C6 Ninja Break Spheres

After leaving home, Russell made a beeline for the business district.

"Hey, isn't this the dumpling shop Uchiha Itachi frequents?" Russell stroked his chin and stepped inside.

Once he'd finished browsing, he emerged with two skewers of tri-colored dumplings. Taking a bite, he muttered, "They're just okay, nothing to write home about."

He polished off the dumplings in record time and then took a more serious look around.

There was a barbecue joint, a clothing store, and no shortage of casinos.

"Sure, they've got everything, but there's no hot pot, and these clothes are seriously outdated!"

Reaching into his pocket, Russell realized his starting funds amounted to a paltry hundred taels.

Glancing at the price list at Ichiraku Ramen, a bowl cost eighty taels, and Russell's face fell.

With only a hundred taels, what could he do besides splurge on a bowl of ramen?

Besides, Ninja School was starting in three days, and he didn't have much time to spare!

"Wow! What an adorable little brother! Are you hungry? Let me treat you to some ramen."

Out of nowhere, a little girl, roughly Russell's age, emerged from the ramen shop, her eyes wide at the sight of his downcast expression.

"I..."

Though he didn't recognize the girl, he could tell from the context that she must be Kusanagi.

Before he could get a word out, she cut him off, "Don't be shy, little brother. Ichiraku Ramen is my family's place. I'll treat you!"

"Father, let's treat this little brother to some ramen!" Kusanagi tugged Russell into the shop and called out to the owner.

"Hahaha," laughed the youthful owner of Ichiraku, "No problem at all."

"I wasn't just standing outside Ichiraku Ramen because I was hungry!"

It was only then that Russell found the nerve to speak up, but the owner had already sprung into action, making explanations seem unnecessary.

He figured he might as well eat and pay afterward, especially since he was starting to feel hungry.

So, without further ado, Russell stopped fretting and began contemplating his financial future.

Minato and Kushina had welcomed Russell into their home, showering him with unwavering care and attention. Out of respect for their generosity, Russell couldn't bring himself to ask them for money.

Once he had spent his pocket money on La La noodles, only twenty taels remained—just enough to purchase some paper, a pen, and a few other trinkets.

With a deep breath, Russell steeled his resolve.

It was then that Hengpu arrived, carrying a steaming bowl of noodles that roused Russell from his thoughts.

"Here are your noodles. Please enjoy."

After setting down the bowl, Hengpu retreated to the side, though her gaze lingered on Russell's face.

He's so adorable. I'm tempted to pinch those cheeks!

No, no, that's not proper at all.

With a vigorous shake of her head, Hengpu forced herself to look away, determined not to stare at Russell.

Unaware of the young girl's inner turmoil, and eager to kickstart his business ventures, Russell devoured the 10,000 RMB worth of noodles in no time.

"I'm satisfied. Thank you for the meal!"

Leaving 80 taels on the table, Russell expressed his gratitude to Hengpu with impeccable manners before swiftly departing.

He had pressing matters to attend to—after all, what allure could a little girl hold compared to the scent of money?

He'd reconsider when she was older.

After exiting the noodle shop, Russell pushed his physical endurance to the limit. He bought a pen and a notebook, spending the last of his twenty taels.

"Ah, did I hand over that money too soon? If not, I wouldn't be in such a bind."

Feeling the void in his pockets, Russell sighed.

He did have some money left—not a lot, but a substantial four or five hundred thousand taels, all of which he had previously entrusted to Kushina.

She had initially refused, but Russell had insisted, wanting the funds to be saved for his future wife.

This decision had led to his current financial predicament.

"But it doesn't matter. I don't have the time for distractions, nor do I have trusted hands to help."

Shaking off these thoughts, Russell focused and took the pen in hand with solemn intent.

This was the foundation of his potential fortune, and he couldn't afford to take it lightly.

The phrase "Ninja Break Spheres" materialized on the notebook before Russell.

Indeed, Russell had set his sights on becoming a scribe of sorts, intent on sharing the blockbuster books of his former life with this new world.

He had once perused Jiraiya's "Willpower of Endurance," courtesy of Minato at the Water Gate, and frankly, it left much to be desired.

If even such mediocre works could become bestsellers, Russell was convinced that the hot-ticket novels from his past life would triumph here!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Fueled by memory and a dash of creative license, Russell's pen flew across the page without pause, the diminutive figure hunched over in a flurry of fervent writing.

Minato returned home that afternoon to find Russell still deeply absorbed in his literary endeavor.

In the living room, Minato and Kushina deliberated.

"I've taken care of Russell's enrollment paperwork. Once the Ninja School starts, we'll send him off to study!"

Minato brandished the document with a hint of triumph.

"However... with Russell's formidable Chakra, isn't it a bit..."

Kushina didn't need him to finish; she grasped Minato's implication completely.

With a reassuring smile, she replied, "Don't worry. Russell himself expressed a desire to attend the Ninja School."

And just like that, in a brief exchange, they charted the course of Russell's destiny for the next six years.

One had to wonder if Russell, upon realizing he had missed a chance to alter his fate, would be overwhelmed with despair to the point of a mock tofu-suicide.

True, he had voiced an interest in the Ninja School, but that was before he acquired the Nine-Tails' purple card—not now!

Yet, even with this knowledge, Russell's gratitude towards Minato and Kushina would only deepen.

Did they really think gaining entry to the Ninja School was a simple feat? The admission certificate Minato held was a rarity indeed.

Otherwise, the Ninja School would have been overrun with applicants; how could it possibly have just a select few?

While they were settling Russell's affairs, whispers began to circulate within Konoha.

Orochimaru's reputation grew increasingly tarnished through the machinations of certain individuals, while Minato's esteem soared.

The tides had turned; Minato had overtaken Orochimaru, even managing to overshadow him.

The general populace was clueless about the undercurrents, but the astute few recognized the significance of Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake's passing—far beyond what anyone could have imagined.

Beyond that, the wife of Hinata's branch family member, the proprietress of Konoha's largest weapon shop, and a civilian woman were all expecting.

Three of Konoha's future "Twelve Strong" had already been conceived.

Of course, there were still about ten months to go before they would be ready to take action.

Russell was neither aware of nor concerned with these developments. After an afternoon of intense work, his notebook boasted over 20,000 words—a truly commendable achievement!