You're Right Even If You Wear Black Stockings

"Where's Watanabe? Why didn't you bring him here!"

Tsunade decided to stop beating around the bush. She was angry—more so than when Jiraiya had teased her earlier.

She figured that since Hiruzen had considered Jiraiya and Orochimaru as candidates for his apprentice, he couldn't have overlooked Watanabe. And if he'd noticed Watanabe, he would surely have recognized his unparalleled talent and potential.

In her eyes, Watanabe was more talented and perfect than anyone. Hiruzen hadn't brought him along, which could only mean he'd done it on purpose.

Seeing Tsunade genuinely angry, Jiraiya sheepishly ducked his head, not daring to butt in.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, remained calm. He didn't think Tsunade and Hiruzen's disagreement had anything to do with him.

"Watanabe really is an exceptionally talented child," Hiruzen said.

"I could tell he really wanted to become my apprentice. He even earned the top score in the school's graduation exam."

Tsunade froze.

Watanabe took the graduation exam?

Hadn't I told him not to graduate until I got back?

Once she understood what had happened, anger flared even hotter in her eyes.

Of course, she understood that Watanabe had taken the exam for her sake. But even though he'd come in first, Hiruzen was still targeting him.

"By rights, I should take Watanabe as my apprentice," Hiruzen said with a sigh. "But he's simply too talented. He's even mastered techniques that I haven't. There's nothing I can teach him. Letting him develop naturally might be better for him..."

"Don't pretend."

Tsunade cut him off coldly.

"Who said anyone wants to be your apprentice? I'm going home. I'm not wasting my time playing your games."

With that, Tsunade gave up on the whole thing and strode past Hiruzen, heading back toward Konoha.

Hiruzen froze, not expecting Tsunade to react so dramatically. It was as if he'd played a three in a card game, and Tsunade had flipped the table.

Tsunade needed the master-apprentice relationship with him, but so did he—perhaps even more than she did. If he let her go back just like this, he wouldn't be able to answer to Mito or the Konoha High Command.

"Wait!"

Hiruzen hurriedly called after her.

Tsunade didn't even bother to look at him. She strode away with resolute determination.

Hiruzen suddenly regretted it. If he'd known he'd make Tsunade so angry she'd throw in the towel, he would've brought Watanabe along.

"Don't forget, you promised Senior Mito you'd train with me for half a year!" Hiruzen said gravely.

That did the trick. Tsunade stopped.

She really wanted to walk away, but she also knew her relationship with Hiruzen as his apprentice affected her clan's interests. If her grandmother found out that she'd refused to become Hiruzen's apprentice because of Watanabe, there was no guarantee she wouldn't take issue with him.

Tsunade didn't care about the Senju Clan's interests. She only cared about Watanabe, and she didn't want her impulsiveness to cause him any trouble.

A moment later, Tsunade turned around and glared angrily at Hiruzen.

"Old man, you just wait. Once I become Hokage, I'll make sure you regret this!"

Jiraiya and Orochimaru were both taken aback. They hadn't expected Tsunade to dare threaten Hiruzen Sarutobi to his face.

Hiruzen, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief and smiled without a word.

The next morning.

The sun was shining brightly. Watanabe didn't want yesterday's late arrival to happen again, so he got to the Mission Hall early to wait for the team to gather.

A little over ten minutes later, Uchiha Chiri appeared first. Her familiar pair of long legs in black stockings were a sight for sore eyes.

"Good morning, Teacher Chiri," Watanabe greeted her politely.

Chiri nodded, then noticed Watanabe's bare forehead. A thought occurred to her, and she got the urge to lecture him again.

She'd already told Watanabe that helping that boy had been foolish, but he'd insisted on talking back. Now the facts had finally proved her right.

"He didn't give your Forehead Protector back, did he?" Chiri put on her usual aloof, lecturing air. "I told you, you don't understand the world of shinobi. You've learned your lesson this time, so next time..."

"No, Might Duy came to return it last night," Watanabe said with a smile. "But I didn't take it back. I'm letting him use it for now."

Chiri was even more displeased. "Are you planning to lend him your Forehead Protector forever?"

"Not at all. Once he gets through this difficult period, I'll take it back. By then, he'll have earned his shinobi status through his own efforts."

"What difficulties is he facing?"

Watanabe felt there was no reason to hide what Might Duy had been through, so he told Chiri the truth: Might Duy's father was seriously ill, and Might Duy had insisted on sharing his mission reward with him.

Chiri fell silent when she heard that.

Watanabe thought Chiri had misunderstood him, so he added, "Teacher, don't assume I'm too young to understand anything. I actually know quite a lot, and I'm not easily taken advantage of. You, on the other hand, might really not understand the world of the poor. You shouldn't judge what you don't understand. You should say less..."

There he went again!

He was talking back to her again!

Chiri was unconvinced, but she couldn't refute Watanabe. Of all the new students she'd taught, Watanabe was the least respectful toward her—and she was the teacher.

"Teacher, were you listening to what I just said?"

Chiri's expression turned cold. "Say one more word and I'll kick you out of the squad."

Watanabe: "???"

What the heck? Weren't we having a perfectly nice conversation? How'd she change her tune so fast?

Fine, you're right even if you wear black stockings.

Watanabe wisely kept quiet.

Before long, Hiruzen and Hyuga Rei arrived one after another and respectfully greeted Chiri.

Chiri was still angry about Watanabe's lecture and didn't give either of them a warm greeting. Without a word, she led them into the ninja hall.

Hyuga Rei didn't mind. After their few encounters, she figured Chiri was just naturally aloof. Smiling to herself, she came up with topics to chat about with Watanabe. Watanabe had always thought she was looking for a chance to get back at him, so he gave her halfhearted answers while remaining vigilant.

Hiruzen was on tenterhooks. He racked his brains for a way to curry favor with Chiri, or at least get her to treat him a little more kindly. Otherwise, he had a feeling she might kick him out of the squad at any moment.

With the Second Shinobi World War about to break out, the situation in the Shinobi World was turbulent. The Mission Hall was seeing more than half again as many clients as usual, with people arriving from all over.

Given that the three members of the squad had just left the academy, Chiri only took a B-rank mission to clear out a group of bandits. When she'd worked alone, even her lowest-ranked missions had been A-rank. She'd completed plenty of S-rank missions, too. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so famous in Konoha.

"Shinobi, those bandits are threatening our village. They're forcing us to gather ten million ryo for them within three days. If we don't, they'll slaughter everyone in the village. We're desperate. We had no choice but to come to Konoha and request help."

The client was a middle-aged man. He tearfully pleaded with Chiri, his nose running as he spoke.