Once again, I found myself heading back to Konoha's administrative center - third time's the charm, I guess. I figured they'd remember me by now - and sure enough, a few officials nodded as I walked by.
"Hello, Homuri-san, how are you doing?" I greeted one of them.
"Hello, Akira-san, right? I'm well. What can I help you with today?" I asked him where I could submit a mission request for the village, and he immediately sent me up to the second floor to see a certain Maimitsu Nara.
He was an older man, easy to find, with his own office.
After I explained what kind of mission I needed, I paid 1,500 ryo for the creation of a D-rank mission. Creating a C-rank mission cost 10,000 ryo, B-rank was 50k, A-rank 100k, and S-rank a whopping 300k. But for anyone to actually take the mission, you also had to specify the reward and pay the full deposit up front. So I wrote down 15,000 and handed over the money.
From what I'd gathered, people in the village often requested D-rank missions when they needed something done quickly. That's exactly what I needed - to have that old house demolished. There's no one faster than a couple of genin and their sensei when it comes to demolition.
For a D-rank mission, the reward usually went up to 50k. I figured for 15k, there'd definitely be a team happy to smash up a house instead of doing boring chores. And I was right - the very next day, just after lunch, there was a knock at my door.
"Hello, Akira-san, my name is Tetsuya Hayakawa. I'm the leader of Team 47, and we've decided to take on your mission." The man in a chunin or maybe jonin vest gave a short bow, with three young guys behind him practically radiating enthusiasm.
"Oh, good afternoon, nice to meet you. Come in, let's talk over a cup of tea and then I'll show you the house." The teacher didn't mind, and judging by their faces, the genin probably weren't used to this kind of thing - villagers didn't exactly love shinobi, even if they didn't show it openly.
Once my guests were settled with tea, I explained the mission in detail, making it clear that destructive fire jutsu and any other techniques that could damage neighboring houses or endanger people on the street were strictly off-limits. The sensei accepted that right away, and the genin looked a little disappointed - but as soon as I brought out three sledgehammers, their youthful energy came roaring back. I showed them the house plans and where to start, then led them to the site.
"So, if you don't want the top floor to collapse on you, start from the top. Stack the wood in a pile on that cart - once it's full, someone needs to haul it somewhere safe, away from people, and burn it. Any questions?"
"Nope!" (x3) With happy faces and sledgehammers in hand, the genin leapt onto the roof.
"Please, keep an eye on them."
"Don't worry, Akira-san, not a single house or person will be harmed on my watch."
"I'm more worried about the boys - the house is pretty fragile. Anyway, just level the place, and when you're done, you know where to find me." Wishing them luck, I left.
Imagine my surprise when that same team showed up at my door by evening. I'd thought they'd need at least until lunch the next day.
Together, we went to check the results, and seeing nothing left where the house had been, I happily signed off on the mission. They even returned the rented cart and sledgehammers themselves.
I may not have a degree in architecture, but I managed to sketch a decent design project in one evening - even bought a big sheet of drawing paper. All that was left was to find an architect to polish it up and a crew to build it. Unfortunately, tearing things down is a lot easier than building them, or I'd have hired the genin team again.
The next two days, I searched for an architect willing to take on the job. The first two I found were either too busy or just didn't want to bother, and the third just didn't like my design - apparently, it was "weird." But if you keep looking, you'll find what you need. I finally found someone experienced who actually admired my design, so I hired him on the spot. He even promised to find a crew himself, and we agreed to meet at the future restaurant site in three days.
When I did the math at home, I was horrified - after buying the apartment, furnishing it, and purchasing the land, I had about 1.7 million ryo left. After this, I'd be down to maybe 600-800k, and then I'd still have to buy equipment, leaving me with less than 400k. Depressing, but I hoped the profits would quickly make up for it - at least, that's what I told myself.
Three days later, I met the architect, who had finished the house project and brought the construction crew and foreman I'd already spoken to.
We spent an hour discussing the building process, and the foreman promised they'd finish in four weeks. Luckily, the foundation was already there - otherwise, it could have taken three or four months.
"Man, I just know I'll be flat broke by the time the restaurant opens."
Back home, I took a shower and changed into my kimono. Tucking a canvas under one arm and a box tied with a ribbon in the other, I knocked on my neighbors' door with my foot.
"Oh, big brother Akira! What's that? Is it my present? Let me see, let me see!" Naruko was bouncing at the door as she let me in.
"Naruko, let's let our guest in first," Kushina said, coming to the door and giving me a warm smile.
"Well, Naruko, as promised, here's my thank you for your help." I handed her the box, and she immediately jumped up with her gift and started opening it. "And this is for you, Kushina-san - as promised, your portrait." It was covered with a silk cloth to keep dust off the canvas.
"Akira-san, honestly, you didn't have to," she said, but a personal portrait isn't the kind of gift you turn down, so she accepted it anyway.
"Oh, it's nothing. As an artist, it's my hobby to capture the most beautiful things I've ever seen on canvas." Blushing a little at my own compliment, Kushina carefully removed the cover.
"Wow! I'll be right back!" Naruko dashed off to her room.
"It's beautiful," Kushina sighed, gazing at the portrait. In it, she was wearing a violet floral kimono, her face turned thoughtfully toward the viewer, one hand resting on her chin - a habit I'd noticed - and in the other, she held a sunflower. The sunflower was a symbol of longevity, family ties, and love - exactly how I saw this woman. "I don't even know what to say..." she continued, still mesmerized.
"Mom, look!" Naruko came back into the living room, wearing her new outfit.
Honestly, that orange jumpsuit Naruto always wore made me sick. Seriously, what kind of ninja wears orange? It's like screaming, "HEY, LOOK AT ME! I'M HIDING HERE!" In this world, it just gave me cognitive dissonance. On Naruko, the jumpsuit looked a little cuter since it showed off her stomach, but still, that color...
Naruko strutted around like a model, spinning to show off her new costume, which I'd designed and had custom-made. For a ninja, stealth is everything, so the suit was black. Yeah, I know black stands out too, and maybe khaki would be better, but it's still better than orange! Comfort is also key for a ninja, and what's more comfortable than Guy's stretchy suit? Just kidding - or maybe not.
The fabric was the same, but black. And since girls might feel a bit awkward in a full bodysuit, I added a short skirt like Sakura's, but in gray. On top, there was an extra layer of tough blue fabric with metal plates sewn in over the vital organs, and the same fabric and plates on the forearms. And to make Naruko happy, I had an orange Uzumaki clan symbol sewn over the heart - I figured without that, she'd keep wearing her orange disaster.
"It really suits you," Kushina said, looking her over.
"Yeah! As soon as I saw myself in the mirror, I fell in love with it. Thank you, Akira." She jumped into my arms, catching me off guard for a second. But I quickly recovered and gently patted her head. For a moment, I thought - this must be what it feels like to have a little sister.
"Anytime," I replied with a genuine smile. It's nice to get gifts, but it's even better to give them to people you care about. Sure, it's weird to give such gifts to strangers, but for me, someone who grew up on Naruto, these people felt closer and more familiar than most of my own relatives.
"Go change now, or you'll get your present dirty at dinner," Kushina said, shooing the pouting girl off to her room.
"Being around her always lifts my mood," I admitted honestly. It was impossible not to smile when you saw Naruko.
"Thank you for caring, Akira," Kushina said, looking deep into my eyes. I felt myself getting lost in those beautiful sapphires. "Oh, sorry," she blushed, stepping back and letting go of my hands, which she'd been holding. I hadn't even noticed, and I blushed too.
The awkwardness in the room was broken by Naruko, who came running back a minute later to eat and share the latest academy gossip.
I told them about the restaurant construction starting, and the girls congratulated me. Unlike my first visit, this time the conversation was warmer - that's what gifts do to people.
In the middle of all the chatter, Naruko started talking about her favorite place and, realizing what she'd said, immediately offered to treat me to ramen one of these days.
"Well, if you talk it up that much, I have to check it out. Sure, until the restaurant's finished, I'm free any day."
"Yay!" Naruko beamed, whether at my answer or something else, I couldn't tell.
"Crap, did I just ask him out on a date? What do I do now? Dattebayo," Naruko was thinking.
When you're a guest - unless you're at your best friend's place - you shouldn't stay more than an hour, so I soon took my leave.
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Thank you so much for the power stones! I really appreciate the support!