Working One Job, Collecting Three Paychecks

Faced with Danzo's suggestion, Tobirama Senju suddenly felt a burst of satisfaction and silently gave Danzo a thumbs-up.

Sure enough, I still need someone who isn't quite smart enough to step forward and give Sakuta Rinto, this monster, a hard time. That'll make it easier for me to gather intel on him!

With that thought, Tobirama Senju shot an interested glance at the dark-faced Rinto and offered no comment.

He wanted to see it—desperately wanted to see how Rinto would handle this!

Though Rinto did not notice Tobirama Senju's intrigued gaze, by this point—

A Hokage was keeping silent, waiting for a child to speak?

The implication could not have been clearer.

For a moment, every gaze in the office focused on Rinto.

Rinto froze for a moment. Then the gloom on his face melted away, and he suddenly grinned again. Looking at Danzo, who would not even spare him a proper glance, he spoke regretfully, shaking his head with a sigh as he did.

"Shimura Danzō, you can't become Hokage."

"What?!" Danzo immediately turned his head, rage swelling in his eyes as though he wanted to swallow Rinto whole.

The reason for his anger was simple: he desperately wanted to become Hokage!

Even now, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had not clearly indicated who he intended to appoint as the next Hokage.

That also meant he, Shimura Danzō, was one of the candidates for Third Hokage.

But only the Second Hokage himself knew that the only one suited to bear the burden of being Hokage was Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Shimura Danzō would not do. Mitokado Homura would not do. Utatane Koharu would not do. Torifu Akimichi would not do. As for Kagami Uchiha, both his ability and convictions were suitable, but when Tobirama considered the position Kagami would be in between the village and his clan after becoming Hokage, he did not dare take that risk.

As for why Hiruzen Sarutobi could do it, it was not because of strength, personality, or even ability. It was because, among the six of them, he resembled Tobirama's elder brother, Hashirama Senju, the most.

Hearing Rinto's words, the Second Hokage was instantly startled, and a very bad premonition suddenly arose within him.

His instincts told him he could not let this brat keep talking!

But reason told him he should let him continue. It would help him analyze this person.

For a moment, conflicting emotions flickered endlessly in the depths of Tobirama Senju's eyes.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a surge of joy.

Anyone who said they did not want to become Hokage was lying.

More importantly, although his teacher had said Rinto could not be allowed into the Konoha High Council, clearly because he did not trust him, Hiruzen actually trusted his own judgment.

Rinto valued Bonds more than his own life. That made Hiruzen think highly of him and willing to trust him.

So he was not very willing to doubt Rinto's words.

If Rinto knew what Sarutobi was thinking, he would definitely have been shocked.

Because Sarutobi had somehow seen the fourth plan he had prepared—the one meant for Hashirama Senju!

Back in the office, Rinto smiled at Danzo, whose rage was growing ever fiercer, and slowly narrowed his eyes.

"Mr. Danzo, do you know what the greatest weakness of human nature is?"

Danzo said nothing. At that moment, all he wanted was to strangle this bastard to death immediately. And while he was at it, strangle the little one beside him too.

Rinto had not expected this guy to answer such a question anyway. Instead, he lovingly stroked Rie's soft little head.

"Rie, tell him. What is the greatest weakness of human nature?"

Rie timidly glanced around before answering in a small voice, "Arrogance."

Silence.

A silence so complete that even breathing seemed to vanish.

Two faces suddenly appeared in Tobirama Senju's mind: his elder brother and Madara Uchiha. Arrogant Madara, and his elder brother, who wore a foolish grin at everyone he met.

Kagami Uchiha, meanwhile, thought of his clansmen—the eyes filled with hope when they looked at him, yet cold and dismissive toward outsiders. His heart ached with grief.

"So this is what tolerance means?"

Kagami Uchiha's unconscious words made Danzo's face burn with pain.

"What do you mean? I lack tolerance? Impossible! I'm willing to bear the infamy and shoulder the darkness for the village. I lack tolerance?"

The instant the words left his mouth, Danzo's heart skipped a beat.

It was over!

How the hell could he have said something like shouldering the darkness out loud?!

The reason unspoken rules were called unspoken rules was because everyone knew them, yet everyone tacitly chose not to say them. It was not that they could not be said, but once spoken, they would inevitably have all sorts of consequences.

Well, now he had hit the nail right on the head.

Even if he did not want to shoulder darkness and infamy, he would have to shoulder darkness and infamy from now on!

At that thought, Shimura Danzō immediately lowered his head, not daring to show even the slightest trace of anger before the Second Hokage.

He had already lost his qualification to compete for Hokage. It had happened just now, after only a few words from that damned brat.

Now, he only hoped Tobirama Senju would not come to despise him from the bottom of his heart.

Seeing Danzo back down, Rinto chose to let it go? Like hell he did!

If you didn't kill the snake, it would follow the stick back up. Today, I'll use Talk no Jutsu to screw you over completely.

You dared provoke this petty bastard? Then you'd better learn that a man's mouth has two flaps, and mine has the nastiest heart of all.

With that thought, the wickedness in Rinto's gut churned even more merrily.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing—"

Before Rinto could finish, Tobirama Senju raised a hand and cut him off.

"That's enough. Monkey, take him to complete the enrollment procedures!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi also felt that this guy could not be allowed to keep talking. He hurriedly grabbed Rinto by the sleeve and fled the Hokage's Office as though running for his life.

"Don't forget to deliver the envelope to Rain Frog at the Bounty Exchange—" Before Rinto could finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi forcibly dragged him out of the office.

Seeing this, everyone in the office aside from Tobirama Senju let out a collective sigh. Their backs had long since been soaked with cold sweat.

Sakuta Rinto was far too skilled at manipulating people's hearts. This was more terrifying than any ninjutsu they knew!

Shimura Danzō had merely wanted to show off, yet this guy had directly stripped him of his status as a Hokage Candidate.

Not only in their minds, but in their teacher's as well.

At that thought, they all reached the same conclusion: under no circumstances, absolutely no circumstances, could this guy be allowed into the Konoha High Council.

Tobirama Senju sat behind his desk, his expression still calm and detached.

Yet inwardly, he let out a long sigh and compiled the intelligence.

Name: Sakuta Rinto

Potential: S+

Loyalty: E-

Value: S+

Personality: Places extreme importance on family; extremely vengeful

Recommendation: Deal with him directly, or ignore him.

Method of handling: Ignore Sakuta Rinto and approach Sakuta Rie instead; make contact through Senju Kyoko.

After completing the enrollment procedures, Hiruzen Sarutobi escorted Rinto and Rie to the entrance of the Hokage Building.

Just as the three were saying goodbye, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly called out to Rinto and asked the question that had been puzzling him.

"Rinto-kun, why do you insist on entering the Ninja School?"

Hearing that, Rinto gave a bitter smile and looked at the well-behaved Rie beside him.

"What else could it be for? Isn't it all because of money?"

Then he began pouring out his grievances to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Uncle Sarutobi, you have no idea! Working myself to death as a blacksmith, I can make at most twenty or thirty thousand Ryo a month.

Even if I cut back wherever I can, I can't cut back on Rie's food, can I? That leaves me with twenty thousand Ryo a month at best.

That's only Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Ryo a year. In ten years, that's just Two Million Four Hundred Thousand Ryo.

I can't exactly stay at Uncle Ippongi's place for ten years, can I? Oh, right, Uncle Ippongi is my boss.

And as Rie grows older, once she becomes a young lady, she can't keep living in the same room as me, right?

I asked around. A three-bedroom, one-living-room house in Konoha costs a fucking Five Million Ryo!

It'll take me twenty years to save that much. Even if my pay goes up, won't Rie's expenses go up too?!

When a little girl gets older, if her classmates have pretty dresses, she should have them too, right? If her classmates are eating delicious food, I can't make her stand there drooling, can I?!

I promised her mother I'd take good care of her. I can't make her eat bran and swallow vegetables with me!

Oh, mother of God! If I don't become a ninja and earn money doing missions, what am I supposed to use to support our Father and Daughter household?!"

By the end, Rinto was choked with emotion. Beside him, Rie also began bawling loudly in cooperation.

You two are obviously siblings!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was utterly dumbfounded. He stared blankly at Rinto, feeling as though he were looking at an old father bent over by the weight of life.

He had imagined countless possible answers from Rinto, but never expected one this down-to-earth—so down-to-earth it was buried in the soil. It was practically Earth Style: Headhunter Technique.

"Th-this... I have some savings here. Why don't you take it and use it first?" Hiruzen Sarutobi awkwardly pulled out a stack of money from his Ninja Pouch and tremblingly offered it to Rinto.

At that, Rinto wiped away his old tears in one motion and looked eagerly at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Uncle Sarutobi, thank you so much, but I can't accept it!"

As he spoke, he wiped away tears that did not exist, revealing his true colors.

"By the way, I should count as a double agent for both Konoha and Amegakure, right? Amegakure pays me a salary, so doesn't Konoha pay me too?"

Hearing that, Sarutobi did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Damn it, I got led around by this guy again.

At a time like this, he really could not bring himself to say they would not pay him.

"Ahem. Wait here. I'll go ask my teacher."

With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the spot as though fleeing for his life.

After quite a while, Rinto finally saw Hiruzen Sarutobi again—and received his first income since arriving in Konoha: ten thousand Ryo.

Seeing the look of disgust on Rinto's face, Hiruzen Sarutobi said with an odd expression, "Don't think it's too little. Even Anbu members only get this much per month."

After saying that, he walked away without looking back, afraid Rinto would put on another performance about being poor.

Rinto patted the bills in his hand, smacked his lips, and sighed.

"Whatever. Something is better than nothing."

After muttering that, he thought about how he was working one job while collecting three paychecks, and his mood immediately brightened. He hoisted the giggling Rie onto his shoulder and headed home.

Before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window of the Hokage's Office, Tobirama Senju watched Rinto happily sway his head from side to side. The handsome man's face stretched long as he silently added another evaluation for the brat.

Shameless bastard!