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Chapter 15 - Chapter_.15: Back To Solo-Leveling (7)

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The Genin Corp building looked different today.

Compared to the evaluation day, where the place was packed with people, now felt… quiet. Like walking into a library after school hours.

Kuro stepped through the wooden doors, his hands tucked into his pockets as his eyes scanned the near-empty mission hall. A couple shinobi sat slouched in the waiting area, probably waiting for their mission reports to be processed. Off to the side, two others stood by the bulletin board quietly discussing something. And at the front reception desk, a few genin's were either turning in completed missions or requesting new ones.

His eyes flicked to the desk automatically and realized the usual lady wasn't there. But today, in her place, sat someone else. The guy was flipping through a file with one hand, the other casually scribbling something down on a clipboard.

Seeing that all the other reception desks were taken, Kuro let out a small sigh. He didn't really want to deal with the guy, but at this point, he didn't have a choice. Picking up his pace, he walked over and stopped in front of the desk. "Hey… I'd like to request a C-rank or B-rank mission. Whatever's available," Kuro said, keeping it straightforward.

The man behind the desk glanced up from his clipboard, his eyes half-lidded like he hadn't slept in days. He had the look of someone surviving off caffeine and spite, and barely holding it together.

Kuro couldn't blame him. After receiving the letter in the mail that confirmed he was now qualified for higher-ranked missions, he didn't waste any time getting to the Genin Corp. He was hoping to get something good, ideally a C-rank mission. B-ranks were rare here, mostly because the Genin Corp didn't hand those out often. They were normally routed straight to the Hokage's desk to be sorted and handed out to more capable teams.

Which made sense. Giving a B-rank mission to a group of genin was like handing a loaded weapon to a kid and hoping for the best.

But if the difficulty of a B-rank mission was low enough, something a competent Genin could handle, then it would get passed down to the Genin Corp. It all depended on the mission's content and jurisdiction. The Genin Corp was its own organization, not too different from ANBU or the T&I department, just less important.

Their main job was low-level missions. Chores, really. Stuff like mail delivery, yard work, walking dogs, anything that kept the village running but didn't require a skilled shinobi. Occasionally, missions outside the village came through. Usually low-risk ones like delivering scrolls to nearby towns or cleaning up bandit camps that were more bark than bite.

"Name, please..." the receptionist asked lazily, not even bothering to fully look up.

"Kuroshin Kagemura," Kuro replied.

The man typed it into the old, slightly yellowed computer at his side. A few seconds passed. Then, just for a moment, his expression twitched. A flicker of surprise cracked through his tired, deadpan look before he blinked it away and settled back into the usual worn-out glaze.

He hid it well, too well for the average eye to catch, but Kuro had spent enough time in the army to know better. Subtle shifts in a person's face always told more than their words did. 

"Kuroshin Kagemura, is that correct?" the man asked, already standing. "Please follow me."

Kuro raised an eyebrow. "What for...?"

"The Guild Master would like to meet with you," the man said, voice flat and direct.

Kuro blinked. "What…?"

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Kuro didn't have to follow the man for too long, but the walk still felt longer than it was. Down a stretch of plain hallways, then a set of stairs that creaked more than they should have, until they reached a pair of tall double doors.

The man stepped forward and gave the door a couple of knocks. There was a muffled voice from the other side, too quiet to make out. Cracking the door open just slightly, the man leaned his head in, exchanged a few words, then pulled back and swung the doors open wider.

"He's ready for you," the man said, nodding for Kuro to step inside.

Nodding in return, Kuro stepped through the wide doorway and into the guild master's office. The room was larger than expected, comparable to his apartment, though a bit cozier and definitely better kept. Shelves lined the side walls, filled with scrolls, books, and assorted weapons displayed like war trophies on iron mounts. It smelled faintly of old parchment, tobacco, and steel.

Off to the side, a set of dark leather couches sat under warm light, giving the space a strangely inviting atmosphere, like a lounge disguised as a war room. Three tall windows spilled sunlight across the hardwood floor, while at the far end, behind a heavy oak desk buried under paperwork, sat the man himself.

He was massive.

The kind of large that wasn't just height or width, but both, packed into one frame that radiated raw physical power. His black tunic kimono looked like it was one size too small on purpose, stretched over his broad chest and carved muscle. His tanned arms were corded with muscle, veins snaking down from his biceps like roots.

A thick smoke pipe rested between his lips, with a steady trail of smoke rising upward in lazy spirals. A deep scar ran from the center of his forehead and cut down over his left eye, disappearing into the thicket of his thick, burly neck. His long dark grey hair flowed down past his chest in a wild mane, and a thick beard framed his jaw like it hadn't been trimmed in years.

Kuro wouldn't say he was easily intimidated, but the man sitting across from him wasn't someone you just looked at and shrugged off. His presence alone set off every silent alarm in Kuro's head.

The Guild Master's gaze was like a heavy weight, as it scanned Kuro from head to toe. After a couple seconds of silence, the man spoke, his voice deep and gravelly, carrying the kind of weight that made people listen without meaning to. "Hello... I'd like to say I was impressed with you at the evaluation."

Kuro bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, sir... though, may I ask...why am I here?"

The Guild Master leaned back into his massive chair, the leather creaking under the shift of his bulk. He crossed his arms, his thick forearms bulging against the sleeves of his shirt as he released a puff of smoke from his mouth. "To be frank," he said, tapping a thick finger against the desk, "I'd like to bring you on as a sponsor of the Genin Corp."

Kuro blinked.

That wasn't what he expected.

Clans, and sometimes even individual shinobi, could extend sponsorships to people they saw potential in. It wasn't uncommon. A sponsorship could mean support, funding, or influence depending on who it came from. But it wasn't just limited to people. Certain organizations could offer sponsorships too... though not all of them. Some groups had jobs too specific or too secretive for a sponsorship to make any sense.

The Genin Corp, however, was different.

A sponsorship from them could mean discounted access to select gear from the Corp's private stock, better odds at receiving higher-paying missions, or even direct financial support from their budget.

Kuro paused, taking a breath as the offer settled in his head. It wasn't a bad deal, really. But…"Well," he said slowly, respectfully, "as much as I appreciate the offer, sir... I'd like to respectfully decline."

The room shifted the second the words left his mouth.

The Guild Master's brow twitched, and his calm demeanor changed like a storm cloud rolling in. "Do you know who I am, boy?" His already deep voice dropped an octave lower, coated in a weight that pressed on Kuro's chest like a slab of stone. "Do you really think declining my offer is a good idea?"

The air thickened with pressure, suffocating and cold. Kuro's breath hitched as a wave of bloodlust rolled over him. It was subtle, but unmistakable, like standing in the presence of a predator that hadn't eaten in days.

Of course Kuro knew who he was.

From Kuro's memories, this man was Daigo Fuma, a legendary Jonin who fought in the Third Shinobi World War. A ghost of the battlefield, known for his brutal efficiency and the absolute control he had over any unit he led. He'd long since retired from field work after taking the head of the Fuma Clan and being appointed the head of the Genin Corp. But if the village ever called for his services, he would have no choice but to come out of retirement.

And now that same man was radiating enough killing intent to make even a trained soldier like Kuro break a sweat. "Y-Yes... I do know who you are," Kuro said, forcing the words out, even as the pressure pushed down on his lungs. "But... I still respectfully decline." he didn't mean for the stutter to slip through, but it did. And yet, he held his ground. Not because he didn't feel fear, but because he did... and chose to face it anyway.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, the thick pressure in the room vanished. Daigo's expression shifted just as fast, from cold fury to a wide, toothy grin that looked far too carefree for a man of his size.

"BAHAHAHAHA!" The man burst out laughing, the smoke pipe still somehow clinging to his lower lip like it was glued there. He slapped the solid oak desk with enough force to echo off the walls, the sharp sound making Kuro straighten up out of reflex.

After a few more seconds of unrestrained laughter, Daigo finally calmed himself. He took a slow puff from his pipe and exhaled a thick stream of smoke into the air above him. 

"Heh… I like you, kid. You've got balls, that's for sure," he said with a smirk. "But… may I ask why you declined?"

Now that the suffocating pressure was gone, Kuro felt more grounded, like he had room to breathe again. Standing up a little straighter, he answered plainly. "I'm a bit of a free spirit… and I just don't like contracts that don't benefit me."

The only reason Kuro could say something like that with his chest was because of the system. With it, he didn't need to rely on anyone else. It gave him everything he needed, If this was a world where he didn't have the system…Yeah, he probably would've taken the offer the moment it hit the table.

Daigo raised a brow at the response, eyes narrowing just slightly. "Do you perhaps have someone else offering you a sponsorship?" he asked.

Kuro gave a small nod but didn't say much else.

For a moment, Daigo stroked the thick black strands of his beard in thought, smoke still trailing from the pipe on his lip. "Then how about this, what if my sponsorship also included me taking you on as my student?" he said, tone even, but there was weight behind his words. "If you know who I am, then you know damn well that training under me would only benefit you in the long run."

Kuro froze.

It was a tempting offer. Getting personal training from a Jonin wasn't something just anyone could get, it meant accelerated growth, experience, connections. But even then… it didn't compare to the system. Where a Jonin offered exceptional growth, the system gave him near-limitless potential. Stat boosts, skill leveling, and even instinctual mastery, which he couldn't match.

Still… it was interesting offer.

"So what's the catch?" Kuro asked, his tone shifting slightly. "And why me? Why offer something like that to me?"

He leaned forward just a bit, flipping the conversation on its head.

If he was going to even consider accepting, he needed to know exactly what he'd be signing up for.

Daigo scoffed lightly, a subtle smirk curling at the edge of his lip. "Well… the catch is this...if I sponsor you, and take you under my personal wing… then when I retire, I want you to take my place as Guild Master of the Genin Corp."

Kuro blinked, caught off guard.

That title wasn't something you just threw around. Being Guild Master of the Genin Corp was like becoming the Hokage in a sense. And that meant a mountain of paperwork, endless meetings, and political headaches.

Even if that future was years off… he didn't care.

Kuro already knew his answer.

He opened his mouth to speak, only for Daigo to cut in again.

"As for the why," he said, the pipe still perched at his lip, "it's simple. I see potential in you."

Daigo's voice had dropped a bit, the rough edge replaced by something more serious. "I read your file. And to be honest, it was rough. Real rough. Most wouldn't give you a second glance. But then I saw you at the evaluation."

He leaned forward slightly, tapping a thick finger on the desk. "You knocked out a Chuunin. Cold. At thirteen. No other candidate pulled that off, not even close."

Kuro stayed silent.

"If someone like you were trained properly… trained by a Jonin, you'd be unstoppable." then Daigo said it flat-out, no hesitation. "You could be the next Hokage."

Kuro's ears perked up at that last part.

Hokage.

That wasn't a word you just tossed around. It carried weight, more than titles, more than power. It meant you stood at the absolute peak, not just in your village, but in the entire shinobi world. You weren't just strong, you were one of the top five strongest living shinobi, period.

The thought lingered in Kuro's mind longer than he liked. He didn't deny that the idea was... tempting.

Sure, what he'd done, defeating a Chūunin,was crazy, especially for someone of his rank. But people like Minato Namikaze were taking down Jōnin when they were even younger. Itachi Uchiha did the same at around Kuro's age, maybe a little older. They weren't just strong, they were born monsters, geniuses. Kuro? He had to grind for everything. He didn't see himself in the same category.

Not yet.

He clenched his jaw slightly.

If it weren't for the system, he wouldn't have stood a chance in that fight. That Chūunin would've wiped the floor with him, and he knew it. Every advantage he had, was thanks to the system. "While the offer is tempting, I'll have to declin—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Daigo cut him off. "Fine, fine, I get it… you persistent little shit," he grunted, releasing a thick puff of smoke from the corner of his lips. Then, with a short chuckle, he leaned back in his chair and muttered, "To believe I got rejected by a Genin… heh." tt wasn't directed at Kuro, it was more like he was talking to himself, still amused at the situation.

"Well, since I wasted your time and pulled you away from getting your mission, I'll handle your request myself," Daigo said, leaning forward and tugging open one of the drawers on his desk. With a dull thunk, he dropped a thick stack of mission files onto the table. "These are the fresh ones we got this morning. What're you looking for?"

Kuro let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. As tempting as that offer was, and it was tempting, he knew he had to turn it down. Not because he had some issue with contracts or the idea of sponsors. 

But with the system? Most sponsorships felt… redundant. Unnecessary, even. Which was more work than necessary. "I'm looking for either a C-rank or a B-rank," Kuro said, stepping forward.

Daigo raised a brow, already flipping through the papers with his thick fingers. "Ambitious. Let's see what we've got then…"

Daigo flipped through the mission files, his thick fingers moving aside the D-rank slips without even glancing at them. "We've got a couple C-ranks," he muttered, squinting at one before tossing it aside, "but honestly, that'd be a waste of your talent."

He stopped on a sheet marked with a bold red B at the top and tapped it. "I'll give you a B-rank... Don't worry, if you managed to beat a Chuunin, then this job should be fairly easy for you."

Kuro instinctively straightened his posture, trying to keep a calm face. But internally? He was spiraling. Him beating that Chuunin was a complete fucking fluke. 'Fuck…' he winced, barely keeping his face neutral.

Daigo slid the folder out from the pile and looked it over briefly before closing it. "However," he added, "you'll need a party of four to take this mission. Which is the standard protocol for B-rank missions."

He handed the file over, firm but casual.

Kuro reached out and took it. "Thank you, sir…" his voice was calm, but in the back of his mind, all he could think about was. 'Now where the hell am I gonna find three people for this?'

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