Chapter 363: Reforging the Order
Konoha.
The BBQ Restaurant.
"Congratulations, Lord Hokage Kakashi. I leave the future of Konoha in your hands now," Tonbo Tobitake said, raising his glass in a teasing toast.
At this moment, Kakashi was dressed in the official robes and hat representing the Hokage. He immediately adopted a dead stare. "Cut the crap, or I'll arrange such a busy workload for you that you can forget about retiring."
"Ugh, wow, Kakashi! I'm here congratulating you and you're already trying to trip me up?" Tonbo said, his eyes tearing up in a mock display of self-pity.
Might Guy gave Kakashi a huge thumbs-up. "Kakashi, you've fulfilled Obito's dream for him! Don't mind Tonbo—he's lost his youth. He's shrouded in the gloom of old age. Let us strive for the youth that lies ahead!"
"What 'gloom'? I'm simply making room for the younger generation. My son is almost a Chunin now; the new generation has grown up. I am sacrificing myself for the greater good!" Tonbo argued defiantly. He pulled out his ultimate trump card again: his children.
"It's so exhausting talking to you. Can you stop bringing up your kids every time? Do you really want to win the argument that badly?" Kakashi said helplessly.
Guy, Genma Shiranui, and the others all nodded in agreement. Only Asuma remained unmoved, quietly sipping his tea and taking a bite of BBQ.
"I think Tonbo makes a fair point," Asuma suddenly chimed in.
"..." The rest of the group fell silent.
"Hahahaha! Everyone, better find a wife soon, or Tonbo and Asuma are going to spend all their time gossiping about us old classmates behind our backs!" Raido Namiashi laughed.
It really was time. They were all in their thirties now.
Kakashi sighed. "Sigh, we won't have many chances to gather like this in the future. At least not until Naruto finishes learning everything he needs to know so I can finally relax!"
At the mention of Naruto, everyone smiled. Naruto truly had an infectious personality, even if his academic skills were... average. It was rumored that even the Inuzuka clan's dogs had better test scores than him.
"Hahahaha... true! Naruto is in for a rough few years!"
Ichiraku Ramen.
The surrounding area was under construction, but a temporary Ichiraku Ramen stall had been set up in a shop next to the site.
"Eh? Is Ichiraku Ramen under renovation?" Naruto approached, looking exhausted. Seeing the construction, his spirit dampened slightly. He had been looking forward to a bowl of ramen to unwind.
"Hey, Naruto! Looking for ramen? Over here!" Teuchi called out from the temporary stall, waving him over. Several employees were busy working beside him, and the seats were packed.
"Ah~ why did you move over here?" Naruto asked as he approached, noticing the change in location. Looking at the customers slurping their noodles, the scent alone almost made him drool.
Teuchi laughed. "We're under renovation. Now that the Shinobi Alliance has been formed and there are fewer wars, we can develop in better ways. Well... that's what Tonbo says, anyway."
Naruto nodded. "I see. But there are so many people here!"
"Wow! It's the hero, Naruto! He's so cool!"
"Naruto-oniichan, can we take a photo?"
"Ah, ah~ sure, no problem!"
Before they could even chat, people recognized him. Especially the young girls; hearing Naruto's name, they swarmed him, grabbing his hands and pulling him into photos.
"He's certainly popular!" Teuchi laughed. Having watched Naruto grow up since he was a child, Teuchi felt deeply gratified to see his achievements. He was glad he'd had the foresight to take Tonbo Tobitake as his son-in-law back then. His son-in-law was a hero, too.
After Naruto finished dealing with the crowd, he sat down at the counter. "Old man Teuchi, didn't you go into management? Why are you back in the kitchen today?"
"Haha, if I leave everything to the employees, I feel a bit too idle. If I don't find something to do, I feel empty inside!" Teuchi had tried managing without making noodles for a while, but it didn't bring him much joy. He still preferred seeing the satisfied looks on customers' faces right in front of him. However, he moved a bit slower now, leaving the bulk of the work to his staff.
"I see. Being too idle isn't good either!" Naruto laughed.
"What do you want today?"
"Miso ramen, the extra-large portion."
"Coming right up! I'll make it for you myself."
While waiting, Naruto looked out at the construction site opposite the stall. He noticed that not only was there no dust, but the building was going up incredibly fast. In the time it took to chat with Teuchi, the structure had already changed significantly. He realized that aside from the person holding the blueprints, everyone else on the site was a ninja.
"Old man Teuchi, why are there so many ninjas working as construction workers?" Naruto asked, puzzled. Don't ninjas have missions? They were so free they could help with construction? And judging by their age and chakra, they weren't just Genin.
Teuchi replied as he worked, "That was Tonbo's idea. He said that with the end of the wars between ninjas and the arrival of world peace, ninjas who used to rely on assassination, intelligence gathering, and combat would lose many mission sources. As a hero of the Shinobi world, he wanted to use his influence to change the stereotype of what a ninja is."
Naruto was stunned. Lately, he had been focusing entirely on the knowledge required to become Hokage. While his dream was world peace, he had never considered the practical survival of the ninja profession. Hearing Teuchi's words, he felt his brain expanding.
Could the stereotype of a ninja really be changed? He had always thought ninjas were limited to the old system—hired by clients for protection or assassination. He looked again at the busy ninjas using their jutsu to assist in the building process, his eyes brightening. It was true; the world's perception was heavy, but if they used their influence as heroes, they really could change it. It would also provide a guaranteed source of income for ninjas.
His recent studies allowed him to gain a new level of insight into a Hokage's duties.
"As expected of Uncle Tonbo, his ideas are always point on." That was a phrase Naruto had recently learned.
Teuchi chuckled, handing the ramen to Naruto. "But using ninjas for this kind of work really makes things more efficient. What might have taken months can now be finished in ten days or two weeks."
This wasn't just happening in Konoha; it was happening across the Land of Fire, all part of Tonbo's handiwork. They were renovating the Ichiraku Ramen chain using their own funds. Once the renovations were complete and the capital was recouped, they could expand into other nations. Especially with the Shinobi Alliance established, the barriers between countries had weakened, making expansion much easier than before.
Slurp.
Naruto finished a mouthful of noodles. "That's true. The supernatural power ninjas possess can inject new life into ordinary industries and make money."
However, a question occurred to him: if ninjas took over the jobs of ordinary people, would that eventually lead back to war?
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