About That "Special Case" You Mentioned Just Now

"You bet!" Sarutobi Sasuke laughed. "That kid was making a fuss, saying that if he ever got the chance, he'd go find Hozuki Reigetsu himself and settle the score. He even told us all to stay out of it..."

As they were talking, someone suddenly knocked on the office door.

At the sound, Tobirama's lips curled into a smile. "That should be Hibari. I just sent Hiruzen to get him." Without waiting for the others to respond, he called out, "Come in."

The door swung open.

Hibari darted in first, chest out and brimming with energy. He didn't look like an injured person at all.

"Hashi... I mean, Lord Hokage! Grandpa Sarutobi! You're finally back!" The moment he spotted Hashirama and Sarutobi Sasuke, he grinned.

Sarutobi Sasuke looked him up and down. Seeing him bouncing around, he finally felt the weight lift from his heart and smiled. "We were worried about you, of course. We hurried to wrap things up and get back. Looks like you've recovered pretty well?"

"Don't worry, I'm doing great!" Hibari thumped his chest.

Just then, Sarutobi Hiruzen came in behind him and closed the door.

After a few brief pleasantries, Hashirama waved a hand and got down to business. "All right, as long as Hibari's fine. Tobirama, tell us the important part."

Tobirama nodded, turning a serious gaze on Hiruzen and Hibari. "Hiruzen, Hibari, you did an outstanding job on this mission.

"It was originally an A-rank support mission, but unexpected complications kept cropping up. Not only did something go wrong with the Tailed Beast, but Kirigakure's elite shinobi got involved too... After a comprehensive review, the mission fully met the S-rank standard. So the payment and your records will be handled as an S-rank mission."

Hiruzen remained calm. He was experienced, and his strength spoke for itself. It wasn't his first time taking an S-rank mission.

Hibari was another matter. This was his very first mission as a shinobi, and he'd kicked things off with an S-rank! He'd expected it, but hearing the confirmation still filled him with excitement.

"S-rank, huh... First mission, and it's this high-ranking. Does that set some kind of record?" he asked eagerly, his eyes shining.

"Hahaha, it does!" Hashirama laughed heartily. "Since the village was founded, nobody's ever completed an S-rank mission on their very first assignment. You're one of a kind, kid!"

Meanwhile, Tobirama had turned and opened a filing cabinet. As he took something out, he said, "The corresponding merit points have already been added to your shinobi records. This is the cash payment for the mission. Hiruzen, come get it."

Hiruzen smiled and stepped forward, accepting a banknote from Tobirama. It was valid throughout Konoha and could be exchanged for hard cash at any moneylender.

Hibari rose onto his toes and craned his neck to take a look. He gasped. "One million five hundred thousand ryo?!"

Konoha's mission payment system had been established when the village was founded. Since it was a matter that directly affected shinobi's livelihoods, it had to be handled carefully. Missions were clearly divided into five distinct ranks: S, A, B, C, and D.

Hibari knew missions came with a payment, but he'd never asked about the exact amounts. Now, seeing Second Tobirama hand Sarutobi Hiruzen a banknote, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Hiruzen, however, remained quite calm. As someone who'd completed S-rank missions before, this was nothing new to him. He accepted the banknote and smiled. "Thank you, Sensei."

"You earned it with your life on the line," Tobirama said, patting his student on the shoulder, satisfaction in his voice. "It's yours."

"Second! Uncle Hiruzen!" Hibari hurried over. "Are S-rank missions really paid this well?"

Hiruzen smiled and pulled a chart from somewhere, handing it over. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

Hibari took it eagerly and read it closely.

"D-rank missions: no risk of combat, payment ranges from five thousand to fifty thousand ryo... C-rank: possible risk of injury, thirty thousand to one hundred thousand ryo... B-rank: combat required, eighty thousand to two hundred thousand ryo... A-rank: affects the affairs of the village and the nation, one hundred and fifty thousand to one million ryo..." he murmured.

His eyes grew brighter with every line. When he reached the last one, his voice rose. "S-rank missions: involve national secrets, payment of one million ryo or more?!"

By then, Hibari couldn't focus on the finer details. His mind was filled with those numbers.

"Well, I'll be. So shinobi make this much money?" He smacked his lips. "If I'd known, I should've started taking missions two years ago. Then I wouldn't have argued with Tsunade over three hundred ryo!"

After thinking it over for a while, he remembered another question. "Second, if missions pay this much, can the village afford it?"

Seeing Hibari think about these things pleased Tobirama. He smiled and explained, "First, most missions have a client, and the client pays the commission.

"The village doesn't have to spend anything. In fact, it takes a cut for public revenue. So the more missions there are, the more the village earns."

He paused, then continued, "Second, every mission has a different value behind it. Take your S-rank mission, for example. On the surface, the village paid out a hefty sum,

"but the gains from completing the mission were even greater. Reaching an unspoken alliance with Takigakure was one part of it. And as for Seven-Tails Chomei..." Second Tobirama gave Hibari a meaningful look. "How much do you think that was worth? And how much did Takigakure pay?"

Hibari finally understood and ventured a guess. "The Seven-Tails... must be worth tens of millions of ryo, right?"

Second Tobirama smiled without answering. He only said, "In any case, what we paid you was just a fraction of the overall gains. If the village wants to grow stronger, how can it afford to run at a loss?"

"Then what about that 'special case' you mentioned just now..." Hibari remembered the point he'd been wondering about.

Second Tobirama's expression grew more serious. "Missions are normally paid. But once the Hokage declares the village to be in a state of war, all shinobi must obey their orders without question.

"At that point, shinobi are paid a fixed monthly salary based on their rank and the state of the war. No matter how important the mission is, there's no extra payment."

After saying this, his tone softened as he added, "Of course, some long-term contracts also pay a monthly salary..."

"I know about that!" Hibari cut in. "Uncle Yunya and Qingmu-senpai get monthly salaries. Oh, right, they still owe me a lot of milk..."

"Hahaha, exactly." Tobirama laughed heartily, an unusual show of good humor.

He reached out and ruffled Hibari's hair, his tone growing much gentler. "Hibari, this village may not look big, but countless lives depend on it, and the stability of the entire nation is tied to it. That's why we need a complete, carefully designed system to keep it running.

"Our system isn't fully developed yet—or rather, times are always changing, and we'll always have to work toward improving it.

"That's not something a few people can accomplish..." Tobirama looked at the boy, his gaze far-reaching. "In the future, you may need to give these matters some thought too. After all, you're part of the village."

Hibari nodded earnestly. No wonder Second Tobirama would one day build Konoha's system from the ground up. The village's prosperity over all these years must have owed a great deal to him.

"Second, I'll remember that!" Hibari grinned.

"Good." Tobirama patted his shoulder. "You're done here. For now, your job is to rest and make a full recovery. Go on."

Hibari was a sensible kid and wouldn't pester the big shots for another mission. He nodded. "Then I'll head out."

But just as he reached the door, he stopped dead. Something didn't feel right. Tobirama's righteous speech sounded an awful lot like he was setting a trap for him. He felt like he'd forgotten something very important—something that would cost him dearly.

He slapped his forehead and spun around, shouting indignantly. "You nearly fooled me! I helped with this S-rank mission too. Even if I didn't earn merit, I worked hard, right? I should get a share of the payment!

"Second, you were in such a hurry to send me away because you wanted me to work for free? Doesn't that bother your conscience? What kind of grandfather does that?"

Seeing him hopping around in a panic, Hashirama, Tobirama, and the Sarutobi father and son burst out laughing.

"All right, all right, I was just teasing you," Second Tobirama said with a cheerful wave. "You really did put your life on the line during this mission. For that alone, the village won't shortchange you."

As he spoke, he turned and took another banknote from the cabinet. "Here, this is your share."

Hibari took it and looked. His eyes immediately lit up—it was exactly the same as Sarutobi Hiruzen's, a full one million five hundred thousand ryo!

"Whoa, this is the first time I've ever seen so much money!" he muttered happily, clutching the banknote. "I'm rich now... Being a shinobi really does have a future. This was totally worth it!"

With his payment in hand, Hibari planned to leave. The big shots would surely discuss the mission's aftermath and village affairs next. He was curious, but he knew his position made it inappropriate to stay, so he sensibly prepared to say goodbye.

Just before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Hashirama. "By the way, Lord Hokage, that rogue shinobi from Takigakure..."

Senju Hashirama's expression turned grave. "That man seems to have a trump card for saving his life..."

Before he could finish, Hibari grinned. "Perfect. Then you won't have to trouble yourself with him. When I get the chance, I want to settle the score with him myself."

Hashirama was taken aback, then laughed heartily. "All right. I'll leave that matter to you."

With that settled, Hibari didn't linger. He waved to everyone and left the office.

After Hibari had gone, Senju Hashirama rubbed his chin, looking a little awkward. He cleared his throat twice and looked at Tobirama. "Um... Tobirama, didn't you forget something?"

Second Tobirama paused, then chuckled. "That's right. I nearly forgot one of our heroes."

Hashirama's eyes lit up, and he quickly chimed in. "Exactly! We can't be careless about something like this..."

Tobirama nodded and took another banknote from the cabinet. Hashirama eagerly rubbed his hands together, ready to take it, but Tobirama turned and walked straight over to Sarutobi Sasuke.

"Sarutobi, you worked hard this time." Second Tobirama handed him the banknote. "Take your payment."

Sarutobi Sasuke accepted it with some embarrassment and sighed. "I'm ashamed... I nearly let something happen to that child, Hibari."

"Missions always involve risks. No one can guarantee everything will go smoothly." Second Tobirama patted his shoulder. "Luckily, things worked out. He's fine, so don't blame yourself too much."

Before Sarutobi Sasuke could respond, Second Tobirama clapped his hands. "All right, we've taken care of everything that needed doing. Let's move on to the next matter."

At that, Hashirama's face fell. "What about me, Tobirama? I helped too! I traveled all this way to deliver the Seven-Tails to Takigakure. I did the most work, didn't I? How come I don't get a share?"

At that, Second Tobirama's temper flared. "Brother, the moment you get your hands on money, you take it straight to the gambling den! Better to leave it for the village to put toward something useful than let you waste it like that!"