Chapter 87: Squad Leader

Eh! Isn't the teacher participating in this mission?

Dong Shilang, who had taken the scroll, was still a bit surprised. He hadn't expected that on his first C‑rank mission, his squad leader teacher wouldn't participate.

Just let this bunch of rookies handle the mission on their own.

So! Who will be the squad leader for this mission?

Seeing that Teacher Chongzheng had made up his mind and didn't seem likely to change it, Dong Shilang, who had taken the scroll, couldn't help but ask.

Which of the three of them would take charge of this mission and become the temporary squad leader is extremely important.

If handled poorly, it could affect the harmony among the three of them.

If it came to blows, forget about carrying out the mission—just not fighting among themselves would be a relief!

This is up to you three to decide!

He curled the corner of his mouth, giving Dong Shilang and the other two a meaningful smile. After tossing out that line, Chongzheng vanished in an instant, leaving the three staring at each other.

Dong Shilang, holding the mission scroll, looked at Yan and Zhe as they each turned their gaze toward him, and helplessly rolled his eyes.

As for his squad leader teacher's tasteless sense of humor, he really couldn't bring himself to complain.

He felt that if the teacher didn't cook up some nonsense, it would be as unlikely as the sun rising in the west.

How about letting Yan take the role of squad leader?

As for the temporary squad leader of this team, he had no particular opinion.

Better let those two ambitious youths with ideals and revenge handle it, while he happily paddles water on the side, right?

He isn't a hot‑blooded fool swayed by the Will of Fire, so there's no need to be so eager.

As for why Yan was chosen, isn't that obvious?

Would they really pass over the lively Yan and pick the idiot Zhe instead?

Just look at this guy's usual behavior—

Isn't this just asking for trouble? If something goes wrong, we'll all end up eating boxed lunches together...

Really? Is it really okay for me to be the squad leader?

Upon hearing that, Yuzhibo Yan momentarily became humble.

Or perhaps Dong Shilang should be the squad leader! Among us three, you're the strongest, so it would fit perfectly.

If it weren't for the girl's slightly narrowed eyes and the grin tugging at the corner of her mouth, Dong Shilang would almost believe her nonsense!

Teacher Chongzheng is really a pain! Not bothering to show up is one thing, but not even assigning a squad leader—is he just planning to watch us three make fools of ourselves?

【Well! These three brats didn't end up fighting! What a pity!】

One part silently observed his beloved disciple, while the other rubbed the tiny beard on his chin.

Originally, in his 'script,' the three brats would likely split into two factions and start fighting.

Yuzhibo Yan and Zhe on one side, Dong Shilang alone on the other.

At the very least, they'd have a big argument so he could show up in time to properly discipline these three brats.

He didn't expect Dong Shilang to voluntarily yield, causing the script to deviate from his plan.

【But it doesn't matter; this is actually nice!】

Meanwhile, Dong Shilang handed the mission scroll left by Teacher Chongzheng before his departure to the cheerfully elected temporary squad leader, Yuzhibo Yan.

She hadn't thought much about it; instead, she found that the usually eyesore 'annoying ghost' looked unexpectedly pleasing today.

Who would have thought that after taking the mission scroll, Yan would eagerly unfold it to check the details, and yet have such a rich inner world?

On the contrary, he turned his head and looked toward the canopy of a large tree not far away.

【Just now I kept feeling like someone was secretly watching us—could it be that Teacher Chongzheng hasn't gone far and is observing us from the shadows?】

After staring at that ordinary wild tree for a while and finding nothing, Dong Shilang shook his head and tossed the earlier 'illusion' to the back of his mind.

How could a mere genin like him possibly detect the scrutiny of an elite jonin? It must be an illusion!

【Had he just been discovered?】

At that moment, in the treetop of a nearby large tree, Yuzhibo Chongzheng was puzzled, recalling his own recent actions.

Logically, the chance of being detected was practically zero.

Although he hadn't deliberately concealed his tracks, an eight‑year‑old brat couldn't possibly notice them.

【There must have been some discovery; otherwise it wouldn't make sense that he didn't compete with Yan and Zhe for the squad leader position!】

Even so, it still gave Yuzhibo Chongzheng a start.

When it comes to perception, the Uchiha clan can be described as an extreme.

Thanks to the inherited bloodline limit 'Sharingan,' every Uchiha ninja who has awakened the Sharingan can be considered a half‑baked perception type.

Well, limited to perception ninjas whose range lies within the Sharingan's field of view.

Once the target moves out of that visible range, it's no different from an ordinary ninja.

Thus the Uchiha family especially lacks long‑range perception‑type ninjas, such as the perception ability of the Uzumaki clan.

The perception talent Dong Shilang just displayed is worth the family cultivating properly.

But becoming an all‑round ninja proficient in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and perception usually just means mediocrity.

As teamwork among ninjas increases, the demand grows for a ninja to excel in one area, while weaknesses in other areas are compensated by teammates.

Only ninjas who have reached the elite jonin level will consider such matters.

He still needs to properly plan the future development path for him.

How's it going! Any plans?

Just as Yuzhibo Yan was seriously examining the mission scroll, Zhe couldn't hold back and looked at Yan, asking.

With a mix of nervousness and excitement, Yuzhibo Zhe was feeling a bit anxious at this moment.

Ignoring Yuzhibo Yan, after looking at the scroll, she slightly furrowed her brows and had a somewhat puzzled expression.

The furrowed brows were because the scroll only briefly mentioned that nearby, several bandit attacks on passing merchants had occurred recently, as well as matters concerning nearby villages.

As for the numbers, there was only a rough estimate, and the assessment of strength was vague and not entirely accurate.

For a moment, she was somewhat at a loss as to where to begin.

Without answering Zhe's question, after a moment of being dazed, the little girl reacted.

Her bright big eyes rolled around, and she handed the opened mission scroll in her hand to Zhe, while saying righteously:

"The mission scroll is here; if you have any plans, you can bring them up first, and we'll discuss them together!"