"This is getting ridiculous. Rice has actually hit twenty-five Ryo a catty. Thankfully, vegetable prices haven't spiked as much, or we'd really have to start cutting back on our food budget."
It was summer break, and Minato—who had grown a bit taller again—spoke with a hint of distress as he lugged two heavy bags of rice. Beside him, Tatsuma nodded in grim agreement. They weren't alone; the market was crowded with people frantically stockpiling grain.
The rice merchants had recently announced that due to rising logistics and transportation costs, the price of grain would be adjusted at irregular intervals. Looking at the current trend, it didn't seem like prices would drop anytime soon; if anything, they were poised to keep climbing.
As for vegetables, meat, and poultry, while there had been a slight increase, it wasn't nearly as staggering as the surge in staples like rice and flour. This was likely because Konoha and its surrounding areas were largely self-sufficient in those perishable goods.
Tatsuma let out a long sigh. "Lord Jiraiya and his team only came back once last year. I suspect things are becoming quite unstable outside the village."
Hearing this, Minato—who had harbored a faint, nagging intuition for the past two years—suddenly asked, "Tatsuma, do you think there will be another war? Like the one from over a decade ago?"
Minato was referring to what would later be known as the First Shinobi World War. Today, the signature smile was missing from Tatsuma's face. He gave a somber, serious nod.
"War is coming," Tatsuma said. "Or rather… the Shinobi World hasn't truly known peace since the last Great War ended. It was only a matter of time before a second world-spanning conflict erupted. And there will likely be a third, and perhaps more after that. Every war is really just a continuation of the one before it. Looking at the current climate, the friction between villages and nations has clearly intensified. It won't be long now before the spark hits the tinder."
Even though Tatsuma knew from his meta-knowledge that the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars were inevitable—and he had "steeled his heart" to participate when he chose the path of a ninja—he still felt a wave of anxiety as the reality drew closer. He had never actually experienced war. In fact, compared to a native like Minato, his psychological tolerance for such a reality was arguably lower.
Seeing the heavy expression on Tatsuma's face, Minato shook his head and tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe we're just overthinking it? We've never even stepped foot outside the village; how can we really know what the world is like? Maybe Lord Jiraiya will be back soon with good news that war has been averted."
Even as he said it, Minato didn't sound like he believed his own words. Tatsuma didn't bother to argue. He simply shrugged. "Regardless, if the price of meat and eggs keeps going up, we might have to resort to fishing and foraging for wild greens."
The stipend provided by the village might have been enough in the past, but with inflation soaring, today's "stockpiling" trip had already dipped significantly into their personal savings.
"I heard several of the training grounds are full of wildlife," Minato suggested. "Maybe we could head over there and see what we can find."
Tatsuma shook his head. "The animals released into the training grounds are chosen because they're useful for ninja training. Simply put: they're dangerous. Setting aside whether we could hunt them successfully, most of those creatures are omnivores, carnivores, or even scavengers. They generally aren't fit for consumption."
"Why is that?" Minato asked, curious.
Tatsuma thought for a moment, trying to explain it as simply as possible. "The more 'pure' and singular a species' nutrient intake is, the more suitable it is for human consumption. For instance, cattle and sheep that eat nothing but plant-based roughage are excellent food sources. Even simpler are the plants themselves—vegetables and fruits."
Minato nodded, appearing to understand even if the concept was new. Tatsuma didn't bother explaining the complexities of the food chain and bioaccumulation; unless it was a matter of life or death, he had no intention of eating the meat of high-risk predators.
They walked a bit further until they reached the crossroad where they usually parted ways. Minato suddenly spoke up. "Tatsuma-kun, if war really does break out and the village needs us... would you choose to graduate early?"
Tatsuma looked at him, surprised. "Are you thinking about graduating early?"
As he asked, Tatsuma's brow furrowed. According to the original timeline, Minato didn't graduate from the Academy until he was ten. Had his presence—training Minato early and helping him realize his talent sooner—given Minato different ideas?
Minato nodded. "Goppu-sensei mentioned before that our strength has already far exceeded the graduation standards. He said we could graduate at any time, and that we aren't far off from the requirements for Chunin. I'm sure you noticed—Goppu-sensei has basically been nudging us to leave early. He even hinted that the Hokage would find us excellent Jonin instructors."
Tatsuma didn't answer immediately. After the final exams of the previous term, Goppu Sarutobi had indeed pulled the two of them aside for a "talk," but Tatsuma had laughed it off and skillfully diverted the conversation.
Minato had seen that Tatsuma wasn't interested in the topic back then, and as a good friend, he hadn't pushed it. But now, in a private conversation, there was no need to hide anything. Tatsuma's silence wasn't born of fear, but of calculation.
If neither he nor Minato graduated, he could continue to "shear the wool" off Minato in a safe, controlled environment, steadily raising his own talent ceiling. But if Minato decided to graduate early while Tatsuma stayed behind, his rate of improvement would plummet. In that classroom, there was simply no "Fat Sheep" that could compare to Minato.
There were plenty of talented kids in the class—the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Tsume Inuzuka, Tenfu Uchiha, Chinto Hyuga, and the Aburame boy all had great potential. Then there was Kushina, a Jinchuriki candidate whose potential was likely on par with Minato's.
However, "shearing" those targets was much more difficult. Shikaku Nara only cared about Shogi and would flatly refuse any other "duel." Choza Akimichi was only motivated by food. Inoichi... Tatsuma hadn't even figured out what kind of "match" would interest him.
As for the Uchiha and Hyuga boys, while Tatsuma hadn't had any major conflicts with them over the last two years, they weren't exactly friends. Tenfu Uchiha, in particular, had been defeated by Tatsuma four times in a row.
Whether it was intentional on Goppu's part or not, over four semesters of combat assessments, Tatsuma had been matched against Tenfu four times, and Minato had fought Chinto Hyuga four times. They were undefeated. After the first two losses, Tenfu used to talk tough about winning next time, but now he stayed silent. He even went out of his way to walk around Tatsuma in the hallways.
Chinto Hyuga was the same. Furthermore, both boys headed straight back to their clan compounds the moment school ended; finding them for "extra practice" was impossible.
Tsume Inuzuka was a mere acquaintance at best, and Shibi Aburame... half the time, Tatsuma forgot he was even in the class. His presence was so low, and their interests didn't overlap at all.
Then there was Kushina. Lately, she seemed to be keeping a very low profile, living a secluded life. Aside from actual class hours, she was nowhere to be found.
Therefore, if Minato graduated, Tatsuma had no reason to stay in school. Early graduation wasn't without its perks; if two students from the same year graduated together, there was a high probability they would be assigned to the same squad.
Even if they weren't, Tatsuma's research into his System over the past year had revealed a benefit: for combat-related "matches," as long as he gave a compliment, the System would often default to a duel state even without a formal agreement. Once he became a ninja, he would encounter enemies on missions. While the frequency might be lower than his daily "farming" sessions with Minato, not having to meticulously manufacture a "duel" every time was a plus.
Tatsuma looked at Minato. "Setting me aside... is there no one else in the class you'd be reluctant to leave behind?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere turned slightly awkward. Tatsuma realized his phrasing sounded a bit... strange. The two of them quickly looked away, and Minato began to think very seriously about the question.
Someone he'd be reluctant to leave? There was, indeed.