A mandatory date! Kakashi was forced to play along again!

"Am I really that stingy?"

Kakashi muttered under his breath, "Who was it that forcibly took all my money, anyway...?"

If he weren't so often broke, he wouldn't have been unable to afford even a single hardcover dirty book.

That was exactly why he had panicked so much when Shinichi threatened to burn all the dirty books in his room last time. Those treasures had cost him pocket money he'd saved for ages!

"Take it!"

Shinichi pulled out a wad of banknotes with extravagant flair. There had to be at least several hundred, and every last one was the largest denomination available.

"This..."

Kakashi's eyes went wide. He was utterly stunned.

He had never seen so much money in his life. Good grief, wasn't this at least ten years' worth of his pocket money?

Was the sun about to rise in the west? Had my big brother actually become this generous?

"I don't think booking a hot spring inn takes this much money, does it?"

Kakashi forced down his greed and gave an awkward smile.

"If you want to woo a girl, you have to be willing to spend!"

Shinichi curled his lip and earnestly instructed him, "Remember this: as long as it's for revitalizing our Hatake Clan, you can have as much money as you want! But if I catch you secretly spending it on dirty books instead of wooing girls again, I'll break your legs!"

Even he hadn't expected things between Kakashi and Kurenai to progress so smoothly.

He had been busy with all sorts of things lately and hadn't had any time to push Kakashi into pursuing Kurenai.

Yet those two had apparently been seeing each other in private this often?

Knowing Kakashi, Shinichi couldn't imagine the boy showing this much initiative without orders from him. That left only one answer: Kurenai was most likely making the first moves herself.

Inviting Kurenai over that day really had been the right decision!

Most importantly, although Kakashi hadn't clearly accepted her advances, he hadn't outright rejected them either. That said a great deal.

Sure enough, the Hatake Clan's genes are top-notch! Wooing girls is a piece of cake!

Shinichi thought to himself.

No!

Since Kurenai is interested, I have to find a way to fan the flames!

I'll try to get those two married within the next couple of years. Ideally, they'll even have a chubby little baby before Naruto and the others start school!

"Take your money and enjoy your date tomorrow."

Shinichi said it outright.

"Huh?"

Kakashi was a little dazed and instinctively replied, "But I have a mission tomorrow, and I don't know if Kurenai has time..."

"To hell with your mission! This is the most important mission of your life!"

Shinichi sneered. "I don't care whether Kurenai has time. You have to make time! If you can't get a date with her tomorrow, don't expect to get any food..."

Fine, then!

With all this money, I can eat wherever I want!

Kakashi thought to himself.

"Oh, and you'll have to repay every last bit of this money I'm lending you, too. For every nine I lend, you owe me thirteen."

Shinichi's next words shattered Kakashi's lovely fantasy.

"Nine for thirteen? That's loan-sharking!"

Kakashi shouted, "And didn't you say you were giving me this money? Since when was it a loan?"

"If you use it to revitalize the clan, then of course it's a gift. But if you spend it on anything else, it's a loan I'm graciously offering you, and you owe every bit of the interest!"

Shinichi spoke calmly.

Kakashi: "I! @#￥%%..."

Big brother, could your logic possibly get any more absurd?

"Oh, right."

As if suddenly remembering something, Shinichi told Kakashi about the matter he'd been wavering over earlier.

"Mr. Hiashi and Mr. Fugaku really said that?"

Kakashi was astonished. Hiashi was one thing, but he hadn't expected Fugaku to have that idea as well.

He found it strange. Hadn't the Third Hokage said his brother and Fugaku didn't get along very well?

"What do you think?"

"What else is there to think? Why wouldn't you accept students who come knocking at your door? Besides, you'd be building good relations with both the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan. Other people would kill for an opportunity like this!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Anyway, I've heard those kids are pretty talented already, especially Itachi. He's a genius ninja known far and wide. Teaching them probably won't be that hard. You won't lose out on this deal."

Perhaps because he'd spent so much time with Shinichi, Kakashi was gradually starting to think like him.

"Good analysis."

Shinichi patted him on the shoulder and said approvingly, "In that case, I'll take them on as my students. Then I'll be counting on you to help me teach those kids!"

Kakashi gave him a strange look. "Big brother, why do I have to teach your students?"

"Because I'm lazy!"

Shinichi sighed softly. "Besides, with free labor like you at home, it'd be a waste not to use it! You've been teaching Naruto, Karin, and the others all along, anyway. I'm sure a few more brats will be well within your capabilities!"

"Big brother, you really are my dear big brother! You're actually trying to work me to death! I still have missions to do. Where am I supposed to find that much time...?"

Kakashi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Just sleep a little less! You're young. You can handle it, unlike me."

Shinichi smiled.

Good grief, you really have no shame whatsoever!

What do you mean, unlike you? You're barely more than two years older than me!

"No! I refuse!"

"You don't have the right to refuse, but I do have a compromise that might help you."

Shinichi's smile looked rather suspicious.

"What compromise?"

Kakashi grew wary.

"It's simple! Just hurry up and marry Kurenai, and then you'll have another pair of hands! Think about it. That cuts your workload in half immediately. Isn't that a guaranteed win?"

Kakashi couldn't help rolling his eyes again. So all that buildup was just another way to pressure me into getting married?

The longest road Kakashi had ever traveled really was the winding path of Shinichi's schemes!

The next day, Shinichi went to the Konoha Military Police Force out of habit.

Nami and the other three, diligent as ever, had arrived early as well. But when they saw Shinichi, they couldn't help asking, "Shinichi, aren't you on leave?"

The four of them knew nothing about what had happened at the Uchiha Clan that day.

Their attitude toward Shinichi therefore hadn't changed in any particular way.

They did find it odd that their elders always looked a little frightened whenever they heard the name "Hatake Shinichi," but since those elders refused to explain, they weren't in a position to press them.

In truth, aside from his outrageous attitude toward work, Nami and the other three considered Shinichi a dependable senior colleague.

When something happened, he genuinely stepped up. If someone had to take the blame, he shouldered it alone, and whenever something good came along, he never forgot to include all four of them.

His protectiveness toward his own people was so blatant that anyone would have been won over by it.

"That's right!"

Shinichi thought for a moment, then said, "Lord Hokage did tell me to take a month off, but I was bored and came to see you. Those two things don't really conflict, do they?"

Nami and the other three were already used to Shinichi's formidable logic, so they had little to say.

And so the squad began patrolling the village again, just as they always did.

Nami and the other three remained diligent and meticulous, letting nothing suspicious escape their notice. As for Shinichi, lately he had stopped being quite so keen on ruining his own image and simply wandered around with nothing to do.

But Konoha's villagers had long since grown afraid of him. Wherever he went, the place was practically barren, without a single soul in sight.

"Is that really necessary?"

Shinichi was speechless. They were acting as though he had some contagious disease.

It seemed he'd gone a little too far before. He would have to rein it in a bit from now on.

"Hmm? Finally found them!"

His eyes brightened slightly as he spotted two familiar figures walking side by side not far away, a man and a woman.

Weren't those Kakashi and Kurenai?

This should be a good show!