I Just Wanted to Slack Off, But I Was Forced to Become Hokage

Chapter 54: The Kikyo Orphanage's Money-Making Plan!

The sky was a clear, cloudless blue, and the sun was scorching hot.

Nara Keisuke, alone and carrying his backpack, left Konoha. Seeing that it was almost noon, he slightly altered his travel plans. Instead of heading directly back to his clan's compound in Kikyo Castle, he first made a trip to the Kikyo Orphanage.

The Kikyo Orphanage had its own precise daily schedule. When Keisuke arrived, the children of the orphanage were gathered in the kitchen, enjoying their lunch.

Outside the kitchen, a fat nun and a thin monk—we'll call them that for now—were pulling Yakushi Nono'o aside, telling her something. Keisuke moved a little closer, and the three's conversation became clear.

"Matron, the support funds allocated by the village this month are much less than before."

"With the war approaching, not many families are willing to adopt children either."

"With long-term expenses exceeding income, the orphanage's financial situation is getting tighter and tighter."

"And once the war breaks out, the orphanage will surely take in even more children..."

Yakushi Nono'o listened quietly to the fat nun and the thin monk's report. After they had finished, she finally spoke slowly, "I will find a way... please, just give me a little more time."

The fat nun and the thin monk looked at each other and sighed helplessly. They also knew that such matters couldn't be forced. For Nono'o, as a ninja, to be able to open an orphanage to take in orphans and to use her own mission income to fill a large part of the operational funding gap was already an act of bodhisattva-like compassion. What more could they ask of such a person?

"Matron, if you ask me," the fat nun began, pursing her lips, "we could ask the village for more money—who's there?!"

The worried expression on the fat nun's face instantly vanished, replaced by a stern look specifically used to intimidate the children. But after getting a clear look at the person, her expression instantly changed again, becoming kind and amiable.

"It's little Nara! Why have you come at noon? Have you eaten?"

"Fat Nun, Thin Monk." Nara Keisuke nodded in greeting to the two people in charge of the orphanage, then looked at Yakushi Nono'o. "I'm here to see Sister Nono'o."

The thin monk had wanted to say more, but looking at the ninja forehead protector on Keisuke, his lips moved, but in the end, not a single sound came out.

Nono'o nodded to the two of them, then went with Keisuke to the small room that was reserved for him.

Upon entering the room, Nono'o's back, which had been held perfectly straight just a moment ago, suddenly slumped a little, and a look of fatigue appeared on her gentle, oval face. Although she always presented a gentle and kind sisterly image, looking so mature and reliable, in reality, Yakushi Nono'o was only just over twenty years old (21).

"Sister Nono'o." Keisuke placed his backpack on the bed and went to pour a glass of warm water. "Have some water, take a breather."

"Thank you." Nono'o took the cup with both hands, holding it and taking small sips. "I've made a fool of myself in front of you, Keisuke."

"It's nothing," Keisuke said, sitting on the bed and shaking his head. "From the day you opened the Kikyo Orphanage, Sister Nono'o, I predicted this moment would come. I just didn't expect that you would be able to hold on until now."

If one were to rank the ninja of Konoha by their devotion to the Will of Fire, then Yakushi Nono'o would certainly be near the top. Taking in orphans, protecting children, and providing them with a place of refuge to the best of her ability. In this war-torn, bloody, and dark ninja world, where people's hearts were cold and merciless, only this gentle and kind blonde nun could bring a little warmth to the children.

Keisuke's glass of warm water seemed to inject immense strength into Nono'o. She put down the cup, her fair face revealing its usual gentle smile. "Keisuke, you probably haven't had lunch at this time, right? I'll go prepare some now."

"There's no need, Sister Nono'o." Keisuke raised a hand to stop her, pulling her to sit on the bed. "You rest first, then listen to me."

Nono'o adjusted the round-framed glasses on her nose and said softly, "Go on, I'm listening."

"I heard what the fat nun and the thin monk said just now," Keisuke said, getting up again to pour her another glass of water and placing it in her hands. "The Kikyo Orphanage is indeed short on funds, right?"

Nono'o shook her head, about to say something.

"Do you remember our promise?" Keisuke cut her off beforehand. "If anything happened to the Kikyo Orphanage, we would discuss how to earn money to support the family together."

"Don't say it so ambiguously, acting like a little adult." Nono'o lightly tapped Keisuke on the forehead. The fingertip that had just left the teacup was warm and soft. "I'm the older sister, you know."

"Anyway, about this money-making problem," Keisuke said, bumping his head forward and knocking her finger away. "Have you thought about it, Sister Nono'o?"

"Ever since that night, I've been thinking about this problem whenever I have free time," Nono'o nodded and said softly. "I'm a ninja, and I know some medical ninjutsu... Keisuke, what do you think about me opening a clinic next to the orphanage?"

Nara Keisuke was shocked by Nono'o's "genius idea." "...You mean, opening a small clinic next to the Nara clan's settlement?"

"Is that not okay?" Nono'o gazed at Keisuke, her hazel-green almond eyes revealing a clarity yet to be tainted by society. "Actually, I'm quite confident in my medical ninjutsu. Also, the Nara clan specializes in Yin Release, and Kikyo Castle is rather lacking in dedicated medical ninja. I think opening a clinic is a pretty good idea, and it doesn't require an extra venue."

"Ah, it sounds like that's the case. Lack of competition, vast market prospects, very low barrier to entry..." Nara Keisuke praised her dryly for a few sentences, then directly changed the subject. "Sister Nono'o, would you like to hear my idea?"

What competition? What prospects? What barrier? Nono'o was a little confused by what she was hearing and subconsciously nodded.

"Before we discuss how to make money, let's first consolidate the resources and abilities we have," Keisuke said seriously. "Sister Nono'o, what human resources do you think the Kikyo Orphanage has? Or rather, what labor force for making money?"

Nono'o looked at Keisuke cautiously and said in a small voice, "Me... and you?"

"And the children in the orphanage!" Keisuke said helplessly. "As well as the fat nun and the thin monk."

"No, no!" Nono'o shook her head subconsciously, nearly shaking her glasses crooked. "The children in the orphanage are all so young, and they can't mold chakra. They can't do missions at all. The nun and the monk are also ordinary people; they can't do a ninja's work."

"Don't bring the ninja mindset into this, Sister Nono'o." Keisuke sighed. "There's a big difference in the ways ninja and ordinary people make money."

"I'm sorry, Keisuke." Nono'o bit her lip but still said honestly, "I don't understand... and what you said before, I didn't really understand either."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. What I said was a bit beyond the curriculum," Keisuke said, reflecting on himself. "Then let's skip the professional nonsense and get to the point. Sister Nono'o, considering our own abilities and conditions, I believe what we should do is enter the food and beverage industry. The barrier to entry is low, and the risk is low."

"How much do you know about the food-related shops in Konoha, Sister Nono'o?"

"N-Not much," Nono'o said, stuttering a bit. "But after I hand in missions and collect the reward, I sometimes buy some snacks at the Dagashi Shop to bring back for the children."

"The Dagashi Shop is one, but besides that..." Keisuke nodded and counted off the many famous food shops in Konoha Village. "The Dango Shop that sells three-colored dango and red bean soup with rice cakes; Amaguriama, which handles high-end sweets; Yakiniku Q, which specializes in catering for gatherings; and the Ichiraku Ramen shop that just opened recently. Other types include various izakayas and tea houses, as well as mobile stalls like oden shops and barbecue stands. As for those super high-end restaurants, like Ritchō Ryotei which only serves the Hokage and various important figures, we won't consider those."

Nono'o's eyes widened, her pink lips slightly parted. "S-So amazing!"

"I just did a little research," Keisuke shrugged. In any case, it was his doppelgangers who did the work, not him. "Hearing those shop names just now, do you have any thoughts, Sister Nono'o?"

"Konoha... has a lot of people?" Nono'o racked her brains to come up with an answer. "So... they want to eat many different types of food?"

For Yakushi Nono'o, even asking her to kill someone would be simpler than asking her to answer this kind of market economy question.

"More or less," Keisuke nodded. "Konoha has a large population, and the public's tastes are very diverse. So if we want to enter the food industry and make money as quickly as possible, we need to segment the market. It's best to specifically target a single demographic group and then creatively develop a new dish. Considering the geographical location of the Kikyo Orphanage, I'm preparing to target a certain ninja clan..."

Nono'o, intending to salvage the face she had just lost, jumped in to answer, "The Nara clan?"

"...No." Keisuke looked at Nono'o with a subtle expression. "I was going to say the Akimichi clan. The Akimichi clan has a huge demand for food, especially high-calorie food. My plan is to sell fried chicken right at the doorstep of the Akimichi clan."

(Author's Note:)

The shops that appear in this chapter are all from the original work.

The opening time of Ichiraku Ramen is referenced from the movie, "The Lost Tower."

(End of Chapter)

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