Yukinoshita Yukino's mother ate until she was full.
Yukinoshita Haruno did the same.
It had been a very long time since either of them had eaten a proper meal.
Back at the Intake House, a few mouthfuls of coarse grain had been considered sufficient.
There was no helping it.
To the kunoichi managing what they viewed as unprofitable burdens, good treatment was a waste. For outsiders who generated no value, even basic decency was considered excessive.
After finishing her meal, Haruno wiped her lips and looked over at Shimizu Kanzuki with a bright, playful smile.
He was easy on the eyes.
Young. Handsome. Capable.
From Haruno's perspective, this was a net profit.
"Lord Shimizu, my name is Yukinoshita Haruno. This is my mother, Yukinoshita Yukino. We understand that two useless women like us must have caused you trouble. But please rest assured—we will create sufficient value for you."
At the very least, more value than it costs to keep us alive.
Kanzuki merely smiled at her words and said nothing.
He was well aware that these two possessed ability—especially in business and strategy.
Unfortunately, he could not offer them that kind of platform.
In Konoha, doing business required backing.
Political backing.
Unless one created an entirely new market from scratch.
Did Kanzuki have ideas for such a "new track"?
Of course he did.
He simply had no intention of unveiling them yet.
Yukino's mother quietly observed the subtle shifts in her future master's expression.
She understood.
This was a man with ambition.
But the time was not yet ripe.
Thus she offered a gentle smile, drawing upon the etiquette she had cultivated in her previous life.
Her fitted kimono wrapped tightly around her mature, voluptuous figure.
She lowered herself onto the tatami in a full prostration, the graceful curve of her hips impossibly eye-catching.
"My lord… please show mercy…"
She was demonstrating first—setting an example for Haruno.
After all, it was Haruno's first time. A mother had responsibilities.
Haruno bristled at that implication.
Excuse me? I understand perfectly well, thank you very much!
She folded her arms, watching with stubborn defiance—
Only for her expression to clear in stunned disbelief moments later.
That big…?
She's going to die.
…
…
Inside the Hokage Tower.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was reviewing documents when a shinobi entered to report that a new mission required manpower.
Hiruzen immediately pressed his fingers to his brow.
They were short-handed.
Especially short on quality personnel.
Konoha had many genin. But the number of chūnin dropped sharply, and jōnin were rarer still.
If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have given Shimizu Kanzuki a chance so readily.
The ANBU was not a place just anyone could enter.
"Isn't Kanzuki currently on leave at home? Then perhaps—"
"Ah… about that."
The reporting shinobi hesitated.
He was also ANBU—a colleague of Kanzuki's.
"What is it? That boy Kanzuki is quite promising. He's already a chūnin."
"No, Lord Hokage, you misunderstand. That kid… he's taken in two women. At the moment, he's probably…"
Oh?
Hiruzen blinked, then burst into hearty laughter.
He had worried the boy might never settle down.
The frequency at which Kanzuki accepted missions over the past six months had been terrifying. Hiruzen had half-expected the young man to drop dead from overwork—or perish on a mission that exceeded his limits.
The reason Hiruzen assigned him the money-losing outsider-management task in the first place was partly strategic.
Surround him with women. Encourage him to build a family.
Cough.
Of course, the fact that no one else wanted the financially draining assignment had also played a role.
Still, Hiruzen felt more at ease now.
If the boy was keeping women, that meant he intended to establish roots.
And once a man had a family, he truly belonged to Konoha.
"Very well. Assign someone else. Let's trouble Kakashi this time."
He adjusted the roster.
Toward his own people—so long as their identities weren't overly sensitive—Hiruzen was generous.
Now that Shimizu Kanzuki belonged to his political lineage, there was room for consideration and flexibility.
The boy was newly indulging in domestic bliss. He deserved a little time.
In the art of winning hearts, the Third Hokage was no amateur.
He might be criticized in certain matters—hardly the image of a flawless ruler—but his political acumen was undeniable.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
The ANBU operative withdrew.
Hiruzen chuckled and pulled Kanzuki's file from a drawer.
Shimizu Kanzuki.
Orphan. Native of Konoha.
Parents died in war.
Academy-trained from childhood.
Ideologically sound. Promising material.
Of course, Hiruzen had many such "promising materials" in his drawer.
What he lacked were true pillars—individuals capable of carrying the village on their backs.
He sighed.
The Third Shinobi World War had nearly shattered Konoha.
The decline in talent was only one of many symptoms.
For a village of such magnitude to require old men like himself to stand at the forefront once more—
Still.
Hiruzen let out a cold snort.
The other villages were no better off.
And their foundations were thinner than Konoha's.
Konoha could tighten its belt and scrape by.
Other villages likely faced conditions too dire to describe.
Which was why Hiruzen was nearly obsessive about cultivating talent.
Time waited for no one.
The war had only just ended. Another could ignite at any moment.
Shimizu Kanzuki was but one of many pieces he had placed across the board.
A young man willing to risk his life deserved opportunity.
Though his talent and innate ability were somewhat lacking.
Hiruzen shook his head and sealed the file away.
—
At the same time, within the underground headquarters of Root, Shimura Danzō listened to a subordinate's report with a bewildered expression.
"What nonsense is this?"
Shimizu Kanzuki had taken women and was building a household?
His lips twitched.
"Is Root so idle now? If you're that free, go complete missions. You bring me reports about trivialities like this?"
Moreover, Kanzuki was Hiruzen's ANBU direct subordinate.
Was he supposed to reach into the Hokage's bowl and steal meat?
Root was short-handed, yes.
But not enough to provoke that kind of friction.
At most, it was a shame that another useful workhorse had joined Hiruzen's camp.
"In the future, pay less attention to Shimizu Kanzuki. He belongs to the Hokage's direct forces. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Danzō."
Danzō had seen the boy's file.
Ideologically sound. Native-born.
Hiruzen accepting him made perfect sense.
"Oh. You—yes, you. Go to the Hokage's office and fetch a few packets of tea."
Danzō missed the Hokage Tower's tea.
He was poor.
Truly.
Most of his clan's funds were poured into sustaining Root's operations.
The daily expenses of such a large organization were borne almost entirely by the Shimura clan.
As a result, the esteemed Hokage Advisor could not even afford decent tea.
Humiliating.
Besides—
If one harbored the ambition to become Hokage, then even if one had not yet attained the position, surely the basic treatment could align with it?
…