When the feast finally concluded, the group naturally transitioned into cleaning up the backyard. Why? Because Suzuki had made it clear that anyone who didn't pitch in would receive an invoice for 100,000 ryo delivered straight to their front doors.
While Suzuki was generally a generous host, he was terrifyingly serious when it came to money. He would glare at freeloaders with a gaze so cold it felt like genuine killing intent.
It was frightening, but understandable. Unlike the clan heirs who had safety nets, or ninja who could comfortably scrape by on a meager income, Suzuki was an orphan. He had to manage his finances with absolute precision, or risk losing everything he had built.
This looming financial threat was exactly why Naruto was currently scrubbing the BBQ grill like his life depended on it.
"UWOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
"...Don't get too excited, Naruto. You're going to break the dishes," Suzuki sighed, wiping down the table.
"Got it!" Naruto dialed back his scrubbing speed, though his intense focus remained.
Suzuki watched the blonde boy for a moment before turning to the kitchen counter. He packed a generous portion of leftover grilled meat and rice into a neat bento box and handed it over. "Here. Take this with you for breakfast tomorrow."
"Are you sure, Suzuki?!" Naruto's blue eyes widened.
"Yes, take it."
"Thanks, man!"
Their relationship was an interesting one. Suzuki viewed it as a comfortable, casual friendship, but Naruto fiercely adored him. To Naruto, Suzuki felt like the dependable, capable older brother he had never had. Suzuki's care was never loud or overly emotional, but he always made sure Naruto had a seat at the table and food to take home.
It made Naruto want to cry sometimes. He didn't really want to leave the warm backyard, but he also knew that Suzuki's life wasn't easy either. Naruto received a monthly living stipend from the Hokage; Suzuki received nothing. Suzuki had to hustle, rent out rooms, and sell charcoal just to survive in a village that offered no pension or safety net for orphans.
Yet, when Naruto and the other boys finally headed home to rest up for the exam, two people surprisingly stayed behind.
"...What are you two still doing here? Aren't you going home?" Suzuki asked, staring blankly at Ino and Hinata. "Tomorrow is the graduation exam, you know."
"It's fine. The exam is going to be super easy anyway," Ino waved him off dismissively. She didn't take the academic side of the exam seriously; she already knew she was practically guaranteed to graduate.
"I... I would like to stay here for just a little bit longer, Suzuki-kun," Hinata added softly, firmly anchoring herself to her seat.
"...."
Suzuki was utterly speechless. He could only roll his eyes, knowing full well that they would be perfectly safe. They were the heiresses of two major noble clans, after all; nobody was going to mess with them in the middle of Konoha.
"Fine. Sit there. I'll brew some tea."
"Ah, let me help you, Suzuki-kun!" Hinata immediately moved to stand up.
"It's fine. Just stay seated, Hinata."
Hinata wanted to insist, but Ino reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down. "Just stay. Let him serve us if that's what he wants to do."
"Ino..." Hinata hesitated, looking at her blonde rival. "Aren't you going to go check on Sasuke-kun?"
"...."
Ino rolled her eyes, her tone remarkably indifferent. "There are dozens of loud, annoying people waiting on him at the infirmary right now. He's going to be completely fine."
Sasuke definitely wasn't fine—his pride had just been shattered into a million pieces—but Suzuki wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and just pour the tea.
As he sat down with his cup, he let his mind drift. In the background of his consciousness, the Manager system was rapidly sorting, analyzing, and cross-referencing all the possible jutsu combinations he could develop from his current arsenal.
And what exactly did his arsenal consist of?
It was pitifully small. He had the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, the newly acquired Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, the Telescope Jutsu, and the standard Academy basics: the Clone Technique, Body Flicker, and Body Replacement. Naturally, he had also mastered the Tree Climbing and Water Walking exercises, as perfect chakra control was the foundational prerequisite for his medical ninjutsu studies.
Frankly, with such a limited roster and only above-average chakra reserves, what could he realistically achieve?
Before the Manager awakened, Suzuki had felt completely helpless. Developing a new chakra nature or inventing a jutsu from scratch took years of dedicated research—time he simply didn't have while simultaneously running a business and studying to survive. He had often felt like he was suffocating under the crushing weight of reality.
That survival mode was exactly why he rarely gave much thought to the romantic feelings Ino and Hinata clearly harbored for him.
It wasn't that he was completely immune to the idea of a relationship. It was just an incredibly bad move for his situation. From his standpoint, marrying a normal civilian woman would be easier than the high-stakes politics of marrying a clan heiress. Furthermore, they were all still children. They needed to focus on their education and surviving the brutal reality of becoming shinobi. Romance was a luxury best saved for adulthood.
Tomorrow, he would officially become a ninja. In the eyes of the village, he would be an adult. He would be expected to take on dangerous missions, risk his life, and potentially kill others.
It was a terrifying prospect, but what could he do except adapt? He refused to die, which meant he had to seize every single opportunity to improve his odds of survival.
"Here you go."
Suzuki handed them their teacups. He honestly wished they would head home so he could spend the night running trial-and-error jutsu simulations, but since he had the Manager passively running calculations in his mind, he decided he could afford to handle his social obligations for a little while longer.
"Thank you," the two girls chimed in unison.
They sat together on the wooden terrace, quietly sipping their tea as they gazed up at the moon and stars. While Konoha possessed some strange, advanced technologies, it lacked the overwhelming light pollution of a modern metropolis. The starry sky was breathtakingly clear—a view Suzuki knew might disappear in the future as the world developed.
"Suzuki," Ino suddenly spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Hmm?"
"What do you want to do in the future?"
"In the future?"
"Yup." Ino leaned forward, looking at him intently. "You've been working so incredibly hard. Is there a specific goal you're aiming for? Do you want to become the Hokage?"
"What? No. Being the Hokage sounds like a lot of trouble," Suzuki replied immediately, shuddering at the thought of that much paperwork. "I'll probably aim for a high-level logistics or supply chain position. It pays well, it's important to the village, and most importantly, it's safe."
"You have absolutely no ambition!" Ino groaned, throwing her hands up.
"Maybe I don't," Suzuki smiled softly, looking back up at the stars. "My only dream is just to live well. To have enough wealth and strength to live completely comfortably, and to have enough power to protect the people I care about."
He took a slow sip of his tea. "It might be unambitious, but—"
"It's wonderful," Hinata interrupted softly, her pale eyes reflecting the starlight as she smiled at him.
"..."
Suzuki stared at Hinata for a moment before offering a genuine nod. "Right? It sounds nice."
A stable, peaceful life where he didn't have to constantly look over his shoulder fearing for his life. That was the ultimate dream.
Ino grumbled under her breath, clearly preferring a more glamorous answer. Still, she discreetly shifted closer. She lightly tapped the back of his hand with her fingers, trying to gauge his reaction.
No reaction?
Ei!
Emboldened by his lack of resistance, Ino bravely slipped her hand over his, holding it tightly. She expected him to blush or pull away, but instead, his large, warm palm simply turned over and gently wrapped around hers.
"Just be quiet and look at the stars," Suzuki murmured.
"..."
Ino felt her cheeks burn like fire. She huffed quietly, trying to hide her massive, victorious grin as she leaned back, letting him hold her hand.
Naturally, Suzuki wouldn't allow himself to leave Hinata out. Using his free hand, he reached over and gently took Hinata's hand as well, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Hinata instantly froze, her face turning bright red, but she fell perfectly quiet, a small, blissful smile gracing her lips.
Suzuki sighed helplessly in his mind. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to navigate this complicated web of affections in the future, but for tonight, it was peaceful.
Eventually, the girls said their goodbyes and headed back to their respective clan compounds.
Suzuki finally stretched his tired muscles, ready to lock up the house and get some much-needed sleep. But just as he turned toward the sliding glass door, a shadow detached itself from the perimeter wall.
"Suzuki Tanaka. Can we talk for a bit?"
"....."
Suzuki stared at the unexpected guest standing in his backyard, his peaceful evening officially ruined.
---
My new novel.
Please enjoy!
Also, the next world will be both Jujutsu Kaisen and Solo Leveling!
Please look forward to it!