Chapter 8: C-level task

Early the next morning, Uchiha Natsu released the shadow clone and headed to the mission center.

Uzuki Yugao had already arrived and was waiting in the hall. When she saw Uchiha Natsu entering, she quickly walked over to his side.

The two exchanged greetings, and Uchiha Natsu led Uzuki Yugao to the front desk.

"May I ask what kind of mission you want to accept?"

The front desk staff, a woman in her twenties with a cold expression, immediately put on a bright smile upon seeing Uchiha Natsu.

Observing this, Uzuki Yugao couldn't help but scrutinize her teacher. However, she couldn't discern anything special about his appearance. Face recognition wasn't her strong suit; she recognized people but couldn't judge their attractiveness.

In the past, she met someone named Moonlight Hayate during a shopping trip with friends. While others claimed he wasn't good-looking, Uzuki Yugao didn't see it that way. Conversely, those praised as handsome seemed ordinary to her.

The staff's reaction suggested that her teacher was quite handsome, but Uzuki Yugao failed to see it.

Ignoring Uzuki Yugao's gaze, Uchiha Natsu addressed the staff, "Please help me find a C-level task."

Uzuki Yugao was surprised by the direct selection of a C-level mission, skipping the D-level. However, she refrained from questioning it and continued to stand quietly.

In a way, Uchiha Natsu's decision was a recognition of Uzuki Yugao's capabilities, and she felt a sense of acknowledgment.

"Sure, just a moment."

The staff, now wearing a friendly smile, proceeded to explain the mission details to Uchiha Natsu.

Meanwhile, a ninja who had just completed a mission observed this scene. Seeing the staff's change in demeanor, he felt a surge of anger. Was it acceptable to get special treatment just for being handsome?

With a snort, the disgruntled ninja left the hall, clearly unhappy with the favoritism.

Following the standard procedure, Uchiha Natsu selected a C-level mission and cooperated with the staff to verify the team members' identities.

Upon learning that the young ninja was Natsu Uchiha, the staff was momentarily taken aback. Quick to recover, she spoke with a smile, "Let me introduce the details of this mission to you first."

Originally, Uzuki Yugao's lack of mission experience and the team leader being a Chunin would have barred them from C-level missions. However, Uchiha Natsu's S-level mission record, though classified, circumvented any potential issues.

After the staff's briefing, Uchiha Natsu understood the mission's content. In the northeast of the Land of Fire, a caravan had been robbed by bandits, and their task was to recover the stolen goods and deal with the robbers.

The four robbers were non-ninjas with some physical skills, classifying the mission as C-level with a reward of 40,000 taels.

Uchiha Natsu found this mission suitable, especially for Uzuki Yugao, who could practice against ordinary opponents.

After a few more missions, Uchiha Natsu planned to take her to accept B-level missions. With Dahui's presence, even if they couldn't defeat the enemy, Dahui could handle it.

B-level missions could potentially involve Chunin enemies and yield valuable Chunin corpses.

With the task details presented, the staff invited the employer to the hall to meet Uchiha Natsu. The employer, a middle-aged businessman, eyed them cautiously.

Upon learning that it was a team led by a Chunin, the businessman initially expressed dissatisfaction, insisting on a more experienced team.

However, when informed of Uchiha Natsu's S-level mission experience, the businessman's attitude shifted, and he agreed to proceed.

When the mission was finalized, the businessman paid the deposit, and they left the mission center, boarding a carriage parked in an adjacent alley.

As they departed, the businessman shared additional details about the incident. Uchiha Natsu, while seemingly casual, discreetly observed the businessman using Sharingan.

Assured that the businessman was an ordinary person, Uchiha Natsu felt at ease. Still, he performed the shadow clone technique and the instant body technique as a precaution.

The shadow clone stayed in the carriage while the main body followed secretly. Along the way, the shadow clone shared various precautions with Uzuki Yugao, focusing on how to deal with enemies.

Uzuki Yugao absorbed the information diligently, and there was nothing suspicious during their journey.

As the sun set, the carriage approached the location of the bandit attack.

"Ninja, the robbers' den is just ahead," the carriage driver informed them.

Upon hearing this, the businessman suggested disembarking, citing the risk of being detected if they continued in the carriage.