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### Mission Hall – First Floor
"So, to summarize, we might run into bandits along the way."
"Hmm… Your request is a bit complicated. I think—"
A chūnin team leader, clad in the standard flak jacket, was deep in discussion with a young merchant. They meticulously dissected every possible scenario—the brief disturbance caused by Hikari earlier had long been forgotten.
After all, life was fragile. Any mission involving combat required thorough evaluation.
Of course, there were shinobi who didn't bother with such caution—either because they were powerful enough to disregard danger… or because they were already dead and no longer accepting missions.
As for idle gossip about beauties, geniuses, or high-ranking figures? That paled in comparison to survival. A passing glance was enough—no one wasted breath on it.
"If necessary… I can raise the reward by another 20%."
The merchant gritted his teeth, sweetening the deal.
The shinobi exchanged glances. Seeing his teammates' hesitation fade, the chūnin leader dropped his troubled expression and grinned.
"Alright, we'll take the job!"
"Excellent! A pleasure doing business."
The merchant smiled back.
He'd never expected to hire ninjas at the original price—his limit had been a 60% increase. Yet they'd folded at just 20%.
For all their supernatural power, they're no different from common laborers. No business sense, no brains.
"It's getting late. How about I treat you all to dinner? You can tell me about Konoha's wonders. The 'Greatest Shinobi Village' truly lives up to its name! And that girl earlier… Well, let's just say this trip has been eye-opening!"
Despite his condescension, the merchant was a smooth talker.
The ninjas, flattered by the wealthy man's hospitality, soon warmed up. They were on first-name terms by the time they headed for the door.
Then—
BOOM!!!
Without warning, a thunderous explosion erupted from above. The shockwave rattled the entire Hokage Building.
The hall shook violently.
Crack—CRASH!
Dust and debris rained from the ceiling.
"W-What was that?!"
"It came from the Hokage's office! An attack?! Move!"
"Seal the building! No one leaves! Shoot to kill!"
"YES, SIR!"
Chaos erupted.
Ordinary-looking shinobi sprang into action, scaling walls and leaping up stairwells. ANBU operatives blurred into smoke, flashing toward the third floor with jutsu at the ready.
The once-peaceful Hokage Building had become a battlefield in seconds.
"I—I—"
The merchant stood frozen, his earlier confidence shattered. The two ninjas who'd been escorting him now pressed him back, kunai gleaming.
The 'foolish' men he'd laughed with moments ago were gone—replaced by cold-eyed killers.
His silver tongue turned to lead. His throat locked. He dropped to his knees, hands clasped behind his head, trembling like a cornered rabbit.
Under the weight of their killing intent, his wealth, connections, and charm meant nothing.
This was what ninja truly were—the pinnacle of martial might.
And if these men revered that silver-haired girl as a genius, even a potential Hokage…
Just how terrifying must she be?
All his lecherous fantasies evaporated. Only awe remained.
This trip… really was eye-opening.
Thank god, thank god—
---
### Third Floor – Hokage's Office
The first responders froze upon entry.
No enemy. No carnage.
Just a massive summoning scroll unfurled across the Hokage's desk—and a two-meter-tall, human-shaped hole blasted through the reinforced wall. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the room.
At the center of the cracked floor stood Hokage Hikari, lips pressed tight.
Opposite her, the Third Hokage looked dazed.
"Lord Hokage! Are you alright?!"
The shinobi swarmed forward, voices overlapping. Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation among Konoha's rank-and-file was unmatched—some even considered him greater than the God of Shinobi himself.
"I'm fine—"
Hiruzen waved them off, staring at the hole in the wall. His aged face creased with concern.
"I just hope it's okay."
Hikari licked her lips, the monstrous muscle beneath her skin relaxing.
Good thing I held back.
No Lightning Chakra Mode. No Eight Gates. Not even her bone-shattering Rift Fist. Just a plain, straightforward punch—yet it carried enough force to flatten a mountain.
Even a tailed beast would've felt it.
But Enma's Adamantine Staff Body lived up to its name.
The Monkey King had taken the hit—square in the chest—without a sound. Just a spray of blood before folding in half and flying through the wall.
If not for the ungraceful midair tuck, it might've looked majestic.
By now, he was probably beyond Konoha's borders.
Hope he finds me a decent summon…
She winced internally. That contract might be void now.
Worse, she hadn't even asked about sage energy. Did the monkey clan even have senjutsu?
Meanwhile, Hiruzen shook off his worry. Enma was tough. He'd survive.
"Everyone, calm down. Just a minor accident—"
As the room filled, he quickly delegated repairs and dispersed the crowd. The shinobi obeyed, but whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did Hikari and the Hokage fight?!"
"An enemy attacked, but she punched them through the wall!"
"Proof? That human-shaped hole!"
By the time the rumors reached the first floor, they'd morphed into wild tales—each more outlandish than the last. Soon, she'd be hearing her own exploits from mission desk clerks.
Stories she didn't even know about.
"Hey, sorry about earlier!"
"No worries! So what really happened?"
"Hikari and the Third clashed—wrecked the building!"
"She fought the Hokage? That little girl?!"
"You bet!"
Hikari sighed.
At this rate, they'd claim she was staging a coup by sundown.
---
### Aftermath
Once order was restored, Hiruzen rolled up the summoning scroll and eyed his disciple warily.
First Tsunade, then Kushina, now Hikari—why were all the kunoichi he knew so violent?
He'd thought five years of 'refinement' had softened her.
Then she'd punched a hole through his office.
"Enma's Adamantine Body is legendary. In decades together, I've never seen him injured. Don't you dare use that fist on fellow Konoha shinobi."
His tone was grave. He'd never question her 'lack of training' again.
Hikari nodded obediently.
This was why she avoided taijutsu. Most ninjas were glass cannons—even a playful kick could shatter bones.
But today's 'test' had been enlightening.
When her knuckles met Enma's chest, her skin had ruptured from the recoil. Years of bathing in electric plasma had toughened her flesh to rawhide—yet it was nothing compared to the Monkey King's indestructible frame.
His entire body—every organ, every cell—was like forged steel. A living, breathing Vajra.
If she could achieve that—if her muscles, nerves, and organs could match her bones' resilience—she could finally stack her power multipliers.
No more holding back.
Pure taijutsu alone would crush Susano'o. With the Eight Gates? She could dance with Kaguya.
Sage energy could wait. But Adamantine Training? That was a monkey clan exclusive.
Too bad I just punched their king into orbit.
She'd have to wait for Enma to recover—maybe ask nicely through Hiruzen. If diplomacy failed?
Well. Reverse Summoning was always an option.
"Consider your taijutsu sealed. Same for those melting bones. And the Lightning Chakra Mode—"
Unaware of her scheming, Hiruzen rambled on about 'restrictions.'
Eventually, he glanced through the hole in his wall.
"Hungry? Let's grab lunch."
"Can't. I've got things to do."
"What things?"
"My graduation team assignment? You know this."
"…?"
Hiruzen's face blanked. "You skipped it?!"
"Obviously!"
Hikari smirked, channeling her inner transmigrator's pride.
"You'd assign Kakashi as my sensei. That guy's always late. Why waste time waiting? You told me to drop by, so I did."
Hiruzen massaged his temples.
"I warned him not to be late yesterday. So this time—you're the one who's late, Hikari!"
"Huh?!"
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