Time flowed like a relentless river.
In the blink of an eye, another half-month had vanished. The calendar now marked August 23rd.
During these fifteen days, Shiranui Hayate had diligently claimed his daily rewards through the system. The harvest was bountiful:
- Secret Ninjutsu Scrolls x6 (Boosted by VIP3 double rewards)
- Reputation Points: 1,000
- Ninja Jades: 600
- Cycle Stones: 200
- Delicious Ramen: 150 bowls
- Copper Coins: 50,000
Though gold coins and recruitment scrolls had eluded him this time, the influx of Secret Scrolls was a significant windfall. Six scrolls were enough to potentially tip the scales in a high-stakes battle.
Beyond the daily check-ins, the Mission Bureau had become a hive of activity. With the addition of Naruto and Shizune, the volume of completed tasks had surged.
Since Naruto was still unable to operate independently, he had been paired with Uchiha Sasuke. The two were now a functional—if argumentative—duo, tackling missions together.
Meanwhile, Rock Lee and Iruka handled solo assignments. Shizune, ever the professional, spent most of her time immersed in the medical archives of this new world, studying the intricacies of Western anatomy and modern medicine. On her rare breaks, she would take on a mission or two to gauge the local power levels.
However, a sense of disappointment had begun to settle over the group.
From Umino Iruka, who had been here the longest, to Shizune, the newest arrival, none had encountered a single "supernatural" threat. The strongest adversaries they had faced were Stick and the Five Fingers of the Hand.
To these battle-hardened shinobi, such enemies were pitifully weak.
"They wouldn't even last a minute against a decent Academy student from a prestigious clan," was the unspoken sentiment.
Though they remembered Hayate's warnings about the "unusual powers" hidden in this world, the caution was starting to feel like an exaggeration. To Iruka, Sasuke, and Lee, the warnings had become mere background noise—a reminder to be careful, but nothing more.
In those fifteen days, Hayate had processed forty-five missions.
Knowing their master valued speed and volume, the shinobi prioritized "Short and Swift" tasks that could be completed within a single day. In the eyes of the system, a $100,000 bounty and a $1,000,000 contract were both classified as D-Rank missions if no supernatural elements were involved.
The breakdown was as follows:
- 35 D-Rank Missions: Standard urban operations.
- 10 C-Rank Missions: Focused on the complete eradication of small criminal syndicates.
Even these C-Rank missions only existed because Hayate had tapped into the High Table's extensive database. He had effectively vacuumed up every major gang-extermination contract available. Such tasks were rare; under normal circumstances, a hitman might only see one such opportunity a year.
Thanks to the ruthless efficiency of his "Executioners," the underworld began to whisper. The shadow of Shiranui Hayate's power was growing longer and darker.
The rewards were staggering:
- Total Reputation: 11,000 points.
- Total Copper: 650,000 coins.
- Items: 10 Ordinary Treasure Chests.
Financially, Hayate's 20% commission had netted him a cool $21.2 million. Added to his existing funds, his bank balance now sat at a formidable $31.2 million.
Hayate sat in his office, the blue glow of the system interface illuminating his face. He pulled up his personal status:
[Character Status: Shiranui Hayate]
- Age: 21
- Rank: Shinobi
- VIP Level: 3
- Affinities: Fire, Lightning, Earth
- Secret Scrolls: * Ninjutsu: Protection (Lv.2): 90% Damage reduction for 4 seconds.
- Ninjutsu: Rage (Lv.1): 6% Attack boost for 10 seconds.
- Windmill Shuriken (Lv.1): A piercing Fuma Shuriken that returns to the user.
- Earth Style: Earth Tremor (Lv.1): Uplifts the ground to launch enemies.
- Summoned Shinobi: Uchiha Sasuke (Two-Tomoe Sharingan), Umino Iruka, Rock Lee (Hidden Lotus), Shizune, Uzumaki Naruto (Academy Era).
- Reputation: 15,050
- Copper: 7.66 Million
- Gold Coins: 6,346
- Summoning Beasts: Ninja Dog Army (MAX), Blue Snake (Lv.40).
- Artifacts: Locked
- Equipment: Chunin-grade Set (Kunai, Forehead Protector, Flak Jacket, Manual, Necklace, Ring).
Hayate looked at his reputation and copper reserves. It was time. He had enough to upgrade his summons and potentially unlock the third beast—Gamakichi.
"Ten chests and a new summon," he whispered to the empty room. "Let's see if my luck holds today."
Across the city, in the subterranean sanctuary of the Stark estate.
Two months of grueling labor had finally come to an end. Tony Stark stood in the center of his lab as mechanical arms whirred around him, snapping high-tech components onto his body.
The armor was nearly complete. Only the faceplate remained open.
Tony turned his gaze toward the corner of the room, where a small, pug-like dog sat with an expression of profound boredom.
"Alright, Pakkun," Tony said, his voice echoing slightly inside the metal suit. "I'm heading out for a flight test. I won't need your protection for a while. After all... you can't exactly fly, can you?"
Pakkun looked up, his droopy eyes scanning the gleaming suit. To the ninja dog, this wasn't high technology. It reminded him of the Puppet Masters from the Sand Village.
They, too, hid inside hollow shells of wood and metal, thinking themselves invincible.
"Hmph," Pakkun thought, a small huff of air escaping his snout.
"A metal puppet for a man who can't jump across a rooftop. How quaint."