[Begin mission reward settlement?]
Yes.
[Settling…]
[Primary mission completed. Secondary rune draw x1 obtained.]
[Optional missions incomplete. No additional rewards.]
[Begin secondary rune draw?]
Yes.
In a temporary resting valley, Ren sat cross-legged on a tall tree that overlooked the entire area and the valley entrance.
His subordinates were exhausted.
So Ren kept watch through the night—
while settling the first mission reward.
[Choose one of the following three secondary runes as your reward:]
[Manaflow Band—When you hit a unique chakra-bearing enemy with ninjutsu and deal damage, permanently gain +5% maximum chakra, up to 10 stacks. After reaching 10 stacks, restore 3% maximum chakra per minute.]
[Waterwalking—While in a water environment, all attributes increase by 10%.]
[Biscuit Delivery—Learn to create a special biscuit. Eating it instantly restores 5% maximum HP and chakra, and over the next minute restores 10% of missing HP and chakra. For the first 10 biscuits consumed, each use also increases maximum HP and chakra by 3%. You can create two special biscuits per day. You may give biscuits to others; the enhancement effect is identical.]
Ren weighed them.
[Manaflow Band] was straightforward: raise chakra cap and sustain. Easy to stack. A universal pick—perfect for shinobi who controlled the battlefield through complex ninjutsu.
Kakashi.
Itachi.
The "micro is insane but mana is thin" type.
[Waterwalking] was a combat rune built for Water Release specialists. Ten percent to all stats in water was essentially permanent for shinobi like Kisame—or Ren himself—who could create lakes even in dry environments.
And because it was percentage-based, it scaled cleanly into the late game.
High value.
But [Biscuit Delivery]…
Ren didn't particularly care about the healing—Grasp of the Undying already solved his sustain.
What mattered was the max HP and chakra increase…
And the fact he could give it to others.
A side-effect-free way to raise allies' survivability and ceiling.
To someone who intended to become a village Kage, that was worth far more than a rune that simply increased personal combat power.
Especially in a village like Kirigakure, where strength ruled.
If Ren used "special biscuits" as a reward system exclusively for loyal subordinates—
then even if he took the Mizukage seat and pushed policies as extreme as the Blood Mist…
most Mist shinobi would still choose his side without hesitation.
Ren sighed.
"For the sake of doing whatever I want in the future…"
"I'll sacrifice a little personal power growth now."
[Selected secondary rune: Biscuit Delivery]
At the moment he confirmed, a stream of not-too-obscure information flooded his mind.
He skimmed it and grasped the mechanics quickly.
First—materials weren't complicated.
Everything could be found in the Land of Water.
With enough ingredients, he could mass-produce "biscuits" with healing and chakra recovery.
But those mass-produced biscuits would only heal.
They would not increase max stats.
Only biscuits infused with Ren's chakra in the specific method taught by the system carried the enhancement effect.
"That's perfect," Ren thought.
"Produce the standard biscuits through the clan's channels—make it a Kaguya industry, generate funds."
"And keep the chakra-infused specials for high-performing jōnin and ANBU—raise their base stats and lay groundwork for future expansion."
He tossed the two system-provided special biscuits in his palm, then ate one slowly, feeling his already absurd vitality and chakra ceiling rise again.
Then he dropped from the tree and walked toward the resting ANBU.
"Ren-sama!"
Mikazuki Eri, barely injured, rose immediately and asked tensely, "Enemies?"
"No." Ren shook his head, then looked at the most heavily wounded man among them. "How's your stamina, Ueno? Can you keep up with normal travel speed now?"
The ANBU, Ueno Taiga, forced a bitter smile and touched the hole in his left leg.
"Apologies, Ren-sama. The wound's been treated and bandaged, and I can walk… but long-distance sprinting will reopen it."
"Eat this."
Ren handed him the remaining special biscuit.
Ueno didn't understand why his superior was offering him a biscuit—
but Kirigakure's culture was simple.
You trust the strong.
He took it and swallowed it in a few bites.
"Th-This…!?"
Ueno's sudden outcry drew confused looks from the others—
and then they watched Ueno stand, eyes wide, and leap with shocking ease to a tree five meters away.
He hissed through pain when he pulled the wound—
but unmistakably, the injury that had crippled his movement had eased dramatically.
Ren nodded.
"So it's actually useful."
He looked up. "You can keep up now, Ueno?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Ueno nodded furiously.
"Good."
Ren turned to the gathered ANBU.
"The mission failed. We need to report it as soon as possible so the Third and Yagura's side can form the next plan and prevent fallout from spreading."
"Before the next moonrise…"
"We return to Kirigakure."
"Understood!"
"Then… move out."
Mist shadows vanished under moonlight, racing toward the sea breeze.
They were only one-fifth of what they'd been.
Yet their faces held surprisingly little regret.
If you had to name why—
It was probably because tonight, they'd witnessed a new star of Kirigakure rise on the battlefield.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Inkveil_