Earth Boy Spared No Expense

And with Hashirama Cells in his body,

he still had plenty of room to grow.

"Other than being a little short on Ninjutsu, I should be about even with a Jonin now."

Obito muttered to himself.

He walked down street after street with his hands behind his head.

Then he stopped at a fork in the road.

"Hmm..."

The road to the left led home.

If he took the road to the right and walked a little farther,

he would see Rin's little house.

Should I go straight home, or visit Rin for a while?

For a moment, Obito couldn't decide.

The system sighed to itself.

How would you survive your indecision without me?

Ding!

[Option One: Hurry home. It's late, and it isn't safe for a boy like you to be out alone. Reward: Wolf Repellent Spray ×1.]

[Option Two: The night is long, and you have no one to keep you company. Go see Rin. Reward: None.]

[Option Three: I won't go left or right. I'll walk backward. Hey, just for fun~ Reward: Rearview Mirror ×1.]

Obito glanced at the options. They were as ridiculous as ever.

"Hmm, option two doesn't even have a reward... So first, I'll rule out options one and three."

"I'll pick two. It stands out at a glance."

The system: "...???"

If you want to flirt with a girl, just go.

What the hell kind of reasoning was that?

Like a husky let off its leash,

Obito bounded down the road to the right.

"Heh heh, Rin, here I come~"

After a dozen or so minutes,

Obito spotted the familiar little house ahead.

But a few uninvited guests came into view as well.

"Hm?"

Obito's brows drew together slightly.

Rin and her mother stood at the door,

arguing heatedly with several men.

The men were broad and burly, with vicious faces. They were clearly no ordinary troublemakers.

The leader wore a Forehead Protector and carried Ninja Tools at his waist. He was obviously a ninja too.

Without drawing attention, Obito quietly moved closer.

Rin's mother said angrily,

"You're being shameless! I came to repay you several times, but you kept putting me off with one excuse after another."

"Today, I won't give you a single ryo beyond the principal!"

The leader sneered.

"That's not up to you. The thirty-percent interest for late payment is right there in black and white."

"If you pay even one ryo less today, we'll settle this at the Konoha Military Police Force."

The man speaking was named Imai Katsutoshi.

He was a ninja who spent his days idling around.

Rather than risk his life completing missions for money,

he preferred less-than-legal ways to improve his standard of living.

The mother and daughter before him were his latest targets.

He wasn't leaving without taking a sizable bite out of them.

Rin's mother said firmly,

"Then we'll take it to the Konoha Military Police Force. You won't get another penny from me today."

Imai Katsutoshi waved a hand impatiently.

"Boys, enough talk."

"Go inside and carry out everything valuable."

Rin drew a Kunai and stepped in front of her mother.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Imai Katsutoshi raised an eyebrow and said with an amused edge,

"Little girl, do you know how serious the consequences are if you fight someone in the village?"

He tapped his Forehead Protector.

"If someone reports you, you could lose your right to be a ninja."

Rin's small hand trembled slightly.

Even so, she stood her ground.

A flicker of regret crossed her mother's eyes.

A friend had introduced her to Imai Katsutoshi,

so she had felt safe borrowing some money to get through an emergency.

But who could have known...

She gritted her teeth and said, humiliated,

"I'll pay you another hundred thousand ryo. Take the money and leave at once!"

Rin turned back, confused.

"Mother...?!"

Imai Katsutoshi shook his head.

"Ms. Nohara, you're making this difficult for me."

"The interest is three hundred thousand. Not one ryo less. Otherwise, we'll take something else to settle the debt!"

Rin's mother pointed at Imai Katsutoshi in furious despair.

"You...!"

Imai Katsutoshi ran out of patience.

He waved his hand again, signaling his men to get to work.

The burly men shrugged off their coats and rolled up their sleeves, ready to start.

Just then,

a calm voice rang out.

"Stop right there. Let's see who dares make a move."

The unexpected arrival drew every eye.

Rin said in surprise,

"Obito-kun, what are you doing here?!"

Rin's mother pulled her daughter close and whispered in her ear,

"Rin, tell your classmate to leave. Don't let him get dragged into this."

Rin gave her a strange look.

"It's all right, Mother. Obito-kun's status is... a little special."

Imai Katsutoshi looked Obito over and picked his nose.

"Where'd this brat come from? He's a ninja too, huh? Hey!"

Obito pointed at himself, his face full of shock.

"Brat?... You dare talk to me like that?!"

Imai Katsutoshi snorted and folded his arms.

"What kind of idiot kid are you? Quit playing the hero and get lost."

Obito glanced down at what he was wearing.

Only then did he realize

that he'd left his clan-crested jacket in the woods while training with Shisui that day.

...No wonder this guy dared talk to me like that.

Obito wasted no more words. He lifted his face, revealing his unmistakable scarlet eyes.

Imai Katsutoshi: "!!!"

"Sharingan?! You little... little hero, you're a promising young member of the Uchiha Clan?"

Obito smiled mockingly.

"Well, that attitude changed fast."

Imai Katsutoshi smiled along, cursing inwardly.

In his line of work, the people he feared most

were members of the Uchiha Clan.

His business already hovered on the edge of the law.

If he offended those proud bastards,

his pleasant little life might turn into a prison sentence.

Imai Katsutoshi roared inwardly,

Don't these narcissists put their clan crest on their pajamas?

Even the ones who defected from the village still wore the crest~~

So why weren't you dressed like one?!

You made me embarrass myself in front of everyone!

Obito deactivated his Sharingan and shot Imai Katsutoshi a sidelong glance.

"I heard enough to understand what happened. I'm sure you know exactly what you've been doing."

"My classmate and her mother will repay the principal, you'll destroy the IOU, and we'll call it settled."

Imai Katsutoshi's expression changed.

"Young hero, isn't that a bit..."

Obito scratched his head and muttered to himself,

"Uncle should be off work by now. Maybe I should ask him to work overtime?"

"But knowing his temper, he'd probably blow up if I made him work late."

Imai Katsutoshi: "..."