A Grand Undertaking

A Grand Undertaking

Ninja?

So that was it. This Mission Space did not simply have a few newcomers carrying out missions; they had used some special method to break away from their original mission and return to the village?

Upon entering the room, aside from the familiar newcomers, Xu Yue immediately noticed the forehead protector tied around a stern man's arm. He quickly made a judgment about the situation before him.

He had underestimated them somewhat. The Mission Space's assignments were likely highly random. Running into their "own people" was probably not a matter of chance, but because their team had members spread far and wide.

But based on the information the "commentator" had revealed earlier, combined with the Space's rules, this man's strength was probably around that of an ordinary genin. Otherwise, it would have been much harder for the two sides to make contact...

"Lucky newcomer, perhaps you don't know the identity of that dead last you befriended. But I can tell you clearly that he will become a Konoha jonin in the future. Though he can only use taijutsu and ranks at the bottom among jonin, he is still an important figure you can only look up to."

The cold, faintly arrogant voice came from the stern man's mouth, startling everyone present. Jealousy soon flashed across the faces of many newcomers.

No wonder he had achieved so much. He had actually befriended a future jonin!

Even official genin seemed unreachable to them, let alone a jonin big shot whose abilities were beyond ordinary understanding.

Who would have thought that a future jonin was currently a dead last!

Xu Yue was also somewhat surprised by the man's words. Automatically filtering out the assessment that Might Guy was "at the bottom among jonin," he formed a new judgment about the Mission Space.

This guy had probably deliberately gathered intelligence on this Mission Space. Yet judging from how he had not tried to build favor with anyone, after the newcomer phase ended, even if one wanted to build favor, one would likely need suitable reasons and excuses. Perhaps even returning to the village came at a cost.

After all, he did not currently have the "plausibility" buff, and his age was normal as well. Trying to win over a child's favor would easily attract attention and suspicion.

Hmm, perhaps it also had something to do with his assessment that Might Guy was "at the bottom among jonin." If he truly knew Might Guy's potential, taking a risk would be worthwhile. Of course, perhaps he simply did not value the interpersonal connections within the Ninja War.

Was he taking the initiative to tell him this "important" information as a gesture of goodwill? It seemed that they had come to him this time because they needed something from him...

Just as that thought surfaced in Xu Yue's mind, the stern genin spoke in a voice brimming with confidence.

"You don't need to worry that we'll pry into your secrets. In the Mission Space, there are plenty of elites who gained greater power and more benefits than you did during their first mission. Everyone has their own secrets, and when facing such people, our first choice is naturally cooperation."

That confident, proud aura washed over them. The contrast made the few people Xu Yue had beaten up earlier flush red with embarrassment.

"Ahem... so you came to seek my cooperation this time? What exactly is the objective? The mission is about to end, isn't it?"

Automatically ignoring his fantasy about there being countless people who had gained more benefits than him, Xu Yue became slightly interested in their purpose.

"Sign a contract first. We'll tell you after it is signed. Otherwise, if we reveal the secret and you ruin things, that would be troublesome."

Xiong Tao, who had been robbed of the spotlight the entire time, finally stepped forward. He had the stern genin do the persuading while he made the demands—a classic good cop, bad cop routine.

"Who knows whether you'll use some unreliable information to deceive me."

Xu Yue still wore the slightly arrogant expression of a nouveau riche. An ordinary person who suddenly gained fame and power would certainly undergo a change in mentality.

With that image, saying such words did not seem abrupt in the slightest.

"Don't worry, it isn't some life-or-death contract. I'll pay the 100 points for the contract. It only ensures that you won't leak the secret or withdraw."

A trace of disdain flashed through Xiong Tao's heart toward this nouveau riche who had suddenly gained power. It was merely a newcomer's little stroke of luck. How could it compare to the gains that he and the others had plotted for so long?

Before gaining power, this guy had acted humble and sunny. The moment he gained power, he immediately tore off his disguise. A man of such limited character was not fit to be compared with him.

"Keeping the secret is naturally no problem, but prohibiting withdrawal is going too far, isn't it? What if the risk is too great and it gets me killed?"

Xu Yue still wore an expression that said he did not trust them, perfectly displaying the arrogance of someone who had suddenly gained power.

"If you withdraw, you'll need to deduct 1,000 points as compensation. Leaking the secret costs ten times that! How about it? Even if it really means death, you can still withdraw. And the deducted points won't go to us; they'll be turned over to the system. We wouldn't do something so thankless."

In the end, it was the stern veteran genin, with his abundant experience, who proposed a fairly good contract.

For the arrogant brat before them, 1,000 points was a penalty he could afford after the mission ended, yet one painful enough to hurt. So long as they were not truly sending him to his death, he would not choose a withdrawal that harmed himself without benefiting anyone else. On the surface, there was no mandatory restraint either.

Having obtained that promise, Xu Yue naturally nodded in agreement.

"If that's the case, I have no objection. If I withdraw because I am dissatisfied with your arrangement, I will hand over 1,000 points to the Space as punishment. If I leak the secret to anyone besides those already informed, ten times the amount will be deducted. Once it is done, you must give me proportional compensation according to my contribution."

As he spoke, Xu Yue drafted the contract himself and presented it to them for verification, looking as though he disdained taking advantage of their 100 points.

After carefully reviewing it and confirming that there were no issues, both sides reached a preliminary agreement. Smiles of welcome then appeared on Xiong Tao's and the stern genin's faces.

"Welcome aboard, friend. You definitely won't regret your choice."

"That's right. It was originally about an eighty percent chance of success. With an elite expert like you joining us, we can now guarantee success. Once it's done, the benefits you receive will be terrifyingly great!"

The two then told Xu Yue the objective of this mission. Upon hearing it, Xu Yue could not help feeling a trace of surprise. No wonder they had used so many methods and put in so much effort. This truly was a grand undertaking...

The Byakugan! One of the finest Kekkei Genkai in Naruto. In terms of reconnaissance and perception alone, it surpassed even the Sharingan. Its wide-ranging surveillance without blind spots, combined with the ability to see the flow of Chakra within the body and strike chakra points, meant that if the Hyuga Clan's ninjutsu and Illusion Techniques had not been so poor and easily countered, their achievements would truly have gone far beyond this.

It was even praised by veteran Reincarnators throughout the Reincarnation Space as the First Bloodline Limit of the Ninja War.

The difficulty of acquiring it was especially outrageous. The Curse Mark of the Caged Bird Seal meant that anyone seeking the Byakugan could only target members of the main family. Given the Hyuga Clan's protection of its main family members, there were truly very few Reincarnators in the entire Reincarnation Space who possessed the Byakugan.

Yet this time, the team behind Xiong Tao had set its sights on the Byakugan, known as the "First Bloodline Limit"!

The contract has already been mailed out. It should arrive next week. Since it was the weekend today, I originally wanted to go to my workplace to print it, but when I got there, the power was out. After coming back, I spent ages looking for a print shop. When I don't need one, it feels like they're everywhere...