Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make
Chapter 145: Another World Part 2
In this world, the slums have not been claimed by any nobles because acquiring land means paying taxes.
Most of the people living in the slums are poor, and the nobles don't want to risk claiming the slum and paying the high taxes.
Fifteen years ago, a noble became interested in claiming the slum, and he nearly went bankrupt just to pay the taxes to the royalty. Fortunately, he only needed to pay taxes for three years, after which the land would fully become his if he intended to or he can cancel it because the contract had ended.
The tax price for the slum is high because the land is vast. It doesn't matter whether the land is suitable for crops or not, the tax depends on the land size.
His case served as a warning to other nobles not to rush into claiming land. As a result, for the past 12 years, no one has wanted to claim the slum.
The majority of the people living in the slum are children, followed by criminals and some who are being punished.
Setsuna used his shadow clone technique to create ten clones, transforming them using metamorphmagus.
Kagami wanted to use the shadow clone technique as well, but Setsuna stopped him. Setsuna's clones were special, and with his vast chakra reserves, it was no issue for him to maintain shadow clones all day.
---Hiring---
Setsuna and Kagami weren't afraid of anyone living in the slum, even the third-rate criminals were nothing compared to them.
However, Setsuna didn't want the headache of confronting them directly, which is why he created clones and had them transform into thuggish-looking figures who seemed like they'd fought many battles.
The presence of Setsuna and Kagami intimidated the others. Setsuna's clones had transformed into towering thugs with big muscles, more than 2 meters tall. Some of the criminals were even scared just by looking at them.
It was clear from one glance that Setsuna wasn't someone to mess with. Even the seasoned criminals in the slum knew better than to cross them.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
The sound of footsteps approached, getting closer to Setsuna's group.
Pap! A boy trying to escape crashed right into one of Setsuna's clones.
A dead rat was tossed aside, and the group of children chasing the boy froze in fear.
The people living in the slum were usually filthy and malnourished, but Setsuna and his group stood out—strong, clean, and imposing.
Noticing the group of kids, around 12 years old, Setsuna was momentarily stunned. He decided to have his clones encircle them, preventing their escape.
"Why are you chasing him?" Setsuna asked.
His question snapped them out of their daze. When they realized they were surrounded, panic flashed in their eyes.
"That boy caught a rat in our spot, so it belongs to us," said a slightly older boy.
"No way! I caught the rat, so why should I share it with you?" the boy who had run into the clone argued.
The atmosphere grew tense, their fear replaced by anger.
"Did you eat the rat?" Setsuna asked again.
"Yes," they replied, looking at Setsuna like he was asking something obvious.
For them, rats were a source of food, providing much-needed nutrients.
"That's unfortunate. Would you like to eat real food?" Setsuna asked.
The boy, who had been on the verge of fighting, froze, staring at Setsuna in disbelief.
"You... you're going to treat us?" one of the boys asked.
"Yes, why not?" Setsuna replied. "Follow me."
With that, Setsuna led the group out of the slum, heading toward the temporary base he and Kagami had set up earlier.
---Real Food---
Around 20 people were following Setsuna and his group.
At first, they were a bit scared, but when Setsuna handed them porridge with rice and a bit of chicken, they forgot their fear and devoured the food.
"Eat slowly. If you eat too fast, I won't give you any more," warned Setsuna.
His warning managed to make the group of children eat slowly, but the way they ate made Setsuna feel pity.
They didn't know how to use the spoon properly. Instead, they dug into the porridge with their hands and shoved it into their mouths. It is not in elegant way which some south east asian eat using their hands, instead they are using 5 finger and forcefully forced it into their mouth.
Setsuna and Kagami fell silent, just watching the kids eat the porridge with such eagerness. These children had never tasted anything so delicious in their lives.
Their whole world had revolved around thinking that mice were the most delicious food they could find. But today, they were eating porridge with some chicken in it.
When they finished their meal, they looked at Setsuna.
One of the boys suddenly spoke up,
"You promised that if we ate slowly, you'd let us eat more."
Setsuna smiled.
"I did promise, but don't you have any family members?" asked Setsuna.
Hearing this, some of the boys suddenly stood up.
"Can we invite our siblings to eat?" one of the boys asked.
"You can, but I only want your family to know about this," replied Setsuna. "I don't want every single person in the slum coming here."
"Okay," said half of the boys as they rushed to bring their family members, eager to share the good news. Some of Setsuna's clones followed them, ensuring they weren't bullied by the adults in the slum.
"We don't have any siblings. Can we eat now?" asked the older boy.
"Not yet. I want you to wash yourselves first. You smell like feces," said Setsuna, pinching his nose.
He then gestured for them to follow him to a bathroom.
With the help of his clones and a bit of jutsu, they had built a decent house complete with a bathroom.
"You guys stink, so you need to wash up first," said Setsuna.
"But how?" asked one of the boys.
"You," Setsuna pointed at one of the kids. "Come here."
The boy, trying to muster his courage, stepped forward.
Setsuna turned on the tap and showered him with water.
"What is this? How does the water come out of this thing?" the boy exclaimed in shock.
"How did he do that?" others murmured.
The crystal-clear water quickly turned muddy as it ran off the boy's body, showing how dirty he was.
Setsuna smiled as he took a bottle of shampoo and put some on the boy's head.
"Arghh! It hurts!" the boy cried out as the soap suds got into his eyes.
"Don't move, just close your eyes," Setsuna instructed.
After about five minutes, the boy was clean and dressed in proper clothes. He was shocked at how comfortable he felt.
"See, I want all of you to get clean like him, then you can eat again," said Setsuna.
The boys followed the steps, each taking turns washing up and changing into the proper clothes Setsuna provided. They were used to wearing coarse sackcloth, but now they were dressed in soft cotton garments that were a hundred times more comfortable.
After they finished washing and changing, Setsuna handed them toothbrushes. Once again, they were taught how to properly clean their teeth, a first time for them.
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