"Thanks, Tenten! I won't hold back then!"
Kamizuki Hikari grinned as he took the scroll from Tenten and carefully tucked it into his chest pocket.
This was a girl's heartfelt gift—how could he possibly waste it?
Kurenai gave him a look as if she were staring at a scoundrel, while Neji's gaze was filled with jealousy and resentment. People always realize the value of something only after losing it.
Maito Gai remained indifferent. To him, beauty and romance were probably less important than a single strand of Kakashi's hair.
Izumo and Kotetsu, on the other hand, were awestruck: "Hikari, you're an absolute legend!"
If it weren't for the inappropriate timing, the two of them would have already kneeled down, begging to become Hikari's disciples.
As lifelong bachelors, Kotetsu and Izumo were not like Gai and Kakashi, who had zero interest in romance. It wasn't that they didn't want to find someone—it was just that their own abilities were too limited!
"Tenten, it must be tough for you today, guarding the gates. It's not an easy job!"
"Ensuring Konoha's safety, keeping an eye on all the comings and goings, enduring the scorching sun, the wind, and the rain... When I return, I'll definitely bring you a souvenir."
Tenten's face turned red. Seeing Hikari's sincere expression, she fidgeted with her fingers in embarrassment.
"Hikari-senpai, there's no need to go to such lengths."
"But... if you insist, please don't spend too much money. It's only after working that I've come to understand how hard your job really is. Earning the lowest pay while doing the hardest work!"
Kurenai rolled her eyes so hard they nearly flipped to the back of her head.
She really wanted to tell Tenten that the so-called 'good senpai' she admired so much was actually a smut novelist with a net worth of several hundred million. And as for the 'hard work' she imagined—this guy would slack off whenever he could!
But then again, Tenten wasn't her student. Even her own teacher hadn't said anything, so if she spoke up, it would just make her look bad.
Neji, meanwhile, wasn't happy.
He used to think Tenten was annoying, but now, all of a sudden, he found her cute, pretty, and most importantly, understanding—a perfect wife candidate.
The Hyūga clan might forbid their women from marrying outside the clan, but they had no such restrictions for the men. If the Hyūga had relied solely on internal marriages over the years, they would have gone extinct long ago.
What bothered Neji the most was that he was the one who had been working diligently at the gate all this time. Tenten, the little rich girl, always hid inside, claiming that girls needed to take care of their skin and avoid getting too tan.
He did all the work, but Tenten was the one getting praised.
Was there no justice in this world?
Was there no fairness?
Heaven had truly treated him harshly.
'Neji, don't lower your head, or your crown will fall. Don't open your eyes, or your tears will flow!' He silently encouraged himself as he stared firmly at Hikari.
He had made up his mind—his new goal was to surpass Kamizuki Hikari.
As a genius of the Hyuga Clan, he refused to believe that, with enough effort, he couldn't defeat this slacker.
He had already mastered the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Beating this lazy fish of a man—it was only a matter of time.
"Tsunade-sama is here!" Hikari suddenly announced, casually ruffling Tenten's bun. "Be good and stay in Konoha. If there's any danger, just let Neji handle it."
"If something serious happens, go find Kakashi. He's like a brother to your teacher—not by blood, but even closer than that. If you need anything, he'll definitely help you."
Gai added, "That's right, just rely on Kakashi!"
"Also, make sure to keep an eye on Lee. Don't let him overexert himself before he's fully recovered."
"Tell him that if he gets injured again before his body heals, he really won't be able to become a shinobi anymore!"
Who said Gai wasn't smart?
Look at how he worded that.
For Lee, the idea of never becoming a shinobi was a far worse punishment than going hungry.
"Understood, Sensei!"
Tenten might tease Gai at times, but deep down, she respected him immensely.
People weren't fools. While Gai didn't specialize in ninjutsu, the dedication he put into teaching them was unmatched. Compared to him, many other jōnin and special jōnin were completely lacking.
A lot of team leaders only focused on completing missions, teaching their squads just the basics and withholding advanced training methods.
Konoha 12 only became as strong as they were because of their teachers.
A master leads the way, but training is up to the individual.
Without the right guidance, even a genius like Minato Namikaze would have remained an average shinobi.
Of course, while the Third Hokage was overly protective of his position as Hokage, he still cared greatly about the future of Konoha's shinobi.
Any student with potential was assigned to a good teacher. The so-called merit-based class system was merely an excuse.
Take Sakura, for example. She was placed on a team with an Uchiha and Naruto not just because of her academic excellence, but also because of her solid chakra control.
In Konoha, you couldn't thrive by being ordinary. Only by proving your value would the higher-ups invest in your development.
Compared to the clan-born shinobi, the Hokage—whether it was the Third or any other—preferred seeing independent shinobi rise to prominence. The official count of jōnin in Konoha was around a hundred, but in reality, the number was at least twice that.
Most of the additional jōnin were from clan backgrounds. To balance power, the Hokage had policies to prevent clan shinobi from monopolizing Konoha's authority.
This arrangement had its pros and cons. The downside was that the Hokage didn't exert full control over clan jōnin. Unless it was wartime, they couldn't be directly ordered around.
It was a fair trade-off.
The clans were fine with this as well.
If all their jōnin were under the Hokage's command, they could be assigned to dangerous missions at any time. If too many of them died, their entire clan could be wiped out.
That was a terrifying risk.
Thus, an unspoken agreement existed between the Hokage and the clans.
"You all sure got here early."
Tsunade arrived at the gate, accompanied by Yamashiro Aoba and Shiranui Genma. When she saw the bored-looking Hikari, her smile grew even brighter.
Kamizuki Hikari's suffering was her greatest joy.
[That big-breasted woman is finally here. Looks like I really have to leave Konoha now... I'm so tired. I don't want to go out. I just want to stay in Konoha!]
[I love Konoha!]
This guy might be lazy, but at least his heart was in the right place.
Tsunade was pleased.
[If only they'd let me stay here to guard the gate. Then I could flirt with Tenten all day... When she grows up, I'll make sure she gives me two children.]
[But I don't want more than two—raising kids is such a hassle!]
Tsunade's face darkened. 'I knew it! This scoundrel can't be trusted!'
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