Morning.
Knock, knock! Knock, knock!
Yoru was awakened by the sound of knocking.
When he opened the door, he found three people standing outside.
The one knocking was a young man dressed as a shinobi. Behind him stood a middle-aged man with a somewhat stern expression. To the man's left was another young ninja wearing a Konoha flak jacket.
"Are you Yoru?" The stern man stepped forward and looked at him. "I am Hoshino Ichiro, the head of the Hoshino clan."
"I've come to reclaim this house for the clan."
Yoru's pupils shrank.
It was sudden—
But also reasonable.
This house had originally been granted by the clan to his father after he was promoted to Special Jonin. Now that his father was dead, Yoru no longer held the same value to the clan.
Reclaiming the house was only natural.
"We will arrange for another clan member to adopt you," Hoshino Ichiro said calmly, as if stating an unquestionable decision.
"If you don't want that, you can move out," the Konoha shinobi beside him interrupted. He crouched down and smiled at Yoru. "Your parents sacrificed themselves for the village. They are heroes. The Hokage will not forget their contribution."
"If you don't wish to be adopted, the village can provide you with a place to live," he added.
"I want to move out," Yoru said without hesitation, completely ignoring Hoshino Ichiro's gradually darkening expression.
Who would want to stay in this small, broken clan anyway?
With so many secrets of his own, living alone was far safer. And the clan leader's attitude only made Yoru more dissatisfied.
From the way he acted, if Yoru accepted adoption, his parents' inheritance would most likely be seized by the clan.
"Can I take my parents' belongings with me?" Yoru asked, looking at the young shinobi with a trace of sadness.
"No—!"
"Of course you can," the shinobi cut off Hoshino Ichiro, smiling at Yoru. "Your parents were heroes. The Hokage will not forget their contributions. Everything they left behind naturally belongs to you."
…
…
"This is our clan's internal matter. After his parents' deaths, their assets should return to the clan!" Hoshino Ichiro said coldly while Yoru was inside packing.
"This is the Hokage's decision. Do you intend to go against the village's traditions? The descendants of those who died for the village must not be mistreated!"
The young shinobi's gaze turned sharp as he looked at Hoshino Ichiro, completely unconcerned by the man's dark expression.
"Our business here is done. Hoshino Yoru has made his choice. His future arrangements will be handled by us."
"Hmph! Let's go!"
Hoshino Ichiro stared at him for a long moment before finally leaving with his subordinates, his face livid.
After all, he was only the head of a small clan. His strength barely reached Jonin level—some powerful Special Jonin could even rival him. Naturally, he didn't dare oppose the Hokage's decision.
"Uncle, can you help me move my father's training post too?"
After a while, Yoru finished packing and came out with several bags.
"Uncle…?" The young shinobi's face twitched slightly.
What an unlikable brat…
"My name is Yamanaka Taichi. Just call me Brother Taichi," he said, emphasizing the word brother.
"Brother Taichi, can you help me carry it?" Yoru corrected himself obediently.
After all, he still needed free labor—best to sweeten him up a little.
…
…
With a pile of bags on his back and the wooden post in his hands, Yamanaka Taichi walked with a dark expression, glancing at Yoru strolling beside him with empty hands.
"…Didn't you say you only needed help moving the post?" Taichi asked, his teeth grinding slightly.
"Ah! Don't sweat the small details, Brother Taichi!" Yoru replied cheerfully.
Listening to that infuriating voice, Taichi resigned himself and continued walking.
…
…
"This is the place," Taichi said, pushing open the door.
Yoru looked inside.
It was a very ordinary apartment.
Finally… a bed! Yoru thought. As someone from modern society, he really wasn't used to sleeping on traditional tatami.
"This is 10,000 ryo as a subsidy, and the key." Taichi handed him a few banknotes and a key. "From now on, you'll have to live on your own."
…
After Taichi left, Yoru began tidying up his new home.
Once everything was in order, he took out all the inheritance left by his parents.
Roughly 150,000 ryo.
Including the subsidy, it totaled nearly 160,000 ryo.
After all, his father had only recently become a Special Jonin, and his mother had been just a Chunin. Most of their missions had been C-rank, with only a few B-rank missions.
And being a shinobi was expensive—
The cost of ninja tools alone was significant.
That was why they had only left behind this amount.
After calculating his finances, Yoru stepped outside.
For now—
The most important thing was food.
And he was almost out.