C-Rank Missions

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"I have no problem with it!"

Before Uchiha Yue could answer, Hatake Kakashi replied flatly. He even shot Uchiha Yue a provocative glance.

Seeing the challenge in Kakashi's eyes, Uchiha Yue had no objections. He nodded. "If Kakashi has no problem with it, then I certainly don't either."

"Good!"

Hearing their answers, Kushina Uzumaki's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. "Minato, since our new team members have no problem with it, you, as their captain, can't let us down either, can you? Let's go take some missions, Captain Minato!"

With Kushina acting like this, Minato Namikaze could only awkwardly rub his nose and offer Uchiha Yue an apologetic smile.

After Minato and Kushina had discussed things briefly, they took Uchiha Yue and Kakashi to the Hokage Office to accept their missions. On the way there, Uchiha Yue kept watching Kushina's expression. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something suspicious about her insistence on taking C-rank missions.

Even during wartime, newly graduated Academy students weren't qualified to take C-rank missions. Those missions usually involved actual combat. After graduating, ordinary Genin had to complete at least ten D-rank missions—menial chores meant to help the team members build some rapport—before they were eligible for C-rank missions.

But Kushina wanted Uchiha Yue and Kakashi to take on C-rank missions right away. She was clearly testing their combat abilities. Part of her probably wanted to see them make fools of themselves. After all, Uchiha Yue and Kakashi had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy. They might have performed well in combat exercises at school, but when they faced real enemies, they could easily fall apart.

It was just like Naruto in the original story. Even when facing an elite Jonin like Kakashi, Naruto hadn't shown any fear. But when he finally left Konoha on a mission, he was so frightened by two mediocre Chunin that he couldn't fight back. Kushina undoubtedly wanted to see Uchiha Yue and Kakashi embarrass themselves in the same way.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Yue wasn't going to make a fool of himself in combat, as Kushina imagined.

Minato had brought Uchiha Yue and the others to the Hokage Office. It was the first day of their newly formed team, and they were already going to accept missions.

Of course, when ninjas accepted missions, it wasn't like in the original story, where the Third Hokage was always right there with them.

The Hokage Office had three floors. The Hokage worked on the third floor, while the other two were used by the rest of the staff. For D-rank missions, they only needed to report to the first floor. But for C-rank missions or higher, they had to go to the second floor.

When they arrived on the second floor, the clerk looked at them in surprise. He clearly recognized Uchiha Yue and Kakashi as Genin who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy. Even he had never seen newly graduated Genin try to take on C-rank missions or higher.

As their captain, Minato saw the clerk's surprised look and sheepishly scratched his head. Then he glanced at Kushina.

Kushina, however, was staring at the mission scrolls. She raised her right hand and pointed at a whole row of them. "I've decided. We'll take these C-rank missions. All of them!"

At Kushina's words, the clerk wasn't the only one who was stunned. Minato was so shocked he couldn't speak.

Kushina had selected at least eight C-rank missions. That meant Uchiha Yue and Kakashi, two Genin fresh out of the Ninja Academy, would have to accompany them on all eight. Nothing like this had ever happened in Konoha, which was why both the clerk and Minato were so astonished.

Minato tried to talk Kushina into taking just one or two C-rank missions first, so Uchiha Yue and Kakashi could get used to them. Unfortunately, even Minato couldn't talk Kushina out of it. In the end, under her iron-fisted decision, the two Genin accepted a total of eight C-rank missions, all involving actual combat!

After that...

Once Kushina had formally accepted the missions, she told Uchiha Yue and Kakashi to go home and prepare. They would be leaving the village for these C-rank missions. Uchiha Yue and Kakashi had already expected this, so they each returned home to restock their ninja tool pouches and pack their belongings. Then they would join Minato and Kushina to complete the missions.

Uchiha Yue had very little to prepare. He only needed to restock the shuriken in his ninja tool pouch.

But Uchiha Yue never expected to be the last to arrive at the main gate of Konoha.

Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi had all arrived before him.

When Kushina saw Uchiha Yue hurrying toward them, a mocking smile curled her lips. "Hmph, Uchiha Yue, don't tell me you were deliberately taking so long because you're scared of those C-rank missions! Don't worry. As long as I, Kushina Uzumaki, am here, I won't let you get hurt! The youngest Genin in Konoha, a genius of the Uchiha Clan!"

Kushina's words were dripping with mockery, and Uchiha Yue's expression darkened.

Still, Uchiha Yue had no intention of stooping to arguing with a woman. Besides, Minato kept smiling apologetically beside him, and he didn't want to put Minato in an awkward position. As Minato led them out of the village to begin their C-rank missions, Uchiha Yue, at the front of the group, suddenly turned around and looked at him. "Minato, could I take a look at the missions we'll be doing?"

"Of course!"

As soon as Uchiha Yue asked, Minato handed him a scroll with a smile. "Yue, Kushina can be a little wild sometimes. Don't take it to heart. That's just how she is. She's like a child, but once you get to know her, you'll see she's not a bad person." He paused briefly, then continued, "Besides, Kushina didn't pick these missions at random. I'm sure you can see the thought behind them!"

"Mm!"

After quickly scanning the mission list, Uchiha Yue looked over at Kushina and thought, Kushina Uzumaki really is an elite Jonin of Konoha. Even the missions she seems to have picked at random have such a purpose behind them. But what is that familiar feeling coming from her?

Why...

Why does the chakra coming from her feel so much like Mother's?