63: Chapter 63 The King of Hired ManagersThe logistics area of the Tianqi Chamber of Commerce headquarters.
"Afei, hurry up!We need to replenish the weighted protective gear at the East Training Ground!"
"Here he comes!Logistics King Afei is here!"
The orange-clad figure carried a stack of leather protective gear that nearly submerged him, yet his steps were remarkably steady as he moved between the warehouse and the training ground.
Obito, or rather, "Tobi" now, feels like he's going through the most absurd phase of his life.
He infiltrated the Apocalypse Merchant Guild to observe Naruto Uzumaki up close, find the weaknesses of this emerging force, and clear obstacles for the Eye of the Moon Plan.
But in reality, he spends his days either counting supplies, moving equipment, or wiping down training gear that's covered in sweat and mud.
What frustrated him even more was that that damned Naruto Uzumaki seemed to be taking extra care of him.
A few days ago, Tie Zhou found him, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Afei, the chairman has noticed that you are very hardworking and has decided to give you more responsibilities.Starting today, you will be in charge of the daily maintenance, wear and tear statistics, and monthly material requisition plan for all training equipment at the Chamber of Commerce headquarters."
Obito's face under the mask at that moment was blank.
I'm here as an undercover agent, not as a logistics manager!
But to avoid being exposed, he could only pinch his nose and agree in an exaggerated tone: "Really.really?Thank you so much, President!I, Afei, will definitely live up to your expectations!"
As a result, he was forced to begin to get involved in the core processes of the Chamber of Commerce's logistics.
Then, he discovered that he might actually have some talent?
His years of experience in coordinating the overall situation within the Akatsuki organization and secretly plotting as "Uchiha Madara" have given him an extraordinary sensitivity to resource allocation and personnel management.
Looking at the chaotic inventory records and unreasonable application process, he almost instinctively started to optimize the plan in his mind.
"No!I can't help the enemy increase their efficiency!" he cried out in his heart.
But when he saw two guards nearly get injured during training because they received the wrong size kunai, when he saw a large amount of moldy and damp raw materials for military rations piled up in the warehouse due to mismanagement.
His damned sense of responsibility, typical of "young Obito," resurfaced.
"This.this is such a waste!This is all money!" He was heartbroken and could hardly breathe.
Ultimately, caught between "not being able to expose it" and "not being able to stand it," he chose a compromise—offering some "small suggestions" in a seemingly clumsy but actually precise way.
For example, you might casually mention to the warehouse manager, "Uncle, I've noticed that if you put easily damp medicinal herbs on the inner shelves, they seem to spoil less easily, right?"
Or, "accidentally" leaving behind a well-organized and clear list of equipment wear and tear where the iron boat was passing by.
The effect was immediate.
Warehouse management became much more organized, the loss rate of supplies dropped significantly, and even the efficiency of the guards in receiving equipment improved.
At a logistics debriefing meeting, Tie Zhou praised him in front of everyone: "Although Afei has only been here a short time, he is diligent and quick-witted.The suggestions he made were very practical!Everyone should learn from him!"
A round of applause erupted from the crowd.
Obito stood in the crowd, his expression behind the mask extremely complex.
I think.I've actually become an outstanding employee?
Konoha Village, afternoon.
Jiraiya, carrying a stack of documents that required the Hokage's seal, walked absentmindedly back to the Hokage Building.
He's been dealing with an absurd amount of files lately, and he feels like he's about to be buried in them.
As he passed by the ninja academy, a commotion caught his attention.
On the playground, a group of children were surrounding a female ninja with purple hair, chattering away.
It's Mitarashi Red Bean.
She wasn't wearing her usual ninja outfit today, but rather a training uniform that allowed her to move around easily.She was standing with her hands on her hips, lecturing a few dejected little kids in front of her.
"How many times have I told you!That's not how you throw shuriken!Your wrist needs to be steady, and your eyes need to be sharp!If you throw like that, you won't even be able to hit a rabbit!"
A little boy timidly raised his hand: "Teacher Hongdou.we just want to hit the target."
"A target?Even a rabbit is more agile than a target!" Hongdou rolled her eyes, her tone not harsh at all.
She stepped forward, picked up a shuriken, and said, "Watch closely!I'll only demonstrate once!"
With a casual flick of her wrist, the shuriken traced a precise arc and struck the bullseye of a moving target thirty meters away with a sharp "thud."
"Wow!" the children exclaimed.
Jiraiya stopped and leaned against the wall, watching Anko complain with disdain while correcting the children's movements hand in hand.
Under the sunlight, fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead, and her expression was unusually focused, a stark contrast to her usual carefree demeanor.
"I never expected this girl to have this side to her."
Jiraiya touched his chin, feeling somewhat surprised.
In his memory, Hongdou was still that somewhat rebellious and melancholic girl, but now she's teaching children here.and she's doing a pretty good job.
Perhaps his gaze was too piercing, because Hongdou suddenly turned her head and accurately caught his position.
"Hey!You white-haired peeping tom over there!What are you looking at!" Red Bean shouted without any politeness.
Jiraiya blushed and retorted defiantly, "Who was spying!I'm the Hokage!Is it wrong for me to inspect the school?"
"An inspection?" Red Bean crossed her arms and walked over, looking him up and down."Inspecting with so many documents?Hokage, your inspection method is quite unique."
Jiraiya was speechless, leaving her speechless.
Seeing his embarrassed expression, Hongdou suddenly burst out laughing and waved her hand, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore.Look at your dark circles, they're practically falling off the floor.You've been staying up late a lot lately reviewing documents, haven't you?"
"Tch, good to know."
Jiraiya muttered to himself, feeling a sense of relief.
He found that interacting with Hongdou, who was so straightforward, was much more comfortable than dealing with those roundabout consultants.
"Hey, old man," Red Bean suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice, "I heard you've been gathering material for a new book lately?Need any inspiration from this 'hot beauty'?"
She blinked, a hint of slyness in her eyes.
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat.He smelled the faint scent of soap and a hint of sweat on her body.It wasn't unpleasant; on the contrary, it was.intoxicating.
He took a half-step back in a panic, feigning composure: "Ahem!What I need for my creative work is artistic inspiration, not gossip from young girls!"
"Tch, what a hypocrite."
Red Bean pouted, turned around and walked back to the group of children, waving her hand behind her back, "I'm leaving!Hokage-sama, continue your 'inspection'!Remember to get some rest, don't die from overwork in a pile of documents, that's not cool!"
Jiraiya watched her retreating figure, shook his head helplessly, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
This girl.
He carried the documents and walked briskly toward the Hokage Building, feeling more motivated to approve documents that afternoon.
All of this, of course, owes much to the silent, behind-the-scenes efforts of "Root".
A perfectly timed "teaching equipment review document" that required the Hokage to personally visit the school, and a last-minute adjustment to have Anko substitute teach in the afternoon.It wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it felt natural enough.
In the distance, Aburame Torune relayed this scene through nano-poisonous insects.His face behind the mask was expressionless as he conveyed a brief message to Naruto in the Land of Waves: "Good contact."
Naruto received the message, smiled, and did not interfere further.
Naturally, the timing was just right.
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