I Even Got a Lesson from Him in Return??

The Mission Hall was located in the commercial center of Konoha. Watanabe and Tsunade had often passed by its entrance when they went to the woods to spar, but they had never gone inside.

Things were different now. Wearing a Ninja Headband, Watanabe was qualified to enter, unlike the thick-browed young man in front of him, who had just reached the entrance and was already being mocked by the guard.

"Might Duy, here to make a fool of yourself again?"

The thick-browed young man clenched his fists and earnestly told him, "I'm here to take a mission!"

The guard rubbed his temples and said impatiently, "I've told you a hundred times. Other than clients who post missions, only ninjas can enter the Mission Hall. You can also enter if you're escorted by a ninja companion. But are you a ninja? Do you have a ninja companion?"

The thick-browed young man's face flushed red, and he was rendered speechless.

He wasn't a ninja, and no ninja who looked down on him would invite him to be a companion.

"Please let me in. I really need to take missions and earn money!" the thick-browed young man pleaded.

"I advise you not to waste your effort." The guard glanced sideways at him, unmoved.

"Someone like you, who isn't even a ninja, couldn't possibly have a client looking for you. Honestly finding a job doing manual labor is the proper path."

"Even so!" the thick-browed young man argued desperately. "Even if I'm not a ninja, there are still some missions I can complete on my own!"

"Give it up."

The guard waved his hand as if shooing away a fly. "Only an idiot would believe you. In any case, I'm not letting you in. Go sit somewhere else."

The thick-browed young man unclenched his fists, his expression dark and lonely—

"I'm his ninja companion. There shouldn't be a problem with me bringing him inside, right?"

At that moment, Watanabe's voice rang out as he walked to the thick-browed young man's side.

The thick-browed young man froze and turned to look at him.

The guard scrutinized Watanabe suspiciously for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, "You're Watanabe? The one who ranked first in yesterday's graduation exam?"

Watanabe was also a little surprised to hear that. He hadn't expected himself to be so famous.

But after thinking about it, he wasn't surprised anymore. Being first in the graduation exam was equivalent to being the top scorer in the college entrance exam in his previous life, so it was only natural for him to be somewhat well-known. Besides, there had been so many people in the audience yesterday, and they would naturally spread the news afterward.

"That's right. It's me." Watanabe admitted it.

The guard instantly became solemn with respect. The young man before him was far more than just the top graduate. According to the rumors he had heard, Watanabe was also the future son-in-law of the Senju Clan, an existence he absolutely couldn't afford to provoke.

"Of course there's no problem with you bringing Might Duy inside." The guard put on a smile. "But let me give you a warning. Might Duy doesn't even qualify as a Genin. Having him as your companion will only hold you back."

Might Duy's heart tightened, and he gazed imploringly at Watanabe.

Watanabe saw the desire in his eyes. Combined with what he had just heard from his conversation with the guard, he figured that Might Duy must desperately need mission pay to make a living.

If he hadn't been forced into such a situation, who would willingly go before someone who looked down on him just to suffer humiliation?

"You don't need to worry about that. Let's go."

Watanabe spoke indifferently and entered the Mission Hall, with Might Duy hurrying after him.

"Little brother, thank you for forming a team with me. You've really helped me out!" Once they were out of the guard's sight, Might Duy immediately expressed his gratitude to Watanabe.

"It was nothing. Don't mention it."

Watanabe felt that the thick-browed young man seemed to have a rather straightforward personality, so he said directly, "Actually, I came to the Mission Hall for something else. I can't form a team with you. Go find a mission yourself."

Might Duy wore an awkward expression, thinking that Watanabe was afraid he would hold him back and was deliberately saying this.

"Uh, all right. You go take care of your business... I'm still very grateful to you!"

Watanabe nodded and walked toward the staircase nearby.

Might Duy watched him the entire time. Only after Watanabe disappeared from sight did he take a deep breath and force himself to rally, turning his gaze toward the crowded mission area.

The Mission Hall had three floors in total. Missions on the first floor could be accepted by anyone below Chunin rank. Missions on the second floor required a Special Jōnin to lead the team, while missions on the third floor required an ordinary Jōnin to lead the team. The higher the floor, the fewer people there were.

Watanabe went straight to the rooftop.

He pushed open the door, and three figures appeared in his field of vision.

Hiruzen and Hyuga Rei both had their backs to him, standing motionless like statues.

Uchiha Chiri leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance. Her profile was stunning and icy, her waist-length hair fluttering in the wind. Her two long legs, wrapped in black stockings, were particularly eye-catching, and Watanabe instinctively glanced at them twice.

"You're late."

Uchiha Chiri turned her head and spoke unhappily.

"Sorry. Something delayed me at the entrance just now." Watanabe lowered his posture.

"Why did you bring that person in when he isn't even a ninja?"

Watanabe was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was asking about Might Duy.

Had she seen him from the rooftop just now?

"He wanted to come in, so I brought him in." Watanabe replied.

"Foolish."

Uchiha Chiri's expression turned cold as she reprimanded him. "You think you're helping him, but in reality, you're harming him."

"Do you know how high the mortality rate is when an ordinary person takes on a ninja's mission?"

Watanabe disagreed. "As far as I know, there are still some missions that aren't dangerous and are easy to complete. The only difference is that the pay will be lower."

"You think he definitely won't take a dangerous mission? Stop being so self-righteous. You don't understand the ninja world at all." Uchiha Chiri continued reprimanding him, giving Watanabe his first lesson after becoming a ninja.

Watanabe had no answer to that. After remaining silent for a long while, he asked in return,

"Teacher, have you ever been poor?"

Uchiha Chiri furrowed her brows.

Watanabe spoke frankly. "I have."

"When a person is so poor that they can't afford to eat, as long as they're given an opportunity to risk their life for money, they'll do everything they can to seize it."

When he had first transmigrated to Konoha, his parents' pension had run out. Watanabe had eaten instant noodles every day, sometimes going hungry for a meal or two. At the time, he had even considered performing on the streets, letting people punch him for ten taels each.

If his circumstances hadn't been so difficult, he wouldn't have thought about dropping out of school to find another way to make a living. Fortunately, he became friends with Tsunade soon afterward, and with her help, his life was no longer so strained.

Uchiha Chiri's expression shifted slightly. Although Watanabe's tone was calm, it somehow made her heart feel heavy.

"Teacher, you might not understand the world of impoverished commoners. When they need help, they genuinely hope that someone will reach out and pull them up."

"So I don't think I did anything wrong. Even if Might Duy dies while carrying out a mission, I won't feel guilty." Watanabe spoke frankly.

How Uchiha Chiri viewed him was her business. As long as he had a clear conscience, that was enough.

Uchiha Chiri's eyes flickered and shifted. In the end, she didn't argue with Watanabe any further. She turned her head away and continued gazing into the distance in her previous posture.

In her heart, however, she kept pondering Watanabe's words. The more she thought about them, the more she felt that she might have been the one in the wrong.

"The world of impoverished commoners..."

I even got a lesson from him in return??

Uchiha Chiri suddenly felt extremely indignant, as if she had lost face.