"Second Hokage, why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Naruto asked curiously, tilting his head. "You look exhausted."
Tobirama gave a tired smile as he rubbed his temples. The question Naruto asked was one he had been hearing lately, but it was still valid. After all, no one could ignore the exhaustion creeping into his bones.
Tobirama let out a soft chuckle, though it held a note of weariness. "You're perceptive, Naruto," he said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "In the world of Shinobi, just three days of no-sleep missions would have drained anyone, Hokage or not. But I've improved my body through chat groups, items, stores, and rewards since then. With the enhancements, I can go much longer than before."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, taking in the sight of his tired yet composed ancestor. "Then why do you look so drained now?"
Tobirama's crimson eyes gleamed faintly with determination as he shifted his posture, still not fully resting. "Well," he continued, his tone growing a bit more serious, "I have a lot to catch up on. All my clones were tasked with scouting out research and technology. I created as many as I possibly could, using their advancements to improve our techniques. I needed to get into every corner where scientific research was happening—into places where I could uncover something that would be beneficial for my world."
Naruto thought back to his own experiences using clones. He had learned the hard way not to disperse his clones in situations where they would dissipate too quickly, especially when dealing with something so crucial. "I get it. The clones are useful, but I know better than to let them all disappear at once," he said, remembering the few times he had used too many.
Naruto could see the fire in Tobirama's eyes—the relentless determination to be the best. Tobirama, despite the exhaustion, was always striving to surpass expectations. "Sounds like you're aiming for more than just improving," Naruto said with a knowing glance.
Tobirama's lips quirked slightly, though his tone was still firm. "Of course. I won't settle for second place—not with Ryan always at the top of that blasted leaderboard in the chat group. If I want to stay on top, I need to push myself beyond what anyone else is capable of. Number two isn't enough for me." He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing with that familiar competitive fire. "I've always been second in rank to others, but I intend to be the best, no matter the world, no matter the competition. Even if it means I have to push my limits, surpass cursed energy, or bend chakra in ways I've never dreamed of. I will be first."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. "Heh, I get it. You want to be number one, huh? Always pushing to be the best."
Tobirama's expression softened just slightly, his lips curling into a thin smile. "I didn't become Hokage by playing second fiddle. The village needs a leader who won't back down—who won't settle for anything less than victory. It's the same with this damned leaderboard. I won't stop until I'm at the top." His eyes were sharp, filled with an unwavering resolve. "I've always been second to big brother or damned Uchiha." He paused for a moment, his voice dropping to a near whisper so nobody could hear. "another Uzumaki just like you…"
Naruto's grin widened, impressed. "I like that. You've got that same fire, huh? Guess I'll have to work harder to keep up with you, old man."
But there was more to his exhaustion than he let on. While the physical enhancements had improved his stamina fifteenfold, Tobirama had been pushing his limits in other ways.
For the past three days, he'd been relentlessly using the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel back and forth, collecting resources and data. The constant teleportation drained an immense amount of chakra, even for someone of his caliber.
It was a grueling effort, but Tobirama refused to rest.
As murmurs of admiration filled the room, Ryan finally stepped forward, cutting through the chatter with a commanding voice.
"All right, everyone. Settle down!" His words immediately caught their attention.
Ryan's sharp gaze swept across the room. "Now comes the moment we've all been waiting for. It's time to wrap things up for this chat group mission in the Jujutsu Kaisen world—and give out the rewards!"
Excited murmurs turned into eager silence as everyone shifted in their seats.
Finally, it was here. Eyes gleamed with anticipation, and the tension in the air grew palpable as Ryan prepared to announce what everyone had been looking forward to for days.
Just as the room fell silent, the organized chat group interface flickered to life.
A crisp notification sound echoed in everyone's ears, clear and unmistakable.
[System Announcement: Congratulations, participants!]
[Mission Status: All Three Completed. The journey across the Jujutsu World has been fully successful.]
[Commencing detailed report on mission completion and outcomes.]
The moment the announcement came, the atmosphere shifted. Excitement lit up every face, and an electric buzz filled the room. Eyes gleamed with anticipation, their focus sharpened as they leaned in closer to hear more.
This mission wasn't like the others.
It had been more intense, more unpredictable, but ended anticlimatically—and the stakes had been higher than ever before. Now, everyone was desperate to see the results. Would the rankings shift? Would there be any surprises in the rewards? The possibilities made their hearts race.
As the seconds ticked by, the group couldn't hold back their chatter.
"I can't wait to see how many points I got this time!" Naruto exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "I bet I smashed it with all those clones I used!"
"I feel the same!" Kakashi added, his voice casual but still laced with anticipation. "We were everywhere, gathering intel and keeping up with the chaos. I think we made a real impact this time."
Tobirama, ever the strategist, cleared his throat. "I just hope it's enough to rack up a ton of points," he muttered, his brows furrowed. "If I didn't utilize every advantage I had, this whole thing might not have been worth it."
"Relax, grandpa," Tsunade teased, her voice lighthearted. "You did everything you could. No one has worked hard as as you on this mission."
"Hey, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, too!" Naruto grinned. "We'll see who takes the top spot this time. I've got my sights on being number one!"
"But don't forget about me," Sasuke said, his voice cool, though there was a hint of competitiveness in his tone. "I've been working hard, too. It's not like I'll let you win easily."
The anticipation was palpable, growing with every passing moment. The mission may have been over, but for these warriors, adventurers, and strategists, the true rewards were just beginning to reveal themselves.
Amid the group's growing anticipation, the chat interface displayed the long-awaited updates.
All missions completed!]
[Task 1: Defeat all the cursed spirits! Completed!]
[Reward: 80,000 points per person!]
As soon as the reward appeared, the room settled into a more calculating atmosphere. Kakashi, Minato, and Tsunade exchanged thoughtful looks.
Kakashi adjusted his headband slightly, tapping his fingers together. "Eighty thousand points... Considering the strength of the cursed spirits we fought, this reward seems to align with the scale of difficulty. But it also feels... off. Are we sure these points are reflecting the true threat level, or is it compensating for something else?"
Minato nodded thoughtfully, his hands clasped behind his back. "It's possible. The cursed spirits we faced were certainly powerful, but we've encountered enemies on a similar level, if not stronger, in the One Punch Man world. If we compare them to some of the S-Class heroes' fights with monsters, the cursed spirits here might be a step down. Yet, the points indicate a higher level of accomplishment."
Tsunade crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in thought. "It's a bit excessive for what we faced. Even though we fought against beings with great potential, none of them truly reached the caliber of someone like Boros or Saitama. The reward structure might be skewed in our favor, but it's a sign we should remain vigilant. This could be a setup to let us let our guard down."
The air buzzed with animated chatter, everyone riding the high of their unexpected windfall. It quickly became apparent that for this mission, the rewards were equally distributed among all participants. The same rule applied across all three tasks, and the hefty sum for the first one alone—80,000 points per person—was nothing short of staggering.
Though the task had involved eliminating all the cursed spirits, most of the group had faced relatively low-level threats, making their success feel almost too easy. The sheer generosity of the points seemed exaggerated, especially for those who barely broke a sweat.
Despite the excitement, Ryan remained composed, his calm demeanor cutting through the chaos as he addressed the group.
"This reward makes sense," he began, his voice steady and confident. "We're talking about cursed spirits across an entire country here—there were plenty of them. And let's not forget that cursed spirits exist purely to harm humans. Eliminating them was a massive win for that world."
He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "Plus, don't forget how many special-grade spirits we took out. The score reflects the scale of the mission, and it's perfectly reasonable."
Ryan's explanation left everyone momentarily stunned, and, as if a light had switched on, they all nodded in agreement.
Kakashi, Minato, and Tsunade exchanged glances, each of them analyzing the depth of Ryan's words. Kakashi's gaze shifted from the others to the mission report.
"Indeed, those special-grade cursed spirits weren't just any ordinary enemies," Kakashi remarked. "Some of them were thousands of years old. The sheer malice and destructive intent they carried made them a formidable threat. We're talking about beings that have been festering for millennia. Eradicating them wasn't just a job—it was a necessary act for the preservation of humanity itself."
Minato nodded gravely, his expression contemplative. "And let's not forget the sheer scale of what we faced. This wasn't a small group of low-level threats. These cursed spirits had the power to devastate entire cities, maybe even entire countries."
Ryan's calm voice broke the silence again, his tone both reassuring and calculating. "Exactly. And the score is a reminder of the scale of what we accomplished. The mission wasn't just about defeating weak spirits; it was about ridding the world of a centuries-old curse, one spirit at a time."
Their understanding grew as they reflected on the significance of their accomplishment. Without their intervention, the world's human population would've faced unimaginable devastation.
As the group absorbed this, they realized the true scope of their success. The cursed spirits they faced weren't just powerful in the present—they had been festering and growing stronger for ages. With each one they eradicated, they were not only securing the future of that world but preventing a deep-seated, ancient evil from continuing to spread.
"The first mission may have seemed straightforward," Kakashi said thoughtfully, "but in the grand scheme of things, it was monumental. We took down forces that could have torn entire countries apart. And now we know—the real challenge is yet to come. If this is the kind of scale we're dealing with, we need to stay sharp."
Still, the group couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity about what awaited them with Tasks 2 and 3. The second task, in particular, had been far more intense. After all, the Jujutsu Sorcerers they encountered had proven to be much tougher opponents.
And with that thought, the excitement and anticipation for what came next continued to grow.
Though the number of missions completed was relatively small, their difficulty escalated with each step. Task Three stood out as the most challenging of all, defeating two of the strongest enemies in the world.
The group didn't need much imagination to realize the escalating difficulty of this series of missions. Each one was more troublesome than the last. As conversations buzzed around the room, speculation and excitement filled the air.
Amid the chatter, Ryan finally raised his voice, commanding attention.
"All right, everyone, take a moment to rest," he said, his tone calm yet filled with a tinge of curiosity. "Let's wait and see what the rewards for the next mission will be."
He couldn't deny his curiosity. Missions Two and Three were undoubtedly more difficult than the first. If Task One has already been awarded 80,000 points, the rewards for the others might be far greater. The thought was almost unbelievable.
His words had a sobering effect. The group quickly fell silent, their excitement tempered by anticipation. All eyes were on the chat interface, waiting for the next set of notifications.
Then, with a crisp chime, the familiar sound of the chat group's system rang out.
[System Notification: Mission 2 – Defeat all Jujutsu Sorcerers!]
[Task Status: Completed!]
[Reward Issued: 100,000 points per person!]
As the chatter continued, a few of the more seasoned members of the Hokage chat group processed the information with their usual calm.
Kakashi was the first to break the silence, his voice steady. "Well, it's a fair reward considering the nature of the mission. Jujutsu Sorcerers are no pushovers. Some of them are stronger than most shinobi we've encountered."
Tsunade, ever the strategist, nodded in agreement. "Right. We've seen how formidable they can be. To defeat them in such numbers... it makes sense that the points would be high."
Minato chuckled softly, his tone light but thoughtful. "Still, it's a bit of a shock. I was expecting something in the range of fifty thousand, not this."
"That's the advantage of dealing with dangerous opponents across the multiverse," Kakashi mused. "The higher the risk, the higher the reward. And in this case, we went up against some pretty powerful individuals."
"True," Tsunade added, tapping her fingers on the table.
Ryan, though just as surprised, maintained his composure. "It makes sense," he remarked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "The Jujutsu Sorcerers were far stronger opponents. A reward like this reflects the difficulty of what we faced."
The group nodded in agreement, their earlier incredulity giving way to understanding. They had overcome significant challenges, and the points rewarded were a testament to their efforts.
Yet, even as the excitement over Task Two's rewards settled, everyone's attention turned toward the final mission. If defeating all the Jujutsu Sorcerers earned this much, just how much would Task Three deliver?
The anticipation in the room grew thicker as the chat group's notification system prepared to reveal its next announcement.
---
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