The Old Man Seemed to Be in Trouble

After leaving Training Ground 40, Miya soon arrived outside the Hokage Building.

But as an ordinary Genin of Konohagakure, getting an audience with Hiruzen Sarutobi was no easy matter.

A department in the first-floor lobby handled visitors. Apart from the village's Jonin and certain privileged departments and ninja, anyone who wanted to see Hiruzen Sarutobi had to go through it.

Otherwise, if anyone could meet Konohagakure's highest leader whenever they pleased, Hiruzen Sarutobi might as well give up handling official business and spend all day receiving visitors.

Miya was no exception.

"I have something very important to discuss with Lord Hokage. Please let him know I'm here."

From his distinctive clan emblem, Miya immediately recognized the man before him as a member of the Nara Clan.

Sumi Nara was the Konoha Chunin in charge of receiving visitors. The moment he saw Miya, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He was clearly plotting something.

Sitting there, Sumi Nara spoke in a businesslike manner:

"Hello."

"Lord Third is very busy right now. Visiting hours begin after five this afternoon. Please come back and submit a request then."

Miya's fierce temper flared, and he instantly ran out of patience.

"I said I want to see the Third, that old man."

"Tell him my name is Miya Hanama."

"Do I have to make a scene here before he'll come out?"

Bracing both hands on the desk, he stared straight at Sumi Nara and let out a low growl, suppressing the anger in his heart.

Although angry, Miya hadn't lost his reason. The thought of making a scene in the Hokage Building had crossed his mind, but he had dismissed it.

Now that he was a ninja, things were different from school. No one would indulge him much of the time, and he couldn't afford the consequences of making a scene in the Hokage Building. At the very least, he would end up in prison.

Getting himself thrown in prison just to see Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't worth it.

After all, he was still just an utterly ordinary Genin!

"Genin Miya, Lord Third is very busy right now. If you really have an emergency to report, please come back with your Jonin instructor."

Remembering how Hiruzen Sarutobi had told him earlier that day, "I'm not seeing anyone today, no matter who it is," Sumi Nara naturally had no intention of announcing Miya.

Of course, Sumi Nara would certainly let people through or announce them if they were village Jonin, members of special departments, or clan heads and elders.

After all, Sumi Nara was no fool to be sitting in the reception room. He had to carry out his superior's orders, but he also had to be flexible and respond to different circumstances accordingly.

Miya, however, clearly wasn't important enough for Sumi Nara to announce him.

"So I'm not getting to see the old man today, is that it?"

"Fine!"

Bang!

Miya slapped the desk hard and went on:

"Then tell the old man this for me: sending a newly graduated Genin out of the village alone on a B-Rank Mission isn't something I'm going to let go."

With that, Miya left the Hokage Building without looking back.

He could see it now. Hiruzen Sarutobi was deliberately ignoring him so he could send him out of the village.

Miya gave Hiruzen Sarutobi full marks for that move.

But Miya knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi would definitely need a favor from him someday. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Miya to graduate early and coaxed him by agreeing to his demands.

Sooner or later, he'd get even.

It was just a B-Rank Mission, just a long trip. Miya had confidence in his strength; it would be a piece of cake.

Watching Miya's indignant retreating figure, Sumi Nara's eyes gleamed again, but the light quickly vanished.

The name Miya Hanama had become quite well known in Konoha lately.

Although many civilians still didn't know about him, most of the people around Hiruzen Sarutobi and the ninja of the various clans knew that Miya Hanama, who had graduated early, was a genuine super genius. He was also greatly favored by Hiruzen Sarutobi and had become a disciple of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.

But what did any of that have to do with Sumi Nara?

He was merely carrying out the Third Hokage's orders; he had no other intentions.

Miya looked back at the Hokage Building and resisted the urge to break in from outside, then turned and headed home.

It wasn't that he couldn't force his way in, but doing so would definitely land him in serious trouble. Besides, the Konoha Anbu around the building wouldn't let him in easily.

After Miya left the Hokage Building, an Anbu Ninja appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi and reported what Miya had just done and said.

Although Miya's final message through Sumi Nara made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart jolt, he soon calmed down and turned to look out the window.

"I can finally stop worrying for a while. If he kept eating like that, it'd be hard for me not to go bankrupt."

"Well, I'd better think about how to explain this to Biwako when I get home tonight!"

He had personally selected this mission for Miya to get him out of Konohagakure for a while.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had had a bad feeling ever since receiving the first bill from the barbecue restaurant owner. When he received the second bill yesterday, he had been distraught.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still hadn't gotten over Miya eating a million ryo's worth of food in three days.

How many days had it been?

And he'd eaten another two million's worth!

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi's private stash were a mountain of gold and silver, it couldn't withstand a month of Miya eating like that.

So Hiruzen Sarutobi had specially assigned Miya this mission. Not only would it get Miya out of Konoha and stop him from draining his private stash, it would also help Miya get used to a ninja's battles early and gain some experience.

As long as Miya stayed out of the village for the next twenty-odd days, the month during which Hiruzen Sarutobi had promised to pay his bills would be over, and he would no longer have to cover Miya's food expenses.

He could always make it up to Miya in some other way later.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had made a clever calculation to protect his private stash.

After being turned away, Miya went home and prepared what he needed. Then he slung his little backpack over his shoulders, picked up the mission scroll, and left Konoha.

"Just you wait, old man!"

Still unable to let it go, Miya looked back at Konohagakure's gate after leaving the village and spoke angrily.

Then he got his bearings and vanished from the spot in a single leap.

In the shadows, Orochimaru appeared once more, idly playing with two mission scrolls in his hands.

"Hehe~~"

"The old man seems to be in trouble!"

Orochimaru then emerged from the shadows and followed in the direction Miya had gone.

Orochimaru seemed to be looking forward to seeing what kind of "little surprise" Miya would bring Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Although Orochimaru had said he would let Miya leave the village alone, he had still eagerly followed him.

It wasn't that he doubted Miya's abilities. He needed to hand the two mission scrolls to Miya after he completed his current mission, so Miya could carry them out.