Naruto: Recharging With Money System

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Kenichi was a little surprised to see that the ninja assigned as his escort was Hatake Sakuya. However, rather than disappointment, he felt a sense of relief—it was always better to travel with someone familiar.

"I really didn't expect you to take on my commission," Kenichi said with a smirk as he approached.

Sakuya chuckled, folding his arms. "Yeah, well, I just wrapped up my last mission and decided to check the mission board. Saw your request, and I thought, 'Why not?' Escorting a ramen chef around the Land of Fire sounds like an easy gig."

Kenichi let out a small laugh. "Well, I'm not just going to be making ramen. I need to survey potential locations, assess competition, and study the economy of each town before deciding where to expand."

Sakuya nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. I don't know much about business, but I've heard from my clan that there's a lot more to it than just setting up shop. Doing some groundwork is smart."

The Hatake clan, while known for its elite ninja, also had a few members who managed various businesses in Konoha. Even if Sakuya himself wasn't involved in such things, he at least had a general awareness of what it took to run a successful operation.

Kenichi patted his shoulder and extended his hand.

"Then, for the foreseeable future, I'll be counting on you for my safety. Let's have a good trip, Sakuya."

Sakuya grasped his hand firmly. "You too, Kenichi."

With that, the two left Konoha, setting off on their journey across the Land of Fire.

Kenichi was full of anticipation.

Although he had left Konoha before, those experiences were limited to battlefields—places of bloodshed and destruction. But this time, he was setting foot into civilian towns, eager to see how the world outside the village functioned.

He expected bustling towns, thriving marketplaces, and perhaps a glimpse of prosperity beyond Konoha's gates.

But what he saw instead—

Was nothing but despair.

As they arrived at the first town, Kenichi's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

Dirt roads riddled with potholes. Dilapidated wooden houses barely standing.

The people wore rags, their faces hollow and filled with exhaustion. Children with sunken cheeks huddled together near the edges of the village, their eyes filled with silent hunger.

Kenichi frowned. "...Sakuya, this is our first stop?"

"Yeah, why?" Sakuya asked, seemingly unconcerned.

Kenichi fell silent, taking in the miserable scene before him.

The streets were cracked and muddy, barely passable. The houses were not even proper homes, more like temporary shelters that somehow became permanent.

For a moment, Kenichi had a ridiculous thought—

"Did we accidentally travel back in time to the Warring States period?"

But no. This was not the past.

This was the reality of the world outside Konoha's walls.

Kenichi turned to Sakuya, a deep frown creasing his face. "Sakuya, I didn't realize the world outside the ninja village was… this bad."

Sakuya exhaled, his face calm but with a hint of something distant in his expression. "Kenichi, this is what the world truly looks like. Konoha is the exception, not the rule. Most of the Land of Fire is just like this—or worse."

Kenichi was silent.

Sakuya continued. "You know, sometimes people criticize the First Hokage for being too soft-hearted, but let me tell you something—if it weren't for him, Konoha wouldn't exist. He built a village so that shinobi could live without constantly fighting for survival. He made a place where families could exist safely."

"But why did he stop at just one village?" Kenichi asked suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "If he had the power to crush the entire ninja world, why didn't he create an entire nation with laws and stability?"

Sakuya opened his mouth—then closed it.

It was a question he couldn't answer.

After a long pause, he simply said, "...I don't know. I'm just a ninja. My job is to complete missions, not think about politics."

Kenichi didn't respond.

For the first time, he truly started to think about this world.

The deeper they traveled into the Land of Fire, the less Kenichi smiled.

The more towns they visited, the worse his mood became.

He was no saint. He wasn't the type to weep for strangers or vow to change the world overnight.

But seeing town after town filled with suffering people, it was hard not to feel a growing sense of unease.

"So this is the real ninja world."

A world of:

Chaos.

Exploitation.

Oppression.

Plunder.

Killing.

Even Konoha, which seemed prosperous and safe, was just one small island of order in a vast ocean of despair.

Kenichi suddenly understood why Jiraiya was so obsessed with finding the "Child of Prophecy."

Because when someone realizes how broken the world truly is, they desperately want to believe that a hero will rise and fix it.

But then Kenichi frowned.

"Did Naruto really change the ninja world?"

Or did he simply win battles and force a temporary peace?

The journey came to an end.

As Kenichi and Sakuya made their way back to Konoha, the weight of everything he had seen pressed down on him.

Sakuya studied Kenichi's expression. "You've been acting different these past few months."

Kenichi blinked, shaking himself from his thoughts. "What do you mean?"

Sakuya crossed his arms. "You smile less. You don't joke around as much. Did something happen?"

Kenichi rubbed his face. Then, as if forcing it, he grinned.

"It's nothing. This was my first time traveling this long outside the village. I guess I just got a little exhausted."

Sakuya studied him for a moment before smirking. "Well, if you're feeling drained, how about we hit the hot springs when we get back?"

End of the Chapter.

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