Genin missions~

Inside the Hokage's office~

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore the Hokage's ceremonial robes and sat upright in the chair before the red Hokage's desk, holding a pipe in his right hand while tapping the desk with his left index finger!

Bang!

The office door was shoved open~

Tsunade's brows furrowed slightly as she walked slowly up to the desk, folded her arms across her chest, and said bluntly:

"Old man, stay out of things between Lei and me, or don't come looking for me about what I agreed to at the meeting!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned livid, and he said heatedly:

"Tsunade, have you forgotten the grudges between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan?"

"That was in the past. The Senju Clan is already gone now!"

Tsunade retorted directly, looking completely unconcerned!

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze for a moment, then continued in a grave voice:

"The Uchiha are an uncertain factor. Can you guarantee that Uchiha Lei didn't approach you with an ulterior purpose?"

"Of course I can. I met Lei three years ago. No one knows his character better than I do!"

Tsunade answered firmly!

For a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know how to argue back. Thinking of Mito Uzumaki, he asked tentatively:

"Does Lady Mito know?"

"She found out last night. Grandma agreed!"

After lifting her chin and declaring that proudly, Tsunade continued to ask why Hiruzen Sarutobi had summoned her:

"Old man, anything else? If not, I'll go handle the two things you assigned me!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no grounds to continue trying to dissuade Tsunade. Instead, he took out three Genin forehead protectors and instructed her:

"Tsunade, keep an eye on Uchiha Lei. Don't let him do anything that betrays the village!

These are Genin forehead protectors. Take them and go!"

"All right, I'll pass that on to Lei. I'm leaving!"

With that, Tsunade held the Genin forehead protectors in her left hand and instantly performed the Body Flicker Technique with her right, leaving the office!

Seeing his student act like that, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly and said:

"Ah~

I hope Tsunade can keep Uchiha Lei under control!"

Elsewhere~

At a wall on a street corner in Konoha~

A fat gray cat was lounging leisurely atop the wall!

Whoosh!

Uchiha Lei appeared on the wall with the Body Flicker Technique. Reacting swiftly, he bent down and shot out both hands as fast as lightning, instantly catching the fat gray cat!

"Meow~"

The fat cat's fur stood on end all over its body as it angrily swiped its little paws, trying to break free of Uchiha Lei's grip!

Uchiha Lei paid it no mind. Bending his knees and pushing off with his calves, he jumped to the ground!

Grandma Nohara, the cat's owner, had been waiting in the alley. When she saw that her cat had been caught, she immediately walked up to Uchiha Lei with her cane and thanked him softly:

"Young man, thank you for helping me find Mimi!"

"You're welcome, Grandma Nohara. Then, about our mission..."

Expectation gleamed in Uchiha Lei's eyes as he looked pointedly at the mission slip in Grandma Nohara's hand!

Grandma Nohara took out a pen, signed her name on the mission slip, then held it out to Uchiha Yelei!

Uchiha Lei returned Mimi to Grandma Nohara, then took the completed mission slip, tucked it into his clothes, and headed toward the mountain behind the village with the Body Flicker Technique!

"What environmental beautification? It's obviously just picking trash out of the river!"

Meanwhile, on the shopping street~

In the corridor of Konoha's bathhouse~

They had just learned from the owner that they needed to clean the floors of the entire bathhouse!

Kushina Uzumaki and Uchiha Mikoto stood at the bathhouse entrance, each holding a mop, mopping the floor on the left and right!

Looking utterly speechless, Kushina Uzumaki complained:

"What kind of lousy mission is this?! They actually sent two ninja here to mop floors!"

"All right, Kushina, stop complaining!"

Uchiha Mikoto reached over with her delicate hand and patted her shoulder. Thinking of what had happened in the mission hall earlier, she asked quietly:

"Kushina, what's the relationship between Teacher Tsunade and Lei?"

"They're a couple! Didn't they kiss just now?"

Kushina Uzumaki answered casually, completely unconcerned!

After hearing Kushina's firm answer, Uchiha Mikoto felt that her position as the principal wife was in jeopardy and asked tentatively again:

"Then when did they become a couple?"

"Yesterday!"

Kushina Uzumaki answered again without hesitation, then continued to complain with a gloomy expression:

"It's all Big Sister Tsunade's fault. She made me sleep alone last night. Just thinking about it makes me miserable!"

Suddenly!

Tsunade's voice came from behind them~

"Kushina, speaking ill of people behind their backs is bad behavior!"

Kushina Uzumaki immediately put on a smile, turned around, and said with a grin:

"Big Sister Tsunade, I was only telling the truth. How come you have time to come here?"

As the saying went, you did not strike someone who was smiling at you!

Tsunade forcibly suppressed her anger, reached into her clothes with her delicate hand, and took out three Genin forehead protectors. She handed one to Kushina Uzumaki, then another to Uchiha Mikoto:

"Starting today, you're Konoha Genin. Do your best, girls!"

"Wow, I never thought... I could graduate too!"

Kushina Uzumaki spoke excitedly, then tied the Konoha Genin forehead protector around her forehead, lifted her chin, and continued proudly:

"Big Sister Tsunade, don't I look especially pretty with this forehead protector? Lei will definitely love it!"

"Haha, as long as you like it!"

After speaking, Tsunade noticed that Uchiha Lei was absent and asked:

"By the way, what mission did Lei go on?"

"Teacher Tsunade, Lei went to catch a cat first, then to beautify the environment on the mountain behind the village!"

After explaining softly, Uchiha Mikoto put her Genin forehead protector around her neck!

Hearing Uchiha Mikoto call her "teacher" felt very awkward to Tsunade, so she explained:

"Mikoto, I'm Lei's woman too. We can address each other as sisters from now on. You can call me Big Sister Tsunade!"

"Lady Tsunade, I'm not used to calling you big sister. I'll just call you 'my lady'!"

Uchiha Mikoto flatly rejected calling Tsunade big sister, feeling somewhat uneasy:

Sure enough, my position as the principal wife is in jeopardy!

Big Sister Tsunade? No, forget it!

Tsunade knew that Uchiha Mikoto was Uchiha Lei's first fiancée and his childhood sweetheart, so she did not force her and replied softly:

"All right, Mikoto, call me whatever you like. I'll go find Lei and give him his forehead protector!"

"All right, Lady Tsunade!"

Uchiha Mikoto replied, inwardly sighing with relief!

Thank goodness, thank goodness Lady Tsunade didn't directly make me call her big sister!

Still, I'll have to ask Lei's opinion when I have time!

Tsunade nodded in acknowledgment, then left with the Body Flicker Technique!

On the mountain behind Konoha~

A blue stream stretched on and on between two sides of a huge, lush forest!

At that moment, Uchiha Lei carried a black basket on his back and held a one-meter-long grabber in his right hand. He attached chakra to the soles of his feet, then tried stepping onto the stream, walking as though on flat ground toward the trash in the water and picking it up with the grabber!

I really am a genius. My very first attempt at water walking, and it's like walking on flat ground!

Just as Uchiha Lei was secretly rejoicing~

Whoosh!

Tsunade appeared on the stream, walked across the water to Uchiha Lei's side, and held out a Konoha Genin forehead protector to him with both hands:

"Lei, congratulations on becoming a Konoha Genin!"

"Thank you!"

After thanking her, Uchiha Lei took the forehead protector and tied it around his forehead, then asked:

"Tsunade, Lord Hokage didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

Hearing Uchiha Lei's concern, Tsunade smiled, shook her head, and replied:

"He just said a few words. At the end, he asked me to tell you not to do anything that betrays Konoha!"

"Of course I won't do anything that betrays Konoha. After all, this is my home!"

Uchiha Lei answered firmly, then continued picking up trash for his mission!

"That's good, then. I'll go get to work!"

Just as Tsunade was about to leave, she remembered that she would be very busy from now on and probably would not have time to meet him, so she told him gently:

"Come find me in my office on the third floor of Konoha Hospital when you have time. There's a lot going on lately, so I might not be able to give you much attention!"

"Mm, I understand!"

Uchiha Lei paused briefly, but still turned and walked up to Tsunade, pressed his lips briefly against her pink lips, then reminded her:

"No matter how busy you are, take good care of yourself!"

"I know, Lei!"

Tsunade blushed, her hands forming hand seals in a blur as she left with the Body Flicker Technique!

[Thanks to "Reimu of the Masalembu Islands" and "the Spirit Tamer of Tianbao Money House" for sending Power with Love ×1.]