[T/N: A huge thank you to Gilb for supporting me on Patreon! Your support really motivates me to keep writing, and I'm so grateful for it. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Send him your blessings—thanks to him, I'm locked into churning out chapters consistently now, lol.]
After about two exhausting hours, the distinct gates of Konoha Village finally came into clear view.
Hiruzen, visibly relieved, exclaimed, "We're finally back! These past few days have truly taken their toll." It was worth noting that the aches and pains he'd endured from Koharu's unexpected double beatdown had also been completely healed by her surprisingly adept medical ninjutsu. Torifū, observing this, made a mental note of Koharu's impressive skills in that area.
Akimichi Torifū, who had remained unusually quiet throughout the journey, finally spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of weariness. "These last few days have actually made me lose weight. I'm going to need to eat a mountain of food when I get home."
Hearing his words, a collective groan rippled through the group as they all vividly recalled the past few days, their meals consisting solely of the notoriously unappetizing soldier pills. They unanimously agreed that a proper feast was in order upon their return.
But when it came to the most vehement hater of soldier pills, that title undoubtedly belonged to Torifū. Whether in his memories of his previous life or in his current existence, he had never encountered anything as utterly revolting as those nutrient-dense, flavor-confused concoctions.
In their attempt to provide comprehensive sustenance for ninjas on missions, it seemed like every imaginable flavor had somehow been crammed into those small, hard tablets, resulting in an indescribable and thoroughly disgusting taste. He silently vowed that on his next mission, he would absolutely pack his own food. Enduring those pills day after day was simply unbearable.
Upon reaching the familiar entrance of Konoha Village, the vigilant security guards approached to verify the identities of the returning group. After a thorough check, confirming that Hiruzen and his companions were indeed who they claimed to be and not spies disguised from another nation, they were granted passage into the village.
However, their arrival back in the village didn't mean they could simply part ways. Protocol dictated that they first report the details of their mission to the Hokage and collect their well-deserved rewards.
For Torifū, this particular mission hadn't been exceptionally remarkable. It was just that they had encountered slightly more formidable opponents than usual.
But for Naori, this mission represented a significant step in her development. She had taken a life for the first time, and the initial wave of nausea and dizziness had been almost overwhelming.
However, thanks to the rigorous training she had undergone since childhood, she managed to regain her composure after a short struggle. This experience had undoubtedly fostered considerable growth within Naori, and Torifū felt a surge of confidence that it wouldn't be long before she blossomed into an exceptional female ninja capable of standing strong on her own.
In truth, Torifū himself had also experienced a profound sense of unease during his first encounter with taking a life. After all, his previous existence had been in a peaceful world where the concept of witnessing death firsthand was foreign. But perhaps the multitude of extraordinary events following his crossing over had subtly altered him. Furthermore, the nature of his Crystal Release ninjutsu, which directly transmuted the unfortunate spy into shimmering particles, hadn't exactly left much room for visceral reactions. The target was simply… gone.
And in every subsequent instance where Torifū had been forced to take a life, he had employed either his Crystal Release or his Cloud Release, both ninjutsu that effectively erased almost all traces of the victim. This was why he had been able to adapt to the harsh realities of the ninja world at a relatively faster pace.
Not long after entering the village, the group made their way to the Hokage Building. A palpable sense of eagerness to finally relax propelled their steps, making their pace quite brisk.
The guards stationed in front of the imposing building didn't even attempt to stop Hiruzen and his companions. Anyone with even a modicum of discernment recognized them instantly. After all, these were the esteemed disciples of the legendary Hashirama and Tobirama, individuals with undeniably distinguished identities within the village.
Since no guards questioned their presence, Hiruzen and the others proceeded silently and confidently into the building.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of their polite knocking echoed through the room, interrupting Hashirama in the midst of his seemingly endless administrative tasks.
"Come in," Hashirama's booming voice resonated from within.
Immediately, the office door swung inward, and Hiruzen, followed by the rest of the team, entered the Hokage's presence.
Seeing the young ninjas return safe and sound, a warm smile spread across Hashirama's face. "You must all be quite weary from your journey."
"Reporting to Hokage-sama, we are not tired," Hiruzen responded promptly, his tone respectful and formal. As the mission's captain, he understood the need for proper decorum when reporting to the Hokage, a stark contrast to their more casual interactions in private.
Hashirama retrieved the meticulously kept scroll that documented all the completed A-rank missions. He quickly located the entry for the mission Hiruzen's team had just concluded and affixed a decisive 'completed' seal next to it.
Then, addressing Hiruzen and the others, he said, "I have already reviewed the details of this mission. I have made note of the strengths and areas for improvement for each of you, so I won't reiterate them now."
He then handed Hiruzen a small voucher. "Take this to the rewards office to collect your mission pay. After that, make sure you all get some well-deserved rest."
Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, he emphasized, "And don't forget about the test questions I gave you before you left!"
Upon hearing this seemingly casual reminder, the smiles that had adorned the faces of Hiruzen and the other six instantly vanished, replaced by expressions of profound dejection. The anticipation of indulging in a celebratory feast evaporated into thin air.
Hashirama chuckled softly at the children's sudden change in demeanor and kindly reminded them, "You still have two days left to work on them."
As soon as those words left his lips, Hiruzen and the other six practically bolted out of the office, clutching the voucher as if it were a lifeline, completely forgetting to even offer a customary farewell.
Only Torifū and Naori remained standing in the room.
Hashirama then turned his attention to the two remaining genin, offering Torifū and Naori some specific guidance regarding their future training before finally dismissing them.
Torifū deliberately omitted any mention of his encounter with Uchiha Setsuna on the road and the subsequent confrontation that led to the latter's demise. Since he had already dealt with the body by turning it into cloud mist, it would undoubtedly save a considerable amount of unnecessary trouble.
If this incident were to come to light, and the already grieving Uchiha elders discovered that they had lost two grandsons in such quick succession, they would likely seek violent retribution against Torifū, regardless of the circumstances. So, in this situation, discretion was definitely the better part of valor.
Torifū didn't even intend to share this information with Naori. In his mind, it was better if Uchiha Setsuna's existence simply faded away as if he had never been.
After leaving the Hokage Building, Naori and Torifū headed towards the designated office where they could claim their mission reward. A surprisingly heavy bag of paper money, estimated to be around fifty or sixty thousand ryo, was handed over.
Torifū didn't pay it much mind. This relatively small sum would be like a single drop of water in the vast ocean of the Kumotsuru Clan's considerable wealth stored in their family vault.
Naori, feeling grateful for Torifū's past generosity, eagerly suggested using her share of the reward to treat him to a lavish meal. However, Torifū, wanting to claim his system rewards in private, politely found a reason to postpone their celebratory dinner until the following day. Naori readily agreed, and they made plans to have lunch together. She had already been treated to two meals at Torifū's expense and felt a little indebted, so she was genuinely happy to finally reciprocate.
With their plans for the next day settled, Torifū and Naori exchanged farewells and went their separate ways, Torifū making his way back to the expansive territory of the Kumotsuru Clan.
He was eager to claim the rewards bestowed upon him by the system! Summoning the system interface in a public place, while invisible to others, would inevitably lead to him muttering to himself, which would undoubtedly raise eyebrows and potentially lead to others questioning his sanity.
Unlike the unexpected rewards he had received during the Chaos incident, the rewards for completing missions listed in the mission book required a manual confirmation; they wouldn't be automatically granted.
With a mental command, Torifū directly summoned the familiar mission book interface.
[Ding - Detected that the host has successfully completed a mission. Do you wish to claim the reward now?]
"Claim!" Torifū responded immediately, his anticipation building.
[Ding - Mission completed. Reward: 4000 Peace Points have been successfully added to your account.]
Torifū felt a surge of satisfaction. An A-rank mission had yielded a substantial 4000 Peace Points. If he continued to work diligently, accumulating the 60,000 points needed for his next goal seemed increasingly achievable. There was simply no other way. The current effort was a necessary investment for a more comfortable and secure future!
Just as Torifū thought the system notification had concluded, the familiar chime sounded again, catching him by surprise.
[Ding - Congratulations! As this is the host's first successful completion of an A-rank mission, the reward is doubled. Additionally, the system is granting a random gift as a special bonus.]
Excited heart! Trembling hands!
Torifū couldn't believe his luck. He hadn't expected this seemingly shady system to be so generous! Was this akin to a "first-time completion bonus"?
Regardless of the reasoning, he was thrilled as long as he reaped the benefits now. Constantly fixating on future gains often led to neglecting the present.
This "random gift" was a completely new concept for Torifū. He wondered what the difference was between this and the usual "mysterious reward" the system occasionally bestowed.
Just as these thoughts swirled in his mind, a burst of vibrant yellow light flashed before his eyes. When the light subsided, a beautifully ornate golden gift box materialized in front of him, seemingly suspended in mid-air.
"Wow! Did it really have to be this… high-end?" Torifū muttered to himself, his eyes almost overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of the golden exterior.
[Do you wish to open the random gift box?] the system prompted.
Torifū didn't hesitate for a moment. With a mental affirmation, the magnificent golden gift box slowly began to open, its intricate carvings glinting in the fading sunlight.
[Ding - Congratulations to the host for obtaining…]