Kirito stepped back, freeing himself from Anko's grip, and said angrily, "What else do you want from me? I didn't even touch the money for myself—it was used for compensation! What more do you want?!"
Anko scratched her head awkwardly, then tossed an envelope toward him. "I was wrong last night. Your house is rented, so… here, this is your compensation." She paused, leaned forward, and pinched his cheek with a smirk. "But saying thank you is another matter!"
"Alright, alright," Kirito sighed. "I'll give you a big gift later."
He took the envelope and his own reward, then said, "Come on, why don't you get ready? Let's go out and grab a bite."
"Okay!" Anko nodded excitedly. "I want three-colored meatballs!"
On the crisp autumn street, Kirito helplessly held a skewer of dango, chewing with an exasperated look.
Though delicious, this was his first time eating them as a main meal.
"Mmm~ so good!"
Mitarashi Anko's eyes curved into crescents of joy as she enjoyed her dango with complete satisfaction.
Kirito glanced at her and couldn't help but smile.
When Anko-senpai was angry, she was as dangerous as a viper. But when happy, she was as adorable as a cat that just stole a fish. She might act careless, but she was sharper than most.
"Hey, little Kirito," Anko said, noticing his gaze. "Am I really that pretty? You've been staring at me for ages."
Kirito blinked, then rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're the beauty of Konoha—the most beautiful woman in the Five Great Nations."
"Eh…" Anko looked flustered. "You're exaggerating. The most beautiful woman in the Five Great Nations? That's a bit much, don't you think?"
He actually took it seriously? Kirito sighed. Truly one of a kind. He popped another dango into his mouth to change the subject.
When Anko finished hers, her eyes drifted longingly toward his. With a resigned sigh, Kirito handed over the rest.
As he ate, Kirito mentally calculated—he had only ten days left before his security deposit was due. The royalties from his novel hadn't come yet, so his only option was to take on missions.
And his rent was coming up too…
"Hey, little Kirito, what are you doing later?" Anko asked with her mouth full.
Kirito straightened up. "I'm heading to the Hokage Building to take a few D-rank missions. I need the money for my deposit. If I don't pay it, I'll be kicked out of the village."
"Deposit?" Anko frowned. "But if you go through the Hokage Building, they'll take fifty percent of your reward. Isn't that too slow?"
Without his system, it really was.
Kirito shrugged. "There's no choice. I'm not a Konoha ninja. That's the rule."
Anko suddenly grinned. "I'm free today. How about I join you for a mission?"
Kirito's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course! But you have to finish Hidden Village Love Story soon." She snapped her fingers. "Besides, if I take the mission, there won't be any rank restrictions. You won't have to go through the selection process. How's that?"
If he got lucky with a B-rank task, the payout would more than cover his deposit.
Kirito nodded immediately. "Deal! After the mission—and after I pay the deposit—I'll treat you to a meal!"
"Three-colored meatballs!" Anko declared.
"Fine, not just three colors—four, five, however many you want."
The two laughed, ready to head out, when Anko suddenly stopped him. "Wait! One more thing!"
"What now?" Kirito asked, puzzled.
Anko cracked her joints. "I have to test your skills first. Otherwise, I won't know what kind of mission we can take. Let's find an open space."
Kirito agreed. After all, while he was qualified for festival security, that didn't mean he was ready for tougher jobs.
Opening his map, he saw a small glowing dot marking Anko's position—then came the system prompt.
"Ding-dong! Mission triggered: Sparring!"
Mission Description: Only the strong survive! Prove your strength through combat!
Mission Objective: Survive for five minutes in the sparring match!
Reward: Stand: Crazy Diamond (One-time use)
Kirito's eyes widened.
Crazy Diamond! The Stand that could repair anything—as long as nothing was missing, it could restore it perfectly.
A battle Stand with healing powers… even if it was one-time use, it was incredible support!
Kirito's blood burned with excitement. Five minutes. I just need to hold on for five minutes!
Anko noticed his eager grin and laughed. "Oh? Fired up already? Come on, then. Let's find a training ground!"
Her chakra flared at her feet as she sprinted forward. "Try to keep up!"
Kirito quickly focused his chakra and ran after her toward the nearest training area.
Meanwhile, in the back mountain of the Ninja Academy—
"Guy-sensei! I've done one thousand squats!" Rock Lee shouted, dripping sweat.
"Oh, really?!" Might Guy called out, jumping into a handstand. "Then start your one thousand push-ups! Youth burns brighter through effort!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee yelled, his voice brimming with energy.
Nearby, Hatake Kakashi was walking by, nose buried in Intimate Paradise. Lost in the pages, he didn't realize he'd wandered into the training ground.
As soon as he heard Guy's booming "YOUTHFUL" voice, he turned, ready to escape—but was stopped.
"Kakashi! Let's have a manly duel!" Guy shouted, blocking his path.
Kakashi sighed. "Guy, not now. Maybe next time."
Before he could sneak away, another voice called out.
"Hey, Kakashi? Guy? What are you two doing here? No missions today?" Anko landed gracefully, spotting her old comrades.
Guy rubbed his neck. "I'm teaching the graduating class for now, so I'm off duty."
Kakashi put away his book quickly. "I just finished an S-rank mission. I'm taking a short break."
"Sister Anko! Why are you so fast?" Kirito arrived seconds later, gasping for air. "Are we racing or something?"
Anko smirked. "No, you're just too slow!"
Kirito noticed Kakashi and Guy and greeted them. "Brother Guy, long time no see."
"Haha! Finally came out of hiding, huh?" Guy grinned and pulled Kakashi closer. "This is my eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi!"
Kirito nodded politely. "Hello, Kakashi-senpai. I'm Kirito—currently staying in Konoha."
"Oh, hello," Kakashi replied curtly, clearly not one for small talk.
Anko gestured for space. "I'm sparring with Kirito, so could you two step back a bit?"
"Sparring?" Guy raised an eyebrow. "You're taking him on missions?"
"Exactly. I just need to test his strength first," Anko said, smiling. "Now, clear the field."
Guy and Kakashi stepped back, giving them room.
Anko looked at Kirito and said confidently, "You attack first. Otherwise, you might not get the chance."
Kirito didn't doubt her strength for a second. Forming hand seals, he shouted, "Multi Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Seven Kiritos appeared in a row!
"Huh? Multi Shadow Clone?" Guy and Kakashi exchanged glances, surprised.
That technique required an enormous amount of chakra—it was a Forbidden Jutsu!
Anko grinned lazily, hands on her hips. "Multiple Shadow Clones, huh? Not bad… but still too weak!"
End of the chapter.