"I wonder if those droplets can make the Heavenly Book create divine techniques out of nothing—techniques I actually want?"
Uchiha Aozora couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. However, after only a moment, he forced himself to calm down.
"What matters most right now is understanding what the droplets are—and how to obtain them."
He carefully reviewed his recent actions, comparing them to the twelve years he had lived in the ninja world since transmigrating.
"My clothing, food, housing—nothing has changed. The only difference is the missions."
"The droplet appeared after finishing the rice-harvesting mission. Could harvesting rice produce droplets?"
The moment the thought arose, Aozora rejected it himself.
"The Nameless Heavenly Book is something so high-level—there's no way cutting rice alone could cause it to change."
"What else…? Right. The droplet appeared after the old man thanked us."
"So the droplet comes from the old man's 'gratitude'?"
"Is it merit? Or wish power?"
After thinking it over, Uchiha Aozora mentally recorded this hypothesis.
He felt the guess was highly plausible. Whatever the Heavenly Book could absorb had to be extraordinary. If it was merit or wish power, it would perfectly match the book's lofty nature.
After pondering for a long time without concrete results, Aozora decided to set the question aside for now and observe further by completing more missions.
The next day, Uchiha Aozora headed to the Hokage Tower in high spirits.
Seeing the energetic Aozora and Inuzuka Aya, Aburame Shibi raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Ha, youth really does recover fast," he said."I was planning to pick an easy mission for you, but it seems unnecessary."
Aozora didn't react much, but Aya hurriedly protested.
"Sensei, no! My waist hurts!"
She bent over dramatically, clutching her stomach and groaning.
Aburame Shibi was not fooled by her exaggerated performance."That looks more like a stomachache to me."
Aya showed no embarrassment whatsoever and simply changed her pose, continuing to groan.
Shibi shook his head."Enough acting. Today we'll take a lighter mission."
With that, he went to line up.
The three teammates began chatting nearby.
Uchiha Aozora took the opportunity to critique Aya's acting skills.
"Idiot. If you're going to act, at least do it professionally."
"When pretending your waist hurts, you support your lower back with one hand, lean against something, and don't make loud noises—just groan softly."
Aya stared at him suspiciously."You know all that? Do you often have back pain or something?"
Faced with her wide, puzzled eyes, Aozora's face darkened. He tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle and stared at the ceiling, refusing to respond.
Seeing that he ignored her, Aya pulled out a scroll.
"Oh my, whose scroll could this be?"
"Boring," Aozora said.
His right hand shot out, snatching the scroll instantly.
He opened it and began reading.
Aya proudly puffed out her chest."Ha! Bet you didn't expect that! I didn't just give you some cheap junk."
Aozora nodded. Indeed, although the scroll was C-rank, its rarity rivaled that of many ordinary B-rank techniques.
It recorded a rare sound-based genjutsu—Howling Moon.
Although learning genjutsu wasn't yet on his agenda, Aozora had already checked the scrolls his brother Shisui left behind. None contained a similar illusion technique.
After a brief review, Aozora put the scroll away.
"This is valuable. Thanks."
Just verbal thanks weren't enough—he planned to repay her properly in the future.
Aya scratched her head and laughed."It's fine. That jutsu's been sitting at home for years anyway. No one ever managed to learn it."
"You're an Uchiha—your talent for genjutsu should be good. You'll probably have an easier time."
"Maybe," Aozora replied."Though we're usually better at visual and mental illusions…"
After chatting for a while, Aburame Shibi returned with the mission.
He first took out a stack of bills and handed each of them ten notes—each worth one hundred ryō.
"This is the payment for your first mission. Congratulations—you've earned your first wages."
All three of them beamed, silently planning how to spend their "fortune."
Once they had celebrated enough, Shibi tossed the number tag to Gekkō Hayate.
Aozora guessed that next time, it would probably be his turn to pick up the mission scroll.
Before long, Hayate returned with it.
Unlike Aya, his expression was completely neutral.
Aya and Aozora stepped forward and opened the scroll together.
The mission made Aozora feel… conflicted.
Compared to their first task, this one was extremely simple.
The client was a single mother, a merchant who needed to travel to a neighboring village for negotiations. She had commissioned ninjas to look after her child for four days.
Before Aozora or Hayate could react, Aya exploded.
"Sensei! We're ninjas, not babysitters!"
Aozora glanced at Aya's flat figure and thought silently: Even if you wanted to be one, you lack the qualifications.
Aburame Shibi completely ignored her outburst, calmly enduring her so-called "F-rank Water Release" verbal assault as he led them straight toward the client's home.
Along the way, wanting to ensure the mission went smoothly, Aozora specifically bought some toys and snacks that Konoha children liked.
The client's house was located in Konoha's second ring—standalone with its own courtyard. Clearly, the merchant woman was quite wealthy.
When the door opened, a strikingly commanding beautiful woman greeted them.
Though she wore a kimono, her sharp aura was unmistakable. One could easily imagine how intimidating she must look in business attire.
Seeing them, she was surprised.
"Shibi-sama? I didn't expect you to take this mission."
Shibi replied calmly,"Not me. These kids did."
Aozora noticed the way the woman glanced between them—clearly, the two knew each other.
She nodded and stepped aside, inviting them in.
In the living room, they finally met their mission target—a quiet, well-behaved boy around three or four years old, dressed neatly and standing politely.
The woman introduced him."This is Hikaru. He'll be under your care for the next three days. Meals will be prepared by the house staff—you just need to play with him and make sure he isn't hurt."
"Hikaru's a very good boy. I'm sure you'll get along well."
She waved him over."Hikaru, come here."
The boy obediently ran over and stood quietly.
"Hikaru," she said gently,"these big brothers and sisters are ninjas. They'll be playing with you for the next three days, alright?"
Hikaru's eyes lit up, though he still nodded shyly.
The three teammates exchanged glances, all seeing relief in each other's eyes.
After finishing the explanation, the client returned to her room to pack. Soon after, she departed for the neighboring village.
Uchiha Aozora immediately took out the toys he had prepared.
"Hikaru," he said warmly,"this pinwheel is a gift from big brother Aozora."