Tsunade, Be Good, Don't Make a Fuss!

"Nothing but a pile of junk!!"

As he gathered the kunai one by one, Hiko found that quite a few had already cracked and grumbled.

These kunai really couldn't take much abuse. Even casual training burned through them at an alarming rate. If the craftsmen who made them knew, they'd probably be so depressed they'd cough up blood.

How many ninjas used kunai and shuriken more than once? With such frequent use, how could they not break?

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Hiko threw away the unusable kunai. He glanced at the sun, which was about to disappear behind the mountains, packed up his ninja tools, grabbed the ingredients he had bought, and headed home.

The money from the two subsidies was not much, but it was enough to support him until graduation. The only problem was that his ninja tools were being used up rather quickly...

Only two days had passed, yet he had already gone through a batch of ninja tools. Ninja tools were not cheap.

If Hiko kept training like this, the consumption would only increase. That was without using Explosive Tags; otherwise, it would cost even more.

After calculating his finances, Hiko walked down the street absentmindedly, wondering whether he should graduate early. Once he graduated, even if he became part of a Rogue Team or a drifter and took on the lowest-level D-rank missions, he could still earn a fair amount of money. Only then would he be able to sustain his expenses.

Rogue Teams and drifters were labels most easily attached to ninjas who graduated early.

Graduating early could mean being unable to join a suitable team. You could only wander around alone, taking on low-difficulty missions. Of course, if you were strong enough, you could act alone.

But by then, you would find a few burdens tagging along at your side.

When you were part of a Rogue Team or a drifter, you had to rely on yourself most of the time. Once you became stronger, though, you would need to bring weaker ninjas along on missions and teach them.

That was the rule. It was just that fucked up.

There were plenty of mediocre drifters in Konoha, especially Genin.

Don't underestimate those D-rank missions. Most ninjas who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy were unwilling to do them, thinking they were boring. But if those missions were put up for grabs, plenty of people would scramble to take them.

Giving decent missions to squads was considered one way for the village to nurture them.

There were countless ninjas searching everywhere for missions to cover their expenses and earn money. Many times, the more immature the child, the less they knew what was good for them.

Graduating early had its benefits. It allowed one to encounter the cruel side of the outside world sooner and temper oneself faster. But if one could not be assigned to a suitable squad and became a drifter, the problems would become even more troublesome.

That was the issue Hiko cared about most. Carrying out missions with a Rogue Team was no better than acting alone. If strangers were thrown together, who would dare entrust their back to the other person?

Hiko was not arrogant, but neither would he place his safety in someone else's hands. Those who truly thought that way usually met no good end. They would die horribly.

Hiko had nothing to say about the major ninja villages constantly fostering coordination and trust among ninjas. In any case, he could not do it himself.

Distracted as he mulled over two things at once, Hiko failed to notice that not far away, Tsunade was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him furiously. The little backpack on her back showed that she had not gone home after school. She seemed to be waiting to ambush him; this was the route Hiko liked to take back to the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

"Hm?!!"

As Hiko walked along, still considering whether he should graduate early, he suddenly found his path blocked. He instinctively looked up, only to see Tsunade's angry little face.

Without thinking, Hiko raised a hand and pushed her aside. "Tsunade, be good. Don't make a fuss. Uncle will take you to see the goldfish when he has time."

"..."

After searching for him for a long time without success, Tsunade had finally chosen to wait in the road. Yet Hiko's thoughts had drifted far beyond the clouds. When he noticed she was blocking his way, he simply raised his hand, pressed it against her face, pushed her aside, and added:

"Tsunade, be good. Don't make a fuss. Uncle will take you to see the goldfish when he has time."

No matter how she heard it, it sounded like something an elder would say to coax a little girl. Tsunade's mind went completely blank, especially since Hiko's hand had actually pressed against her face.

Tsunade's fair little face reddened at a visible speed.

"Uchiha Hiko!!!"

Possessed by the roar of the Lioness of Hedong, Tsunade let out a red-faced roar. Hiko, who still had not processed what was happening, was startled and jumped aside with a shiver. A second later, he was very glad that his reaction had been fast.

Holy shit!!! This girl is ruthless!!!