Where Did the Money Go?

The afternoon sun was a little dazzling, making people want nothing more than a nap. After setting down his rice bowl, Neji let out a long breath, easing some of the fatigue that had built up since morning.

Xiao Xi emerged from behind the house, sea salt crystals from the fish market clinging to her hair bun. The teenage girl wore plain clothes, with delicate features and neatly rolled, spotless sleeves.

Xiao Xi was an ordinary member of the Hyuga Clan. Having chosen not to become a ninja, she had been assigned work by the clan.

There were quite a few clan members like Xiao Xi in the Hyuga Clan. After all, being a ninja was a dangerous profession, and the clan respected some members' wishes. Besides, while every Hyuga could awaken the Byakugan, talent was a mysterious thing. Without enough talent, one naturally could not become a ninja.

There were many children in the clan who had lost both parents to war. The clan collectively cared for ordinary members' children, while Neji could barely be considered a young master of the Branch House, so someone had naturally been assigned to attend to his daily needs.

Like Neji, Xiao Xi was also a war orphan.

"Xiao Xi, how much money do we have left?"

Neji looked at the girl efficiently clearing away the dishes and asked.

Her hands paused, and she froze for a moment, seemingly at a loss once again over how Neji addressed her.

"Young Master Neji, you should just call me by my name. If outsiders found out, it would affect your reputation!"

Neji could not help rolling his eyes. Unfortunately, an eye roll with the Byakugan was still just a Byakugan, so his speechless expression did not come across clearly.

The class hierarchy in great clans was unimaginably rigid. Ever since Xiao Xi had been assigned to care for Neji, she had strictly observed Hyuga etiquette. She was the sort who would never wander around in front of others without cause, yet everything Neji needed in daily life would always be placed precisely where it belonged, right on time.

As for how they addressed each other, they had discussed it many times, yet they had never reached an agreement.

"Xiao Xi, then I'll only call you that at home from now on. I won't let anyone else know, okay?"

Neji widened his eyes and puffed out his little cheeks as he spoke.

The little rascal shamelessly acted cute. Combined with his handsome appearance, he wore an expression that said, How could you possibly bear to refuse me?

Xiao Xi hesitated. A faint ripple appeared in her usually downcast, lifeless Byakugan. Then she thought of Neji's background and let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.

"Fine, Young Master Neji. But only when we're at home and there are no outsiders, understand?" Xiao Xi emphasized.

"Mm, don't worry, Xiao Xi. I understand," Neji said firmly. Pretending to be mature outside was exhausting enough; he did not want to turn his home into a cold, silent tomb as well.

"Xiao Xi, you still haven't answered my question. Do we have any money left?" Neji asked again.

Xiao Xi silently calculated for a while before replying, "Most of the missions the clan head took before his death were assigned by the clan, so the rewards were rather low. Food, clothing, and daily necessities were arranged by the clan according to rank, so there weren't many savings."

"How much condolence money did Father leave behind?" Hearing that there were no savings at home, Neji's heart sank halfway. He hurriedly set his sights on the gifts sent by various households after Hizashi's death.

"Including what the clan sent over, it should be about two hundred thousand ryo."

"Only two hundred thousand ryo..."

Neji cried out, and his heart sank completely.

In the Naruto world, money was counted in ryo. Based on Neji's standard daily meals costing three hundred ryo, two hundred thousand ryo would only feed him for two years. Of course, Neji did not need to worry about food and clothing, because the clan would continue providing for him until he graduated from the ninja academy.

But two hundred thousand ryo was of no help to Neji's upcoming plans.

After thinking over the past few days, Neji had come up with a way to rapidly improve his strength without draining his life force: the traditional Daoist method of Essence Refining into Qi.

Basic food could make up for the body's daily losses from cultivation, so high-energy food could naturally be converted into energy. The problem was that high-grade food was not cheap. Rare ninja beast meat and precious medicinal herbs were even more exorbitantly expensive.

"Pah, damn it. That Main House really knows how to squeeze its clan members dry."

Neji spat and cursed under his breath.

As a Jonin, Hizashi had completed who knew how many S-rank missions every year, with rewards starting in the tens of millions. Yet now there was only a paltry two hundred thousand ryo left. Even capitalists were not this insane.

"Two hundred thousand it is, then. How are my daily expenses distributed?" Neji asked again.

"At the beginning of each month, you collect them from the accounting office. They're distributed monthly. Young Master Neji, your rank is only below that of the Main House. You receive eighteen thousand ryo each month. After food expenses are deducted, the rest may be freely used."

Xiao Xi glanced at Neji's darkened expression and answered cautiously.

"Forget it. Xiao Xi, switch my daily meat to beef. If it isn't enough, take it from the household funds first. I'll think of a way for everything else."

"Yes, Young Master Neji."

Xiao Xi nodded in agreement.

"This afternoon, take me around the market. I need to buy a few things," Neji added.

"Yes." Seeing that Neji had fallen silent, Xiao Xi continued clearing up.

Meanwhile, Neji's thoughts had long since drifted far away.

How am I supposed to make money? I'm not even five years old yet. There aren't any suitable opportunities to earn money!

Starting a business won't work. Under Hyuga clan rules, starting a business just means making a wedding dress for the Main House.

Write novels? Draw manga? That takes too much time. If I do that, how am I supposed to cultivate? That would be putting the cart before the horse.

Gambling is even less viable. I don't have the skill, and the major casinos definitely have anti-ninja measures. Some might even post ninja missions to hire sensory ninjas to guard the place.

Drugs are absolutely off-limits.

Work? It's impossible for me to work. I'll never work in this lifetime.

What the hell am I supposed to do? This is too hard...

Neji frantically rubbed his face.

Actually, Neji knew the fastest way to get money: robbery. In this war-torn Ninja World, wealth was rarely increasing. No ninja village spent effort on boosting its economy.

Robbery was everyone's norm. From the First Ninja War to the Third, which one had not been about seizing resources and territory?

It was simply difficult to find a suitable target for Neji to rob. He could not do it inside the village, and as for outside the village, he currently had no way to leave. He would still have to wait another six years before going out on missions.

I'll leave it at that for now. Once I've spent the savings, I'll see if I can borrow some. If all else fails, I'll go hunting in the Forest of Death.

Neji felt somewhat melancholy. It seemed his start had gone badly; this world was far too cruel.

Fortunately, there isn't any food in this world that can directly convert into chakra. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have the chance to hunt.

Neji perked up slightly. Hunting was not too out of the ordinary for a child. Even if he was discovered, he could just say he was tired from training and wanted some meat. No one would find that strange, much less discover the furnace-like Dantian within his body.

Neji had examined his own body with the Byakugan. Like everyone else's, chakra filled his major meridians, while the place where his Dantian should have been appeared completely empty to the Byakugan.

This was also why Neji could set his mind at ease and focus on cultivation. His Dantian seemed to exist in some even more indescribable dimension, visible only when he looked inward himself.

And inward vision could only be entered when one possessed Qi and settled one's mind into meditation.