Naruto: As a genin, I just want to live a normal life.

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She smiled slightly, stepped forward, and pressed her arm around the man's shoulder:

"Miss me?"

"Ah."

Seeing that the woman's hands were getting restless, Bai Xing grabbed her: "I didn't ask you to do this today."

"There's something I need to tell you."

Shirahoshi's idea is to acquire the shares of the cooperative company established by Akatsuki in the Land of Fire, to prevent Hanzo from taking them away in the name of Akatsuki.

After discussing the current trends of the Akatsuki Trading Company in the Land of Rain, Fukuyama Sawa fell into a slight silence.

"Okay. I understand, but why would Xiao Nan voluntarily give up her shareholding to me?"

"Don't worry, I have a way," Bai Xing said.

After explaining this, Shirahoshi disguised herself as an ordinary person and walked the streets, gathering current intelligence.

First, I went to Ichiraku Ramen to fill my stomach.

......

"Suck it-"

"The ramen looks good, boss."

"That's right~ My cooking skills are top-notch." Shirahoshi looked up at the menu of Ichiraku Ramen, which used to have the 【Mushroom Miso Ramen】 label crossed out.

This is the situation where war disrupts trade routes. Even if companies in the Land of Fire want to use local mushrooms, flavor research takes time, and transportation costs remain too high.

This led to a significant reduction in the revenue of the Akatsuki Trading Company. However, both Yahiko and Nagato are sentimental people, and it's said that they'd rather sell some shops for cash than lay off any employees.

It's no wonder the company went bankrupt!

This is why the economies of various small countries and even large countries cannot develop.

The country is not a country at all except for the great powers, and even the great powers only have a semblance of a country. In reality, the actions of ninjas are restrained by morality and rules.

"Boss, one regular miso ramen, please."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

Ichiro hurriedly went into the kitchen to start working.

The woman with curly black hair sitting next to Shirahoshi sighed, "I never thought that the once powerful Mikoto would be injured and hospitalized."

Shirahoshi continued eating her noodles.

"But why hasn't Nono arrived yet?"

Just then, Pharmacist Nono walked out from behind the ramen shop curtain and saw that at 9 pm, the only customers were a white-haired man and Ryuun. Nono sat down next to Ryuun out of curiosity:

"Boss, one bowl of their signature ramen!"

"Okay! It'll be ready soon!"

"Liu Yun, what did you call me here for today?"

Beside her, Nono, with her golden curly hair, took off the hood of her white orphanage uniform and sat down.

"Do you know about Shirahoshi's situation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nono's smile froze instantly, gradually faded, and finally turned into calm.

"know."

"That wasn't the teacher. It absolutely couldn't have been the teacher. A teacher would never lay a hand on Mikoto or anyone in the village!"

“But many people saw it. I saw it too,” Liu Yun said. “Even so, do you still think it’s impossible?”

"Perhaps I was mistaken, or maybe someone was impersonating the deceased teacher and deliberately causing trouble in the village..."

"Should I keep lying to myself? Thank you, Ichiraku-sensei." Yuhi Ryuun replied, taking the ramen from the teuchi in front of him. Teuchi understood that their conversation was rather complicated, so he nodded slightly in response, not wanting to disturb either of them, and went back to making the ramen.

Seeing this, Liu Yun took a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder, took a bite of ramen, and continued:

"Tell me, if that really is Shirahoshi, what are you going to do?"

"I...I...Eh. I don't know." Nono replied to Ryuun with a conflicted expression and a complicated tone.

Shirahoshi also learned of Nonou's thoughts.

Liu Yun glanced quickly at Bai Xing, who was disguised beside him, then turned his gaze back to his ramen bowl and abruptly changed the subject: "Has the orphanage been collecting a lot of orphans lately?"

“Many.” Nonou nodded. “Many of the orphans are children from the Land of Fire… all because of the war…”

"It seems things aren't going well in the Land of Fire lately either. Villages have been attacked," Liu Yun said.

“There’s nothing we can do. It’s war,” Nonou sighed. “If only someone could stop this war from happening. Then there wouldn’t be so many orphans homeless, and their parents could still live happily in their original homes.”

Beside her, Bai Xing finished her noodles, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then put it down, saying, "Happiness."

"A few years of happiness, isn't it still war?"

Upon hearing Bai Xing speak, Liu Yun's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion, but he remained silent and glanced at Nonou.

As expected, Nono was so angry at Shirahoshi's words that she almost jumped up, but her hands were just about to be served when she said "thank you" before she said, "Sir, I think what you said is wrong! What do you know about 'a few years of happiness'? Have you ever seen what an orphan looks like? Do you know how many orphans there are in this war that has lasted for more than a year?"

Nono, who took over the orphanage and actively invested funds in its operation, was very clear about this.

Every day, village ninjas bring orphans to the country. Now, in addition to the original orphans, the orphanage has added fifty or sixty more poor children!

What about those that couldn't be delivered?!

The orphanage will raise the child until they are twelve years old, at which point they will have to find work on their own. Of course, they may also have the opportunity to apply to ninja academies before they turn twelve.

There are also adoptions for families who cannot have children, or families who do not want to continue having children but want a son or daughter.

It's fair to say that if they could be sent to an orphanage in Konoha, at least the child's body would be intact.

After all, Konoha provides funding every quarter, and it's not just Nonou's personal assets and the savings she inherited from Shirahoshi.

Shirahoshi turned her head and met Nonou's eyes: "I don't know."

"Then please..."

"But as you said, war still exists, orphans will still appear, and families will still break apart."

"Boss, the money is on the table."

Shirahoshi placed a 10,000-ryo fire coin next to a pile of ramen bowls, then turned and left Ichiraku Ramen.

When the man came out, the person was already gone. "Really. This customer didn't even wait for me to settle the bill..."

He picked up the ten thousand taels of silver, held it up to the ceiling light to confirm its authenticity, and then began to calculate.

Upon closer inspection, Bai Xing had actually overpaid. Shou Da sighed slightly, "Really, this customer is too generous. Money's hard to earn these days, and he just gave me over three thousand taels more than I should have..."

Teji looked at Nono, who had been told by Shirahoshi that she was withdrawn, put 10,000 ryo into the cabinet, took out five 1,000 ryo notes, and handed them to Nono.

Nonou was slightly taken aback, and quickly pushed it back: "Mr. Teji, what... what do you mean by this?"

"Consider this a donation from me to the orphanage," Hand-Struck said with a smile. "This customer looks unfamiliar; he probably won't come again. Consider this money a donation from me to show my love and care."

“But, but didn’t they only give an extra three thousand taels? That won’t do.” Nono refused again.

But Shouda persisted, and said with a smile, "My wife is pregnant recently, so consider it an act of kindness. Please stop trying to persuade me, Miss Dean."

"Eh. Well, okay." Nono reluctantly accepted it and casually put it in her pocket.

Ryuun propped her chin on her hand, looked at Nonoyu, and said with a smile, "Feeling better now?"

"what?"

"Hehe. Miss Liuyun must be referring to that gentleman's matter." She took Baixing's bowl from her hand and wiped the table, saying, "Actually, both of you are right. But that's just how the world is, and we ordinary people have no choice but to adapt."

At this point, Teuchi suddenly changed his tune: "Sorry, sorry. I was just referring to those of us who aren't ninjas." He was worried that these two female ninjas might also be the kind with fiery tempers, and if he offended them, the shop might get smashed up.

"Alright, eat your noodles properly. The orphanage is having a fundraising event tomorrow, right? Eat well and finish your work tomorrow!"

"Yes! Thank you, Liuyun, and thank you, Mr. Handty!"

"Haha. You're welcome." He waved his hand dismissively.

After receiving encouragement from Ryuun and Shouda, Nonou felt a little better.

With her back against the wall outside the store, Bai Xing crossed her arms, seemingly lost in thought.

In the end, he took a step and walked towards Xiao Nan's house.

On the way, he passed by Might Guy and Might Day, who were returning from training.

But it quickly disappeared around the next corner.

Just then, noticing that Might Guy had stopped beside him, Might Guy couldn't help but ask, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Might Guy turned back to look at Shirahoshi's retreating figure, wiped the sweat from his brow, and shook his head: "It's nothing, he must have mistaken her for someone else."

His face had matured considerably, and the youth he spoke of had become somewhat somber due to the entanglements of the past.

Matt Kee noticed his father's disappointment.

My companions from the past have left one by one, and now I am all alone. Who can still laugh without a care in the world?

But Matt Kay knew how to motivate his father.

He immediately struck a high-knee pose, looking like he could still continue training. "Dad, you said it before, right? Youth never slacks off! Mom's still waiting for us to come home for dinner!"

Upon hearing this, Matt Dai gradually recovered, gave a thumbs up, and his teeth were still white.

"Kai! You're right!"

Let's have a race to see who gets home first!

"Oh!"

The father and son ran again under the cover of night. Bai Xing paused briefly at the corner, smiled slightly, and continued onward.

Everyone has their own path to follow; there's no need for him to worry. He simply needs to continue on his chosen path!

......

Xiaonan's house.

Infiltrating Minami's house was much easier than into Fukuyama Sawa's. After all, Fukuyama Sawa's building had a dedicated guard downstairs: Takashi, a disciple of Kiyoko.

The boy who had grown up over the years lived on the first floor.