The Logical Connection Between Hokage and Lust

"Cooperation?" Uncle Ippongi drew out the word, and his fat face stretched just as long.

Rinto nodded.

"That's right! Cooperation.

"You provide the materials, forge, and storefront. I provide the skill and labor."

At that, Ippongi fell silent and began calculating in his heart.

Cooperation was hardly uncommon. On the contrary, it was extremely common.

Ippongi knew that many master smiths in the Land of Iron only accepted employment through cooperative arrangements. There was nothing unusual about it.

The advantage was that merchants could obtain higher-quality ninja tools, while master smiths had more freedom with their time.

After all, for renowned masters, forging was no longer merely work—it was a form of creation.

Thinking this, Ippongi looked at the boy before him, who was just tall enough to peer over the counter, and hesitated.

If every finished product this child made was as high-quality as the senbon stuck in the counter, then he truly qualified to propose cooperation. But could he really do it?

Rinto seemed to see through Ippongi's doubts. Without hesitation, he pulled a Ninja Pouch from his clothes.

He opened the Ninja Pouch and tipped it over.

In an instant, a pouch full of senbon poured out.

Ippongi only gave them a cursory glance before his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

He might only have been a merchant, but when it came to judging the quality of ninja tools, he was a master.

The senbon scattered across the counter were so identical that he could not spot the slightest difference at a glance, as though they had been copied and pasted.

The length, the lines, even the curve of the tips—they all seemed exactly the same.

Ippongi raised his head and stared straight at Rinto. "How do you want to cooperate?"

Hearing that, Rinto felt a faint surge of joy. He knew his interview had already succeeded by more than half.

"After material costs are deducted, I want thirty percent of the remainder."

Thirty percent?

Ippongi had wanted to reject it outright. How could he let the boy take thirty percent of the shop's profits? But after giving it another thought, he forcibly swallowed his doubts.

"What about your output, Rinto-kun? How much can you produce?"

Rinto turned his head to look at the various ninja tools hanging all over the hall's walls, then swept out a hand.

"In one month, everything here."

Before he could finish, Ippongi interrupted him.

"Not enough, not enough! That isn't nearly enough!" Ippongi's chubby head shook rapidly.

Rinto rolled his eyes speechlessly and added, word by word, "I mean ten times everything here!"

Ippongi froze, his eyes filled with shock.

If Rinto truly had that much output, he could fire the two mediocre blacksmiths employed in his shop altogether!

That would save him twenty thousand ryo. What an absolute bargain!

With that thought, Ippongi agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Fine, I agree!"

In the end, Ippongi decisively sealed the deal.

The two sides hit it off immediately, and Ippongi was overjoyed.

If Rinto was truly as productive and reliable as he expected, then the boy would be his very own money tree!

"Now that our cooperation is settled, I won't disturb you any longer. Goodbye, Mr. Ippongi."

"Please wait." Ippongi stretched out a hand to stop Rinto and Rie, then darted out from behind the counter with agility that did not suit his build at all.

"May I ask, Rinto-kun, did you and your sister just arrive in Konoha?"

Rinto nodded.

Seeing that, Ippongi rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

"If so, why not stay at my house for a while? It'll save you from lodging in some messy inn."

Rinto hesitated at that. He personally did not mind. He had neither pride nor fear, so he had absolutely no psychological burden about mooching food and lodging.

He was worried that Rie might be shy around strangers.

With that thought, Rinto lowered his head and looked at Rie, who was earnestly licking her Apple Candy. Clever as he was, he found himself unable to decide for a moment.

Seeing Rinto hesitate, Ippongi's heart immediately tightened.

He had finally managed to snag a young yet exceptionally skilled blacksmith. Ippongi did not want his money tree running off with someone else.

After all, competition in Konoha's ninja tool trade was fierce.

Several of the top-ranking families had shops that sold ninja tools, and their shops had master smiths hired at great expense.

If not for the fact that his father traveled far and wide and could always obtain affordable raw materials of decent quality, his little shop would have been squeezed out long ago.

Thinking that, Ippongi pulled a brilliant smile.

"Don't worry. My wife Kyoko loves girls, but we only have one eight-year-old son. It's always been a regret of ours.

"I'm sure Kyoko will be delighted if Rinto-kun and your sister come stay at our house."

At that, Rinto slowly crouched down and took Rie's chubby little hand.

"Rie, would you like to stay at this Uncle's house?"

Rie had already licked all the brown sugar off her Apple Candy and was now worrying over how to eat the big, bright-red apple. Distractedly, she replied, "Wherever brother is, Rie will be."

Rinto nodded at that, rose to his feet, and nodded to Ippongi. "Then we'll trouble you, Uncle Ippongi."

Ippongi chuckled. "It's no trouble. There are plenty of empty rooms at home. No trouble at all."

As evening gradually fell, the last trace of sunlight disappeared.

Lanterns of every kind lit up along the streets. People in Yukata packed shoulder to shoulder through the bustling roads, making the scene exceptionally lively.

Having gained Rinto, his money tree, Ippongi was in an excellent mood. He simply gave himself the day off and closed the shop early.

"Rinto-kun, let's go. Time to head home for dinner." He patted his round belly and swaggered ahead.

Rinto nodded, took Rie's hand, and followed Ippongi.

After winding through several turns,

Ippongi brought Rinto and Rie into a quiet courtyard.

The courtyard featured rockeries and flowing water, exquisitely arranged. The Japanese-style wooden buildings carried an antique charm, while a shishi-odoshi in the small pond at the center of the courtyard rhythmically made soft thunk sounds.

This! Ippongi was fat and so mercenary, yet he lived in such an elegant courtyard. Truly, appearances could be deceiving!

In the open space behind the courtyard, a boy about Rinto's age was sweating profusely as he practiced throwing Shuriken. He had bluish-white hair and focused, earnest eyes.

On a low wooden platform nearby, a graceful and dignified mature woman sat in seiza. Her white hair, matching the boy's, was tied high up, and she watched him with a pleased expression.

"I'm back!" Ippongi called out.

The woman turned, slowly rose, and smiled appropriately. "Welcome back, dear."

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Rie fiercely gnawing on an apple and Rinto wearing a strange expression. Her eyes immediately narrowed.

"Dear, who are these two?"

Ippongi casually stepped aside with his plump body and pointed at Rinto. "This is Sakuta Rinto, and this is his younger sister, Sakuta Rie.

"They'll be staying in our house from tonight onward!"

Then he pointed at the woman who had approached them. "This is my wife, Kato Kyoko."

"Hello, Aunt Kyoko." Rinto and Rie bowed politely.

Once greetings were exchanged, Ippongi pointed at the boy still practicing Shuriken throws in the distance. "Dan Katō, my son."

Rinto's gaze shifted at those words, and his heart stirred slightly.

Dan Katō? That name sounded awfully familiar. Could he be Tsunade's first love, Dan Katō? That hair color did look similar!

Sigh, what an unlucky guy. He'd die young without leaving any descendants behind. He had not even knocked Tsunade up to leave a child or something.

Thinking that, Rinto's gaze toward Ippongi gained a trace of pity.

You're unlucky too. Your son will die, and you'll have no grandson to look forward to. Forget it. I'll find a chance to hint that you should have another child.

Still, looking at you and your son, something feels off. Could this guy be Old Wang next door's kid?

For a moment, the malicious-minded Rinto thought of many things.

Meanwhile, Kato Kyoko was extremely fond of Rie. It was clear that, just as Ippongi had said, she truly loved children.

"Dan, clean up and get ready to eat!" Ippongi shouted at Dan Katō, who was practicing his Shuriken throws.

Dan Katō immediately shook his head.

"Father, I still have a hundred throws left. Go ahead and eat without me!"

As he spoke, he pulled out another Shuriken and continued practicing.

Hearing his son's words, Ippongi immediately pulled a long face and muttered under his breath.

"Practice, practice. Don't even talk about becoming Hokage—even if you do become Hokage, you'll still have to take over my business!"

Kato Kyoko rolled her eyes at Ippongi. "Don't crush the child's enthusiasm. What's wrong with wanting to become Hokage? Being Hokage is the most glorious thing there is!"

After saying that, she took Rie's little hand and gently said, "Rie-chan, come to the kitchen with Aunt Kyoko and see what you'd like to eat tonight."

"Okay!" Rie nodded heavily, drooling as she did so. Then she stared at Rinto with a pleading expression.

"Go on. Don't cause trouble for Aunt Kyoko." Rinto sighed.

"Mm!"

While Kato Kyoko went to prepare dinner, Ippongi pulled Rinto over to sit in front of the courtyard and watched Dan Katō repeatedly throw Shuriken.

"Rinto, tell me, what's so great about being Hokage?"

Ippongi looked displeased as he watched the sweating Dan Katō and began complaining as though venting his frustrations.

"My younger brother wants to become Hokage too, and my son talks all day about becoming Hokage! It's enough to drive me mad!

"My ancestors followed the Senju Clan through countless campaigns during the Warring States era and finally helped establish Konoha.

"Starting with my generation, we no longer had to send seven- or eight-year-old children onto the battlefield. We could finally do business happily and peacefully.

"But my son insists on repeating the same mistakes. Isn't that infuriating?"

"Infuriating." Rinto nodded.

In cases like this, the kid was clearly not getting beaten enough. A small beating every three days and a big one every five days, and he would definitely start behaving.

Of course, Rinto would never say that aloud. Meddling in matters between a father and son as an outsider would be unbelievably stupid.

"By the way, Rinto-kun, do you want to become Hokage?" Ippongi asked, a faint expectation hidden deep in his eyes.

"No. And I can't." Rinto answered calmly.

He was not lying, nor could he lie.

After all, the moment he expressed even the slightest desire for the position of Hokage, there would no longer be a place for him in Konoha.

But Ippongi understood those words in an entirely different way.

"True enough. Konoha has never had an outsider become Hokage. But Rinto-kun, do you really not want to?"

"Mm. I don't."

Seeing how certain Rinto was, Ippongi nodded and asked instead, "Then why does my son keep talking about becoming Hokage?"

"I don't know. Maybe he wants to prove himself." Rinto replied listlessly.

"Prove himself?" Ippongi slowly furrowed his brows and asked in a low voice, "Shouldn't proving yourself happen in bed?"

"Ah! Now that's something I can stay awake for!"

Rinto instantly sat up straight.

"Uncle, you don't understand this, do you?"

"Come on, let me explain it properly." As he spoke, he hooked an arm around Ippongi's neck.

"Let me ask you this: how does a man make a woman fall in love with him?"

"Uh, there should be lots of ways, right?" Ippongi said uncertainly.

"Absolutely correct!" Rinto nodded emphatically. "Then let me ask another question. How does a man make many women fall in love with him?"

Ippongi froze at that and blankly shook his head.

He had never considered that question. Besides, with a woman like Kyoko—refined on the outside but a tigress at heart—he did not dare to consider it.

Seeing Ippongi's dazed expression, Rinto smacked his lips and said with disappointment, "Strength. In the Shinobi World, strength is how you make many women fall in love with you.

"Some women may like money, some may like handsome men, and some may like honest men. But beneath all those changes, it always comes down to one thing: security. A man who makes them feel secure."

"Tell me, is there anyone who can make a woman feel safer than the Hokage?"

"No." Ippongi nodded thoughtfully.

"Right. Now let's go back to proving yourself.

"Uncle Ippongi, you're an experienced man. You should know that men sometimes find themselves unable to perform as they wish, right?"

Ippongi nodded fiercely in agreement.

"Brother, you're absolutely right. Sometimes it isn't that you lack ability. It's just that all kinds of things affect you, and you can't perform as you wish!"

Seeing Ippongi agree, Rinto continued.

"Then why can't you perform as you wish? Age? Physical condition? Mood? I think it's none of those!"

"Then what is it? Hurry! Tell me!" Ippongi stared at Rinto with shining eyes, feeling that bringing Rinto home had been the most correct decision ever. This kid was practically a treasure trove.

"It's novelty!" Rinto leaned close to Ippongi's ear with a mysterious expression and whispered.

"Uncle Ippongi, think about it. Would becoming Hokage give lots of women a sense of security? Could you climb into beds everywhere? Could you be a groom every day? Wouldn't there be plenty of opportunities to prove yourself? And the kind where you'd never be unable to perform!"

"So?" Ippongi asked.

"So everyone who wants to become Hokage is a horny old bastard, you idiot!"

Ippongi's face instantly darkened upon hearing Rinto's words.

He had talked so much damn nonsense and still had not told him how to solve the problem of being unable to perform!

And damn it, he suspected Rinto had just indirectly called him impotent and called his younger brother and son horny old bastards!