed by him. However, he had been away from the village for a year and needed to go back to collect his salary. Moreover, Chiyo still held the reins of the finances, so he had no choice but to return.

615. Part of the interior of Fengying Building is dirty.

"Lord Shinto, it's been a long time. Did you just get back?"

"Haha...yes, I was just staying in the village with nothing to do, so I went out to sketch..."

"Wow! Lord Shinto has such a refined taste!"

“…”

Walking down the main street of Sunagakure, the villagers greeted Shinto warmly, making him feel at home. Although Sunagakure's main street couldn't compare to Konoha's, the villagers were far more welcoming. The last time he went to Konoha, he was followed around by over a dozen ANBU, who practically spies on him while he bathed—they had absolutely no human warmth...

Hiruzen Sarutobi: Don't you have any self-awareness about what you've done in Konoha? (▼he▼メ)

"Have you heard? Lord Shinto is back, and he's going to be the team leader again!"

"Of course, young master Sasori is about to graduate. Besides Master Shindou, who else could be his teacher...?"

"Seriously! Who do you think are the other two lucky ones besides Young Master Scorpion this time?"

"If only it were my good-for-nothing son..."

"Forget it. Master Shindou's students have to be geniuses at the very least. Don't you have any self-awareness about what kind of material your son is made of?"

"You bastard, what did you say...?"

"........"

After Shinto left, the villagers started talking. Although there were still two months until graduation season, and Ebizo and Chiyo were only discussing it privately and hadn't really made a decision yet, today's graduation season was destined to be extraordinary because their Sunagakure's crown prince, Sasori, was graduating this year. As a renowned genius in the ninja world, his graduation naturally caused a lot of commotion compared to previous years, especially since even Shinto, who had been away for over a year, had returned. It was obvious to everyone that it was because of the crown prince's graduation.

For some reason, Masato, who never mentors students, became the team leader last time. Moreover, since this is Sasori's graduation, there's no reason for Masato not to mentor his nephew, right?