Shiraha the Soft Rice Eater

Recently, troops from Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha had been streaming into the Land of Rain.

Small-scale local clashes had gradually escalated into all-out war.

The battle reports constantly returning to the village, along with the growing number of wounded, gradually made the atmosphere in the village tense.

Unfortunately, even if a powerful Jōnin was injured now, the cells Shiraha collected from them still could not meet the requirement for Cells or Tears of a Powerful Radioactive Creature.

Thinking of Kushina's tears from before, which had fulfilled the requirement for Cells or Tears of a Powerful Radioactive Creature—

Based on Shiraha's observations and deductions, the Cells or Tears of a Powerful Radioactive Creature required for future advancements had to come from ninja with Chakra strength roughly on Kushina's level.

Among the people Shiraha had encountered so far, only Tsunade and the Third Hokage possessed Chakra strength on the same level as Kushina.

Besides the Third Hokage and Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, whom Shiraha had yet to meet, should also fulfill the requirement.

Then there were the current Hyuga Clan Leader and Uchiha Clan Leader, whom he had run into on the street before, as well as Hatake Sakumo, the renowned Konoha White Fang.

But these were not people Shiraha could easily approach.

And even if he could approach them, obtaining their cells would not be easy.

For Shiraha, the only piece of good news was that Cells or Tears of a Powerful Radioactive Creature, unlike the Yin- and Yang-attribute cells he had collected before, could be collected and used repeatedly.

Shiraha had tested it recently. After getting several more strands of Kushina's hair, it had indeed met the advancement requirement for Second-Class Apprentice: Second, Cells or Tears of a Powerful Radioactive Creature (1/2), incomplete.

Thanks to his relationship with Kushina, among the future Three Ninja, Tsunade's cells were the ones Shiraha had the best chance of obtaining.

The cells of those two would likewise fulfill the cell requirement for advancing to Third-Class Apprentice.

When the time came for Shiraha to advance to Third-Class Apprentice, he would only need to work on Orochimaru, Jiraiya, the Third Hokage, the Konoha White Fang, or one of the others and find a way to obtain one person's cells to meet the advancement requirements.

Barbecue Shop.

While grilling meat, Shiraha placed the cooked pieces onto Kushina's plate.

Kushina dragged him out to eat with her every day, and Shiraha's standard of living had risen by who knew how many levels.

Naturally, he had to treat his moneybag well.

Though Kushina was eating meat, she had none of her usual appetite. Shiraha could not help asking, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kushina forced a smile.

Shiraha chuckled. "If something is troubling you, I'd be happy to listen. Of course, if it's inconvenient to say, then forget it."

Hearing that, Kushina fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Shiraha, are you planning to graduate normally, or early? Lord Third Hokage won't allow me to graduate early. I can only take the graduation exam in sixth grade."

Shiraha was slightly taken aback. So this was what Kushina was worried about.

Although the Ninja Academy had been changed to a six-year system, students were allowed to graduate early.

And with the country at war, graduating in fourth grade was normal.

Early graduation was now even being encouraged.

No one knew how long this war would last. If Shiraha could remain until sixth grade, he naturally did not want to graduate in fourth grade.

"Lord Third Hokage is concerned about you too," Shiraha comforted her.

Kushina was the real Konoha insider. Even the Third Hokage cared about her so much.

If circumstances allowed, Shiraha even wanted to stay at the academy as a teaching assistant after graduation and lie low until he became a First-Level Warlock before leaving the Ninja Academy.

"I know that." Kushina looked somewhat listless. "Teacher Sakamoto did ask whether I wanted to graduate early."

"What did you say?!" Kushina asked.

Affected by an unknown Energy Field

"I did want to graduate early and serve the village sooner." Shiraha sensed someone watching him and silently activated Sixth Sense.

It was the Third Hokage!

Shiraha continued, "But the Medical Corps curriculum is too complicated. If I graduate now, it will affect my study of Medical Ninjutsu. So I want to wait until sixth grade before graduating. With so much time, I should be able to improve in Medical Ninjutsu."

"That's good." Kushina breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly said very seriously, "Shiraha, you can't die!"

Shiraha smiled. "Don't worry. I have to live at least several hundred years before it feels worthwhile."

"Nonsense. How could anyone live that long? Wouldn't that make them a Yokai?" Kushina glared at Shiraha, but her mood had completely relaxed.

"You never know." Shiraha's face was full of smiles.

Come to think of it, Kushina had excellent physical constitution and such an absurd amount of Chakra. At least for a considerable period of time, her potential for growth as a ninja far surpassed Shiraha's.

He wondered whether she had the talent to become a Wizard.

But Shiraha needed at least the Mental Power of a Third-Class Apprentice before he could test Kushina.

Perhaps ninja were not incapable of immortality. They simply had not broken through a certain limit. It was not necessarily true that ninja were inferior to Wizards.

Even if she possessed the talent to become a Wizard, that path might not suit her.

Being able to do everything was sometimes worse than specializing in one thing.

Moreover, the Third Hokage's surveillance made Shiraha sense that something was off.

After dinner, the two returned to Shiraha's home together.

After sitting for a while, Kushina prepared to leave.

"Kushina, wait."

Shiraha suddenly stood and stopped Kushina, wearing an expression as though he wanted to speak but hesitated.

"What is it, Shiraha? Just say it if there's something." Kushina looked puzzled.

"Well... I want to borrow some more money from you. I know this request is a bit excessive."

After saying that, Shiraha took a folded sheet filled with writing from his pocket and handed it to Kushina.

After considering it again and again, Shiraha had decided to borrow money.

The outbreak of war gave Shiraha a strong sense of crisis.

The medicinal bath used with the Knight Breathing Technique had run out, and his cultivation progress had plummeted.

If he cultivated slowly, he would eventually break through.

But if he refined potions, the time required could be greatly shortened.

The raw materials for Wizard potions were more expensive than those for medicinal baths. Even after graduation, the missions he received at first would not be high-paying ones.

Shiraha roughly estimated that the raw materials for one potion would cost at least thirty to forty thousand Ryo. Based on his success rate from refining potions in his previous life, he needed at least ten sets of raw materials to ensure he could produce two finished potions.

One round of potion-making would cost at least three hundred thousand Ryo.

Kushina took the note and read it carefully. Then she raised her head and looked at Shiraha with slight surprise.

"Are you planning to sell yourself to me? For just one million Ryo?"

From Kushina's tone, one million Ryo sounded no different from one hundred Ryo.

Shiraha said, "I need more resources to become stronger."

"No problem. I can transfer the money to your card soon. If you need medicinal ingredients, you can go directly to Matsuno Masato and give him my name."

Kushina agreed without hesitation.

Seeing how decisively she agreed, Shiraha could not help asking, "Using so much money and resources at once won't affect you, will it? I can accept installments too."

Although Kushina owned more than twenty thriving shops, one million Ryo was at least the reward for an S-Rank mission, generally the kind of mission only a Jōnin squad could carry out.

For ordinary Jōnin, it would take at least several S-Rank missions to save up that much money.

This was absolutely not a small sum.

"It won't." Kushina shook her head and said thoughtfully, "According to Matsuno Masato, the shops on East Street together bring in around seventy to eighty million Ryo a year. Besides that, the Uzumaki Clan's properties in the Fire Capital have been handed over to the village to manage. The Third Hokage said they can give me around forty million Ryo in dividends every year."

"?" Shiraha felt that poverty truly limited his imagination.

An annual income of one hundred and twenty million Ryo while doing nothing?

Looks like he had borrowed too little!

"It's too late for regrets now." Kushina waved the IOU in her hand. Shiraha had already signed and left his fingerprint on it in advance.

As she spoke, Kushina also signed her own name on it.

Shiraha waved his hand. "I never regret what I do! From now on, I'm yours."

"Pah." Kushina spat lightly. "Who wants you?"

"Forget it if you don't agree." Shiraha suddenly became assertive and reached out to take back the IOU.

Although he could make money lying down, he wanted to earn it standing up.

"Who said I don't agree?" Kushina pulled back her hand and stuffed the IOU into the front of her clothes, keeping it safely tucked away.