Out of Money

However.

His simple request to stay just one more day was not approved. It was rejected outright.

"Your task is to take responsibility for this entire area! Remember, if you do not complete it, the deadline will be extended! It ends whenever you finish! Kusagakure and Konoha are dear friends, so do not disgrace Konoha!"

"..."

Watching the Kusagakure ninja walk away, then gazing at the endless stretch of land before him, Jiraiya let out a wistful sigh.

Why had he come to the Land of Grass?

Was it not to visit Teacher Ooki?

And what happened?

He had not found Teacher Ooki, and because he had obstructed the Land of Grass's important land-reclamation project, he was now being punished by being sent here to farm!

What kind of mess was this?!

In barely half a month since arriving in the Land of Grass, he had gone through far too much.

Especially at the beginning...

He had nearly been unable to return because he bought intelligence from another country.

At that thought, Jiraiya could not help sighing inwardly.

His only consolation now was that in a few days, he would receive a treasured novel personally signed by Teacher Ooki!

"Forget it. What am I thinking about this for? I should hurry up and finish the task. Then I can wait for Brother Mujie to get out, and use his standing in the Land of Grass to find Teacher Ooki!"

Jiraiya shook his head, swung his hoe, and said with utter confidence,

"Isn't it just turning over some soil? The ninja world is still waiting for this Sage to save it! Something as trivial as plowing... this Sage will finish it in no time."

However.

The moment he said that,

after turning over the soil for only a short while,

Jiraiya stood there in silence, then sighed and shook his head.

Sure enough.

As the Toad Sage, the future great literary master of the ninja world, and the mentor of the Child of Destiny, he simply was not meant for this kind of work.

Still,

seeing the Kusagakure ninja occasionally glance his way, Jiraiya gave an awkward chuckle and muttered, "Looks like I cannot leave unless I finish this!"

He could not just run away like this, could he?

What if the Land of Grass reported what happened here back to Konoha?

At that thought, Jiraiya's expression firmed once more. "Since I said I would finish it, I will definitely finish it! Keeping one's word is this Sage's ninja way."

With that said,

his face turned stern. His hands swiftly formed seals, and he slapped them onto the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

"Poof~"

A cloud of smoke billowed out, and then a massive figure appeared before him.

"Jiraiya, what did you suddenly summon me for?"

"Bunta~" Jiraiya looked at the enormous toad before him and said with a serious expression, "We're partners, right?"

As soon as he said that,

"???" Bunta froze, then lowered his head and frowned at Jiraiya. "Looks like you've run into serious trouble."

Gripping his huge blade, he swept a stern look across the surroundings.

"Where is the enemy? Why can't I see one?!"

"Enemy? There isn't an enemy here!"

"? Then why did you suddenly summon me? To travel somewhere?"

"Not that! Well..." Jiraiya grinned shamelessly at Bunta. "I have a small favor to ask of you!"

"???"

"Could you help me turn over the soil?"

"..."

Bunta stared blankly, holding a hoe in his right hand that was just the right size to use as a toothpick, then looked down at Jiraiya, who was grinning ingratiatingly up at him with expectant eyes.

What the hell?!

"Jiraiya should be working by now, right?" Kusana set down the official documents he needed to handle, stretched lazily, and said, "Make sure someone keeps an eye on him. Don't let that guy slack off."

"It has already been arranged. Don't worry, with Lord Miyoshi and the others watching, nothing will go wrong!" Kana smiled slightly, then looked at the exhausted Kusana. Her cheeks flushed faintly as she said in a soft, coaxing voice, "Amang, do you need to replenish your... magic?"

"?!"

Kusana froze, then nodded with a solemn expression. "I am tired, actually. Please..."

However.

Before he could finish,

"Knock, knock~"

Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

They could only stop for the moment. Kusana clasped his hands before his chin and said solemnly, "Come in!"

The moment his words fell,

"Creak~"

the door opened.

Under Kusana and Kana's gazes, an elderly man with gray-white hair walked in.

Uzumaki Yangzheng!

An elder of the Uzumaki Clan.

But—

why had he come now?

Could there have been progress in the experiment?!

Uzumaki Yangzheng walked in and looked at Kusana, who sat behind his desk with a stern expression. "Chief!"

"Elder Yang Zheng, what is it?"

"My apologies for disturbing you, Chief!"

Elder Yang Zheng apologized, then handed over the documents in his hand. "The Research Institute and the academy have run out of funds for this quarter's expenses."

"Is that all?" Kusana nodded and looked over the funding requests Elder Yang Zheng had handed him.

Perfectly reasonable!

There was nothing wrong with them.

After all, research burned through money. As for the academy... the academy was about to open, so it naturally needed money too.

"I—"

He began to speak and was just about to sign off on them when,

suddenly,

he felt someone discreetly rub against him at his side.

Without a doubt,

it was Kana.

But—

what did that mean?!

She did not want him to approve the funds?

Was there something fishy going on?

Kusana paused. Under Elder Yang Zheng's puzzled gaze, he looked over the two applications again, then glanced at Kana, whose eyes were filled with helplessness.

At that moment,

he seemed to understand something.

They were out of money again...

That was right.

Thinking about the timing... they really were about to run out of money!

Ever since the nation was rebuilt, the Land of Grass had been under constant construction. On top of that, the Chinoike Clan and the Uzumaki Clan had joined them, and several departments had been established. All of that cost money.

There were also preparations for the Land of Grass's spring planting...

Sure enough, building a nation was not so easy.

Still,

Elder Yang Zheng was waiting for his reply...

What should he do now?

Tell him directly that they had no money?

Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?!

At that moment,

seeing the chief before him inexplicably lost in thought, his face alternating between helplessness and conflict, Elder Yang Zheng hesitated before calling out, "Chief..."

"I understand." Kusana came back to his senses, clasped his hands before his chin, and said solemnly, "These two applications are both reasonable and well justified!"

"Then, Chief..."

Elder Yang Zheng had not finished speaking.

"But you know the current situation! Everyone knows it! The Land of Grass has only just been founded. There is much to be done at home, and everything has only just begun. Every part of the country needs money!" Kusana continued with a serious expression. "The nation is facing difficulties now, and life is somewhat hard. But in such harsh circumstances, I believe the Spirit of Grass of Kusagakure ninja can shine through even more!"

He raised a fist, his voice resolute. "Tenacity! Diligence! Progress! Be strong, stronger, and stronger still! Work hard, harder, and harder still! I believe you can overcome every hardship and obstacle through your own efforts... If there are difficulties, overcome them. If conditions are needed, find a way to create them!"

"The Chief means..."

"The country is out of money!"

"..."