Along the way, they really did complete this mission as if it were a simple C-rank task. They just didn't know the true nature of the mission Shiro had undertaken.
"A C-rank mission," Shiro replied indifferently to Sakura's inquiry.
"Ha! So the mission Shiro completed was the same rank as ours!" Naruto instantly became excited, pumping his fist.
"Idiot!" Sasuke, unable to stand Naruto's foolishness, snapped at him. "Do you really think Shiro's mission was just a C-rank?"
Thinking back to the man named Zabuza they had fought, Sasuke's expression turned grim. "Whatever Shiro was doing, it was at least A-rank."
Although Sasuke wasn't entirely clear on the intricacies of mission ranking, a rogue Jonin like Zabuza certainly wasn't someone who could be brushed off as a mere B-rank threat. Sasuke's gaze toward Shiro became even more intense. He dared not imagine just how terrifying Shiro's true strength actually was.
On the return trip to Konoha, perhaps due to Shiro's presence, the journey was exceptionally smooth. They made it back to the village in less than a day.
"Let's go submit the mission report," Kakashi said, leading Team 7 and Shiro to the Mission Center.
The moment they walked in, the room erupted into whispers and stares upon seeing Shiro.
"It's Shiro! He actually came back!"
"No way... he returned from that mission completely unscathed?"
The disbelief on the faces of the staff and other ninja was palpable.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked, bewildered. "Why is everyone talking about Shiro like that?"
"Oh my goodness, Lord Shiro!"
At that moment, the head administrator of the Mission Center came running out from the back office, looking frantic. Only after seeing that Shiro was safe and sound did the man finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"I am truly sorry, Lord Shiro! There was a critical error when the client submitted the mission request!" the administrator bowed deeply, sweating profusely. "The mission you accepted... upon further review, it should have been classified as an A-rank assignment!"
After Shiro had left for the Land of Waves, the administrator had followed his intuition and ordered a re-evaluation. The results had been shocking. It turned out that Gato, the shipping magnate, was hiring high-level rogue ninja, including the infamous Zabuza Momochi of the Hidden Mist.
The administrator had been on the verge of tears for days. He had sent the village's prized genius on a suicide mission with zero intel. If Shiro had died, the administrator knew his own head would be on the chopping block.
"Are you referring to Zabuza?" Shiro asked calmly, confirming the man's fears.
"You... you really encountered him?!" The administrator's jaw dropped.
"Shiro not only encountered Zabuza, but he also heavily injured him and forced a retreat," Kakashi stepped in to explain. He chose his words carefully, omitting the part about Zabuza becoming Shiro's subordinate since he hadn't officially witnessed the kill.
"My god..."
The surrounding ninja burst into excited chatter. A fresh Genin graduate immediately promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin was already unheard of. But to hear that he had gone toe-to-toe with an Elite Jonin like Zabuza and won? That was legendary.
"As expected of Konoha's Number One Genius!"
"This is the updated reward for the reclassified mission: One million ryo!" The administrator hurriedly placed a heavy sack of money on the counter. It was the least he could do to apologize for the oversight.
"What?! One million ryo?!" Naruto screamed, his eyes popping out of his head. He had never seen so much money in his life, and Shiro had earned it in a single mission!
"Then... then what about our mission?!" Naruto anxiously slammed his own report onto the counter.
The administrator took it and glanced over it briefly. "Ah, yes. I see you encountered Zabuza as well. Given the circumstances, here is the bonus payment: One hundred and fifty thousand ryo."
"EH?! Why is there such a huge difference?!" Naruto cried out, claiming it was unfair.
"Idiot. If it weren't for Shiro, we would have died there," Sasuke muttered, glaring at Naruto. They had barely survived; getting any bonus at all was lucky.
"Fine, fine," Naruto grumbled. One hundred and fifty thousand was still a lot.
However, in the next second, Kakashi deftly swiped the majority of the cash from the counter.
Naruto: "?????"
"Nani?!"
---
Looking at Naruto's shocked expression, Kakashi acted completely natural as he pocketed the ryo. "The team leader takes a portion of the remuneration for supervision and administrative fees. That's the rule."
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. *Looks like I have enough for the limited edition Icha Icha box set.*
"Hmph!" Naruto crossed his arms, pouting.
In reality, Kakashi was being quite generous. Many Jonin took a larger cut, but Kakashi only took enough to cover his 'hobby', leaving a decent amount for his students.
"I guess it's okay. Fifty thousand ryo isn't bad!" Naruto comforted himself, already dreaming of the deluxe ramen feast he would order tonight.
Then Sasuke stepped up and took his share. The remaining amount was split between Naruto and Sakura.
Naruto: "..."
He had almost forgotten about his teammates. He looked over at Shiro, who was casually pocketing a cool million, and felt a pang of intense envy.
"When can I be like Shiro?" Naruto sighed.
It was probably for the best that Naruto didn't know about the billions Shiro had confiscated from Gato, or the poor boy might have actually suffered a mental breakdown.
After leaving the Mission Center, Shiro headed straight home. Once inside the safety of his apartment, he took out the "village treasure" he had received from the Elder.
"If my theory is correct, this object should act as a massive chakra battery," Shiro mused.
He sat cross-legged on his bed and began to channel his own chakra into the scale, intending to absorb the energy within. With his max-level Wood Style vitality, he wasn't worried about any adverse reactions.
*Crack!*
As he drained the last dregs of energy, the dark scale shattered into dust.
[Ding! Host has absorbed Three-Tails Chakra.]
"Just as I thought," Shiro nodded. The armor piece was indeed a scale from Isobu, the Three-Tails. Why a piece of a Tailed Beast was lying at the bottom of the ocean near the Land of Waves remained a mystery, but it didn't matter now.
"System, open status panel."
**[Name]:** Shiro
**[Identity]:** Konoha's Number One Genius, Tokubetsu Jonin
**[Abilities]:** * One-Click Max Level (Gold)
* Heaven-Defying Comprehension (Gold)
* External Incarnation (Gold)
* Tenfold Burst (Purple)
* Piercing Vision (Purple)
* Three-Tails Fragmented Chakra (Can One-Click Max Level)...
"Wait. What does 'Can One-Click Max Level' mean in this context?" Shiro paused, staring at the new option next to the chakra fragment.
[Ding! The Host can utilize the 'One-Click Max Level' entry to upgrade the 'Three-Tails Fragmented Chakra' into 'Complete Three-Tails Chakra Source'.]
Shiro blinked, genuinely surprised. "Are you serious?"
He knew the Gold entries were broken, but this was absurd. He had always thought *Heaven-Defying Comprehension* was the MVP of his arsenal, but *One-Click Max Level* just proved it was in a league of its own. It could essentially clone a Tailed Beast from a single scale?