Chapter Ten: One Month
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, another month had passed.
At around ten in the morning, Ryuya, Yūhi Teru, and Sagawa were strolling side by side down the streets of Konoha Village, looking relaxed and carefree.
Today, Team Thirty-One had just completed the commission they were assigned, and their squad leader, Ichikawa Shin, hadn't arranged any additional training for them. It was a rare occasion for the three of them to get off work early.
Over the past month, Ryuya and the others had completed seven or eight D-rank missions in succession. These low-level missions, full of trivial and tedious chores, had really worn them out.
Low pay and lots of work—that was the best description of D-rank missions!
"Teru, it's still early. How about we go to your place and grab a meal?"
Ryuya said casually, clasping his hands behind his head with a blade of grass in his mouth.
The busy yet fulfilling life of a ninja had already allowed Ryuya to quickly adapt to life in Konoha.
After spending so much time together, the four members of Team Thirty-One had grown quite close.
"Give it up. I will absolutely not let you step through my family's door,"
Yūhi Teru said flatly, glancing at Ryuya with an expressionless face and a cold tone.
Toward the guy beside him, Teru harbored deep wariness and resentment.
Back when Teru had first joined Team Thirty-One, Long Ye had immediately stuck to him like chewing gum.
Faced with Ryuya's overly familiar enthusiasm, the cool-on-the-outside-but-warm-on-the-inside Teru simply couldn't handle it, and before long, he had been completely won over.
Who would have thought that once they got close, Ryuya would immediately reveal his true colors?
During their interactions, Ryuya would always, intentionally or not, steer the conversation toward the Yūhi clan's eldest young lady, Yūhi Kurenai. His naked ambition was barely concealed.
This made Teru, who felt he had "given his trust to the wrong person," deeply hurt.
So the moment Ryuya made this suggestion, Teru became alert, guarding against his wolfish intentions toward the clan's young lady.
"Tch! Don't be so dramatic. It's not like I'm dying to eat at your place.
A dignified member of the Yūhi clan being so stingy that he won't even invite his teammates over for a meal—so much for friendship and trust among comrades!
Sigh, thinking about it really makes me worry about the village's education system!"
Ryuya rolled his eyes, putting on an exaggeratedly worried expression as he muttered.
Teru's face darkened instantly. He kept a stern expression and didn't respond.
After this period of interaction, Teru had already deeply realized that when it came to verbal sparring, he and Ryuya weren't even on the same level.
Since he couldn't win with words, he might as well not say anything at all.
Nearby, Sagawa watched the two bicker with a broad smile, staying silent.
Perhaps people from humbler backgrounds naturally harbored a bit of resentment toward the wealthy—every time Sagawa saw Ryuya provoke the usually aloof Teru until his face turned dark, he couldn't help but secretly enjoy it.
Seeing that Teru wasn't taking the bait, Ryuya didn't press the advantage. His eyes shifted, landing on Sagawa instead.
This kid was sly!
Every time Ryuya and Teru argued, Sagawa would just stand there enjoying the show, never stepping in to back him up.
Seeing Sagawa's cheerful expression, Ryuya couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
Stepping forward, Ryuya slung an arm around Sagawa's shoulders and said with a beaming smile,
"Sagawa, we just made some money today. How about you treat us to Ichiraku Ramen?"
"No way! Didn't you just get your share of the mission reward too? Why should I be the one paying?"
Sagawa immediately shook his head, instinctively clutching his money pouch and eyeing Ryuya warily.
He'd fallen for this trick more than once already. There was no way he'd be fooled again so easily.
Over the past month, Sagawa had lost count of how many meals Ryuya had scammed out of him this way.
The worst part was that Ryuya could really eat!
Every time he ordered food, the way Ryuya went about it made Sagawa's heart race, terrified his wallet would be completely emptied.
"Tch! A bunch of cheapskates!"
Ryuya said disdainfully, glancing at the two of them.
Sagawa shot back indignantly, "Hey, hey! Out of the three of us, aren't you the one who treats the least? And you've got the nerve to call us cheapskates!"
"What do you know? I'm giving you opportunities—letting you properly show respect to me, the future Hokage.
When I become Hokage someday, you'll be men who once treated the Hokage to a meal! Think how impressive that is!"
Ryuya snorted, speaking shamelessly.
"Teru, I really can't stand this anymore. How about we team up and beat him up?"
Sagawa felt he'd reached his limit.
"Yeah! That's a great idea!"
Teru's eyes lit up as he nodded in agreement.
"I won't stoop to your level!"
Sensing danger, Ryuya immediately turned and bolted.
Behind him, Sagawa and Teru grinned menacingly and leapt after him.
Along the way, Ryuya kept up his banter with the two while sprinting ahead, feeling exceptionally relaxed.
This kind of horseplay had practically become part of Team Thirty-One's daily routine after training and missions.
After all, people needed to find a bit of fun in an otherwise monotonous life.
Among the three, Ryuya was the most skilled at this—almost every "battle" was started by him.
Still, thanks to Ryuya's jokes and antics, even a team that included someone as aloof as Teru quickly became tightly knit.
Before long, the three parted ways at a crossroads. Sagawa and Teru headed home, while Ryuya walked toward the Ninja Academy.
Today was the day he was to report to the academy's library!
Over the previous month, after completing Team Thirty-One's missions and training each day, Ryuya would go straight to Akimichi Rōu's home. While freeloading meals, he also received special tutoring sessions from him.
With the help of his biological chip, Ryuya absorbed knowledge at an astonishing speed.
In just one month, he had completely drained all the basic ninjutsu theory that Akimichi Rōu knew.
Without permission from the clan, more advanced techniques couldn't be taught casually. Left with no other choice, and at Ryuya's instigation, Akimichi Rōu helped him secure a position as a librarian at the Ninja Academy.
It was a part-time job—Ryuya only needed to work there in the evenings.
As the village's most widely attended ninja training institution, the Ninja Academy had a dedicated library. Although the ninjutsu scrolls and books there were common and widely circulated, they were also the most fundamental. Much of their content was exactly what Ryuya needed to enrich the database of his biological chip.
After arriving at the academy library, completing the simple registration process, and undergoing basic job training, Ryuya officially began his part-time work.
He stayed in this part-time position for another three months.
During that time, the thing Ryuya paid the most attention to was the wedding of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina.
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