Chapter 173

At this point, all the collective mission rewards had been fully distributed. The Hokages consciously closed their mouths and quieted down, creating an atmosphere of anticipation. 

Naruto was puzzled by the sudden silence. "What's the matter? Why isn't anyone talking?" he asked curiously.

"Did you say something?" Kakashi replied with a smile.

"It's as if we're all waiting for something." Minato interjected, "Because more rewards are about to be announced!"

Naruto was immediately surprised. "What? There are more rewards?"

He was completely dumbfounded. "Haven't the rewards already been given out? And they were so generous! Was that only a part of it?"

Minato explained further. "Every mission to the other worlds works like this. After completing all tasks, the chat group gives each of us the same overall reward. But the main event is still to come. Each of us has collected treasures from the worlds we've visited—Zanpakutō or devil fruits things like that. These can be exchanged for points."

Hearing Minato's explanation, Naruto finally understood. "I see!" He remembered that the chat group had mentioned this rule before their departure, but he hadn't understood it at the time and had ignored it. Now, with Kakashi's reminder, it all made sense.

Naruto also recalled that each Hokage meeting involved a ranking system. Before entering the mission to the otherworld, his ranking was second. The rewards were also ranked—the more treasures one collected, the more points one earned, and the higher one's ranking would be.

Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but feel fortunate. Luckily, he hadn't been idle in the Shinigami world. Like the other Hokages, he had searched for and collected many valuable items, enough to earn him a substantial number of points.

At this time, Tobirama confidently said to the other Hokages, "This time, Ryan might not be number one. I've collected too many things. It's possible that all of you combined may not have as many as I have!"

The other Hokages were a little skeptical. Instinctively, they didn't believe Tobirama's words. After all, his claim sounded too exaggerated. But given Tobirama's character, he wasn't one to boast without reason. If he said something so confidently, he likely had good reason to.

Could Tobirama be right? Many couldn't help but glance at Ryan.

Hashirama and Madara stood together, watching the results unfold. Both were taken aback by Tobirama's claims.

"See how confident my brother is Madara? Tobirama pushed himself this time," Hashirama remarked a hint of pride in his voice.

Madara nodded, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "Indeed. For once, it seems your brother has surpassed us both. Quite the feat."

Hashirama chuckled. "I always knew he had it in him, but seeing it happen is something else. He's usually so focused on inventing new jutsus."

"True," Madara agreed. "But it seems he put his heart into this one. It's almost... inspiring."

"Almost?" Hashirama teased, raising an eyebrow.

Madara smirked. "Let's not get carried away. But yes, it is impressive. To see him come so close..."

Ryan smiled slightly and spoke firmly, "Don't worry about the Second Hokage's claims. There's no doubt that I will be taking the first place this time. Just aim for second place."

After listening to Ryan, the other Hokages showed helpless expressions. Too arrogant! However, they couldn't refute him. For most, such words would seem whimsical. But from Ryan, they felt like the truth. 

Over many Hokage sessions, Ryan had consistently taken first place, leaving others to compete for second. This track record spoke volumes.

"Okay, okay," Obito interjected, trying to smooth things over. "Stop arguing about this. Let's wait for the chat group to announce the results!"

Following his words, everyone fell silent, eagerly awaiting the chat group's statistics. They all knew their rewards would be significant.

[Ding! All rewards are now distributed.]

[Next, we will announce the leaderboard rewards!]

The chat group's prompt rang in the ears of all the Hokages. Upon hearing it, smiles spread across their faces. 

Finally, the most important part was here! They were about to learn the value of everything they had worked so hard to collect. And, of course, find out who would be number one this time.

Just look at the announcement from the chat group!

Everyone wore eager expressions. Not just Tobirama; everyone else felt the same anticipation. Although no one voiced it, the sentiment was shared by all: they all believed they had a shot at a good reward. They hoped to place well, perhaps even first, and if not, securing a spot in the top three would still be excellent.

As they waited, the chat group's voice rang out again, repeating the previous rules:

[The more treasure points you collect, the higher your leaderboard ranking!]

[The top three will receive extra rewards!]

[The first place will get an additional grand prize!]

After hearing this, smiles spread across everyone's faces. The rules remained the same as before. Not only could the collected treasures be converted into points, but there were rewards for everyone based on their rankings. Everyone was curious about the rewards this time, wondering if they would be as generous as the last.

Ryan smiled confidently, certain that he would secure first place. He knew his efforts had paid off. Collecting treasures with the help of many powerful allies, including Ywhach, Captain Yamamoto, and Aizen, who had all gathered valuable items for him over a week, he was sure of his success.

Amid everyone's anticipation, the chat group's voice rang out once more, this time announcing the reward rankings!

[Selection completed!]

[First place: Ryan!]

Upon hearing the chat group's announcement, the Hokages displayed helpless smiles.

"Oh, it's Ryan again!" Tsunade exclaimed, shaking her head with a wry smile.

"It's not surprising at all!" Kakashi added, his tone resigned but amused.

"At least it isn't that idiot!" Sasuke admitted, a hint of frustration in his voice.

They all echoed similar sentiments.

"It's not me? How strange!" Tobirama said in amazement. This time, he was genuinely surprised. He had worked incredibly hard to secure first place, nearly exhausting all storage scrolls he had brought with him. Yet, despite his efforts, he still couldn't surpass Ryan.

Tobirama felt a bit disheartened. "No, what on earth did you do? How did you win first place again?" he asked Ryan curiously.

What secret jutsu or method did Ryan use that allowed him to secure first place once more?

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