Naruto: IY Ch. 23

From the moment he returned to the village, Yahiko allocated a sum of money to Teuchi.

At the time, Yoake's commercial street was just beginning to take shape, with few shops. He enthusiastically supported anyone who wanted to start a business, offering enough funding to open a shop right in the central district.

However, the humble Teuchi declined the funds, saying he had saved enough over the years in Konoha to build a ramen cart on his own.

Look at that, what a noble and selfless spirit.

He was so moved that he immediately awarded a banner of honor to Teuchi's cart and brought Konan along for some ramen.

It was Saturday, and the children had the day off.

Genno also brought his daughter to try the food. Since he had already been promoted to head of food quality, it was his job to ensure the children's meals were healthy.

Anyone who wanted to open a shop had to first pass his inspection.

"How does the ramen taste?"

Watching Yahiko and Konan already holding their bowls and eating, Genno hadn't even sat down yet when he asked.

Teuchi and his wife perked their ears up from behind the counter, eager to hear Yahiko's opinion.

Yahiko couldn't help but feel a little awkward, like he was in one of those drama shows about leaders going incognito.

What if, in the future, every restaurant he visited put up a sign saying "Even Yahiko praised our food"?

He immediately gave his review: "Good."

With that, he kept eating and muttered happily while slurping.

"I really like it," Konan said with a soft smile. Sitting beside her was Yuki, who looked slightly nervous. No matter how good a kid is, they always get shy around their teacher or school director in private.

That always troubled Konan, she tried so hard to be approachable, yet it felt like she could never fully blend in with the villagers.

On the other hand, Yahiko could talk to anyone with ease.

Teuchi and his wife squinted with joy. If people liked the food, then as chefs, there was no better satisfaction than that.

"Ahem... the village's finances still aren't quite there yet," Yahiko leaned closer to Genno.

Of course Genno knew what he was implying, and he glanced uneasily at Konan.

The village had both leadership meetings and public forums.

At the last public forum, Yahiko had proposed building a bathhouse district to attract tourists.

What man wouldn't be tempted by that idea?

Even the prisoners in jail, upon hearing this plan, started clamoring to reform themselves so they could be released and contribute to Yoake's development.

But when it came time to vote, the proposal was firmly rejected by Konan and the other women.

And that was the end of that.

Yet Yahiko still hadn't let go of the idea. Why should they only open serious, mundane businesses? A legitimate industry that could bring in visitors and create a major taxpayer, what's not to like?

"Teuchi's ingredients are all freshly picked from the market this morning. I don't think I need to inspect further. Yuki, let's go home."

Before his daughter could object, Genno wisely placed money on the counter and made a quick escape.

Yahiko: "..."

In his heart, he cursed that runaway man as a coward. A real-life hypocrite.

"Konan, do you understand? Everything is for the village."

He coughed, staring solemnly at the remaining soup in his bowl. His tone was unusually serious.

"Hmm... Then my explosive tags..." Konan bit her noodles, then set down her chopsticks and brushed her hair aside, giving Yahiko a faint smile.

Still not giving up, huh? I'm already protecting you, what do you still need explosive tags for?

What do you need them for?

"Yahiko-sama, you're here eating ramen too?"

"Make me a bowl as well, miso ramen, please."

Thankfully, a passing villager recognized Yahiko and came over to greet him.

"Ah, hello there," Yahiko replied kindly with a smile.

Looks like his popularity in Yoake wasn't any worse than that Hiruzen's in Konoha.

Speaking of popularity, shouldn't he make use of it?

"I'm full now. Thank you for the meal."

An idea to promote the village flashed through his mind. Just recently, they had developed a few camera systems. Originally, they were going to be used to document the daily life of the poor across the shinobi world.

Why not use them to film a movie to promote the village instead?

Konan watched Yahiko's back as he left and gave a silent laugh. He always ran off right at the key moment. How was she supposed to get back at him someday?

---

The next day, Yahiko did nothing but write a movie script and scout filming locations.

Letters from Hanzō and Ōnoki went unread, tossed into a dusty corner.

The script was titled "Yoakitanic," shamelessly modeled after a tragic romance story, with a Jack-and-Rose-style love aboard a grand ship.

He had made many changes to the script, worried that if the audience didn't cry, they wouldn't remember Yoake deeply enough.

In this version, Jack "Jin" was a street punk.

He won a ticket onto the Yoake cruise ship through gambling in a casino, and then he saved Rose's "Ria's" life.

They met and fell in love.

In the end, Jin fell into the ocean and froze to death in the "Great Yoake Sea."

After surviving, Ria still couldn't escape her family's pressure and ended up marrying her fiancé, Kato.

But she was already pregnant with Jin's child. For the sake of the baby, she gritted her teeth and endured.

When the child grew up, she boarded a Yoake cruise alone and, while passing over the Great Yoake Sea, dove into the same waters where Jin had sunk all those years ago.

---

Konan gripped the script tightly, tilting her head slightly back, trying to hold back the tears forming in her eyes, but it was useless.

Tears pooled at the corners of her reddened eyes, then slid down her cheeks.

The emotional blow of the betrayal storyline, Kato stealing Jin's woman, was just too much.

In the final act, Yahiko even wrote a scene where Ria and Kato get married.

At the wedding, Ria forced a smile, but Kato discovered the child in her belly and threatened that if she didn't convincingly pretend to be loving in front of the cameras, he would make her abort the child.

So, in front of a crowd of reporters, she could only cry as she leaned in to kiss Kato.

Naturally, the actors were none other than Yahiko and Konan themselves, transformed with the Transformation Jutsu into their imagined future appearances.

As for hairstyles, one had a spiky style, and the other had long, straight black hair.

Kato was played by Yahiko, with a head of bright red hair.

A new teacher had just joined the school, so their temporary absence wasn't a big deal. Coincidentally, Ikkaku had always wanted to teach Konan's class anyway.

Ninja were born actors. Shooting the film was effortless.

It seemed they could probably finish filming in just a few days.

After editing, Yahiko estimated the premiere could happen on New Year's Day.

After all, he still had to travel to various villages for business negotiations.

---

Ōnoki looked at the man in front of him wearing a black vest with the red cloud emblem.

"You're a chunin from Yoake?"

"That's right..."

"Here to talk business with me?"

"Correct..."

"Go back. You're not qualified to negotiate with me. Tell Yahiko to stop hiding and come talk to me in person."

His blunt dismissal naturally made the chunin furious.

"A man's honor is worth more than his life! Tsuchikage-sama, you may refuse to do business with us, but you may not insult us. If you don't apologize, I swear on my life, I'll make you pay!"

He unzipped his vest, revealing rows of tightly wrapped explosive tags around his waist.

If they went off here, not a single civilian office worker in this building would make it out alive.

"You threaten me?" Ōnoki's face turned dark, fury building in his eyes.

Then, his expression eased, and he looked at the chunin with admiration. "I respect your courage. How about working for me here in Iwa?"

"A loyal shinobi doesn't serve two lords; an honorable person doesn't break their words."

Though this chunin had no real strength, his rhetoric left Ōnoki deeply regretful.

Such eloquence, and yet stuck in a remote village like Yoake?

"Out of respect for you, I'm now a bit interested in this movie you mentioned. Tell me, what do I stand to gain from it?"

That counted as a roundabout apology from Ōnoki. The chunin, knowing when to stop, took the opportunity to explain the potential benefits the film could bring.

"You really won't work for me? I could make you a staff member in our propaganda department. In two years, no, just one, you'd be the head of propaganda for Iwa!"

He made one last attempt before the chunin left.

He thought to himself, Maybe this is what people mean by finding kindred spirits among cultured men.

In the shinobi world, "culture" was subjective. So when Ōnoki encountered someone so eloquent, he couldn't help but want to recruit him to Iwa, even if it was just to chat occasionally.

The chunin opened his mouth to deliver a final literary flourish, but... His mind was blank?

He forgot...

So he just shook his head and left.

"Sigh..." Ōnoki sighed with regret.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen looked at a letter from Jiraiya.

He had never been so speechless in his life.

Whatever. He decided to pretend he never received that letter from his student...

Danzo's secret operations against Yoake were also halted by him. Because he was just... that kind-hearted.

Yes, you mocked him for being Hokage with a soft heart.

So what.