Missions
"No, absolutely not, I have to change its name!"
"Well, since you're the summoner now, it's up to you. What do you plan to call it?"
"Hmm~ Let's call it Qingyu."
"But… it's black."
"…" Miyue's face darkened. She turned her head away and said angrily, "Hmph, I don't care, it's Qingyu!"
"Haha~ Whatever you want, as long as you're happy."
"Miyue, you and Shirō go play for a while. Your father and I are heading back. Be careful."
"Don't worry, Mom, I'm a kunoichi now!"
After Miyue's parents had walked away, Shirō finally asked, "So, where are you treating me? Just so you know, I'm not going anywhere cheap."
"Hey! I'm a girl! Aren't you ashamed saying that?"
"Not at all. Besides, I just became Sakumo-sama's disciple two days ago, and I swear my conscience's already been eaten by his Summoning Beasts."
"…You…" Miyue gave him a serious look, then turned away with a sigh. "I didn't expect you to be such a person. You really can't judge a book by its cover."
"Hahaha, this time it's my turn to make you poor!"
The two figures gradually disappeared down the busy street. Meanwhile, Okita and Saori, who had originally tagged along, had long since forgotten their purpose. They were too busy flirting in the shop to pay attention to Shirō anymore.
---
That evening, after finishing his night classes, Shirō began planning his schedule for the next few days. According to Nakamura, their team would not be undertaking official missions for half a month, since they had just returned from intensive training. They were allowed to rest.
But Shirō's own plans required a great deal of funding. With no alternative, he decided to take on D-rank missions.
The pay was low, but the advantage was that D-rank missions didn't require leaving the village. And while the reward wasn't much, every bit helped. Still, he had to balance missions carefully so they wouldn't interfere with his training, which was the most important thing.
The next morning, Shirō brought up the matter to Sakumo. Sakumo readily agreed and even adjusted his training plan to give him time for missions.
It wasn't that Sakumo was unwilling to give Shirō money—he simply respected his student's pride. After only a short time together, Sakumo already understood that Shirō valued his independence. Unless Shirō asked, he wouldn't offer financial help outright.
Besides, completing low-level missions wasn't meaningless. For someone who might one day lead a squad, experiencing the basics Genin normally faced was valuable.
So, after completing his morning training, Shirō went straight to the Hokage Building to register.
The system was standard: the first floor handled general D- and C-rank missions, while higher-ranked missions (B and above) required the Hokage or advisors to personally assign them. Since Shirō only needed low-level tasks, he naturally went to the first floor.
Inside the mission hall, he saw the reality of D-rank missions. Most were errands or chores—manual labor, deliveries, weeding, cleaning—things requiring little to no combat.
Shirō accepted his first errand mission. Unfortunately, the rules didn't allow a shinobi to take multiple missions at once. Because the deadlines were short, doing so could cause delays.
Shirō sighed but accepted it. To make up for lost time, he strapped on the weighted training gear Guy had given him, determined to keep up his physical conditioning while working.
That whole afternoon, he busied himself with menial jobs. He planned to sample every type of D-rank over the next two days, then figure out which ones were the most efficient.
Thanks to the ongoing war, there were countless requests from civilians. The sheer number of requests meant sifting through thick stacks of papers each time, which was annoying in its own way.
That evening, Shirō sat down to record the missions he had completed, writing out the time spent and rewards earned. Careful comparison would help him find the best rhythm.
---
The next afternoon, he tried a different approach—manual labor. Weeding fields, cleaning ditches, carrying supplies. These missions could be stacked if they were in the same area, so he accepted several and used a Shadow Clone to study while his main body worked.
Over the next few days, Shirō cycled through every type of D-rank mission. His notes were clear:
Errand missions: the most numerous, but couldn't be done simultaneously. Low efficiency.
Weeding/Cleaning missions: fewer in number, but multiple could be stacked if locations were close. Often left untouched by other Genin, so they were reliable.
Hunting stray animals: usually requests from restaurants or nearby villages. Higher rewards, but very time-consuming. Not efficient.
After analyzing his results, Shirō decided his main focus would be outdoor cleaning missions, with hunting requests as backups. Errand missions would fill the gaps.
Efficiency was everything.
Still, he couldn't afford to let missions eat into his training. He had too much to learn—Enshin's Displacement Magic, his own Reinforcement Magic, and everything Sakumo taught.
Unlike Shirō from the other world, who had practiced flawed Reinforcement Magic for years, Shirō had corrected the foundation early. Now his mastery was approaching, even surpassing, Shirō's own level. Without the Heroic Spirit card boosts, his growth was slower, but the groundwork was solid.
That night, as usual, he opened his system panel and began transcribing magical knowledge into his own notes. The system itself was too primitive to rely on directly.
---
Several days passed in this rhythm—missions during the day, training at dawn and dusk, study at night. The monotony was suffocating, but necessary.
Then, one morning, after finishing training, Shirō returned to the Hokage Building to pick up his usual stack of outdoor missions. But this time, one was missing.
Curious, he asked the receptionist, "Sister Xuanyi, what happened to the other request? Did someone take it already? People don't usually touch these kinds."
"Yes," she replied with a smile. "A new batch of Genin just graduated. Normally, chores like this are their responsibility. A team picked it up earlier. Are you taking another one today?"
"Yes. This type is the most efficient for me."
"Alright, here you go. Here's the voucher."
"Thanks, Sister Xuanyi. I won't keep you any longer. Goodbye."