I'm retrieving corpses in Konoha.

It's like I've been given a new body.

Uchiha Natsu activated his Sharingan and kept observing Uzuki Yugao's internal condition.

Now, the chakra within Uzuki Yugao's body has increased by at least ten times compared to before.

Although this amount of chakra is still very little compared to that of Uchiha Natsu, it is already more than that of the Cloud Village Jonin he killed earlier.

Furthermore, the quality of chakra has also changed, seemingly becoming more solid, which will certainly increase the power of the ninjutsu used.

As long as her ninjutsu and combat experience keep pace with her chakra, Uzuki Yugao will be able to reach the level of a Jonin, and will soon become a great help to Uchiha Natsu.

Uchiha Natsu closed his Sharingan, took off his sunglasses, and discovered that even Uzuki Yugao's skin had become whiter and smoother, and she had gained a more ethereal quality.

The already beautiful girl became even more beautiful with the addition of her elegant demeanor.

"How do you feel?" Uchiha Natsu asked with a smile.

As she felt the changes within her body, Uzuki Yugao exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher, it's like my body has been replaced; it's full of power!"

As she spoke, Uzuki Yugao seemed to remember something and quickly took out a small mirror to look at herself.

It was still the same as before, which put Uzuki Yugao at ease.

She had just thought she had been switched into another body, even though that idea sounded absurd.

“This is the effect of Sage Pill.” Uchiha Natsu picked up a grilled fish stuck in the fire and handed it to Uzuki Yugao: “Now your physique and chakra have improved significantly, which is enough for you to learn my swordsmanship.”

Uzuki Yugao bowed gratefully to Uchiha Natsumi and said earnestly, "Thank you, teacher."

Uchiha Natsu smiled nonchalantly: "No need to thank me. As my disciple, you will face many more trials in the future. Although your physique and chakra have improved, you cannot slack off in your jutsu training."

"You should know that the best way to repay me is to become stronger and become my powerful helper. Besides, your talent is actually quite high. Otherwise, I wouldn't have given you one of the three Sage Pills in the world."

Giving away things for free without asking for anything in return is impossible for Uchiha Natsumi, so Uzuki Yugao must know the value of Sage Maru.

As if greatly encouraged, Yugao Uzuki accepted the grilled fish and bowed again, promising, "Yugao will definitely train hard and live up to your expectations, teacher!"

Chapter 14 Stone

After a quick breakfast, Uchiha Natsumi and Uzuki Yugao packed their things and set off on their way back to Konoha Village.

After walking about a kilometer, we arrived at the place where we got off the bus the day before.

The carriage was gone, leaving only a few messy wheel tracks on the ground.

After a moment's thought, Uchiha Natsu realized that the coachman must have witnessed yesterday's battle and fled.

"The coachman ran away, so we'll have to walk instead," Uchiha Natsu said with a smile.

There was no need for Uchiha Natsu to make things difficult for an ordinary coachman who was forced to work for a merchant to make a living.

Besides, a whole night has passed, and it's almost impossible to catch up with the carriage now.

Uzuki Yugao didn't complain much; for a ninja, flying through trees all day long was commonplace.

On the way back to Konoha, Uchiha Natsu explained the training method of the sword technique "Willow" to Uzuki Yugao. Although she had to focus on the journey, Uzuki Yugao remembered it very quickly.

Traveling through the trees was actually faster than using a horse-drawn carriage, but it was already noon when they arrived at Konoha.

Uchiha Natsu brought Uzuki Yugao to the mission center, handed over the four ninja tool bags to the staff, and explained the situation.

Of course, Uchiha Natsu referred to the ninjas who ambushed them as genin, thus avoiding revealing too much of his own strength.

If you encounter ninjas during a mission, you can request a mission upgrade.

Although there is no reward, if Uchiha Natsu wants to take on more advanced missions in the future, he will need to rely on an impressive resume.

The staff recorded Uchiha Natsu's account of the mission, then compiled it into a document, which, along with the ninja tool kit, was sent to the Hokage Building for the Third Hokage's approval.

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The mission is finally over; all that remains is to wait for the Hokage's decision.

With an afternoon to spare, Uchiha Natsumi took Uzuki Yugao to the previously cleared area and taught her swordsmanship.

Earlier, on the way, Uzuki Yugao had memorized the general outline, and now she can practice with Uchiha Natsu.

"Swordsmanship? Willow, it is actually a swordsmanship that combines with illusion. First, try casting an illusion using the chakra circulation method I taught you."

Uchiha Natsu explained and demonstrated to Uzuki Yugao at the same time.

As if she had suddenly had a breakthrough, Uzuki Yugao learned exceptionally quickly. After Uchiha Natsu demonstrated it only once, she was able to perform it quite well.

Although there are still many flaws, he is still much better than his peers.

Uchiha Natsu guessed that it must be related to Sagemaru. While Sagemaru widened her meridians and improved her physique, it also enhanced Uzuki Yugao's inner abilities such as observation and memory.

After an afternoon of instruction, Uzuki Yugao was able to use the sword technique "Yanagi" with ease. Her initial illusion techniques and subsequent movement and explosive power had all reached a satisfactory level.

The only deficiency is in some details of chakra control, but these details can be made up for with repeated practice and improvement.

After learning swordsmanship, Uchiha Natsu used Shadow Clone Jutsu to test Uzuki Yugao's strength.

Based on his previous insights from the four ninjas, Uchiha Natsu estimated that Uzuki Yugao now possessed the strength to defeat a Chunin.

However, they are still somewhat inadequate against Jonin enemies.

In order to improve Uzuki Yugao's strength as quickly as possible and increase his own potential, Uchiha Natsumi eventually taught Uzuki Yugao the Shadow Clone Technique.

By the time Uzuki Yugao mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, the sun had already set. Uchiha Natsu announced the end of the course and then returned home.

After using the [Heart-Breaking Decapitation Technique] to arrive at the doorless basement, Uchiha Natsu sat on the bed and took out the Sage Pill from his pocket...

.

The Hokage Building, office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in his Hokage's seat, a pipe dangling from his lips.

A man stood respectfully to the side.

The man was under thirty years old and looked very composed. He had long, dark yellow hair tied in a ponytail and was wearing a Konoha-style Jonin vest.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe, then slowly exhaled, looking at a document on the table and four ninja tool pouches.

It was the spoils that Uchiha Natsu brought back; that document was an application to upgrade the mission level.

"This turmoil is over. Today, we received news from Kumogakure that we need to renegotiate the contract, but this time it must be signed in Kumogakure," Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly.

As if anticipating something, Yamanaka Inoichi bowed slightly and said firmly, "Third Hokage, let me go."

“Hmm.” Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then said calmly, “My advisors and I have discussed and decided that you will lead this team.”

"In addition, there is Uchiha Shisui. He is a rare genius in the Uchiha clan, and he is the perfect match for you to participate in this mission."

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the documents on the table again and pondered.

Yamanaka Inoichi knew that the Uchiha clan had always been a thorn in the side of the village, and Shisui's rise seemed to have added a link between the village and the Uchiha.

But Yamanaka Inoichi wouldn't say much; some things can only be understood implicitly, and saying too much wouldn't do him any good.

"What do you think of Uchiha Natsu?" Hiruzen Sarutobi took another puff of his pipe, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Unlike Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi advocated for peaceful resolution of the Uchiha clan, so he would consider contacting and recruiting any young people with high talent from the Uchiha clan.

Try to prevent these geniuses from joining the Konoha Police Force. This will avoid some bad things from happening and also strengthen the connection between the village and the Uchiha clan.

Uchiha Shisui is one example, and now there's Uchiha Itachi, who just graduated not long ago.

Uchiha Natsu had always been portrayed as a useless person, so Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't paid much attention to him before.

Today, Uchiha Natsu suddenly completed a mission where he encountered an ambush by four ninjas and even killed them.

This made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that Uchiha Natsu seemed to have never experienced a battle or demonstrated his abilities over the years.

Perhaps, Uchiha Natsu may appear to be a stone on the outside, but there is a small piece of jade inside.

Upon hearing this, Yamanaka Inoichi frowned and pondered: "Uchiha Natsu, I still have some impression of him. We met a few times in the corpse disposal team. He gave me the impression of being a very steady junior."

"The rumors circulating outside are outrageous, but Uchiha Natsu still faces them calmly and never gives up on himself. He is also very humble when talking to people. If he had a little more talent, he would be a promising talent."

After listening, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in agreement.

Uchiha Natsumi was calm and composed, something he had noticed long ago. If it weren't for his extremely low talent, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have overlooked him.

“I’m thinking of having him join the team this time. If anything happens, his personality should be helpful. What do you think?”

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and looked at Yamanaka Inoichi.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Yamanaka Inoichi said after thinking for a moment and then nodding.

Chapter 15, Rank A Mission

In the basement.

Uchiha Natsu took out a Sage Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

However, after waiting for a long time, the expected symptoms of intoxication did not appear.

After swallowing the Sage Pill, it turned into a warm current that flowed through the body and then stopped.

I wasn't even slightly tipsy, let alone drunk; it felt like I'd just drunk a cup of hot water.

Moreover, it didn't significantly increase Uchiha Natsu's own chakra, but his skin seemed to have become a bit whiter.

"Could it be because my physique has already improved enough, and only those like Uzuki Yugao, who haven't experienced system upgrades, will see the effect?"

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Uchiha Natsu immediately realized the reason and couldn't help but sigh.

I originally thought that with the help of the Sage Pill, my strength would take a leap forward, but in reality, it didn't have much effect.

However, if one were to give the Sage Pill to a subordinate they trusted enough, such as their disciple Uzuki Yugao, it would be equivalent to indirectly increasing their own strength.

With that in mind, Uchiha Natsu carefully packed away the remaining Sage Pill and stored it away.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Uchiha Natsu arrived at the mission center to inquire about the final results of the mission.

"The Third Hokage has approved it; this mission's level has been upgraded to B."

The staff gave an affirmative answer: Uchiha Natsumi and Uzuki Yugao's resumes now include one additional B-rank mission experience.