"Top-grade medical extraction equipment... Lord Taki Chiba... requested period: one month. Is that all?"
The young female ninja at the General Affairs Office's medical equipment application desk looked at the application form in her hands, then at Chiba standing before her, and spoke somewhat nervously.
"Mm... That's all."
Chiba himself felt slightly awkward. Though he looked like nothing more than an eleven- or twelve-year-old child, to ninja who did not know him well—especially newly appointed ninja who had just started working at the General Affairs Office—his status as acting Hokage assistant seemed to place immense pressure on them. This fifteen- or sixteen-year-old female ninja named "Emi," judging by her badge, had hands that were practically trembling.
This made Chiba, who had always been disliked and shunned and had rarely dealt with others, quite uncomfortable. Although he had endured that dislike and loathing, he had never imagined becoming successful someday just so others would fear him, be unable to raise their heads before him, or fawn over him with flattering bows. He was not that petty. He had no desire to rise to power and then stand on others' heads, making them kneel and grovel. To Chiba, those who disliked him had never even been worth his notice. Nor was he so empty and insecure that he needed a change in others' attitudes to find a sense of existence.
And seeing Emi act this way, aside from feeling awkward, Chiba had no other thoughts about it.
Sigh...
You don't need to be this nervous. I'm just a ninja like all of you. I may have some privileges because of the Hokage Assistant title, but as people, I'm still a ninja serving the village, just like you.
Stay calm! Just stay calm!
Those were the thoughts in his heart.
However, having