Master, Please Become a Hokage

A girl... in the throes of first love.

Rin Nohara's eyes sparkled, perhaps even she wasn't fully aware of this budding emotion.

Sarutobi Ryo, however, understood it well. It was the dawning of adolescence, the surge of hormones, not truly love in its purest form.

But if it continued, step by step, it could potentially transform into genuine affection.

"Alright," Sarutobi Ryo smiled slightly, and entered the genkan with Rin Nohara...

"Boss, the owner went inside."

Two ronin reported.

"Yeah, then let's wait," Guren's tone was rather mature for her age.

The three of them stood outside near a tree.

Chapter 16: Wealthy Young Master Sarutobi Ryo, Preparations Before the Third Shinobi World War

"Master, this is this month's income."

After Sarutobi Ryo left Rin Nohara's house and returned to the Sarutobi clan's mansion.

Guren reported on the month's operational status.

With the continuation of peace after the war, the economies of various countries were thriving.

After the port was integrated, the business grew larger and larger.

Looking at the string of zeros... at the end of the bankbook in front of him.

Sarutobi Ryo couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

As everyone knows, a D-rank mission starts at 3,000 ryo for a full commission.

A C-rank mission starts at 30,000 ryo.

A B-rank mission starts at 80,000 ryo.

An A-rank mission starts at 150,000 ryo.

An S-rank mission starts at 1,000,000 ryo.

Note that this is pre-tax.

Generally speaking, the village takes a 50% cut when executing a mission.

The rest is divided equally according to the number of people.

In other words, a powerful Konoha ninja can earn up to 500,000 ryo for single-handedly executing an S-rank mission.

What does this mean?

In the original story, Minato Namikaze completed S-rank missions 39 times.

It can be assumed that Minato Namikaze earned a possible 20,000,000 ryo "solely from S-rank missions."

But the problem is...

Ringo Yururi, mixing in the "underground black market," could easily get a starting bounty of 5,000,000 ryo for killing a Jonin.

The corpses of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, could be sold for 20,000,000 to 30,000,000 ryo.

Minato Namikaze painstakingly completing 39 S-rank missions, only to earn 20,000,000 ryo.

So the question is...

Is it easier to make money as a bounty hunter in the underground black market?

Or is Konoha's cut too high?

"..."

Sarutobi Ryo carefully counted the net profit for this month.

Several million ryo were easily obtained.

It should be known that the port operated by Sarutobi Ryo is an inconspicuous existence among the many ports in the Land of Fire.

Even such a small place can generate several million ryo in net profit per month.

Then why bother contributing to the Konoha higher-ups and risking his life?

Shaking his head, he accepted the bankbook.

"The end of the Second Shinobi World War is not the end; the five great nations were not severely damaged in the last war..."

Sarutobi Ryo began to explain the shinobi world's situation to Guren.

"Another... war is coming?" Guren's pupils shrank, finding it hard to imagine.

"Yes, before long, the shinobi world will be in turmoil again..."

Sarutobi Ryo's gaze was intense as he stared at the lavender-haired girl.

"Next, I will test your training progress over this period."

Without waiting for Guren to react, Sarutobi Ryo directly created a shadow clone and began to beat up the little girl.

Guren's cries of pain and moans echoed.

At this moment, Yamanaka Kei walked in from outside.

Before even reaching the door, she heard strange sounds coming from inside.

"Wow~! No way... Could it be that the young master has really become so depraved as to lay his hands on a child..."

She peeked in quietly.

Discovering that it was just ordinary training, beating up a child.

Yamanaka Kei's expression changed, it was unclear whether it was disappointment or something else.

The girl, naturally evil at heart, seemed to be hoping for chaos in the world?

"Kei, how did things go?" Having noticed the peeking girl, Sarutobi Ryo walked over.

"Young master, this is the land deed."

Yamanaka Kei reached out.

This old mansion beneath their feet, which was the Sarutobi clan's ancestral home, was owned by "Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Sarutobi Ryo had started handling the procedures these past few days.

He spent money to buy the ancestral home from his old man's hands.

Making it his own property.

Initially, Sarutobi Hiruzen was very astonished.

But thinking that his son was promising, not only strong but also possessing the Will of Fire, and also able to make money.

He happily satisfied his son's wish.

But in fact... things weren't that simple.

In Konoha, to gain a foothold, one must have a foundation.

The simplest way to put it is to have your own house.

This ancestral home, after Sarutobi Ryo's repeated modifications, had already begun to be transformed into a manor... or rather, a "fortress."

The underground space was constantly being expanded, serving as a training room, cultivation room... and even a prison.

In the future, Sarutobi Ryo would do many, many things here.

He might even directly demolish the old mansion and build rows of interconnected high-rise buildings.

As the number of subordinates increased, more and more people would move in.

Even welcoming guests would require a place to stay, wouldn't it?

"Mm."

Sarutobi Ryo took the land deed and glanced at it.

The transfer procedures had been completed, and the transaction funds had been paid to the seller through an intermediary... which was his own old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

According to market price, Sarutobi Ryo spent a large sum of money to purchase it.

"Kei, next you hire a group of craftsmen to start renovating the old mansion... Also, from now on, hoard a large amount of supplies, especially food..."

Because the Third Shinobi World War would begin before long.

From the initial friction, to small-scale probing, mutual invasion of the border, to full-scale war.

Before that, enough food needed to be prepared.

Once the war started, a large number of refugees would flood into Konoha.

At that time, prices would skyrocket.

Sarutobi Ryo certainly wasn't planning to profit from the nation's disaster.

Rather, he planned to at least prevent more refugees from starving to death at that time.

This was also why he wanted to expand the port transportation industry to the Land of Waves.

The Land of Waves was a neutral country.

Even if a war broke out, it would be minimally affected, which could ensure that his industry wouldn't suffer much damage.

"Let's do that for now."

Instructing Yamanaka Kei to do these things.

Sarutobi Ryo himself also sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate his Storm Release and other skills...

Guren's cries of pain continued to echo, being knocked down again and again, getting up again and again.

The factors in her bloodline gradually awakened.

One day, she would fuse the Bloodline Limit known as "Crystal Release"...

......

Time flowed by.

The days passed one by one.

Sarutobi Ryo refined his Storm Release and carried out multiple Anbu missions during this period.

In terms of aptitude and strength, Sarutobi Ryo was already qualified to take on the position of "Anbu Squad Six Leader."

He only needed a suitable opportunity, or a major mission, to prove himself and establish merit.

So that he could convince everyone and successfully rise in rank.

And as time passed, the progress of the first stage of the main quest prompted by the system gradually increased.

When...

The system prompted that the main quest progress had reached [95%].

Sarutobi Ryo understood that this day had arrived.