6 New Mission

[Shinobi know how to run - [F-rank Mission]

Task - Run 200 Laps (200 / 200)

Rewards - 100 EXP, Slight increase in Vitality]

[Congratulations! You have completed the F rank mission [Shinobi know how to run]. You have earned 100 EXP]

[Your vitality rises slightly]

[Name - Kaito | Level 16 Sunagakure Shinobi [1 880 / 2 800 EXP] | HP - 230 / 230

Title - Sunagakure Genin (+30% EXP and reputation from Sunagakure missions)

Attributes:

Strength - 13 (+4) | Agility - 16 (+4) | Vitality - 18 (+5) | Chakra - 19 (+5)

Chakra control: [C-rank]

Perk - Puppeteer (Increased growth rate of puppet-related skills)

Skills: Puppet Creation Mastery (C), Puppet Control Mastery (C), Shuriken Mastery (E), Sunagakure Taijutsu (E), Kunai Mastery (E)

Jutsu: Katonjutsu Fire Blast (C), Katonjutsu Fire Shuriken (E)

Items - Shuriken Thrower Puppet n°42 (D), Shield Puppet n°13 (D), Dual Arm Puppet n°6 (C)]

A week passed, and Eiji reached level 16, while Aki reached level 13. It seemed like they managed to converge the experience they got from last mission into raising their strength well. Aki was sharper and faster than before, while Eiji became more cold-blooded.

Although Kaito did not level up in this training week, his physical attributes increased slightly. He knew that this was not the priority as a puppet master, but he also knew that close combat was inevitable on a battlefield, since his enemies would target him.

The Sunagakure Academy chunin instructors did not put Eiji and Aki in his team just because they got along well. They knew that ultimately, Eiji would end up becoming his bodyguard, preventing any threat from reaching him. As for Aki, she possessed enough chakra control and mastery to become a ninjutsu specialist that would repel any long-distance jutsu.

Although Kaito often ended up fighting with his puppets only, he knew that his opponents would only get sharper as he gained more rank in Suna, and there would be a time where this formation would become the most optimal one. Many times already, Kaito became the main fighting force of the team in large-scale bandit subjugation.

Kaito only lacked one thing: puppet numbers and individual strength of puppets.

While his puppets were already very strong for an average genin, Kaito knew that he possessed the potential to achieve much more. He already possessed the skills to do so.

[Puppet Creation - C-rank

The skill to create puppets up to C-rank.

They are most often humanoid-looking creations, but depending on the creator, they can resemble anything. They are fashioned in a manner that uses every part as a weapon, giving the puppeteer a myriad of ways to manipulate it. Puppets are long-ranged type weapons that can be used offensively, defensively or for supplementary reasons, and are controlled via Chakra Threads]

This skill meant that as long as he had the design and the right materials in hand, he could create C-rank puppets. Unfortunately, what Sunagakure didn't tell him when he embarked on the journey of becoming a puppeteer is that puppets were incredibly costly to create. The materials were very expensive, and repairs were tough too. It would have been alright if he was born in a shinobi clan, but his father Yaito was only a veteran genin with poor relationship with him. Not to mention lending him materials and money, it would be a miracle if they didn't fight on sight.

[Missions]

As a shinobi, Kaito made the decision to make money with his weapons.

Now that his teammates had grown a bit, they could take on C-rank missions. Although there was always a risk of encoutering enemy shinobis, Kaito knew that these missions were the best opportunities to earn money and grow stronger.

Without the system, he knew that his fate would be very limited. Surviving would be incredibly tough.

However, the system provided him with opportunities, opportunities to grow by feeding on the souls of the enemies he killed and the missions he completed.

It did not make him more talented, nor did it make it simple for him to grow stronger.

But it made it possible.

[New mission available]

Browsing through the [Sunagakure Genin Corps Mission Hall], Kaito found one that suited him most.

[Merchant Convoy Assistance - C-rank mission

The [Golden Turtle] merchant union has requested a group of genins for the sake of bodyguarding their convoy to the Land of Rivers bountiful city Jakami. However, the convoy possesses items of high value aims at passing the borders illegally, without paying the frontier taxes, which may cause soldiers to try and arrest them.

Your task is simple: you must make sure that the items reach Jakami's famous business called [House of Wine]

Task - Bottles of Red Beetle Wine delivered to the [House of Wine] (0 / 280)

Rewards: 1500 EXP, 2 Bottles of Red Beetle Wine, 400 000 Ryo]

Usually, a C-rank mission only paid between 90 000 and 300000 Ryos to the team, which would only amount to 30 to 100 000 Ryo per individual. Kaito needed roughly 100 000 Ryos to upgrade his shuriken launching puppet from D-rank to C-rank, and this mission proved to be the most lucrative one.

Of course, he knew that C-rank missions were not so easily completed, especially those that were pretty long like this one. Escorting the convoy would take roughly two weeks, perhaps even three. Of course, the rewards were proportional to the difficulty and length of missions.