Tsunade Cuts In as a Middleman

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

The Mission Department staff left the Hokage's office and rushed to the Medical Department as quickly as possible.

As for why they were looking for Tsunade first instead of going directly to Jingyi for confirmation, the Mission Department ninja did not give it much thought.

The Hokage had given an order. All they needed to do was carry it out. Why overthink it?

"To become a qualified medical ninja, extensive knowledge reserves and precise chakra control are both basic requirements. I'll say it again: you need to read more, learn more, and train harder."

"Don't join the Medical Department thinking you can become a second Hyuga Jingyi. There are only a few people like him in the entire Shinobi World."

"Lady Tsunade, a ninja from the Mission Department is here to see you."

Tsunade had been teaching a group of newcomers. After receiving a reminder from a colleague, she walked out of the classroom and rubbed her faintly aching temples. She felt as though she lost countless brain cells every day.

Teaching students was truly too difficult.

Compared to the old method of personally guiding them and teaching them hand in hand, this kind of open, assembly-line education was simply torture.

"Lady Tsunade."

The Mission Department ninja respectfully bowed in greeting.

Tsunade waved a hand, looking somewhat impatient. "Enough with that. Just tell me, what do you want?"

"Lord Hokage asked you to review this document, then discuss the mission reward standards with Hyuga Jingyi. Once they're decided, I am to return and report back to Lord Hokage."

The Mission Department ninja handed over a document.

What kind of mess was this? That brat Jingyi had gone and posted a mission?

Tsunade took the document and opened it to read.

He really had.

But this mission posting was far too sloppy. It did not even establish the basic reward standards.

A long-term mission?

The rank of such a mission would likely be determined by the biological corpses collected, and Jingyi was asking for the corpses of powerful creatures.

In other words, the mission rating would not be low.

And a high mission rating meant the rewards would be higher than those of ordinary missions.

Since it was also a long-term mission, Jingyi would end up spending quite a lot of money on it.

Jingyi had some savings, though not much. Tsunade did not doubt that he could afford the rewards, because medical ninja really did make a lot of money.

As long as Jingyi did not have any expensive hobbies, his income would absolutely be enough to pay the rewards.

"Come with me."

Closing the document, Tsunade led the Mission Department ninja to the hospital next door. Jingyi happened to have just walked out of a ward.

Tsunade gestured for him to speak in the break room.

Once inside the break room, Tsunade rudely shut the Mission Department ninja outside and asked sternly, "Are you planning to conduct experiments and research?"

"No."

Jingyi was puzzled. Why was she being so serious? He had only posted a mission. Even if it was a long-term one, his income would definitely be enough to cover the rewards.

"Then why are you posting a mission to collect the corpses of powerful creatures?"

"To make puppets. It's not like I could use ninja corpses to make puppets. I have no interest in laying hands on ninja corpses."

Jingyi did not think there was anything wrong with using animal corpses to make puppets. But if they were human... he found it somewhat unacceptable.

Nor did he want to turn himself into someone who enjoyed fiddling with corpses.

"All right, as long as you're interested. I'll set the mission rating for you directly, so that old man doesn't take advantage of you."

Before coming here, Tsunade had been slightly worried that Jingyi would become a second Orochimaru.

Although Orochimaru had not yet become the darkened Snake Uncle he would be in the future, he had already been obsessed with experimenting on corpses for a long time, pouring all his income and rewards into it.

As long as Jingyi was not planning to study corpses and conduct all kinds of strange experiments, that was enough.

Was it strange to need corpses to make puppets?

The fact that he was not using ninja corpses already meant he was holding to the bottom line.

"Go back and tell the old man that I'm taking over this mission. It doesn't need to go through the Hokage's office anymore."

Opening the door, Tsunade directly signaled to the Mission Department ninja that he could leave. The Hokage Office Building did not need to worry about this mission.

"Huh?"

The Mission Department ninja, who had been waiting to return and report, was dumbfounded.

"Lady Tsunade, this, I..."

"Do you think I'm not qualified?"

"No, no, no, that isn't what I mean. It's just that this is somewhat against the rules..."

"I don't care about that. Just go back and report it to the old man truthfully. You don't need to worry about anything else."

"Yes..."

The Mission Department ninja left with a miserable expression.

Jingyi had not expected Tsunade to take this matter upon herself.

"Don't tell me you want to carry out this mission yourself."

Tsunade was poor, that was beyond doubt, but her income was absolutely high. She was only poor because she could not control herself and gambled away all her earnings.

If Tsunade actually went to carry out this mission herself, she would be throwing away a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed.

"How could I?"

Do I look like an idiot to you?

Tsunade glared at Jingyi irritably.

"Then why did you take over the mission?"

Jingyi truly could not understand Tsunade's move.

"It wouldn't be worthwhile for me to carry out the mission personally, but I can take a cut."

"..."

Well, damn.

She was fleecing the Third Hokage now, wasn't she?

Under Jingyi's stunned gaze, Tsunade looked a little embarrassed. "I've been rather poor lately, so I'm earning some extra cash. Don't worry, I guarantee I'll find the most suitable person for you. That guy is best at this kind of thing."

Tsunade was very poor, so poor that only a few coins remained in her pockets.

She liked going to Jingyi's house to mooch meals. Aside from their good relationship and Jingyi's delicious cooking, it was also because she was poor.

Food was only a minor issue. At worst, she could just eat at home.

The biggest problem was that having no money made her hands itch!

Whenever Tsunade passed a casino, she felt uncomfortable all over.

So she desperately wanted to earn some extra money, preferably money that came quickly. Then this opportunity had simply fallen right into her lap.

As for whether the Third Hokage would have any objections, Tsunade did not care much.

It was only one mission. Tsunade had that much privilege.

"All right, then. Arrange it as you see fit. When the materials are delivered, I'll pay up."

If Tsunade wanted to make a profit, she could go ahead. In any case, Jingyi would never pay in advance, especially not to Tsunade.

The moment this woman had money in her pocket, she would start biting at people's legs.

She would never stop until she had gambled every last coin away.

"No problem. Just have the money ready."

After assuring Jingyi, Tsunade hurried out of the hospital and headed straight for Orochimaru's laboratory.

"Orochimaru, I need to talk to you about something! It's a good thing."

This was the good thing she had mentioned?

Orochimaru looked at the kicked-open, ruined door, then at the equipment on the experiment table that had been scrapped. That single kick from Tsunade had cost him at least tens of thousands of ryo.

Tsunade was poor, and Orochimaru was not wealthy either.

One loved gambling, a bottomless pit where money went in and never came out. The other loved research, which could eventually pay for itself and even bring enormous profits, but only after requiring a massive investment of funds.

"Five hundred thousand. This mission is yours."

Tsunade pulled out the mission scroll and tossed it to Orochimaru, making an outrageous demand.