Is Being a Ninja Really This Profitable?

It was great not having a Jonin Instructor to meddle in their lives.

If they wanted to take on a mission, they took one. If not, they rested and trained in the village.

Easy and free.

Mikoto needed to go home and let her family know she was safe, so the two went their separate ways.

Emmmm.

The moment he reached his doorstep, Chiyue realized things had gotten serious.

Kushina and Minato were standing outside his house, glaring at him with unfriendly expressions.

Kushina was fine, but Minato practically had the words "You lied to me" written across his face.

"I made a little money today. Want to go get some barbecue?"

Chiyue suggested a meal.

"Okay!"

Looking at Chiyue's sincere expression and earnest invitation, Kushina's mind went blank, and she agreed without thinking.

The words had already left her mouth before her brain could even react.

By the time she came to her senses, she realized she had betrayed her little group's teammate, Minato. Her face instantly turned bright red.

Minato rolled his eyes, wearing an expression that said, I knew it.

It was practically impossible to count on Kushina to punish Chiyue.

Whenever she ran into Chiyue, Kushina would always muddle-headedly end up taking his side.

You've defeated me.

Minato slumped his shoulders and gritted his teeth. "Something this big, and you didn't tell us? If Jiraiya-sensei hadn't told me himself today, I wouldn't have known that you and Sister Mikoto had formed a two-person team."

It seemed Jiraiya had already spoken with Minato and accepted him as his student.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to bring you unnecessary trouble."

Chiyue's expression turned serious. "Minato, I've always believed that following Jiraiya-senpai is a good choice. Of course, don't learn some of his bad habits."

"Huh?"

"Bad habits?"

"Does Jiraiya-sensei have bad habits?"

Minato had only met Jiraiya today. Master and student had talked all morning.

Even the news that Chiyue and Mikoto had formed a two-person team had come from Jiraiya.

Since they had just met, Minato only knew that Jiraiya was a disciple of the Third Hokage. He knew nothing else.

Minato didn't know, but Kushina certainly did.

Her still slightly flushed face immediately became wary, and her gaze turned somewhat hostile.

What kind of look was that?

Minato looked utterly confused. What had he done wrong?

Apparently nothing. Could it be because of Jiraiya-sensei?

"Come on, we'll talk as we walk."

Chiyue threw an arm around Minato's shoulders and lowered his voice. "Jiraiya is a pervert. He likes using research as an excuse to sneak around and peep at girls bathing."

"Pfft!!"

"Cough, cough!!"

Minato's eyes widened. He choked on the spot, and even his boyish face turned red.

After coughing for quite a while and finally recovering, he stared in disbelief. "Jiraiya-sensei really has that kind of hobby?"

"Peh! The hell kind of hobby is that?"

Chiyue couldn't help swearing.

Kushina kindly reminded him, "Chiyue, you cursed."

"That's not important."

Waving for Kushina not to mind it, Chiyue yelled at Minato, "That's called being immoral, damn it!! Just imagine it. The women in your family, your girlfriend, even your future wife—if someone peeped at them while they were bathing, what would you do?"

I'd kill him!!

Minato subconsciously clenched his fists.

Wait...

But the person who liked peeping was his teacher.

"I..."

Minato hesitated for a long time before finally saying gloomily, "I'll try to persuade Jiraiya-sensei. I hope he won't do that sort of thing again."

Between Jiraiya and the Third Hokage, the thing Chiyue found most disgusting was their nasty habit of peeping at people bathing.

He really didn't know where they had learned it.

You like looking, right?

Spend some money. There were plenty of places where you could look.

Throw down some cash, and people would cooperate however you wanted to look.

Why sneak around like a thief?

No, even thieves had more honor than them.

I have to persuade Jiraiya-sensei. I can't let him keep doing this.

Minato gritted his teeth and made up his mind to help Jiraiya change this habit.

Chiyue was also considering whether he should find something for the Third Hokage to do.

For instance, exposing his Telescope Technique and seeing how he kept peeping after that.

Using the excuse of observing the village to spy on people was simply disgusting!

Wasn't he afraid someone might look at his wife... Uh, his wife was too old.

The three arrived at the barbecue restaurant.

Minato picked up the menu and ordered one of everything. He was determined to eat Chiyue bankrupt, or he wouldn't feel satisfied.

"Chiyue, what mission did you and Sister Mikoto carry out today?"

Kushina kept asking curiously.

Minato was about to train with Jiraiya, and Chiyue had formed a team with Mikoto.

Only she, as a Jinchuriki, couldn't go anywhere and could only obediently stay in the village.

Not to mention teaming up with someone to carry out missions—even getting a little too close to someone would cause that person to be watched by the Anbu.

Only Kushina could understand that kind of pain.

That was why she longed so deeply for the world outside.

"A mission to drive away wild beasts."

Chiyue roughly explained what they had done that day.

When they learned that Chiyue had easily caught a big orange cat suitable to be a Summoned Beast and sold it for 300,000 Ryo, both Minato and Kushina were stunned.

Was being a ninja really this profitable?

Minato had been poor for too long, while Kushina had no real concept of money.

After all, she owned an entire street in Konoha. Without doing anything, she could collect dividends of tens of millions of Ryo every year.

"So there's no need to save money for me today. Eat as much as you want."

The facts proved that one barbecue meal couldn't possibly cost over a hundred thousand.

Even Minato, who had loudly declared that he would eat Chiyue bankrupt, had to support himself against the wall by the end.

Chiyue was honestly afraid Minato would throw up all over the road before he even made it home.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

Minato really wanted to walk Kushina home, but Kushina didn't give him the chance.

"Okay."

Kushina was very happy that Chiyue was willing to walk her home. Along the way, she bounced around like a cheerful little bird, chirping nonstop.

It was as if she had endless things to say.

Chiyue smiled, nodding from time to time as he listened to Kushina talk and complain.

"See you."

After saying goodbye to Chiyue, Kushina, now in a much better mood, happily hummed a little tune.

"Oh? You looked like the world was ending this morning, so why are you happily humming now? Were you that happy to see your sweetheart?"

Seeing Kushina like this, Tsunade couldn't help teasing her.

"Tsunade-sis!!"

Kushina's face immediately turned bright red. She stomped her feet in dissatisfaction. "What sweetheart? Lord Chiyue only explained to Minato and me why he had kept things from us, so I felt better."

"It's not like you said."

"Yes, yes, not a sweetheart, not a sweetheart."

Tsunade was amused and started teasing Kushina in circles, but the muddle-headed Kushina did not catch on.

Thinking Tsunade believed her, she skipped back to her room to change clothes.

"Hahaha..."

After Kushina returned to her room, Tsunade laughed so hard she rolled around on the sofa.

That little girl was too adorable.

"Sis, what are you laughing about?"

Could everyone help spread the word about this book? Hardly anyone is reading it, and it's so discouraging. I need a little motivation!