Is It Taking Me for a Weakling?

Tsunade took the file, glanced through it, then casually tossed it onto the desk and complained,

"Old Man, if there's something like this next time, don't call me over in such a rush. I still have surgery later."

"But Yagami Chiyue is someone you think highly of."

The Third Hokage looked at her.

Tsunade laughed in anger.

"Yes, I'm the one who thinks highly of him, but you're the one who wants him to become a second Kagami Uchiha, aren't you? My teacher."

The Third Hokage did not like hearing that.

What did she mean, I'm the one who wants him to become a second Kagami Uchiha?

"Let's leave it at that. Since they want to form a two-person team, let them do as they please.

"Of the ninjas who graduate every year, how many can successfully be assigned to a suitable ninja team?"

"Most ninjas still have to find a team themselves."

This was the higher-ups' inaction. Others did not dare mention it.

But Tsunade did not care about that. If she disliked something, she would say so.

Striding toward the exit, Tsunade waved without looking back.

"Old Man, Yagami Chiyue can never become a second Kagami Uchiha, so stop wasting your thoughts on him.

"Since he refuses to accept your arrangements, let him grow on his own."

"And don't try to shove any students onto me. I'm very busy right now. Plenty of people are still waiting for surgery at the hospital."

Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu was famously powerful in Konoha and throughout the entire ninja world.

As long as she was in the village, countless people wanted to ask her to treat them.

Even though she had nearly gambled away the Senju Clan's entire fortune, as long as Tsunade was not lazy and gambled a little less, she could still become wealthy.

Unfortunately, this big fat sheep could not control her own hands.

Since she had failed to take Chiyue under her wing, Tsunade simply gave up on the idea of teaching students.

Taking care of bratty kids was the biggest hassle.

Rather than waste time on that, she might as well help out more at the hospital and earn some money.

So annoying!

The gambling debt from last time was due, and Tsunade scratched her head as she walked.

Just thinking about the massive debt she owed gave her a headache.

Yet she could not refuse to pay it. Otherwise, if they came looking for her at the Hokage's Office Building, Tsunade Hime would be utterly humiliated.

While the students of their graduating class were still waiting for the village to assign them a supervising ninja, Chiyue and Mikoto had already begun taking on the first mission of their ninja careers.

Without a supervising ninja, and as a two-person team, Chiyue and Mikoto could currently only take D-Rank Missions as a transition.

Catching cats, picking up trash, scrubbing toilets...

The moment Chiyue saw those missions, he nearly fainted.

The other missions were fine, but scrubbing toilets? Was that serious?

Who even posted that mission?

Was it issued by the Hokage's Office?

Then never mind. Leave it for the teams that came later.

For their first mission, Chiyue chose to help a rancher drive away wild beasts.

Though it was also a D-Rank Mission, this type of mission offered considerably more contribution points and pay than ordinary D-Rank Missions.

Mikoto happened to need combat experience, so Chiyue decisively accepted the mission.

Since they only had to drive the beasts away and were not required to kill all the animals attacking the livestock, the mission was classified as D-Rank.

If they were required to kill them and eliminate any future trouble, the mission would be classified as C-Rank.

"Let's go."

After accepting the mission, Chiyue and Mikoto checked their Ninja Tool Pouches, registered at the village entrance, and left Konoha for the ranch.

On her first mission, Mikoto seemed both excited and nervous.

After arriving at the ranch and speaking with its owner to gather information, the two entered the forest beside it.

The mission required them to drive away the wild beasts attacking the livestock. As long as they drove them outside the ranch's boundaries, the mission would be complete.

If they could eliminate the beasts, the mission would automatically be upgraded to C-Rank, and they would receive C-Rank pay and contribution points.

Chiyue and Mikoto did not care about that little bit of money anyway.

As for contribution points, to be honest, they were treasures in some people's hands,

but in the hands of others, they were little different from having nothing at all.

Minato had enough contribution points, and with Jiraiya's help and persuasion, the Third Hokage could allow him to exchange them for the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Give the same contribution points to someone from the Uchiha Clan, and they would be lucky to exchange them for an A-Rank ninjutsu.

Do not think the village was discriminating against you or deliberately targeting you.

Be confident, because they were targeting you.

"Split up. You track from that side. I'll go from this side."

Chiyue assigned Mikoto a direction, then created two Shadow Clones to expand their search range.

In the world of ninjas, due to the influence of Chakra and natural energy, many creatures grew enormous and incredibly powerful.

The toads, snakes, and slugs of the Three Great Sage Regions were the most typical examples.

Aside from those powerful Summoned Beasts, even jonin could get themselves killed when encountering some powerful creatures.

"Little White, sense whether there are any creatures in the forest with particularly strong Chakra."

"Master, there are obvious Chakra fluctuations to the southeast."

Guided by Little White, Chiyue quickly found a tiger nearly as large as a room.

The big orange cat seemed not to have noticed Chiyue's arrival yet. It was lying lazily on the ground, taking an afternoon nap.

There were also quite a few food remnants in the nearby clearing.

"Such strong Chakra fluctuations. Looks like it can fetch a good price."

The moment Chiyue saw the big orange cat, he knew he had struck it rich.

An animal like this could be captured and sold as a Summoned Beast. Many ninjas liked offensive-type Summoned Beasts.

"Roar!!"

Chiyue's quiet muttering startled the sleeping big orange cat awake. It flipped over and leaped to its feet, roaring toward Chiyue.

The surrounding trees shook, and leaves rustled down in a continuous shower.

After roaring, the big orange cat pounced at Chiyue.

"Is it taking me for a weakling?"

Chiyue dodged the big orange cat's powerful tiger claw and viciously kicked it beneath the chin.

"Rumble!!"

The big orange cat's massive body flew away, knocking down tree after tree. Its body even tore up a layer of turf from the ground.

"?"

Wary that it might suddenly spring back up, Chiyue waited for a moment before approaching in confusion.

The big orange cat, which had been so fierce just moments ago, was now clutching its head in pain and curled up on the ground. It kept making low whimpering sounds as blood flowed from its mouth.

It seemed that kick had made the big orange cat bite its own tongue.