After confirming the mission, Mo Yu took the task note off the wall and headed to the reception desk.
"Excuse me, could you help me accept this task?" Mo Yu said to the receptionist.
"Sure, please wait a moment and provide your ninja ID number."
The receptionist did not show any signs of looking down on Mo Yu because of his youth. After all, many young, talented ninjas came to pick up missions here.
This world values strength above all else, and it's not based on seniority.
Mo Yu provided his ID number, and the receptionist quickly began typing on the computer keyboard.
It was odd, but this world had computers, televisions, electric lights, and other appliances. However, they had never developed modern weapons or vehicles, like cars or planes, as if someone had forcibly diverted their technological path.
Mo Yu couldn't explain this strange combination of ancient and modern phenomena.
"Sorry, you're currently a Genin, and C-rank missions can only be accepted by Chunin or above," the receptionist said after checking.
Mo Yu was surprised and blurted out, "Why?"
The receptionist explained, "If anyone could freely pick up missions, it would lead to resource wastage. For example, a Genin attempting a B-rank mission would be unable to complete it. Not only would it waste the client's time, but it would also hinder more capable ninjas from completing the task. It's also a protection measure to prevent young ninjas from overestimating themselves and taking on tasks beyond their abilities, which could cost them their lives."
Mo Yu understood after hearing the explanation. He bitterly smiled to himself, realizing that he had become one of those "overambitious" young ninjas.
"To take C-rank missions, do I really have to become a Chunin?" Mo Yu asked, unwilling to accept the situation.
The receptionist shook her head. "Not necessarily. There's another way: if you complete 50 D-rank missions, you'll meet the requirement for C-rank missions."
Mo Yu rolled his eyes. Completing 50 D-rank missions? He wasn't sure how long that would take.
"In half a month, the Chunin Exams will be held. If you're confident in your abilities, you could participate and get promoted to Chunin, at which point you could naturally accept C-rank missions," the receptionist added unexpectedly.
Mo Yu had not paid attention to the Chunin Exams, so he was surprised to learn it was just half a month away.
He hesitated. Should he really wait for the Chunin Exams to complete a mission?
He had no interest in those D-rank missions—they were not only poorly paid, but they also wasted his time.
At that moment, a sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Excuse me, I'd like to post an escort mission to the border between the Fire Nation and the Rain Nation."
Mo Yu turned his head and his eyes lit up.
A woman, looking to be in her early thirties, stood before him. She wore plain cloth garments and had no makeup, yet her natural beauty was undeniable. Her wrists, exposed by the rolled-up sleeves, were fair and smooth, like jade. She definitely wasn't the type of woman who worked in the fields all year round.
Although she looked weary, with tiredness etched on her face, she still maintained an elegant and dignified demeanor. It was as if this grace was ingrained in her very being.
What a beautiful woman!
Mo Yu couldn't help but admire her silently.
This kind of graceful, fallen beauty was something Mo Yu had often encountered in novels, and he immediately imagined a whole series of dramatic scenarios.
"Okay, how many people are there?" the receptionist asked.
The woman, still with a voice as sweet as a young girl's, replied, "Just me and my son."
Mo Yu now noticed the child standing behind her.
The boy, around seven or eight years old, shyly hid behind his mother. Unlike his mother, whose elegance stood out like a white swan among swans, the child looked like a little beggar. His face was smudged with dirt, and his hair was messy, as if it hadn't been washed in days.
Seeing the boy's grimy little hands gripping his mother's skirt, Mo Yu couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
"This is like the ugly duckling and the swan in real life," Mo Yu thought to himself.
The only thing these two mother and son had in common was their hair color—both had snow-white hair. But in the ninja world, it wasn't strange to see people with all kinds of hair colors.
The receptionist continued, "Since this mission requires leaving the village and traveling a long distance, it's classified as a C-rank mission. You'll need to pay at least 500 ryo as a bounty. Of course, you can increase the bounty if you want to hire a more powerful ninja to escort you."
When the woman heard "500 ryo," her face flushed slightly, and her expression turned awkward. She spoke in a very low voice, "I only have a 100-ryo budget. Is that okay?"
The receptionist said, "In that case, we can lower the mission to D-rank, but no ninja will likely take up the task with such a low bounty."
The woman fell silent, her lips pressed together.
The reward didn't match the risk, so no one would take it.
However, sometimes there are exceptions.
"I'll take this mission," Mo Yu said as he walked over to the woman. "But I'm just a Genin. If you feel I can't guarantee your safety, you can refuse."
At first, the woman's eyes brightened, but when she heard Mo Yu was a Genin, her expression turned disappointed, especially when she saw how young he was. She hesitated slightly.
The boy behind her blinked his big, bright eyes, curiously staring at Mo Yu.
Seeing the woman hesitate, Mo Yu smiled and said, "Don't let my age fool you. I've been a ninja for several years, and I've completed many escort missions. Handling small-time bandits is no problem for me. If you miss this opportunity, there might not be another."
The receptionist, who had been in charge of Mo Yu earlier, seemed about to say something but was silenced by a sharp look from him, making her close her mouth, looking aggrieved.
When the woman heard Mo Yu's words, she seemed to think it over and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
She had no choice. If she turned down Mo Yu, she doubted anyone else would take the mission.
"Though he's young and only a Genin, he's still better than having no escort at all. It should be fine," she thought to herself before addressing Mo Yu, "Then I'll entrust the task to you, Ninja."
Mo Yu, seeing the mission was accepted, was pleased.
"My name is Mo Yu, you can just call me by my name."
The woman nodded, and her opinion of him improved greatly.
"Then let's get the task processed."
Mo Yu turned to the receptionist.
"Sure, please wait a moment."
The woman took out 100 ryo and deposited it at the reception desk. Once Mo Yu completed the mission, he would receive this bounty.
Ten minutes later, all the procedures were completed.
Mo Yu and the woman, along with her son, walked out of the Hokage building.
"When do we leave?" Mo Yu asked.
The woman replied, "We can leave anytime."
Mo Yu nodded, "I don't need to prepare much either. Let's leave now. But we need to rent a carriage; otherwise, with your stamina, it'll take you much longer to travel."
However, seeing the woman's troubled expression, Mo Yu asked, "Could it be you don't even have enough to rent a carriage?"
The woman's face turned red in embarrassment as she nodded, "I didn't think about that. I only had a few spare coins for food, and the 100 ryo was all I had left."
Mo Yu felt speechless, "Then how did you get to Konoha? Don't tell me you walked all the way here?"
A hint of sadness flashed across the woman's face, and she said, "Actually, I'm from the Water Country. I came to visit relatives in the Rain Country. I had a small group of retainers accompanying me, but we were attacked by mountain bandits halfway. They stole our horses and money, and all my retainers were killed. Only my son and I managed to escape with the help of a few loyal servants."
The woman spoke with genuine emotion, her eyes welling up with tears.
But Mo Yu wasn't a child—at least not mentally—and wasn't easily moved by a few words. He remained calm and said, "Then why not go back to the Water Country?"
A flicker of panic flashed across the woman's eyes before she regained composure. "I'm worried about running into those bandits again, so I plan to go to my family in the Rain Country and figure out a way to return to the Water Country."
Mo Yu didn't argue about whether she was telling the truth.
"It will take two days and nights by carriage to reach the border of both countries. If you walk, considering your stamina, it could take you ten days or even half a month. So without a carriage, it will definitely be impossible."
The woman bit her lip, looking completely helpless despite her usual strong demeanor.
"However… since I've accepted the mission, I can't back out now. Here's what I'll do: I'll lend you the money for the carriage for now. You can pay me back later."
The woman looked up at him, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you, Mo Yu. Once I have the money, I'll repay you tenfold!"
Mo Yu waved his hand, "No need to repay me tenfold. I'm not a loan shark. Let's go, let's rent a carriage first."
"By the way, I don't even know your names yet."
The woman hesitated before answering, "I'm Ye Huizhen, and this is my son, Ye Huizhu."
"Zhu, thank your older brother," she said to her son.
The boy, who had been silent up until now, peered out from behind his mother and shyly said, "Th-thank you, older brother."
His voice was soft and clear, like a bird's song. Without looking at his face, one might even mistake him for a little girl.
Mo Yu ruffled the boy's hair and said, "No need to thank me."
Then he turned to the woman, "I'll call you Zhen Jie, is that okay?"
The woman smiled, "I already have a child. I should be called Aunty, not sister."
"Haha, Aunty doesn't sound right. Sister sounds better, so it's settled."