Upon entering the game, the beginner's gift pack he received gave him a randomly drawn reward—the Op-Op Fruit, a Devil Fruit that granted immunity to seawater.
Now, there was only one task left: the beginner quest—buy a house.
Requirements:
At least fifty square meters, within Konoha Village.
What kind of place was Konoha? Even in the entire Land of Fire, it was prime real estate. Not to mention its safety—over all these years, even when Uchiha Madara came knocking, the Hokage had intercepted him outside the village for their godlike battles.
It could be said that land in Konoha was only a notch below the Land of Fire's capital in value.
Houses without land deeds—only permanent residency rights—even in the most remote corners of the village, cost sixty thousand ryō per square meter. The place Baixing had his eye on, closer to the village center, went for about eighty thousand ryō per square meter. With his four million-plus savings, he could just afford a fifty-square-meter bachelor apartment.
Walking toward the Ninja Academy, Baixing thought about housing prices, and also wondered whether selling the house later would allow the quest reward to be reclaimed. But after thinking it through, if he sold it and lost the reward—and the quest didn't reset—that would be a catastrophic loss.
This so-called permanent residency does not cover destruction caused by war or natural disasters.
destruction. For such events, the village offered no compensation.
In other words, if one day you worked your entire life, finally paid off a loan to buy a shop or house in Konoha, only for it to be smashed apart by some giant "pet," the village wouldn't reimburse you at all.
What the hell.
At last, Baixing reached the doorway of Fifth-Year Class A.
Bang.
The door swung open. Inside, Uchiha Mikoto was already nodding off. Yakushi Nono was still awake, but there was a dark, "honest person about to snap and stab someone" look under her eyes. Might Duy, upon seeing Baixing, immediately raised his hand and waved enthusiastically.
"Baixing, you're here!"
"Mm. I'm here." Baixing nodded in reply.
His voice woke Mikoto from her half-sleep. She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and was just about to unleash her noble-lady temper—when the justice of good looks slammed straight into her black pupils.
Ah~ so dazzling~ what is this light~?!
His body, honed by long-term training, displayed near-perfect muscle lines. Through his sweat-dampened shirt and shorts, one could glimpse precisely the kind of scenery women adored.
Above that was a youthful face, exquisitely handsome beyond measure.
Uchiha Mikoto's eyes sparkled, her gaze turning hazy. If Yakushi Nono hadn't spoken up, Mikoto might already have fantasized all the way to the wedding hall—teacher and student hand in hand, entering the Uchiha clan compound, her home, the wedding night, sharing tender moments together.
"You're Baixing?!" Yakushi Nono snapped sharply. "You're ridiculously slow. Other teachers finished gathering their teams hours ago, and you stroll in now. Just like a genin!"
Yakushi Nono wasn't a starry-eyed girl. As an orphan, she cared far more about survival and her future—having a capable teacher was a matter of security.
Baixing's expression turned slightly serious, his eyes carrying a hint of helpless amusement—a polite but insincere smile that did nothing to diminish his handsomeness.
"Something came up for your teacher, so I was delayed."
"I knew it—Baixing must've run into some trouble," Might Duy seized the chance to speak up for him. He didn't want his team to dissolve on the spot.
Then cold sweat broke out as he felt a dark, abyss-like glare from the girl who was clearly about to snap.
"You seem… pretty familiar with this Baixing."
"Cough. Cough. We've met a few times. Discussed training."
"Enough." Baixing cut them off, thinking this wasn't the place for discussion. He pointed upward.
"To the rooftop. Let's talk properly."
Yakushi Nono, still wearing a sour expression, wanted to say something—but then realized the person who should've been the angriest hadn't said a word. She turned her head and saw Mikoto, whose drool was practically about to drip onto the desk.
Yakushi Nono covered her face.
The battle line has collapsed.
Without Uchiha Mikoto leading the charge, how could an orphan girl from a chūnin household dare to oppose the Hokage's arrangement?
Rooftop of the Academy Building
Pushing open the stairwell door, Baixing walked ahead, followed by a lovestruck girl, a sulking girl, and an awkward man.
The rooftop was peaceful. Flowerbeds and greenery lined both sides of the walkway, butterflies and insects flitting about in a harmonious scene.
"Yo~ Baixing. Long time no see."
At the railing ahead stood a handsome black-haired youth in mid-enthusiastic speech, while on the steps sat the Pig–Deer–Butterfly trio, listening halfway before turning to look at Team Eleven.
"Shinnosuke. Long time."
Baixing hadn't expected to run into a former classmate here. Six years had passed—Shinnosuke had enrolled at four, graduated at ten, and was now a jōnin. As for Baixing…
"I'm basically done explaining things to Team Two," Sarutobi Shinnosuke said. "I'll leave this spot to you."
"Everyone," he continued, "this is my first time leading a team, but you can rest assured. I'll teach you well."
"Tomorrow morning, meet me at Training Ground No. 76. We'll conduct a live combat survival exercise. Make sure to rest well tonight~"
"That's all."
"Yes!" ×3
Shinnosuke stopped boasting about his past S-rank and A-rank missions and wrapped things up quickly. Below, the short black-haired Nara Hanene, blond Yamanaka Taiji, and dark-red bun-haired Akimichi Yumi nodded. Their gazes then curiously shifted to the approaching instructor of Team Eleven—Baixing.
"Yu, he's so handsome~!"
As Baixing passed by, Akimichi Yumi whispered into Nara Hanene's ear.
Nara Hanene sighed inwardly. Looks don't put food on the table.
But he had to admit—the boy really was handsome. Compared to Shinnosuke's rugged good looks, Baixing was more like a face sculpted by Nüwa herself over three days and nights.
"Let's head back," Nara Hanene said. "We should stop by the ninja tools shop and prepare for tomorrow's survival exercise."
Yamanaka Taiji nodded, saying he'd go home to grab his money pouch. Only after walking halfway did they realize Akimichi Yumi had been mesmerized by Baixing's "beauty," standing frozen in place.
Nara Hanene covered his face. Taiji hurriedly grabbed Yumi and dragged her away, narrowly avoiding an awkward scene.
Watching the entire exchange, Sarutobi Shinnosuke maintained a warm smile on the surface—but inside, he was extremely displeased.
I'm handsome too, damn it!
Isn't it just a slightly prettier face?!
Seeing that Shinnosuke hadn't left yet, Baixing said nothing. He calmly moved to the open space to Shinnosuke's right and looked at Uchiha Mikoto, Yakushi Nono, and Might Duy sitting on the steps.
"Alright. Let's start with introductions. Everyone talk about your dreams, what you want to do in the future, and what foods you like."
"Shouldn't the teacher introduce himself first?" Yakushi Nono said with a gentle smile.
Uchiha Mikoto nodded eagerly. Might Duy scratched his cheek. Just as Baixing was about to speak—
Sarutobi Shinnosuke stepped forward and introduced him first.