[Begin mission reward settlement?]
Yes.
[Mission settlement in progress…]
[Main mission completion detected. You have received one secondary rune draw chance.]
[Optional missions incomplete. No additional rewards.]
[Begin drawing secondary rune?]
Yes.
In a temporary resting valley, Rei Kaguya sat upright on a large tree that overlooked the entire area and gave him a clear view of the valley entrance.
While keeping watch through the night for his physically and mentally exhausted subordinates, he began settling the first mission he had completed.
[Please choose one of the following three secondary runes as this mission's reward.]
[Manaflow Band: When you use ninjutsu to hit and damage a unique enemy with chakra, permanently increase your maximum chakra by 5%. Maximum stacks: 10. After completing 10 stacks, recover 3% of your maximum chakra every minute.]
[Waterwalking: When you are in an aquatic environment, all your attributes increase by 10%.]
[Biscuit Delivery: Learn to make a special biscuit. After consumption, immediately recover 5% of maximum vitality and chakra, then continuously recover 10% of missing vitality and chakra over the next minute.
For the first ten times consumed, each biscuit will increase maximum vitality and maximum chakra by 3%. You can make two special biscuits per day. The biscuits may be given to others for consumption, with the same enhancement effect as when you consume them yourself.]
Looking at these three secondary runes, each with their own strengths, Rei Kaguya began considering their applicable uses.
The effect of Manaflow Band was very simple.
It could increase his maximum chakra and endurance, and its stacking condition was not difficult. It belonged to the kind of extremely versatile rune better suited for shinobi skilled at using complex and varied ninjutsu to dominate the battlefield.
For example, shinobi like Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha, who had excellent micromanagement but were somewhat lacking in mana, would be very suited to choosing this rune.
As for Waterwalking, it was a practical combat rune designed to fit Water Release shinobi.
A 10% increase to all attributes in an aquatic environment. For shinobi like Kisame Hoshigaki and Rei Kaguya, who could create lakes even in an environment with no water, it was basically a permanent buff.
And because the enhancement provided by Waterwalking was percentage-based, even in the late game, it would still offer a fairly decent boost.
For a lone wolf, it could be called an extremely cost-effective choice.
As for Biscuit Delivery…
Mm.
With Grasp of the Undying ensuring his endurance, Rei Kaguya honestly did not care that much about the recovery effect provided by Biscuit Delivery.
The main reason he valued this rune was its ability to increase maximum vitality and chakra, as well as the fact that it could be shared with others.
Something that could raise the survival ability and potential ceiling of friendly units without side effects was absolutely not something a rune that merely improved his individual combat strength could compare to, at least for someone determined to become the Kage of a village.
Especially in a village like Kirigakure, which worshiped force.
As long as Rei Kaguya took out the special biscuits and made them an exclusive reward mechanism for loyal subordinates, then even if he immediately implemented an excessive policy like the Village of the Bloody Mist after taking power, the vast majority of Kirigakure shinobi would still choose to stand firmly on his side without hesitation.
"Sigh. For the sake of doing whatever I want in Kirigakure later, I'll sacrifice a little bit of personal strength improvement for now."
[Secondary Rune: Biscuit Delivery selected.]
The instant he confirmed the selection, a section of information that was not difficult to understand flowed into Rei Kaguya's mind.
After briefly browsing through it, he roughly understood the specific operating mechanism of this talent.
First of all, the recipe for the biscuits was not complicated. All the materials required could be found within the Land of Water. As long as there were enough ingredients, biscuits with the effect of restoring vitality and chakra could be mass-produced.
However, biscuits produced that way only had the effect of restoring vitality and chakra. They could not increase maximum vitality or chakra.
Only biscuits personally infused with Rei Kaguya's own chakra according to the method taught by the system possessed the attribute-enhancing effect.
"That works out perfectly. The ordinary version of the biscuits can be promoted through the clan's power and turned into a Kaguya clan business to help me earn funds. The special version that increases attributes can be given to high-performing jonin and Anbu in the village to raise their basic capabilities, laying a foundation for Kirigakure's future expansion…"
"Tch, tch. With this thing in hand, I really don't know what Yagura can use to compete with me for the position of Fourth Mizukage."
Rei Kaguya casually tossed the two special biscuits distributed by the system in his hand.
He put one of them into his mouth and slowly chewed, enjoying the joy of feeling his already enormous vitality and chakra limits increase slightly once more.
Then he leaped down from the tree and walked toward the resting Anbu.
"Lord Rei!"
Seeing Rei Kaguya approach, Mikazuki Eri, who had barely been injured, immediately stood up and came over. With some nervousness, she asked,
"Are enemies approaching?"
"No."
Rei Kaguya shook his head, then turned to look at the male Anbu with the heaviest injuries among them and asked,
"How is your stamina recovering, Ueno? Can you keep up with our normal travel speed?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Rei."
The male Anbu being questioned, Ueno Taiga, smiled bitterly and shook his head. Touching his left leg, which had been pierced with a large hole by Obito's wooden spike, he sighed.
"Although the wound has already been treated and bandaged, and I can barely walk by myself now, if we have to travel at high speed over a long distance, the wound definitely won't hold and will reopen."
"Eat this."
Rei Kaguya handed over the remaining special biscuit and instructed Ueno Taiga to eat it.
Although Ueno did not quite understand why his superior had suddenly taken out a biscuit and told him to eat it, out of Kirigakure's usual obedience and trust toward the strong, he obediently accepted the biscuit and swallowed it in a few bites.
"This… This is!?"
Hearing Ueno Taiga suddenly let out such a loud voice, the other Anbu members all cast puzzled looks toward him.
Then they saw Ueno Taiga, who had just been clutching the wound on his left leg and gritting his teeth from time to time, and who had found even running by himself difficult, stand up with an expression of disbelief.
With great ease, he leaped onto a large tree five meters away.
Although Ueno Taiga inevitably grimaced from pulling at the painful spot during the process, there was no doubt that the injury affecting his mobility had already healed significantly under the effect of that biscuit.
"Mm. Looks like it does have some use."
Rei Kaguya nodded slightly, gaining a clearer understanding of Biscuit Delivery's actual recovery effect.
"You should be able to keep up with us now, right, Ueno?"
"I can. Absolutely!"
Ueno Taiga nodded excitedly.
"Good. Everyone, it's time to continue moving."
Rei Kaguya turned and looked at the gathered Anbu, then said,
"The mission failed. We must bring this news back to the village as soon as possible so Lord Third and Genji can formulate the next battle plan quickly and prevent the consequences of this mission failure from expanding…"
"Before the next moon rises, we return to Kirigakure."
"Understood!"
"Then… move out!"
The Kirigakure shinobi vanished under the moonlight, rushing toward the direction from which the sea breeze blew.
Although their numbers were now less than one-fifth of what they had been when they arrived, there was not much regret or worry from the mission failure visible on them.
If one asked why…
It was probably because they had just witnessed a bright new star belonging to Kirigakure rising on the battlefield.