Chapter 163: Chapter 163: The Towel
Konoha Orphanage.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows, casting dappled, warm patches across the rows of small beds.
Nonou moved softly between the beds, gently tucking in the sleeping children. When she reached a bed in the corner, she looked down at the closed eyes of Yakushi Kabuto and felt a surge of relief.
Several days had passed, and Kabuto’s body had fully recovered. Although he still rarely spoke, the haunting, dead stillness that once lived in his eyes had faded significantly.
Once she was certain all the children were sound asleep, Nonou stepped out and quietly closed the door.
The moment the door clicked shut, Kabuto slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was clear, devoid of any lingering drowsiness. He slid out of bed soundlessly and walked barefoot to the door, pressing his ear against the wood.
Silence reigned in the hallway.
He unlocked the door and pushed it open just a crack. After confirming the corridor was empty, he stepped out. He had only gone a few paces when he heard hushed voices coming from the direction of the director’s office.
Kabuto stopped in his tracks, pressing himself against the wall and gliding silently toward the office door.
"...Director, the orphanage’s budget is already stretched thin. We have to pinch every penny every month. Why on earth did you bring back another mouth to feed from the battlefield?" the staff member complained openly.
Nonou’s response was gentle, yet firm. "I’ll find a way, perhaps by taking on a few more missions. Please, go back to your work."
The door opened and the staff member left.
Kabuto waited in the shadows for a dozen seconds before entering the office. Nonou, who was organizing the account books, looked up with a hint of surprise.
"What is it, Kabuto? Did you have another nightmare?"
Kabuto kept his head down, staring at his toes. His voice was barely a whisper. "I’m sorry."
Nonou froze for a moment, then realized he had overheard the conversation. She set the ledger aside, knelt before him, and gently rubbed his silver hair.
"Adult matters aren’t for children to worry about," she said. "Your only job right now is to grow up healthy and happy."
Kabuto looked into Nonou’s eyes. He didn’t speak, but he silently clenched the fabric of his clothes.
Just then, there was a knock at the orphanage’s front door. Nonou stood up to answer it.
Standing outside was an ANBU operative, wearing an animal mask and reporting directly to the Hokage. Nonou’s smile vanished; she couldn’t guess why an ANBU would suddenly visit.
Without wasting words, the operative handed over a document stamped with the Hokage’s seal. "A notice from the Hokage."
Nonou took the document and unfolded it. As she scanned the text, she froze. Thinking she had misread it, she blinked hard and read it again, word for word.
The document stated clearly: *In recognition of the orphanage’s merit in sheltering war orphans, the specialized funding will be fully doubled starting next month. Payments will be issued directly by the Hokage’s financial department; no department may deduct or divert these funds for any reason.*
Nonou’s hands trembled. Clutched in her grip, the paper fluttered as she thanked the ANBU operative repeatedly.
Standing behind her, Kabuto looked at the document and then at Nonou’s profile, his expression thoughtful.
***
The following morning, at Konoha Hospital.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, staring at a pile of supply reports. When Nonou entered, Tsunade didn’t even look up.
"Sit. Let me finish this page."
After flipping the final sheet, Tsunade set the reports down, preparing to listen to the routine update. But then she paused, looking closer.
Nonou seemed different today. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed, but the woman seemed far more relaxed, her voice carrying an irrepressible hint of joy.
"Did something good happen?" Tsunade asked casually.
Smiling, Nonou shared the news about the orphanage’s funding being doubled. "The Third Hokage is truly merciful."
Tsunade didn’t respond immediately, but her brow furrowed slightly. As a disciple of Hiruzen, she knew that calculating old man all too well. The Third Great Ninja War was still raging and front-line military spending was tight; there was no way the old man would suddenly grant the orphanage such a massive sum of money for no reason.
Moreover, the specific clause stating that "no one may deduct the funds" was not the old man’s typical style.
Tsunade didn’t press her for more information. She simply nodded, and after Nonou finished her report and left, Tsunade sat in silence for a while. Then, she stood up and headed to the Hokage building.
By the time she returned to her office, she understood everything.
Kitahara Kaede, having earned the primary merit of the Mount Kikyo battle, had voluntarily waived all his rewards. His only request was that the orphanage’s funding be doubled.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. Kitahara Kaede’s perpetually calm face floated in her mind.
Battle merits were bought with blood and lives; most people would have stuffed every single reward into their own pockets. Yet he had simply handed them over to a group of orphans he barely even knew.
Tsunade looked down at her desk. Something felt lodged in her chest—something soft and warm.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. There was still some time before the end of the workday. She had agreed to go find Kushina with him today, but right now, she just wanted to see him.
Tsunade stood up, grabbed her green coat from the back of her chair, and strode out of the office.
***
At the training ground.
As the sun began to set, Might Guy was sprinting around the field handstand-style, shouting, "This is the sweat of youth!"
In the center of the field, Kitahara Kaede had just finished a high-intensity taijutsu sparring session with Kurenai Yuhi. Kurenai was breathing heavily, while Kaede remained composed.
"You’re still as strong as ever, Kaede," Kurenai said with a smile. She naturally reached into her ninja tool pouch, pulled out a clean towel, and handed it to him.
Kaede took it naturally. "Your genjutsu is becoming increasingly troublesome."
The two stood close together, their long shadows stretching across the grass and overlapping in the sunset.
Tsunade stopped at the edge of the training ground.
The way Kurenai handed over the towel was natural. The way Kaede accepted it was equally natural. Tsunade recognized the girl; she had met her at the hospital before, and Kaede had described her as merely a comrade.
But the smile vanished from Tsunade’s face.
*It’s just a towel after sparring. What’s the problem?*
She understood the logic. Yet, she crossed her arms and stood her ground in silence. As her gaze locked onto the two of them, her eyes slowly narrowed.
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