"I wonder if the droplet can make the Wordless Divine Book generate something out of nothing—like the Mystical Techniques I want?"
Uchiha Aozora couldn't help but ponder, though he quickly snapped himself out of it moments later.
"My immediate priority now is to figure out what this droplet really is and how to obtain it."
He carefully reflected on his recent behavior, trying to recall anything different from the past twelve years in the Ninja World.
"My daily routine hasn't changed at all. The only difference has been my missions."
"The droplet appeared after I completed that rice-harvesting task. Could harvesting rice actually produce a droplet?"
As soon as the thought arose, Aozora dismissed it himself.
"The Wordless Divine Book is such an impressive artifact. How could something as simple as harvesting rice cause it to change?"
"Hmm, wait... It seemed like the droplet appeared after that elder thanked me."
"So was the droplet actually the elder's 'gratitude'? Was it *gongde* or *yuanli*?"
Aozora considered this before recording the idea.
He found this hypothesis quite plausible—there was no way the substance absorbed by the Wordless Divine Book could be ordinary.
If it truly was *gongde* or *yuanli*, then it perfectly matched the style of the Divine Book.
After racking his brain with no breakthroughs, Aozora decided to set this issue aside for now and focus on taking a few more missions first.
The next day, Uchiha Aozora eagerly made his way toward the Hokage Tower.
Shibi Aburame looked somewhat surprised upon seeing the energetic Uchiha Aozora and Aya Inuzuka, saying, "Ha! Youth sure has its energy. I was planning to give you an easy mission, but I guess that won't be necessary."
Aozora didn't react much, but Aya Inuzuka hurriedly objected, saying, "Sensei, don't! My waist hurts."
With that, she bent over while holding her stomach and let out an exaggerated, "Ow!"
Shibi wasn't fooled by her overly dramatic performance at all. "You probably have a stomachache, not a backache!"
Upon hearing this, Aya showed zero shame and simply continued moaning while shifting her position.
Shaking his head, Shibi said, "Alright, alright. Stop pretending. We'll take an easier mission today."
With that, he went to join the queue.
The three young companions started chatting idly nearby.
First, Uchiha Aozora gave Aya Inuzuka some acting advice. "Idiot! At least act convincingly!"
"When someone has a backache, they usually support their lower back with one hand while leaning against something for support. Plus, you don't need to make so much noise—you just need to softly groan."
Aya Inuzuka immediately challenged him, "How would you know? Do you get backaches often?"
Facing Aya's wide, questioning eyes, Aozora coldly turned his face sideways and tilted his head upward at a 45-degree angle, ignoring her completely.
When Aya realized Aozora wouldn't respond, she pulled out a scroll and exclaimed, "Oh! Is this scroll owed to someone?"
"Boring!"
Saying that, Aozora quickly snatched the scroll with his right hand.
After obtaining the scroll, Aozora opened it to examine its contents.
Meanwhile, Aya Inuzuka proudly declared beside him, "Haha! Didn't expect that, did you? I didn't give you some common junk either."
Nodding slightly, Aozora acknowledged that although the Ninjutsu Scroll Aya Inuzuka provided was also C-rank, its value wasn't inferior to most B-rank techniques.
This scroll recorded a rare sound-based illusion technique known as [Sonic Howl].
Aozora hadn't even begun studying genjutsu yet, but he'd already gone through the scroll his older brother Shisui had left behind. There was no similar technique in there.
After a quick skim, Uchiha Aozora rolled up the scroll and said, "This scroll's no joke—it's seriously valuable. Thanks a ton!"
Gratitude in words alone wasn't enough; Aozora planned to properly repay her later.
Aya scratched her head and laughed, "It's fine! This jutsu has just been sitting at home for years anyway. No one ever managed to learn it."
"Aozora, you're from the Uchiha clan. Your genjutsu talent should be pretty good—you'll probably pick it up easier."
"Not necessarily. We're more skilled in visual and mental genjutsu after all..."
They were chatting casually when Shibi Aburame approached with mission assignments.
First, he pulled out a stack of bills and handed ten notes to each person—each worth 100 ryō.
"This is payment for the first mission. Congratulations on earning your very first paycheck."
The three fresh Genin happily grabbed their rewards, already dreaming about how they'd spend this 'huge' sum.
Once they calmed down a bit, Shibi tossed the token to Hayate Gekko.
Aozora guessed that next time, he would likely be the one collecting mission scrolls.
Hayate soon returned with the mission scroll.
Unlike Inuzuka Aya—who had been lively—their expression remained emotionless.
Aya and Uchiha Aozora stepped forward together and opened the mission scroll.
The contents made Aozora feel slightly embarrassed.
This mission felt more like babysitting than anything useful—nothing like the first one. The mission client was a single mother.
She owned her own business and had to travel to the next village to close an important deal. Therefore, she requested ninja assistance to look after her child for four days.
Before either Aozora or Hayate could speak, Inuzuka Aya immediately erupted in anger: "Teacher! We're ninja—not housemaids!"
Aozora glanced sideways at Aya's completely flat chest and thought, Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't qualify.
However, Shibi simply ignored her outrage, proceeding straight toward the client's residence while allowing Aya to vent her frustration via her so-called "F-rank Water Release."
Along the way, wanting to better complete the mission, Aozora specially purchased some toys and snacks popular among Konoha's children.
The client lived in a standalone house within the inner-ring area of Konoha—a clear sign of her wealth as a female merchant.
When the door opened, a graceful but commanding beauty greeted them.
Even in a kimono, she exuded a sharp, commanding presence. It wasn't hard to picture the authority she projected once suited up in professional attire.
Surprised to see them, she said, "Lord Shibi, I didn't expect you personally taking this mission."
Shibi replied calmly, "Not me—it's these kids here."
Upon hearing that, Aozora looked back and forth between the two, clearly noticing their existing familiarity.
The woman nodded and stepped aside gracefully to let everyone enter.
Inside the living room, Aozora and his companions met their mission target—a quiet, well-mannered boy of about three or four years old dressed neatly in stylish clothing.
The beautiful woman introduced, "This is Guang. He will be your mission focus for the next three days. Meals will be handled by the maid; your job is simply to play with him and ensure he comes to no harm."
"Guang is such a sweet and obedient child. I'm sure you'll all get along great."
After the introduction, she waved her hand and called, "Guang, come here for a moment."
At her call, the little boy hurried over and stood quietly by her side.
"Guang, these three older brothers and sisters are ninja warriors! They'll play with you for the next three days, okay?"
When he heard that, his eyes lit up with excitement. But he still gave a shy nod.
Uchiha Aozora and the other two exchanged glances, each seeing relief in the others' eyes.
The mission requester returned indoors to pack her luggage after finishing the introduction, and soon departed for the neighboring village.
Uchiha Aozora quickly took out a small toy—a welcome gift for the little boy.
"Guang, this is a windmill toy from your big brother Uchiha Aozora!"
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