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Chapter 247: S-Rank Mission Rewards
Chapter 247: S-Rank Mission Rewards
"Finally back." Obito gazed at the tall wooden walls of Konoha and heaved a sigh of relief.
Only when he was away on missions did he truly appreciate the comfort of a soft bed to sleep in. Obito felt he had discovered a fundamental truth of humanity: when training in Konoha, he longed for the excitement of missions, but when on a mission, he yearned to complete it quickly and return home. Perhaps that was just the way of the world.
"I can't wait to start training again," Might Guy said eagerly.
Having experienced the chaos of the battlefield, his combat abilities had improved, and he had gained some insights from sparring with Deidara. Guy was itching to continue his self-improvement through rigorous practice.
Kakashi, who had been considering taking a day off to rest, felt a little antsy hearing Guy's enthusiasm.
If he rested now, it would be like stopping mid-run while Guy continued to sprint ahead.
"Teacher Mu Yue, are you heading to the Southern Border Forest later?" Kakashi asked.
If she was going there, he would train in the same location; otherwise, he would practice at home until midnight.
"Yes, I will be going. If you wish to train, you are welcome to join me, and I'll guide you as usual," Mu Yue replied with a smile and a nod.
"Of course, if you want to take a break, you can rest for a day and resume training tomorrow."
After such a major event, they should have had a couple of days off. However, Mu Yue had already reduced their training load while they were at the camp due to their location, so it roughly evened out to a few days of rest.
"Then we'll trouble you, Teacher Mu Yue," Kakashi said, confirming that she would be going to the Southern Border Forest.
Watching Guy and Kakashi rush off to train, Obito, who just wanted to develop his photos and share his mission stories with Rin, felt a little out of place.
Just as Obito expected, Guy and Kakashi dashed straight toward the Southern Border Forest.
With a sigh, Obito created a shadow clone to head to the main district of Konoha to develop his photos while his main body also made its way to the Southern Border Forest for training.
He couldn't be the only one not training after they had returned together—that would make him look like the laziest of the bunch.
...
After parting ways with her disciples, Mu Yue went directly to the Hokage Building and entered the Hokage's office to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi about the mission.
Although Jiraiya had likely already sent back the intelligence, she still needed to give her own report, as it was her responsibility.
Knock knock!
Mu Yue knocked on the wooden door of the Hokage's office.
"Come in," Hiruzen's voice called out from within.
Upon receiving Hiruzen's permission, Mu Yue opened the door and stepped inside.
Hiruzen, seeing that it was Mu Yue, offered her a smile. He took the pipe from his mouth and exhaled a puff of white smoke, saying, "Mu Yue, are you here to report on the mission?"
"Yes, Third Hokage. Our team encountered some unexpected circumstances during this mission. As soon as we arrived at the camp, we were confronted by a large-scale offensive from the Iwagakure ninja forces, and then..." Mu Yue began to explain the specifics of what had transpired.
"Mu Yue, I don't know what to say about your team. Every time I assign you a C-rank mission, something unexpected happens, and you always manage to surprise me," Hiruzen teased.
It was quite the record to encounter unexpected events during four consecutive C-rank missions, and for the fourth one to coincide with the outbreak of a major war was truly remarkable.
Hiruzen felt that if it weren't for Mu Yue's exceptional strength, a typical Jonin-led team might have suffered heavy casualties.
"Maybe I just have bad luck," Mu Yue self-deprecatingly replied.
Even she hadn't anticipated such a development during their fourth mission. She had been prepared for a straightforward C-rank mission, but instead, they were thrown into the midst of a major conflict.
"Perhaps Konoha's luck is good, allowing you to be a part of this battle," Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
"Defeating Iwagakure's blasting unit, and even holding off the Jinchuriki with your water release during the fight with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. No wonder Danzo looked so unhappy when I told him you would be leaving; he was losing his elite shinobi," Hiruzen added.
When Jiraiya's intelligence report reached him, Hiruzen had been astonished. He knew that Mu Yue had defeated Jonin-level opponents twice during her previous missions, so he was aware that she was stronger than the average Jonin. However, he hadn't realized just how much stronger she was.
During the days of conflict with Iwagakure, the blasting release ninja, Hunter, had been making a name for himself. In the early stages of the war, when small groups were engaged in combat, he had repeatedly defeated Konoha's teams, proving to be more than a match for a typical Jonin. As the war intensified, Hunter continued to excel, dominating his opponents with his mastery of explosive release ninjutsu and hardening techniques.
While Minato and Jiraiya could handle him, they had their hands full dealing with the more formidable Jinchuriki. Hiruzen had intended to dispatch an elite squad to deal with Hunter, but then Mu Yue had encountered him on the battlefield, leaving him in a state of life or death.
Even from just the written description, Hiruzen could discern Mu Yue's outstanding performance during this war. Jiraiya's personal letter to him further emphasized this point.
It was rare for Jiraiya to place so much emphasis on a single individual, going so far as to send a separate letter specifically to highlight Mu Yue's strength and potential.
"By defeating Hunter and killing numerous Iwagakure ninjas, as well as rescuing many fellow villagers, your impact on the battlefield was significant enough to upgrade this mission to an S-rank," Hiruzen Sarutobi recited Mu Yue's accomplishments one by one.
This time, the situation was a little different from before. In the past, they had simply encountered enemy ninjas during their missions and engaged in combat, but this time, she had made a direct and substantial contribution on the battlefield, hence the upgrade to the highest-level mission.
"Additionally, your battle with the Jinchuriki alongside Jiraiya's team is counted as a separate S-rank mission." Hiruzen continued.
This was at Jiraiya's request, as he felt that Mu Yue's achievements deserved more than just one S-rank mission. Her performance during the Jinchuriki battle was well worth an S-rank mission on its own.
After reading the report, Hiruzen agreed that there was no issue. However, this S-rank mission was attributed solely to Mu Yue and not the entire team; the upgrade from a C-rank to an S-rank applied to the whole team.
"For the food delivery mission, the original reward was one hundred thousand ryo, but the village will provide an additional reward of one million one hundred and fifty thousand ryo, totaling one million two hundred and fifty thousand ryo. As for the S-rank mission of repelling the Jinchuriki, the reward is one million two hundred thousand ryo." Hiruzen announced the rewards for Mu Yue's missions.
"Thank you, Third Hokage-sama." Mu Yue expressed her gratitude with a smile. The commission for S-rank missions usually started at one million ryo.
However, this was the pre-tax amount. The more they earned in Konoha, the higher the taxes were. If it were a team effort, the final amount each member received wouldn't be too extravagant.
"In addition to the commission, you may choose any ten ninjutsu from the Ninja Arts Pavilion." Hiruzen said.
The Ninja Arts Pavilion was where Konoha stored ninjutsu ranging from D-rank to A-rank and housed most of the village's ninjutsu. However, A-rank ninjutsu was relatively scarce, and most of the collection consisted of B-rank and C-rank techniques.
This was Hiruzen's way of taking into account Jiraiya's feedback about Mu Yue's strong foundation in ninjutsu and providing her with a special reward.
If Mu Yue could quickly turn these rewards into combat strength, there would be even more opportunities for further development.
"Furthermore, I will personally teach you two ninjutsu: the Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique and the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique." Hiruzen stroked his small beard with a smile, indicating his high hopes for Mu Yue.
Mu Yue's expression was complex, revealing her surprise at Hiruzen's generous rewards, as well as her sincere gratitude.
"Third Hokage-sama, your kindness will forever be etched in my memory." Mu Yue said, touched.
While most of it was an act, she genuinely appreciated Hiruzen's generosity. Ten freely chosen ninjutsu, plus two additional A-rank ninjutsu taught personally by him, one of which was his own creation—Hiruzen had indeed been very generous.
Mu Yue felt that if she were a native-born Konoha ninja, she might have been moved to pledge her life to him at this point.
"As the Hokage, seeing you young ones grow and become stronger is the greatest reward for me." Hiruzen replied with a benevolent smile.
Hearing these familiar words, Mu Yue couldn't help but wonder, if only for a moment, if Hiruzen possessed a Konoha Prosperity System, where he gained rewards for the village's strengthening and the growth of its shinobi.
However, she quickly dismissed the thought. If that were the case, Hiruzen would have dealt with Danzo by now and worked to appease the Uchiha clan.
Danzo, with his rhetoric of acting in the village's best interests, was nothing more than a cancer, causing internal strife and weakening the village from within.
These thoughts flashed through Mu Yue's mind, but she didn't dwell on them further. Instead, she continued to play along with Hiruzen's words.
She didn't particularly care about the strength of Konoha; her concerns lay with her disciples, the students she had taught, and the friends she had helped.
As a self-proclaimed morally upright transmigrator, Mu Yue held little affection for Konoha, a military stronghold, and her impression of this world was abysmal.
Despite the advancements in productivity, the feudal nobility and landlords continued to oppress the common folk, which she found appalling.
While she couldn't change much by herself at the moment, she believed that when her strength and influence grew, and her disciples gained more knowledge and became stronger, they could work together to make this dismal world a better place.
"Unless something unexpected comes up, I'm usually home after seven in the evening. If you have any questions, feel free to come by between seven and eight o'clock in the evening." Hiruzen said as he handed the ninjutsu scrolls to Mu Yue.
Since he had offered to teach her personally, he wouldn't just provide her with a cultivation method; he would be her mentor.
"As for the Ninja Arts Pavilion, I'll have the arrangements made for you. Just bring the certificate when you go to choose your ninjutsu."
"I will practice diligently and won't let you down." Mu Yue said earnestly.
She had used the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique once before, but she would need to practice the Great Waterfall Technique on her own.
(End of Chapter)
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